Lake Mead
We left our hotel around 6:30am, and stopped by Starbucks to pick up some coffee and breakfast sandwiches. There was no traffic on the road that early in the morning so it was an easy easy drive to Lake Mead.
We used our America the Beautiful: National Parks & Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass to enter.
Tip #1: We are going to visit more than two national parks or federal recreational lands in a year so we saved money by purchasing a National Parks pass. The standard annual pass currently costs $80 (plus a $5 processing fee). Discounted or free passes are available for certain people so check their website for details.
Lake Mead is America’s first and largest national recreation area. We saw campers, boaters and people fishing. We enjoyed sipping our coffee, walking around Lake Mead, and enjoying the beautiful morning.
Hoover Dam
After our morning coffee, we continued to Hoover Dam which was only a 15 minute drive.
Tip #2: Park on the Arizona’s side where you can park for free (except for the first covered parking area). Or pay $10 to park on the Nevada side closest to the visitor center.
When we went Hoover Dam Visitor Center tours and exhibits were closed. You can visit their website for current status.
We walked on top of the dam, and gave ourselves a tour. We noticed the water levels were low at Lake Mead, but they were even more obvious at Hoover Dam. The water levels are so low that The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation may declare a water shortage for the first time. If the water levels drop too low, it could threaten electricity generation at Hoover Dam which could affect millions of people in Nevada, Arizona and California.
Arizona’s Joshua Tree Forest
We drove a little over an hour to reach Arizona’s Joshua Tree Forest. This is a great place to stretch your legs, and learn about the Joshua Trees. Signs were posted providing information about the Joshua Tree, other plant life, and the wildlife in the area.
Lunch at The Boat House Café & Grill
We drove about 15 minutes to The Boat House Café & Grill, 30185 Escalante Blvd, Meadview, AZ 86444, where we were greeted by friendly people. I had a delicious jalapeno bacon cheeseburger and fries for lunch. I loved that they used tri tip burgers, and Texas Toast instead of burger buns. It was the second best burger I had on this trip, and one of the best jalapeno burgers I have had!
Grand Canyon West
We drove another 40 minutes to Grand Canyon West. Grand Canyon West is part of the Grand Canyon, but it is not in the U.S. Grand Canyon National Park. It is located on the Hualapai (Native American) reservation so your National Park pass will not work here. Park at the visitor center, and then walk through the terminal. The reservation runs a shuttle system from this point. There were a good number of people there, but we never waited long for a shuttle.
Tip #3: You need to purchase both admission to Grand Canyon West Rim and also purchase the Skywalk add-on to be able to walk on the skywalk. Read my post on how we saved money on our skywalk tickets.
Grand Canyon Skywalk
Our first stop was the Grand Canyon Skywalk, which is a clear bridge jutting out 70 feet from the canyon, and 4,000 feet up in the air! You have a beautiful view of the Grand Canyon and Eagle Point from this bridge.
Personal cameras, cell phones, smart watches are NOT allowed on the Skywalk. You are required to store them in free personal lockers before you enter the Skywalk. If you want photos, they have their own photographers that will take photos of you and your family. We paid $65 for the digital photo package. I know it seems pricey, but it was worth it for our family. Walking on the Grand Canyon Skywalk has been on our bucket list for years! We only wish we had spent more time on the Skywalk itself.
Tip #4: If you want photos on the Skywalk, then budget for photos because no personal cameras are allowed on the Skywalk. The $65 digital photo package provides the best value. We got 40 photos (i.e., 20 photos of our family and 20 souvenir photos). If you do not care about Skywalk photos, then save your money. You can take your own photos anywhere else, and there are plenty of locations to capture beautiful scenic views of the Grand Canyon.
Guano Point
We stopped by and explored Guano Point. Guano Point has a historic tramway, which was used to extract “Guano” (bat droppings) from a cave. Why would anyone want to extract bat droppings? Well, bat droppings is rich with nitrogen and was a useful fertilizer.
There are some hiking trails and incredible views of the Grand Canyon and Colorado River here.
Eagle Point Native American Village
Eagle Point provides an opportunity for visitors to learn about Native American culture. Authentic Native American structures are on display, and members of the Hualapai Tribe were singing and dancing in the amphitheater.
Returning to Las Vegas
On our way back to Las Vegas we stopped by Port of Subs to pick up some sandwiches and chips for our kayaking trip tomorrow. We filled up our gas tank and picked up pizzas from Giordano’s that we had ordered in advance. My mom and I turned in for the evening, but my husband and daughter went Ziplining on the Strip. It conveniently dropped them off at Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop, where they got some ice cream sundaes. My husband being the awesome man he is, brought some back to us too.
