Grand Canyon North Rim & Zion National Park – Road trip in the American West #9

I don’t know what got into me, I felt like visiting the Grand Canyon from the North Rim to see what the Grand Canyon looks like under the snow. The road leading to the Grand Canyon North Rim has been closed for several days, but there’s an alert on their site saying it will likely reopen on November 28 at 9 a.m.

This article is part of our series of articles on the American West road trip. If you haven’t read the previous travel diaries, here they are: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8

Part 1: Travel Journal
Part 2: Practical Tips

Part 1: Travel Journal

Day 14 of the road trip:

Grand Canyon North Rim

At 9 a.m., I call the phone number that updates road conditions in real time, and there’s indeed an update from 8:30 a.m.: all roads are open!! It’s our last chance; the North Rim closes starting November 30. Going through the Grand Canyon before heading to Zion is a long detour, adding 6 hours of driving instead of 1 hour!! So, I decide to drive half the way (3 hours) to the Grand Canyon North Rim and let JB drive to Zion. Poor JB only rests halfway because during my accompanied driving, he stays alert and watches everything. As usual, when I drive, my Osmo Pocket is on in dash cam mode (for insurance). By chance, the road I chose is very varied: lots of curves, then 30 minutes of straight road in the middle of a plain, then 1 hour of snowy road freshly cleared by the park. On the desert plain, we get a typical American Far West sight: dry grass balls crossing the road like ghosts (they call them tumbleweeds). Just like in the movies!

The landscapes are varied and interesting, but I’m so focused on the road that the only thing I noted is a wolf. It’s not hard to spot: it’s walking in the open on a snowy plain. An unexpected sight! I’ll notice by looking closely at the snow that there must be plenty of other animals in the park: there are footprints everywhere everywhere!

Arriving at the Grand Canyon North Rim, we discover landscapes not as snowy as expected: the snow has melted, only a part, sheltered from the sun, retains a bit of snow.

There are 3 viewpoints, one of which is snowy (we don’t go there, as we don’t have suitable shoes), but the other two are very beautiful.

Compared to the South Rim, there aren’t many viewpoints and things to do (except hiking). Also, we’re mostly against the light (which is excellent for sunset but not for the whole afternoon). I understand why everyone recommends visiting the South Rim (which we already did at the start of the road trip). However, there’s a lodge here with a magnificent view of the Grand Canyon (closed in winter).

The Grand Canyon is always a good idea!

Zion National Park

We hit the road again, and it’s when we arrive at the checkpoint Zion National Park, via the East entrance, that the landscapes suddenly change. I’m captivated by the beauty of this road. It’s a bit like the Grand Canyon, except that instead of staying at the top, we drive inside the canyon and descend to river level. At one point, we have to go through a very long tunnel with no lighting.

Every now and then, there’s a huge hole in the rock that lets light in (and for air circulation, surely). And when we exit the tunnel, it’s like another world awaits us: absolutely majestic!!!! Everything is so high! We feel so small.

Look at the hole in the rock, it ensures tunnel ventilation!

This drive impresses us so much that we’ll do it twice. I think it’s the most beautiful road in the park, because as soon as you reach river level, apart from hikes, there are no easily accessible viewpoints. Those allergic to sport like me won’t appreciate this park to its full value, I think.

We have no energy left, after so much driving, to hike. We’ll head to our hotel quickly near the South entrance (our room with a view will let us enjoy the sunset from the balcony without getting tired). No restaurant tonight; we have homemade sandwiches to finish.

Day 15:

The next day, after a hearty (but not very refined) breakfast at the hotel’s partner restaurant…

…we wander along the river within the park (normally this path heading north is only available to shuttles, but there are no more shuttles for a few weeks). At the visitor center, they explain there are 5000 visitors per day on average for 500 parking spots, hence the shuttle.

It’s less enjoyable when you don’t hike. At the same time, all the interesting hikes last 1.5 hours or more. Not for me! But we see two deer (??) having a quiet breakfast.

Las Vegas (again!)

Off we go for another long drive to Las Vegas, during which we move from Utah to Nevada, and the clock goes back one hour. JB picks up his sunglasses from the optician, and then we collect our Amazon packages (bought during Black Friday). In the US, everything is cheaper than in France. I’m so happy to receive a copy of the book made by the V&A Museum on William Morris. The ebook doesn’t exist, and this book is the most comprehensive on the life and work of William Morris. I relate to his journey and passions; the difference is he’s 10,000 times more talented than me.

JB insists on seeing the famous “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign. There’s a long queue in front, and from time to time, scammers take photos of you and make you pay. Parking is free, but there’s a sign saying not to leave anything in the car.

