Today I drove east from Las Vegas with the intention of heading to the Grand Canyon. Unfortunately, I was swayed from course by two of the worst detours ever. And trust me, after traveling often as a child with my father, I have been on some pretty awful detours.
First I came to Hoover Dam. You think, it's right there, I gotta see it. So, I turn off the road and follow the signs. A new bridge has just opened this past year that routes traffic away from the Dam. So now to get to the dam you have to go down a winding dirt road. Ok, just not so much fun. Then you get to a security checkpoint. Apparently they are worried about the security of the dam, and check all incoming traffic. Ok, I get that. Sounds like a good idea. Until they decide that they need me to fully unpack my tent so they can be sure there are no 'dangerous articles' inside. Seriously? They could have just taken a peak, lifted the cover, and stuck an arm inside, but no. It had to go up all the way. I think they were just curious and wanted to watch me set it up on the side of the road. I suppose I'd get bored out there, too. Then, I finally make it to the dam. A big sign says parking, points to the left, and has a price of $7 listed. So I pull in and pay. After I walk across the dam, I find the free parking, which they neglect to mark on any maps. Very nice. Then I thought I'd go to the visitors Center to learn me sumthin' about that dam, but it has an entrance fee too! $8. Just to go inside. If you want to take a tour? $30!! My guess is that they're trying to pay off that shiny new bridge. And the worst part is, it wasn't even that cool.
Second stop on the day of bad decisions: the Grand Canyon Skywalk. So much potential! Such an epic fail.
I turned off the highway at the designated point and proceeded to drive into the middle of nowhere. And then a little further. And then the pavement ends, and you drive a little further. 45 miles of badly maintained gravel road. Poor Ricky is still covered in dust! And then, finally, I come to a parking lot.
A little background. This area of the Grand Canyon is part of an indian reservation, so the Skywalk is run by the Hualapai tribe. They apparently made some type of hardship declaration to the federal government, and now they are allowed to use the canyon for monetary gain. So they build the skywalk, fly helicopter & small plane tours out, etc. Advertised Skywalk charge is $30. A little steep, but then when you consider that the American Indian has been through, you feel a little bad about complaining.
Anyway, I get to the visitors center and am informed that not only do you pay to walk out onto the skywalk, but every visitor must also pay an entrance fee of $40. WTF? And who turns it down after driving through an hour of teeth jarring gravel road? Talk about leaving a bad taste. And the Skywalk wasn't even that cool. It doesn't extend far enough out over the canyon rim.
One last gripe about the experience. I had thought that the whole operation would be staffed by Hualapai indians, but around half of the positions were filled with caucasians. I asked my bus driver if there weren't enough indians or what the reason might be. His answer? They weren't interested in working. Oh, well, that makes so much sense. Let me just pay another hundred bucks to some lazy person sitting on their couch. It's like privatized welfare.
I did find another example of Mother Nature taking back her own. This is the body of a cable housing that was part of a guano mine. Didn't work out, and the skeleton is all that remains.
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