The drive between Flagstaff and Las Vegas was about three and a half hours. The landscape changes from cool, mountainous pine forest to a hellish 90F+ gravel desert, with no vegetation. At one point we stopped for (e:paul)'s coffee in one of the touristy route 66 towns called Williams. It was the most western looking town I've ever seen. It had cow hide stores and shops full of Navajo trinkets.

On the drive over you cross the Hoover dam. (e:paul) and I pulled over and walked across. It's really impressive, especially for something engineered before computers, CAD and finite element analysis programs. Constructed in the span of only four years!

On top of it in the 2000s they constructed one of the largest concrete arch bridges I've ever seen. Wikipedia says it's also the highest. It crossed probably double the height of the dam itself.

The water in Lake Mead was many meters under the usual level. You could tell by the bath ring up the canyon walls.

Anyway the dam overlook was pretty crowded with a million tourists, so we skipped the tour of it, and drove down to Boulder Beach on Lake Mead. I'm glad we did.

The water was clear and felt icy cold in the sun. It got deep so quickly. I wonder how many people have swam across from that beach.

On the way back we drove up the Lakeshore Road to Las Vegas. You could see a dry marina that used to be in the water, probably a mile from the actual water now. There were houses perched on a hill, probably sold for a previous water view that now just had the view of a dry gravel pit.

That night we had to find a hotel but they were almost all booked. Except roach motels on the outside of the town, and even they were going for $115+.

I found a hostel ran by the same company we stayed at earlier for $80, called the Grand Canyon International Hostel. It was right next to the Downtowner where (e:paul), (e:terry) and (e:jacob) used to live.

I really thought it was pretty cool. There were a ton of people staying there, including Germans. It was cheap, and also had free breakfast and coffee. (e:paul) was not happy at all, because it had shared bathrooms. Didn't you sleep in the car the last time you drove all through the southwest? ;)





Anyway I agreed to go to Vegas the next day because he didn't want to stay there and hike the volcano.

Something about staying in Flagstaff made me feel ganz anders than ever before. It felt magical and bottom a Sedona vortex way. Maybe it's because I love (e:paul) and (e:terry)'s stories, and was always wished I was on their old adventures. Or it could be it was a cheap college town full of people close to my age. Probably the endless federal woods and things to climb around us. But I felt like we could do anything there and I wouldn't hesitate to bet it has an impact on the mindset of people who live there. Imagine crazy landscapes that run for miles with no one in them. Nothing to compare it to in Buffalo. The trip with (e:paul) was one of the best adventures I've been on and I wish (e:terry) could have been with us.

Then we headed to Las Vegas...

On the way back from the Grand Canyon, we passed by the Lava River caves outside of Flagstaff. (e:terry) had taken (e:paul) there before so (e:paul) had a vague idea of where it was. But it was night and he wasn't sure about where exactly.

Basically, you turn west off of 180 about 15 miles north of Flagstaff.
We drove 4 miles down a washboarded fireroad in the dark. (e:paul) was freaking out about the car getting stuck.

I stole a map from here so you can see how to get to it.




Once you park there's about a quarter mile hike into the forest. It seems hard to figure out where you're going in the dark but there's trail signs and an old road. Then you come across this circular stone fence that opens up into a pit.

It was no Sedona vortex but the cave was awesome. There were two parts. One (e:paul) and I went in, and you could stand most of the way. There were huge smashed boulders all over the floor. Either the tube was maintained or chunks fall off.

The weirdest part about the cave probably was the moldy food all over the ground. Since there are few animals and it's just dark and damp, all the trash left in there just molds and never completely decomposes. Including sunflower seeds, ahem (e:paul).







It goes for a little over kilometer. When you're in the dark it's easy to hype yourself up thinking about someone coming across you the other way. Sometimes we'd turn off our flashlights and just sit. (e:paul) swears he can still see in the dark. If I lived in Flagstaff I might set myself up a hobo shelter in here and just chill in the hole all day.

On the way out of the first cave, I found a tiny tunnel you have to slither down into. I squiggled in by myself and saw how deep it goes. It opens up to a few chambers and tighter tubes you'd have to crawl in. Unfortunately they were blocked off by boulders and I need to drop 50 pounds or so to even think about squeezing in lol

I don't think I've ever seen so many stars as on the walk back to the car - and the moon was partially out.

(e:paul) and I got to the south rim pretty late in the afternoon (almost 2). It was more packed than I've ever seen Niagara Falls So we rented bikes and zoomed west from the canyon village to Hermit's camp. It was a steep and windy road, with a 6% grades at some points. A bitch to get up but you flew on the way down.

I don't think I can do justice in pictures or words to America's crack. Even standing on the edge you have no idea how big is really is. Are you really even seeing the canyon floor from where you're standing? Are those really tiny trees or huge trees far away? It's mind boggling.

Hermit's Camp at the end was originally a resort. Apparently in the 1910's the Grand Canyon was a bougie train trip, where you were sherpaed down into tents with telephones and carpets on the canyon floor.

Also crawling around the whole park are elk which apparently are not native. Everywhere the park warns you to stay away from the males which want to mate. Almost none of the tourists listen.

After the mountain we rested a bit and went to a ramen restaurant called Sosoba. At 5pm the food is half priced for an hour. I got a vegan tofu ramen and (e:paul) got a spam and pork one (blech) for half off, so dinner was about $12 before tip. That's Fast and Tasty level prices.

After dinner we were critically full. We walked it off around the NAU campus which just like Case has gone crazy building chain restaurants and huge metal buildings. I guess tuition is now for who can build the biggest mall.





I saw (e:paul)'s first dorm there, along with the Language building where he and (e:terry) met.

This is McDonald Hall, where (e:paul) roomed with a parole officer and rancher.


Downtown Flagstaff is packed at night. There's so many students everywhere it looks more intense than Chippewa at some corners.

It seemed like every other storefront is some sort of bar or brewery. I didn't really feel like the bars too much, but (e:paul) and I went and visited a fancy wine bar and the Flagstaff brewery.

The rest of the night we walked around until we came across this dance event at a western bar called the Gopher. The music was some sort of drum and bass and really good. It was fun and a little sad to watch straight girls try and dance with all the gay boys there. We found a few friends to hang out with and smoke.


Drunk driving dog in the alley