Utah.....Zion National Park

We are half way between Leeds and Hurricane Utah..... about 20 miles east of Zion National Park. We have been there 3 times already. It is the most beautiful place we've seen yet in our travels. Thanks zdoc (Jerry) for letting us know about this destination. I will include some pictures but as usual,,, they don't do the place justice. Everyone must have this national treasure on their must visit list.
With our senior passes it did not cost us anything but the going rate is $25.00 for a 3 day pass. Cars are only permitted on route 9 through the western portion. There are free shuttles that take you to other areas. There are hiking trails throughout the park that range in degree of difficulty from easy to extreme. You could spend a week here and still not see it all.

John took this picture of me walking along the stone pools. He can't climb or walk very far so he watches me explore.

It has been cooler here than in Vegas. High in the 60's low 70's, during the day and mid 40's at night. We sat outside the other day and watched it snow in the mountains. We had rain one night.... the first we have had since Christmas time in Texas.

One day we took an off road trip through the red cliff area. Ray and Millie.... you would have loved it. 24 miles of rock and gravel road through flowing washes and mountain sides. It was great fun.

We went out to a Chinese buffet with a group of people from the RV park.... they go somewhere 2 times a week. Tomorrow night is hot dog roast night. John is going to make his famous Baked Beans as a side dish. I love these pot luck dinners.

Thursday is travel day for us. We are going to Bryce Canyon. It is another National Park. This time we will be staying right in the park without services. The rangers said the night time temps have been in the high 30's so it will be challenging for us.

Oh, by the way.... Ray got the question correct. He called me with his answer.

Find the Meandering Mostollers

Do you remember the game   "Where's Waldo"?
Here is my version. We have left Las Vegas. Here is what we see. Here are our GPS coordinates are N 37 12.304  W 113 23.572 Where are we?

Happy Easter

John and I just want to wish our family and friends a Happy Easter. Here is a picture of Lukas and the Easter Bunny.

Hanging Out

Did I happen to mention the sirens, last time I wrote? If I remember nothing else, I will remember Vegas and sirens. I wake up to sirens, I go to sleep with sirens and during the day, I hear more sirens. No wonder the first CSI TV program was centered in Las Vegas.

Last week we took a trip 5 miles west of Vegas to the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Since it is a national site we used our senior access pass with no cost. (The pass has paid for itself...it only cost $10.00... many times over already) I urge everyone to get one when they turn 62. Even if you don't RV, it will save you money at many national sites, museums and the like. Anyway back to the canyon. It was breathtaking! It is part of the Moave Desert. The rock formations were really different. Some of them looked like sculpted sand dunes. Here are some pics.

Here is a guy we ran across while he was out looking for a meal. They are protected here. He was quite large but friendly.

We packed a picnic lunch and made a day of it. There are many miles of hiking trails. John wasn't able to walk most of them, so he sat and waited while I went exploring.

It is also a favorite spot for climbers. I thought of Vera while I watched this guy come down.

A few days ago we went to the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead (formed by the dam). John thought it would be "bigger". I must admit I was a little disappointed also, but for a different reason. It was a place for people to part with their money. $7.00 to park, $10.00 (each) for the basic tour and $18.00 for the 3 building tour. You even had to pay to get into the visitor center. The only thing free to enter was the gift shop. Our senior passes weren't any good there since it isn't a federal site. We paid to park but did the rest on our own. Pics...

Time for grandson pictures.... Uncle Ethan came for a visit. Lukas looks excited..

I think Ray is taking this question thing much too seriously.... he emailed his answer and when I didn't respond the same day he called me to see if he was right. Both Ray and Helen got it right. Dale Chihuly did the ceiling at the Bellagio. No question this posting but I'll think of a doozy for the next one.

YEAH, VEGAS.. BABY

Las Vegas...Lights....Glamour....Glitter....Traffic....Congestion
We have been here for about 10 days. John's feet and legs are complaining. We have walked miles going from one casino/hotel to another. Even though they are all on the Las Vegas Strip, each block is humongous...... probably about the size of 10 city blocks common in the rest of the country. Each casino/hotel occupies at least 1 of these blocks, sometimes more. Each one is a miniature city unto itself. Here are some pictures.... just a fraction of what we've seen.
Street level... the boulevard is 6 lanes each way and busy with traffic all the time.

Here are the lions that stay in a glass enclosure in the middle of the MGM casino. They do not live there... they drive in from their countryside home each day to go to work. 

John's favorite was Caesar's. The marble statues were gigantic. And the fountains...beautiful. Here is a picture of the shopping area. An indoor mall where the ceilings represent the sky outside....moving clouds.

The Bellagio hotel lobby ceiling is full of glass flowers of all different colors. They were designed and made by a very famous glass artist.... any one know his name?

It's hard to decide which pictures to show you... there was soooo much to see. But since this is spring..flowers are all over the place. One hotel, I believe it was the Bellagio, filled an atrium with live flowers and butterflies. It smelled wonderful.

The last picture for now....The Venetian Hotel. It has canals running through the whole place. On these canals are gondoliers that sing as they paddle you along....indoors.

I have a ton more pictures but enough for today. We are staying at the Las Vegas Thousand Trails. This park is not a preserve like most of the others. Very little activities and very little room. The big events of the day is when a large rig arrives or leaves. People have to move their cars to give them enough room to get in and out. This is the tightest place we've ever been in.

I would say this is a must see once in your life. Would I come again.... probably not. Too congested. Night life is not my cup of tea. The remainder of our time here we will be traveling outside of town to see the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead and the Red Rock Canyon..... now we're talking my thing.

Time for a Lukas update.... he's gaining weight and growing longer. Babies have a tendency to do that. Here is a family photo...

Here he is ready for the world to entertain him.

By the way... the answers to my last blog questions were Sputnik and road runner. Ray got Sputnik and Helen got roadrunner but Vera got both answers right. Lets see who gets this one.