I was chatting with a businessman from Brazil. He was a computer programmer looking to take a Skywalk helicopter tour in January 2014.

Took me a second and then I realized that the International CES 2014 convention is coming Jan. 7 and with it 155,000 attendees, making it easily one of Vegas' biggest events.

From past experience, I can tell you guys this group likes to enjoy itself. That includes hitting the town and getting off Strip. And by "off Strip" I'm talking Grand Canyon tours.

If you plan on taking a tour around the first week of Jan., my gut is telling me to tell you to book it now. The reasoning is that conventions mean more group bookings. Buses can easily accommodate the influx. Air tours are another story.

Helicopters as many of you know hold only 6 people and so they tend to sell out quicker (coincidentally, the Brazilian gentleman I was assisting was booking a party of 6). Airplanes hold up to 19 adult passengers, which gives you more breathing room in terms of availability, but don't get lulled into complacency. It's not uncommon for CES attendees to take the whole plane, which causes fits for independent travelers.

Here's a link to the official Las Vegas convention calendar as put out by the Visitor's Bureau:

http://www.vegasmeansbusiness.com/planning-tools/convention-calendar/

I suggest you put in your prospective dates you'll be in Vegas and see if any of the bigger events are in town when you are. Relatedly, if you are noticing spikes in hotel room rates, check the calendar as well.

And speaking of events, the National Finals Rodeo is in Las Vegas from Dec. 5 through Dec. 14. Folks, this is a huge event, which many call the "Super Bowl" of rodeos. It attracts visitors from nearly all 50 states and is responsible for pumping millions of dollars into the Las Vegas economy. Like the Jan. computer show, this group is very adventurous and the Grand Canyon is high on the list.

Here's a link to the Pro Rodeo website:

http://www.prorodeo.com/

Once the Rodeo is done, things in Vegas return somewhat to normal. Tour bookings, however, continue at steady pace due to the Christmas holiday and then New Year's (I'll tackle both of these in separate posts). Remember, helicopter tours don't take off on Christmas day but airplanes do. Buses will be running as scheduled.

Photo by Mike Copeman via Wikimedia

But I think you get the idea that December is busy in Vegas and if there's a particular tour that interests you, you'd better lock it down before the cowboys and computer crowd gets in to town. Per usual, if you find yourself unable to get what you want, call me and I'll assist. My direct line is 702-530-8687.

The South Rim, by contrast, is unaffected by all this hubris. Indeed, the Las Vegas direct flight to the South Rim will be impacted, but anything that originates from the South Rim/Tusayan/Williams/Flagstaff/Sedona will be available. Of course, the same rule applies: book online and in advance to get the better rate.

The only real issue surrounding the South Rim is weather. In an earlier post I describe my time in northern Arizona during the first major winter storm. I can assure you nothing got off the ground that day. Weather at this part of the canyon is unpredictable. One minute you're enjoying the snow and the next it's sunshine. So don't cancel until you get the call from the tour operator because there's a good chance you'll be doing it later.

Re-schedules are more common at the South Rim than the West Rim and you will not be charged a fee if weather upsets you plans. I can here some readers muttering about Mother Nature but trust me when I say that the South Rim is absolutely beautiful this time of year, especially with some snow on the ground.

To keep on top of the weather, I recommend you use Weather Underground and run a 10-day forecast. I've had great luck with this and find the forecasts pretty reliable.

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Travel on!

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