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Homeward BoundMay 16, 2009
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Just like snow
"The Girls" (Gabby & Harley)
| Day 8 - Time to go home. All good things must come to an end..including vacations. We got up at 5:30 to make a 9:30 flight. Walking through the casino around 6:45, we were surprised to see there were still people gambling on the slot machines and drinking beer...obviously still there from the night before. I've been told that the casino's pump in oxygen just to keep people feeling refreshed. I guess it works! Our flight landed around 3:00, and our friend Debby was waiting for us. After a quick lunch at Ruby Tuesdays we headed to her house to pick up "the girls". Harley and Gabby looked liked they had grown 2 inches...alot for little Lhapso-Poos! I don't know who was happiest to see the other, them or us. Now for the summary of our trip, just in case anyone is inspired enough to try this journey for themselves. By planning our vacation in mid-May, just before "peak summer rates" kicked in and to avoid crowds, plus using AAA discounted hotels, car, and some restaurants, the grand total for our "8 Day Trip Around The Grand Canyon" came to....drumroll please...$2,482. Donnette keeps meticulous records of every dollar spent. The breakdown is as follows: $490 - Airfare, Southwest Airlines $229 - Car rental, weekly unlimited miles, Hertz, Chevy Malibu $176 - Zion Lodge, Zion National Park $163 - Best Western, 2 nights, Page, AZ $182 - Thunderbird Lodge, Grand Canyon South Rim $ 80 - Canyon Country Inn, William, AZ $ 90 - Best Western, Boulder City, NV (near Hoover Dam) $103 - The Flamingo, Las Vegas, NV $160 - Colorado River Discovery (Rafting in Page, AZ) $ 50 - Park Entry Fees ($25 each at Zion and Grand Canyon) $ 61 - gas (790 total miles driven) $ 24 - Imax Movie $ 20 - Navajo Museum $480 - Dining/snacks (free breakfasts 4 mornings at Best Western & Canyon Country Inn) $110 - Souvenirs $ 50 - Tips $ 14 - Misc (magazines, personal supplies) Also, along the way we were able to see 20 of the 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, as follows in the order of our trip: Drove through St. George, Utah on way to Zion National Park Zion National Park, stayed in the recommended Zion Lodge Passed through Escalante National Monument Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Dam Navajo Nation Reservation, Tuba City, AZ, and Tuba Trading Post (all which lie within the Painted Desert) South Rim Drive, East Entrance to The Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon, stayed in the Thunderbird Lodge, toured El Tovar Hotel Drove Route 66 from Williams, AZ to Kingman, AZ (Stayed in Williams, AZ) Hoover Dam & Lake Mead, Boulder City, NV Visited the Bellagio, Caesar's Palace, and Mirage casinos in Las Vegas Drove and walked "The Strip" in Las Vegas Hope everyone enjoyed reading about our adventure and seeing the sites with us on this website! Happy Trails! |
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