Vegas... It's not just for Gambler's

Serenity...The state of being calm, peaceful and untroubled.
On a recent visit to Las Vegas,or as most people refer to it as 'Sin City',I cashed in my chips and had the good fortune to fly on a helicopter to the Grand Canyon. I had an unbelievable experience aboard the giant bird.
My pilot, Steven Egger, just happens to be the owner of Serenity Helicopters, his story started not in Las Vegas but years before on the little island of Kauai in Hawaii. Steven, once a young Army pilot in Vietnam,followed his life long dream to fly, it is that dream today that allows him to do what he does best, and that is to share his love of helicopters with people day after day.
Steven, along with a partner started Air Kauai many years ago. On September 11,1992 Hurricane Iniki hit Kauai and demolished the Island,it had destroyed all hope for the immediate future of his business,the tourist trade was devastated, and Steven needed to make some important decisions. After much thought Steven decided to pick up the pieces and move to the nearby Island of Maui,his spirit was broken but his dream was still very much alive. That was more then ten years ago,today Steven still lives in Hawaii along with his wife Debra,together they followed his dream to Las Vegas where they now live part time as they launch there newest helicopter business; Serenity.
As we made our way to the Boulder City airport VIP style in the sleek,luxurious, Serenity van that picked us up from our hotel,the excitement in me was growing by the minute.
As we entered the gates of the Boulder City airport, we knew we were in for a very special treat, the airport itself is very small. Everyone knows everyone!
We followed our driver into the "office" of Serenity for a short briefing before our flight, when I say "office" it's not what I mean, because Serenity's Head Quarters are beautiful! The chic boutique, has a cafe style atmosphere that is warm and welcoming. We were offered coffee, soft drinks, and bottled water while waiting for our flight. The impressive photos of the canyon that played 'slide show style' on the many flat screen TVs made us feel like kids on Christmas morning.
Serenity offers three different tours to choose from, our choice was the 'Sky Dancer' tour.From the second we buckled up to the second we touched down at the picnic site my heart raced with excitement.
As we made our way towards the Canyon we flew over the Hoover Dam, which lies on the boarder between Arizona and Nevada. We then passed over Lake Mead, the largest man-made lake in the western hemisphere. As our journey took us past Fortification Hill, an extinct volcano, and Indian Pass, you could almost imagine the fierce battles that took place many years ago between the Native Americans and the pioneers.As we flew over the next ridge the landscape changed before my eyes,we followed the path of the Colorado River, it led us to the most magnificent picnic site in all of the Grand Canyon.
Steven gently lowered the giant bird,and we headed towards the picnic site. The exclusive landing site, was situated on a plateau overlooking the Colorado River, 3,200 feet below the rim of the Grand Canyon. As we wondered around the area taking photos of the beauty this magical place had to offer, Steven was busy 'setting up camp'. After our short exploration of the area we returned to the landing site where Steven offered us beer, wine,champagne,soft drinks, cheese, crackers,and grapes, what more could you ask for? "WIFI!" I exclaimed, as I tried to upload my photo to Face book, I had a good laugh at myself as I realized, I was not in Kansas anymore. Our time was limited in the Canyon, however, I was able to take some time to explore the sacred homeland of the Hualapai Indian's, and absorb the breath taking beauty this incredible place on Earth had to offer. This truly was a once in a lifetime experience to be enjoyed by all people.
So when your in Vegas and you want a 'sure bet', make your reservations with Serenity Helicopters, I promise you won't be disappointed. And if you find yourself in Hawaii, contact Air Maui for the trip of a lifetime. Steven and his staff are special,and they want you to feel special to, they call you by name, you are not just another number.I was delivered to the state of Serenity, I found my inner calm, and truly felt peaceful and untroubled while in the Canyon, even for just a moment in time, the importance of treating yourself to such wonder will stay with you forever.
Serenity Helicopters
www.serenityhelicopters.com
Boulder City Airport, Nevada
702-589-7700
or
Air Maui
www.airmaui.com
Kahului,Maui,Hawaii
877-238-4942