Howdy!

Another business trip to Las Vegas, another excuse to break free of the neon and glass and lose myself in the desert. This time, I wanted something different: to step out over the Grand Canyon itself and, later, ride a horse into a Nevada sunset like a true city-slicker-turned-cowboy-for-a-day.

I headed once again for the West Rim, home of the famous Skywalk — a glass bridge that arcs out over empty air, with nearly 4,000 feet of nothing between your shoes and the river far below.

The day began before sunrise with a hotel pick-up and a quiet bus ride out of the city. Our first brief stop was Madame Tussauds on Dean Martin Drive. Wax museums are always a little eerie — frozen smiles and uncanny eyes — but I couldn’t help lingering on a near-perfect John Wayne before heading back to the bus.

Next came a short coffee-and-photo break at Hoover Dam, its clean lines and pale concrete wedged between rugged cliffs. Then the highway stretched out ahead, and Vegas disappeared behind us. The Nevada desert is deceptive: it seems empty at first, but the longer you watch, the more it comes alive — muted browns shifting to copper and ochre, with low shrubs clinging to the sand and distant mesas hovering in the haze. By mid-morning, we were winding into Hualapai land and approaching the West Rim.

April had fooled me. The desert air was sharp and restless, with low clouds rolling across the sky. I was grateful for my windbreaker. As we waited for our turn on the Skywalk, the wind picked up, and suddenly, hard rain swept across the canyon. In seconds, the entire chasm vanished into mist and cloud — a living reminder of just how wild this place still is.

When the rain eased, we were finally cleared to step out. Cameras had to be left behind; glass and electronics do not mix. Plastic shoe covers on, we shuffled forward. And then… nothing beneath my feet but air and the distant shimmer of the Colorado River. My chest tightened. I had to grip the handrail, steadying myself, as the canyon yawned open in every direction — cliffs, ledges, and rust-colored walls plunging into shadow.

From here, we could see Eagle Point, the famous rock formation shaped like a bird in flight. Hualapai tradition tells that this eagle once saved their people from a great flood before turning to stone to watch over the canyon forever. Standing there, with the wind tugging at my jacket and clouds racing across the sky, the legend felt alive. And to the left, another great formation could be seen, referred to as "The Sleeping Dog".

When our turn on the Skywalk ended, we collected our belongings and spent some time wandering the rim. The weather played its tricks again — sun and shadow trading places as gusts rolled across the plateau. Lunch was a welcome pause: hot food, strong coffee, and a chance to just sit and let the vastness sink in before the bus carried us back to Vegas.

But the day wasn’t done. I had booked something I’d always wanted to try: a horseback ride through the Nevada desert at sunset.

We arrived at the ranch in the late afternoon, greeted by a friendly crew who sized us up — a mix of first-timers and nervous city folk — and paired each of us with a horse. They assured us these were the calmest, most patient animals alive, practically tour guides themselves. My mount was a gentle mare who turned her head to check me out as I swung into the saddle. I scratched her neck, whispered a hello, and felt her relax under me.

After a short briefing — how to start, stop, steer, and what to do if the horse got spooked — we set off single-file into the desert.

 My horse was a very gentle mare, and I had no problem climbing on her back, as she turned her head around to check on me, and immediately set to slowly caress her neck and whispered some nice words in her ears. And before we knew it, order was given, a gentle squeeze from my thighs on her sides, and off we were on the move: yeeeha ;-)

Well, maybe not, it was slow going for most of the ride, of course, and a very pleasant ride with that. The horse, I think, knew the way and was happily moving ahead with no problem. It kind of stopped a few times to much on some plants, which we were warned may happen, and how to redirect the horse on the track, and no accident occurred for any of the guests.

We went up and down little creeks and gullies, as the sun started to set, and shadows got longer and projected all sorts of bizarre shapes on the rock formation around us. It was a bit spooky, but cool as well… then the terrain changed, became flatter, and after a little while we were back onto the plain, as a glorious golden light bathed the whole Nevada desert, and made me smile. There was an unmistakable feeling of freedom, grand open space and desire to return to a simpler life transpiring as we rode along. And in away, I wished we were not returning to the camp, where a delicious barbecue was waiting for us, and would instead made camp under the stars.

But back to the camp we had to, as the smell of grilled meat welcomed us back! It had been a short ride, a bit less than two hours, but we were parched, hungry, and definitely happy we did not have to make camp, fire, hunt and cook our dinner, or boil some beans to wash down with some fire liquor, like in the old western…

It was not pitch dark, being only 8 pm, and a brilliant full Moon rose from a dark horizon, accompanied by a few twinkling stars. It was time to say goodbye to our guides, and the horses, and head back to Vegas, where nightlife was waiting for us :-)