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It was another early start today to catch our bus to Philadelphia. The Greyhound bus was leaving Boston at 10.15 so we left the hotel just after 9. We had decided to walk over to the bus station as it was close to where we'd been yesterday. We stopped on enroute to pickup a Subway for lunch as the bus was due to take nearly 7 hours to get to Philadelphia. We didn't have to wait too long at the bus statioj before it was time to board. The coach was fairly comfortable with onboard wifi and power points should you need them. The journey itself was fairly starightforward, with a short 10 minute stop in Hartford and a slightly longer stop in New York, though we couldn't leave the bus in either case. We eventually arrived in Philadelphia just after 5pm and quickly found our hotel which was only a short walk away. We didn't do much with the evening after our long journey ordering pizza online for tea and watching a bit of TV before calling it a night. 

So today is our last proper day in Washington, we fly home tomorrow. We had some breakfast and headed out just before 10. We had decided to start at the Licoln memorial as there were a few other memorials nerby that we hadn't seen the other day. We caught the free circulator bus to Union Station and then changed to the circulator to Lincoln Memorial. We got off a stop earlier to have a look at the Martin Luther King Jnr memorial a 30 foot statue emerging from the mountains of dispair, represented as two large boulders in the background. Many of the words from his speeches and sermons are etched into the surrounding inscription wall, with the words "Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope" taken from his 'I have a dream' speech carved directly into the side of the statue itself.

We moved on visiting the Korean war memorial which is represented by a series of statues of soldiers wading through undergrowth. The memorial is really poingnant with each of the statues looking out in a different direction just as the troops would move in a platoon. The statues are surrounded by a polished mural wall with pictures taken from the archives of other forces that suppored the Korean war including Army, Navy Marine corps and Air Force etched into the surface. We continued on past the Lincoln memorial but not stopping this time and instead continuing to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. This consisted of the names of over 58000 men that gave their lives engraved in the memorial wall. The wall is sunk into the ground rather than have a raised profile, so it's difficult to see until you reach it. 

We continued on past the reflecting pool that sits between the Lincoln memorial and the Washington monument, and stopping at the WWII memorial. Dani had a paddle in the water and we sat for a while before moving on. Our last two stops of the day were at the American museum where we grabbed some lunch but didn't stay long and then at the African American museum which had some really interesting exhibits. Feeling a bit tired we headed back to the hotel for a break as we were planning to head out later for photos. We ended up going to a place between the hotel and the National Mall for tea called Matchbox - we went to another Matchbox restaurant last time we were in Washington, part of the same chain. Tea was very nice with us both having pizza and sharing cheescake for dessert. We left the restaurant and headed down to the mall to take few night photos of the Capitol Building and the Monument. Got back to the hotel quite late and packed up ready for tomorrow.  

Got up and showered and went down to the Avis car rental desk at the hotel lobby, for about 9 AM. We filled in the paperwork, a little unhappy about having to sign for the car before checking it. We asked about GPS systems, but they had none. We also asked about putting Dani on, as an additional driver, but for a cost of $11 a day, we decided against it. Before fetching our stuff from the room, we went out to check the car. It wasn’t quite as nice as the previous one, but still very big. Despite our efforts, we couldn’t work out how to move the drivers seat back, so we went back in and, again, stood in a queue at the Avis desk again, for help. The man behind the desk wanted us to try again, but I said that I wanted someone to come and look with me. Whilst I waited, Dani went to get us some teas from Starbucks, and then went back to the room to make sure we were all packed and ready to go, as checkout was 11 AM and, despite our early start, it was already getting on for 10:30 AM.

It turned out that the seat movement was electronic and controlled by a small switch on the side of the seat. I also asked about the parking brake whilst the Avis man was there, but I was told that we wouldn’t need to use it. Satisfied, I went back to the room, where we drank tea and gathered our things. Dani had filled out the express checkout envelope, so we wouldn’t need to queue again downstairs.

