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Day 18 & 19 - Las Vegas to Grand Canyon

If I could change one thing about my road trip plan so far, I would've bought the van in North Carolina months in advance, got it insured, checked out metchanically and converted to a camper before setting out on the road trip. The van stuff has been a bit of a hassle-- but it has worked out int he end. 

I drove five hours from Phoenix to Las Vegas on Tuesday in order to pick up my official proof of automobile purchase from the Hertz Dealer and get my car registered at the Nevada DMV. The last step to a legit legal Nevada vehicle. 

I wanted to get the DMV registration done that day but would've had to wait in line all night to be seen. So I got a cheap hotel in vegas, lost $100 gambling at poker:(, and got an early spot in line to get the van registered. A family friend's address would serve as my Nevada address. After resolving a minor issue with my Nevada insurance, I got my Nevada plates, paying $434 in fees--thieves. 

I drove to Walmart and bought a plug and play SiriusXM satellite radio tuner which I installed and activated in the parking lot.  I need more tunes man.  I also picked up a roll of Reflectix insulation (similar to what windshield sunshades are made out of). I plan to cut the Reflectix into panels to cover the side and back windows for privacy and for insulation at night. 

Then I booked it out of town and drove the four hours to Grand Canyon, arriving an hour before sunset, just in time for some photos and a brisk walk around the rim. It's rather chilly at a high of 63 today at Grand Canyon. I'll spend the next few days hiking the south rim and maybe a dayhike into the canyon. Very happy to be back in the beauty of the west!  Zoom in on the panoramic photo to see where the last photo was taken!!




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  1. UnknownMay 17, 2015 at 12:16 PM

    It looks like you had a great time but I don't see any pictures of Las Vegas. I remember that I made a trip like that to grand canyon and Vegas 3 years ago and it was amazing. I booked a hotel with Reservation Counter and I had spend a week on that trip. It was quite an adventure.

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