Tuesday, September 28 - Day 26

We are writing this on the way to Mammoth Lakes, CA

Dave here – what a great day, mainly because we are leaving Las Vegas. I don't think Lisa shares the same sentiments, but here are some of my thoughts on Las Vegas.

There are two tourist attractions in Las Vegas – the old time gambling dens in the old downtown and the new ones out on the Strip. A few years ago my daughter and her husband and Lisa and I visited Las Vegas. We stayed out on the strip, had a great time gambling and walking along the trip watching the water shows at Bellagio and Treasure Island. I remember it as being a very pleasant stay and wanted to go back. We traveled down to the old gambling area by car and drove around a bit and I always had the desire to go back to the old part of town and spend some time there. We decided to do that this time and arrived at the outskirts of the old downtown and stopped at a cheap hotel. As soon as we arrived and parked the car, I noticed a young black fellow wearing a long sleeved white shirt on top of a couple of other shirts with a black scull cap and a backpack slung over one shoulder. He entered the parking lot of the motel and casually strolled in the 100 degree plus heat back toward our car. I was hidden from his view on the passenger side but could see him through the windows. As soon as he saw me standing alongside the car he turned away from me and strolled out of the parking lot. Within about a minute he appeared again outside another entrance to the parking lot even closer to our car and appeared to be watching me and the car. I wanted to let him know that he was being watched too so I stood out from the car with arms on hips and stared right at him. He stared back for a bit and walked away. My police training taught me wearing a long-sleeved shirt in hot weather may be an indication of a drug addict attempting to cover needle scars on the arms. In addition, I noticed some other people gathered on the driver's side of the car parked outside the parking lot dressed exactly the same – wife beater undershirt, black pants, red belt, black sneakers. One of these entered the parking lot. I gave him the same police stare and he turned and left. I went to the hotel office and described the above and asked if there was a problem here that I needed to be aware of. He said that he had noticed the activity. It came out that I had been a police officer and a fellow standing in the office introduced himself as a former DEA Agent. He said he had noticed the same thing. A short time later a police car pulled into the lot while Lisa and I were doing laundry but they departed.

We had a good time at the old gambling casinos. The hotel manager tipped me off that the best food to be had was at the Fremont casino at the Paradise Buffet. He was exactly right. A long line only increased our appetite but we sure ate well and reasonably priced. We liked the gambling there because we could still find slot machines that you could insert coins. Most of the the machines only accept bills or credit tickets. The atmosphere in the casinos had changed from our previous visit. There was no more clinking of coins rushing from slot machines and the loud alerts of winners. Everything was subdued and smokey. Las Vegas seems to be one of the last places in the US where smoking in a business establishment or restaurant is permitted. I don't remember being so annoyed with smoke the last time we were there. The light show on the immense ceiling which extends over 5 blocks of Fremont Street was awesome. Everything came to a standstill when the light show and music started. It was like watching a kaleidoscope of not only colors but faces and shapes rocketing acrosss the ceiling. We went back the next day to get souveniers and play some more games. On the way back to the hotel, at about noon, I noticed that we were being followed by a lone young black man, similar description to the gang members. Lisa noticed it too. I glanced over my shoulder and he turned away quickly. A few moments later I glanced again and he was again following us. The best way to win a confrontation is to avoid it. I stuck my right hand in my pocket as if I were handling a weapon. I glanced over my shoulder and he had turned away again and disappeared into a doorway. In spite of having fun there it was time to depart that area. We had tickets for Cirque du Soleil that night at New York New York Hotel and I had booked a room there as well with the intent of possibly staying there two nights. During that stay several factors disappointed me. The hotel layout seemed to be designed to confuse the patrons. It was very difficult to determine which way to go to get anywhere. It was a maze and I concluded, ultimately, to turn you into the gambling scene. In addition, there was a lot of construction inside the hotel which was further confusing since signs were not visible. Second, upon check in we were upgraded to a supposedly superior accommodation but it was actually no nicer than rooms we had already stayed in at half that price. Once again, designed to make you pay money. There was no coffee pot in the room, which every cheap hotel has. There was no continental breakfast available for free in spite of the high price of the accommodations, which all hotels also have now. In the old downtown there were plenty of food stalls with items for a dollar or two. The cheapest price I saw in the hotel for any food items was $6.50 for a hotdog. Downtown if you are gambling your drinks are comped, if you ordered at a bar the drinks were quite cheap. In the New York New York hotel, Lisa ordered a Bailey's on the rocks and it cost $9.75. Lisa and I had a good dinner but the meal cost well over $100 and the smoke still permeated the restaurant further diminishing our enjoyment. I don't mind paying a decent price for a decent return but I always had the feeling I was being taken. You might ask why didn't we go outside and shop around. It was over 100 degrees and much to hot to just stroll. Lastly, the gambling did not allow the use of coins – only bills or credit tickets. The best deal we had were the $50 tickets for Cirque du Soleil.

Well I am glad to be rid of Las Vegas. Death Valley was a pleasant change. More later.