We spent quite a while waiting with all of our things in the Spa and Lobby area, trying to get on the Internet to get directions, but they seem to have turned off the Wi-Fi. A little disgruntled, we queued for the concierge desk for answers. Unable to help otherwise, she printed out directions for us and we were eventually able to get on our way.

The car was longer than the previous one and the boot easily accommodated all of our stuff. Despite limited directions, the journey out of Vegas was quite straightforward. We stopped at the Hoover Dam after only about 40 minutes into the journey. We decided against the tour, as it was very hot and already lunchtime, so thought we might do it on the way back. Instead, we paid the $7 to park and walked across the dam, taking photos and occasionally stopping in the shade. It is quite a magnificent structure. We saw people walking along another bridge, way above the dam, and thought we might do this on the way back. We stopped for a drink at the snack bar which was relatively cheap ($4) and came in a souvenir plastic cup. We were there for about an hour, stopping in the gift shop to buy a few bits before setting off again.

After about another 40 minutes, we stopped for lunch, as time was marching on. We went to KFC and had a two-piece chicken meal each, which came with a sort of scone that they call a biscuit? We also went in Walmart, which was at the same services, where we bought two large bottles of water for about $0.84 each, and Coke for just over a dollar a bottle. We also bought a USB car charger that we thought might be useful, for about $14.

Got back on the road and drove most of the way. The roads were pretty clear and the journey itself was straightforward. Not many cars on the roads, and the roads were decent, with quick speed limits. So we zoomed on! We stopped for some petrol about an hour outside Grand Canyon. Had a momentary panic when we realise that we didn’t know for sure if the car took diesel or unleaded, but asked a woman inside, who said it would be standard (unleaded gas)

We headed on, through the Kaibab (or kebab, as we called it) and towards the Grand Canyon National Park. As we were driving, Ben saw a red-headed, vulture-like bird, which we later found out was a Condor. So, an awesome spot!

Found our way to Maswick Lodge really easily! It was like a little village, with a main house and large houses around it. Check-in was easy and efficient and we were directed towards ‘Mesquite’, where we found a really decent two-double bedroom, with bathroom and balcony! Luxury! We dumped our stuff and lay for a while. Temperatures here are much more bearable, though still warm and considering we are still in a desert, it is all really green. We had a look at the map and guide that we are given on arrival to the National Park (like Yosemite, there was an entrance fee of $25). We were particularly looking forward to seeing a hump-back chump (a kind of fish) just because of the awesome name!

Headed over to the main house to find some food. Looked in the gift shop, as it was also there, and found some really nice things. Bought a poster of the National Park and some postcards, and also a couple of sew-on badges and a magnet for Audrey. Dithered at some attractive tiles that there were decorated with images/symbols of the park and also of the Native American Indian history. They were really colourful and we were really tempted - will think about them!

Went through into the cafeteria. It’s a main eating area, with different sections to choose from, from all-day breakfasts to full dinners. We weren’t that hungry after our late lunch, so opted for a cup of chilli each, with chopped onions and cheese - which seems to be what they accompany their chilli with. With a bottle of beer each, it was surprisingly filling and quite spicy, and for a bargain price of about $4 each! After we’d eaten, we stopped at the information desk to try to get a grip on what to do tomorrow. Noticed that they offered both sunrise and sunset tours of the Grand Canyon for $21 per person. After consulting a map, we decided to do it ourselves, using the park’s shuttle buses to get there. Not really knowing distances and timings, we estimated leaving about 4:30 AM - either brave or foolish - not sure which!

With this in mind, we headed to our room, however got sidetracked by the amazing night sky - so many stars! The lights in Grand Canyon are restricted to help get a better view of the sky, and for environmental reasons. Took some photos using the gorilla pod and a very slow shutter - they were blurred due to the movement of the earth, but still show an immense sky! Headed off to bed, feeling pretty pleased with the visit so far!