Day 13: Grand Finale at the Grand Canyon West Rim – An Unforgettable (and Unexpected!) Route 66 Journey

Peach Springs & Route 66: Where History and Cars Collide!

We woke early at the Hualapai Lodge in Peach Springs. a town we’d arrived in under the cloak of darkness the night before. In the morning light, we discovered we were staying right on the iconic historic Route 66!  Peach Springs is the capital of the Hualapai Nation, an American Indian tribe, and famously inspired the writers of Disney's Cars when they created Radiator Springs.  It felt like a truly authentic slice of Americana.

As we checked out, we asked for directions to the Grand Canyon West Rim and set off.  The initial drive along Route 66 was expected to take around 1 hour 30 and was exactly as we imagined,  a picturesque journey through the desert with small towns and charming buildings along the way.  The landscape stretched endlessly, a panorama of rugged beauty under the clear Arizona sky. 

The Unpaved Detour: A Desert Driving Adventure

Our adventure took an unexpected turn as we approached Antares.  We were following the map that the hotel gave us and google maps, when we turned off at the quirky landmark of Giganticus Headicus.  The beginning of this road was lined with a scattering of postboxes and looked deceptively normal.  However, it wasn't long before the paved road gave way to something far less… paved.

Our hire car agreement explicitly stated no driving on dirt roads, so I cautiously asked Mark what he thought.  His response: "It'll be fine, it's just sand from the desert."  But it quickly became clear that we were definitively on a dirt road.  We were in the middle of a vast desert, not a house or building in sight, and still a daunting 60 miles from our destination. 

The "road," or rather, track, grew progressively rougher.  We hadn't passed another car in miles, and the terrain forced us to drive at a snail's pace, making the journey far longer than anticipated.  My anxiety levels were through the roof, we had zero phone signal, there was nothinng but sand as far as the eye could see and the thought of a puncture or breakdown leaving us stranded in the desert was terrifying. 

Then, after what felt like an eternity (and around 30 miles), we finally reached a tarmacked road, the relief was unreal, i felt like jumping out and kissing the ground!  We were on the home stretch, and I could finally relax and truly anticipate the wonders ahead.

A Surprise Stop: The Joshua Tree Forest

An unexpected but delightful stop for us was the Joshua Tree Forest.  Since our plans had changed so last minute, we hadn't researched the route and didn't realise it was on our way until we saw the signs while driving along, listening to U2.  This was an absolute bonus for us, ticking off yet another bucket list item!  We pulled over to explore these unique, iconic trees, against the desert backdrop and it made the long, anxious drive even more worthwhile.

Grand Canyon West Rim: Breathtaking Views and the Skywalk

We arrived at the Grand Canyon West Rim car park, and to our delight, it was quiet!  We'd managed to beat the rush of tour buses from Las Vegas.  We headed down to the shuttle bus that took us to Eagle Point.  The boys were buzzing with excitement, eager to see the Grand Canyon in all its glory.   Me, on the other hand? I was nervous as hell, especially when i saw that only a low chain separated the path from the sheer drop of the canyon.  Mark and Charlie got close for some photos, while I stood well back, even declining an offer of a family photo in favour of a distant selfie instead!

We then walked around to the entrance of the  Skywalk.  We had to put all our belongings into a locker before joining the queue.  Donning our special shoe covers, we stepped out onto the glass bridge for an unparalleled, close-up look across the Grand Canyon.  The views are truly breathtaking, so spectacular that for a moment, they almost made me forget how sick I felt being out there.  That was until some guy decided to jump as hard as he could right next to me, giving the Skywalk a slight wobble!  I must have given him a look of utter disgust, which he found hilarious.

Since personal phones and cameras aren't allowed on the Skywalk, each group has their own professional photographer. We ended up purchasing the full photo package for around $50 – a bit more than planned, but definitely worth it for these once-in-a-lifetime shots.

After the Skywalk, we hopped back on the bus and headed to Guano Point, which offered  spectacular views of the Grand Canyon and the winding Colorado River. Mark and Charlie went off to explore, while Louie and I found a peaceful bench, simply taking in the magnificent scenery and playing "I Spy."

The Journeyy Home

After spending a few hours enjoying the canyon views we headed back to our car for our final drive back to Las Vegas before our evening flight home.  We stopped off for some much-needed food and, to Louie’s delight, a visit to a 7-Eleven for snacks – something he’d been talking about all week!

We arrived at the airport a little early, giving us time to dust down the rental car from the desert sand, hoping to avoid losing our deposit.  Thankfully, we handed the car back without any issues, breathing a sigh of relief, and made our way to the departures to check in our luggage.  Getting through security was a breeze, but once through to the other side, despite it being a large airport, many of the shops we'd hoped to browse were closed.  We had a wander around duty-free, grabbed a coffee and some water, and boarded our flight.

On the flight home, we had booked two window seats and two middle seats, which meant an empty seat for a stranger on the aisle. This wasn't ideal during a night flight, as if either Louie or I needed the loo, we'd have had to wake the woman next to us.  Luckily, Louie slept for most of the flight, and I managed to wait until she eventually got up.  She wasn't the most considerate person either, putting my armrest up so she could comfortably sleep to the side, resting her backside on my leg! I just pushed up closer to Louie, but with the armrest up, I couldn't recline my chair, making for a long and uncomfortable flight.  With the lack of sleep, I  started to dread the 4-5 hour drive home from Heathrow. Other than that, the flight went pretty smoothly, and we landed back at Heathrow on the Sunday afternoon.

Until Next Time: The End of an Unforgettable Adventure