Grand Canyon-Hoover Dam-Las Vegas-Sedona (June 26, 2000)

	We started the day intending to fly the Grand Canyon flight corridors, but for once, the weather did not agree with our plans, as the clouds were too low.  So we landed at Grand Canyon Airport and took a cab into town, where we had breakfast at a hotel right on the south rim.  Before we could even get to the rim though, this little goat captured our attention.  He had jumped up from the rim, and was walking around the area attracting tourists, including us. We found out later it was actually a sheep, but it looked like a goat to us.
	The spectacular view of the Grand Canyon from the south rim.  We decided to spend a little time touring on the ground, so We then took the shuttle bus tour up part of the west rim.   Since the first stop at the south rim was very crowded we walked up to the next stop, which let us see more of the Bright Angel trail.  There we saw some very tiny people on mules headed down to the canyon floor.
	While we were walking, we saw some condors gliding over the canyon, they were so graceful slowly gliding over the canyon.  We then took the shuttle from the next stop to Hopi point, where we could look both up and down the canyon.  Saw helicopters flying in the canyon below.
	A couple pictures of Mary while Gary worked on setting up the autotimer on the camera.
	Another one...
	And the two of us together at Hopi Point, Grand Canyon
	We returned to the airport and flew on to visit the Hoover Dam.  This let us fly over the lower part of the Grand Canyon, where we could fly lower below the clouds.  We basically followed the Colorado River and then Lake Mead down to the Dam.  Here is the Colorado looking west in the lower Grand Canyon.
	And flying over the Hoover Dam (Lake Mead is in the background. I waited a moment too long to snap this picture, it's tough to see the dam, but it is in the middle left, where Lake Mead ends.) We had planned to land at Boulder City, just outside the dam, but they had neither taxicab nor rental car, so we landed instead at an airport just outside of Las Vegas, the furthest west we would go.
	We rented a car and drove about 1/2 hour to Hoover Dam and took the Hard Hat tour which takes you down deep into the dam.  Here is a shot of the dam from the top, right before we left on the tour.  It was about 110 degrees on the top that day so we were happy to be inside where it was cooler.
	Gary outside the powerplant at the base of the dam.   After this we went into the shafts in the dam that you can see in this picture-- they are directly below the structures sticking up from the top of the dam.
	Gary looking out (and back) one of the tunnels in the dam.
	After leaving the Hoover Dam, we drove back to the airport.  Since we were so close to Vegas, and I had never been there, we decided to make a quick detour down the Strip.  Quite amazing!
	The Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame-- everything you go to see in Paris, right there in the Nevada desert!   We didn't stop in Las Vegas, since the sun was heading down and we wanted to get back to Sedona before dark.
	A hazy shot of the lower Grand Canyon as we headed back from Las Vegas to Sedona.
	The Grand Canyon at sunset at the end of the day.