01How a Business Trip Became My Gateway to the US West Coast
In the year following the end of pandemic restrictions, I found myself travelling abroad on business seven times. Among them, the United States was the one I was most excited to finally unlock, and my American journey began with a touchdown in Los Angeles. For the security scare during my Hong Kong transit, see: The Afternoon I Was Detained at Hong Kong Airport on a Business Trip
In practice, we didn’t linger in Los Angeles. We made a quick pass through Santa Monica Pier and just made it in time to Griffith Observatory, then drove out at first light the next morning for Las Vegas — the main event of this trip: the Consumer Electronics Show.
CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is the world’s largest and most influential technology trade show, held every January in Las Vegas, Nevada. It centres on AI infrastructure, physical AI and robotics, and future mobility technology.
The hall was enormous, the pace relentless, the information density overwhelming — a completely different scale from the consumer electronics shows in Hong Kong. It left me on total information overload.
Having crossed half the planet to get here, we squeezed in some classic evening plans too: Hell’s Kitchen, a shopping run at Las Vegas North Premium Outlets , and Cirque du Soleil’s O show — though I was so tired I fell asleep during the performance. Never underestimate jetlag.
02When the Conference Ended, Nature Took Over
After the main show wrapped up, we drove out to Hoover Dam (about 48 km, a 45-minute drive from Las Vegas, famous as a Transformers filming location), the Grand Canyon (one of the seven natural wonders of the world), the Windows-wallpaper location Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend (named for its horseshoe shape, pictured below), and even drove up from San Francisco to Yosemite National Park, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site. The natural scale here is unlike anywhere else I’ve been — there are no pre-arranged viewing angles; you are simply dropped into it.
The North Face logo is said to be inspired by Yosemite’s Half Dome — revered as one of the greatest monoliths on Earth — so we deliberately wore The North Face for a commemorative photo here.
I still remember standing at the rim of the Grand Canyon, my mind going completely blank for a moment — my first instinct was not to take a photo or say anything, only a clear awareness of how small a person is against all of this. That kind of feeling is hard to recreate in Taiwan.
03Antelope Canyon: Learning to Respect What You Cannot Control
The night before visiting Antelope Canyon, we were driving on a road with no internet and no street lights. The GPS signal kept cutting out; the window showed only darkness. We navigated by the line on the dashboard and reached the guesthouse well past midnight. All of it was to see the next morning’s Windows desktop wallpaper in person: Upper Antelope Canyon.
Upper vs Lower Antelope Canyon mainly differ in terrain difficulty, the light beams, and ticket price and booking difficulty. Upper Antelope has flat ground and the famous midday light beams but pricier tickets; Lower Antelope requires climbing steep metal stairs through narrower passages, but feels more adventurous and offers better value.
Because Antelope Canyon can only be entered with a certified local guide, we booked a package tour online in advance and joined a group with travelers from different countries.
What I actually booked
Honestly, once inside it was all worth it. The moment we stepped in, the light and air changed completely; the rock patterns were impossibly close, and sunlight poured through a crack in the stone in a way a photo can’t fully capture. The passage is narrow — some sections too tight to walk side by side — so you follow the person in front, step by step, with no going back. Make sure everyone in your group has enough stamina before you book.
04America Isn’t Convenient — But It’s Honest
This trip combining work and travel wasn’t easy overall. Long distances, jetlag, food — every element tested your stamina. But that’s just how America is: the cities are vast, the natural sites are far, and the distances are real — they don’t get shorter because they’re inconvenient for you.
05A First US Trip That Left a Pure, Unshakeable Impression
Looking back, this trip to America wasn’t the most enjoyable one I’ve taken, but it was the most profound. Between work obligations, I was struck by the scale of nature in a way I had never experienced in my whole life.
America isn’t a place for spontaneous travel — distance and stamina are real constraints. But if you get the chance to visit the West, the Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon are absolutely worth putting on the list; go once and you’ll understand why so many people say it’s something you have to see at least once in a lifetime. Read more: more articles about the Americas.
FAQFrequently Asked Questions
Do you need a visa to visit the US? Can Taiwanese travelers enter with ESTA?
Taiwanese passport holders can apply for ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) and enter the US visa-free for up to 90 days. ESTA must be applied for online before departure; the fee has been adjusted to USD 40, and approval usually takes a few minutes to a few hours — but apply at least a few days ahead rather than on the day. Once approved, ESTA is valid for two years with multiple entries.
Can you self-drive to the Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon, or do you need a tour?
The Grand Canyon South Rim is accessible by car — you drive in, park, and walk to the viewpoints; no guide required. Antelope Canyon is different: you must be accompanied by a certified Navajo guide, and it cannot be visited independently — buying a ticket automatically includes the guided tour. If you want to cover both, a package tour is the most efficient way to do it without the stress of navigating remote roads yourself.
Is it possible to do the Grand Canyon as a day trip from Las Vegas?
Yes, but it will be a very long day. Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon South Rim is roughly four hours each way; add Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend to the loop and you’re typically leaving before dawn and returning late at night. The physical toll is higher than expected — keep at least one buffer day before and after, and don’t pile more onto your most exhausted day.
What do you need to know about driving yourself around the American West?
A Taiwanese licence plus an international driving permit is enough to rent a car in the US legally. Practical points: US highway speed limits are in miles (1 mile ≈ 1.6 km); traffic moves on the right; right turns on red are usually allowed after checking; petrol is self-service; parking lots almost always charge. The stretch toward Antelope Canyon is remote with no street lighting at night — if you’re driving it for the first time after dark, be mentally prepared.
Can regular members of the public attend CES?
CES is a B2B trade show open to industry professionals; general consumers can’t buy tickets directly, as registration requires a media, industry, or corporate credential. If you work in a relevant field or can register through your company, entry is possible. The floor is enormous — plan which halls to prioritise beforehand, or just walking through everything can exhaust you before you’ve seen anything.
