Jeff Rudell
Casino owners do everything in their power to keep visitors to Las Vegas IN Las Vegas: great food, glitz, glamour, neon, music, and sensational shows. But don't go without planning to spend at least one day outside the city. If you can, choose a MaxTour (and by all means, try to get Corey as your tour guide). She picked us up at our hotel in a comfortable van, meaning we were a group of 12 (instead of a bus of 50!). She drove us to the famous "Las Vegas" sign for a photo op, then on to Seven Magic Mountains for a moment of art in the dessert, then on to Hoover Dam. It's a few hours tour but she had plenty of drinks and muffins and bananas and snacks. There were also a few bathroom breaks and a lunch truck stop along the way for a bit of local color. The real treat, though, is the Grand Canyon itself. Our tour took us to the west rim, which is on an Indian Reservation. I recommend opting for the premium ticket which includes the glass-bottom Skywalk over the rim of the canyon for the full experience; it's pricey but worth it. Don't be shocked when the canyon turns you into a blathering cliche: "It looks like a painting," "It looks unreal," "It's breathtaking / amazing / awe-inspiring." All true. But what it mostly is, is one of the most unforgettable things you will ever see. You could rent a car and drive to these destinations on your own but the joy of a tour is, of course, the tour guide. Corey was a delight. She knows her history, she's up on all the interesting details of both the dam and the canyon, and she's a font of information about everything in between. Keen listeners will notice Corey has a sensationally curated playlist that provides a cheeky, clever, apt, and inspiring soundtrack to every leg of the trip (including a list of "Vegas" songs that are absolutely thrilling to listen to as your round the corner of a mountain range on the way back and see the lights of Las Vegas spread out before you in the black of the dessert night. It was the highlight of our visit, not least because we were in such competent and caring hands for the whole trip. Go. Be a cliche. Stare with your mouth agape. You won't regret it. (And, as always, don't forget to tip your guide.) I'll post some photos but, as we all know, photos don't do it justice. Go, look with your eyes. I promise you won't need a photo to remember what you see.)