We would have liked to sleep further south of Las Vegas to pay less, but there’s only one poorly rated hotel. Oh well! JB chooses a hotel in old Las Vegas, where it all began. It’s a recently renovated hotel, I really like it! It’s clean and not too crowded. The pedestrian street where the hotel is located is very nice.

At the bottom of the hotel, there’s a well-regarded restaurant: Tony Roma.

A man sitting at the next table, seeing JB’s gloomy face as he read the menu, suggests the “special” of the moment, a promotional dish available between 4:30 PM and 6:30 PM, prime rib, excellent and hearty according to him, for only $9.99. A bargain! Later, observing the tables around, you’ll notice that EVERYONE chose this dish. How did they know? On Reddit perhaps? The man is a regular; he has a “timeshare” in Las Vegas, an apartment in a condominium shared with other owners. He spends 3 months a year in Las Vegas and knows all the best deals in the city. The casinos all have such deals to attract gamblers. For example, when you gamble, you can ask for plenty of free drinks. Another “special” at the restaurant is between 9 PM and 11 PM: steak and lobster (surf and turf) on the same plate for $12.99!! Incredible! We’ll note that for next time.

If this man chose to talk to us, it’s because he thought I was Filipino. This is the fourth person who mistakes me for Filipino. Apparently, mixed marriages are mostly between Caucasians and Filipinos (whereas in France, I’m taken for Chinese or Thai). But even when I sit alone, they still ask if I’m Filipino (true, there aren’t enough Vietnamese restaurants around here). The man is going to the Philippines to visit his girlfriend on April xx (Americans always specify the exact date when they talk about their trips). They’ve known each other for 5 years, and she’s going to move to the USA soon (if the American has the means, the Filipina comes here; otherwise, he goes to live in the Philippines). He took her on cruises in Asia with Royal Caribbean (seems to be Americans’ favorite cruise line). He claims it’s super convenient to date a Filipina because she speaks perfect English and can find a job without any hassle in Las Vegas. Before leaving and wishing us bon appétit, he shares another tip for breakfast: $9 at some hotel, but judging by the breakfast picture he showed us on his phone, I didn’t note the name. He tells us to stay on the Strip and not wander off for safety reasons. And last but not least, due to the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Las Vegas a few days ago, the grandstands completely cover the Bellagio fountain, and they’ll take 2 months to remove them. So no fountain for us this time.

We take advantage of the confusion during the dismantling of these grandstands to get very close to the brand new Sphere, a sort of Géode but with an external screen. Unfortunately, at the time of our visit, it wasn’t showing anything interesting, but apparently, it occasionally projects the Moon in XXXXL format. I looked into the show inside the Sphere; it costs $100/person and it’s the same type of film you see at the Géode in France (€15 in France, I think), so no.

Speaking of parking in Las Vegas, hotels generally charge $60, yes $60 per day for parking. Ours? Free! But it’s valet parking, meaning with an attendant. We pay nothing but give tips when the guy parks our car and when he brings it back. The custom is to give between $2 and $5, so very economical compared to the exorbitant rates at other hotels. The downside is that it’s a bit far from the Strip, so it’s good between road trip stops, but not for visiting Las Vegas.

Day 15:

The next day, I pick up a delicious Thai Iced Tea in the Asian quarter before starting a 5.5-hour drive to the gates of Sequoia National Park.

This time, JB drives the whole way because the roads get trickier: 5 to 6 lanes to get out of Las Vegas, followed by 3-4 lane roads with lots of trucks and aggressive drivers. The landscapes are super monotonous; we’re in the middle of the desert, nothing happens. Oh, maybe a wind farm as far as the eye can see, and a flight school for pilots (we looked it up because we were intrigued by what looked like a plane parking lot). We stop only to get gas and eat at Subway (on days we don’t have breakfast, we have to have lunch somewhere). Gas gets more and more expensive as we approach California ($4.76 per gallon instead of $3.55 in Utah and $3.77 in Nevada). We still have to set our watches back: we lose an hour.

We arrive, exhausted, at the hotel. But we still have enough energy to do our laundry and wash our car ourselves ($1 for 3 minutes of pressure washing and $1 for the vacuum). Everyone has to dry their car with rags, but it’s fun; the car looks less “road trip” now.

Tomorrow, we’ll visit the Sequoia National Park, where the world’s biggest trees live.

The rest of our adventure, is right here

Part 2: Practical Tips

All our routes and points of interest are available on this Google Maps map. I’ve already explained how to use our custom maps here

• Accommodation:
  • Zion: Bumbleberry Inn (Booking link) €98 for two, breakfast included
  • Las Vegas: Fremont Hotel & Casino
• Restaurant:
  • Tony Roma: $17-$30 per dish, specials between $10 and $13
  • Subway: $20 for two