I may have had mixed feelings about Las Vegas but it was worth spending a couple of days there if only to get to see the Grand Canyon. I booked a helicopter tour from Las Vegas which involved flying over Lake Mead and the Hoover dam, over to the Grand Canyon, a quick pit stop there and then back to Las Vegas and over the Strip. There was a slight mix up (ie I messed up) which meant that we had to make a quick dash for the airport terminal the day before we were expecting and so the whole thing was slightly more stressful than I was expecting. Once we took off though, and all you could see for miles and miles was stunning scenery, all of that was forgotten.
In some ways, I found the dessert even more stunning than the Grand Canyon itself. I love the colours and the way the landscape ebbed and flowed. It was nothing like I was expecting and all the more impressive for that.
It was also much easier to photograph than the Grand Canyon which is just on a scale that has to be seen to be believed. In fact, the whole thing has to be seen to be believed. And, just as impressively, the whole thing was vomit free!