the grandest canyon / O!

We took a two-day trip to the Grand Canyon National Park, going over the Hoover Dam to get there.  A word (or several) about Hoover: that Dam is pretty cool.  I mean, the engineering of it all!  That kind of labour could only happen during a depression when people are too desperate to say no to 14-hour days of pouring cement while a several-million tonnes of water was waiting to burst through.  It was worth the sidebar.

So, the Grand Canyon: it is not the widest, the deepest or the longest, but it is the grandest.  We arrived at around 1400 and it all seemed very pretty.  I mean, it was big, but mostly, it was the colour of the rocks and almost-painting like quality of the view that was so beautiful.  It wasn't until sunset that it became spectacular.  The shadows lengthened, the rocks took on a burnished-gold hue and the entire place just seemed to steep itself in awesome.  The sun took about three minutes to set and within five minutes of that it was dead dark.  I mean, DEAD dark.  Considering the serious lack of guardrails throughout most of the park, it's no wonder that the shuttle buses that spirit travellers through the vast area picked up anyone at any point on the roads.

The next day we took a leisurely three-hour rim walk.  It was just as amazing.  Being a little sensitive to perceived "dangerous" situations, I spent  the walk with tingly palms and soles.  I was sad to leave so quickly, but I hope to return one and make to the bottom as well as to the North Rim.

***

Back in Vegas, there was only one thing left to do: O!  Here is but a sampling of statements made:
- Did that guy just walk on water?
- Is that a pool on the stage?
- Oh my god, the entire stage is a pool!
- How are the mermaids breathing under there for like thirty minutes?
- Haha, audience participation...
- Wait, the audience guy just got pushed into the pool!
- Hey, that guy's on fire!
- I think my brain just went poof.
...Go see O.

Also: Batman with showgirl on his arm.  'nuff said.

A quick jaunt to M&M World, dinner at this tiny place called Nobu (which was freakishly good), a random movie and then home.