As Dave spoke about earlier, we had a great dinner at an Italian Restaurant in the Hotel/Casino. We made reservations for 5 pm as the clerk for the Cirque tickets said we needed to be seated by 7 for the 7:30 show and not sure how long it would be for dinner. Got seated for the show and at 7:15 a woman and man came out on stage with some sexually oriented humor and devices and embarrased a lot of people sometimes dragging people on stage. We both decided we would beat them up if they tried to get us on stage. The show was touted as the “Sensual side of Cirque du Soleil.” There was something for everyone. Scantily clad or no clad beautiful women and men dancing and performing acrobatics.

After the show we went outside and walked the Strip for about an hour and a half. It was a pleasant stroll as the temperatures weren't too hot.

As we were driving through Death Valley, there was a sign “Avoid Overheating – turn off A/C for next 20 miles” as we were going uphill for that distance - from 282 feet below sea level to 5,000 feet above sea level. It was a nice gradual climb. So guess what happened next – we had to go down the other side of the mountain into a valley and back up into another set of mountains. Then down that one and then drove to over 7,000 feet to Mammoth Lakes, CA, where we are staying tonight. There is nothing here - you sure don't want to run out of gas or need a restroom because there is nothing for quite a distance, except cactus, rocks and signs for cows but didn't see them. We went to the lowest point in the US - Badwater Basin 282 feet below sea level. Dave, however, found a hole in the salt about a foot deep – stood in it and now claims he beat the US record. Badwater Basin used to be an ocean 10,000 years ago and now it is dried up and the salt remained. It was named Badwater due to a pioneer who couldn't get his mule to drink the water because of the high salt content. We walked out a ways into the Basin and we each touched some salt – just to be sure – and then tasted it. Sure enough – it was salt. I gave Dave a key chain with a thermometer on it and he put it on the salt. The mercury reached 116 degrees. And we were out walking around in that heat! It's a dry heat. One of the photos shows Dave with his hat sideways. He claimed his left ear, facing the sun, was about to “flashover”. Sure. In the photos, where you see all the white on the ground - that is the Badwater Basin and all the salt.

Monday, September 27 - Day 25

Got up and cleaned out the car top carrier due to all the dust from the desert areas. Walked down Fremont Street and went into a casino and played for a few minutes. Most of the machines are played with a card or cash and one security guard steered us to machines that took coins. I won some nickels but didn't count to see how much. We had fun playing those machines because you can actually hear the coins clanking when you win. Drove down to New York New York Hotel and Casino - as we are staying there tonight - and played a few machines.

Made a reservation for dinner at an Italian restaurant here in the hotel and then going to see the7:30 Cirque du Soleil Zumanity show.

Dave here. What a great day. This will be a mishmash of ideas I have been cultivating.
Utah. I have had enough of soil erosion. I think that one day Utah will just disappear off the map. The Arches, the Canyonlands, the Hoodoos at Bryce Canyon and the Zion Canyon are all the results of water erosion of sandstone. The vivid red, light gray, orange and purple colors are amazing. The horizon to horizon vistas are mindblowing. BUT enough is enough. After the first thousand Hoodoos (spires of eroded rock), I've had enough. Seen one magnificent, glorious, fabulous vista, seen'em all, I guess. That's a bit cynical. I get tired hiking uphill above 8ooo feet and then I just want to have a drink and a good dinner, to hell with the view. I must say that Zion is the most hospitable of the Utah parks. It is down on the fairly lush and cool canyon floor instead of on the arid top of the hot canyon looking down into the depths. Zion also allows no cars on the only road into the canyon and what a blessing that is. They ought to erect a monument to the person who banned the autos. The buses stop frequently where a short hike leads to something interesting.

Camping in Utah means a red dust dessert for dinner. The dust is almost like talcum powder. It gets into everything and stick to everthing including cracks where it does not belong if you get my drift. But normally we prefer our camping to motel stays. I slept in a tent for 6 months and went without a hot shower for nine months in Nam. Until now "camping" is not something I would ever do for fun. But our setup is the best I have ever experienced. We try to have a shower available somewhere but it's not a deal breaker as we discovered in Yellowstone. Our SUV tent is the best. We sleep tight in the car, nice and warm, on lots of foam, with the tent as our living room.

I am 150% winner in Las Vegas. I bet a dollar and won $150.

Getting ready to go for dinner before Cirque du Soleil, so further thoughts some other time.

Sunday, September 26 - Day 24

Up and ate breakfast at hotel. On the road to Zion National Park. It is totally different landscape from Bryce Canyon with their hoodoos and Arches with their dry desert landscape.


Dave thinks Utah is in a state of erosion and eventually there will be nothing left of the state.

They have a shuttle system that you must ride at certain areas in the park - no cars allowed as there wouldn't be enough parking. It works well and saves wear, tear and aggravation on vehicle, driver and passenger. Parked in Springdale, just outside Park and caught a shuttle to visitor center. The shuttle stopped every few miles for viewing areas and one passenger suggested we ride it all the way to the end and then catch the down shuttle and do our sightseeing by getting off at the different stops. It was a great idea and you could take longer hikes or just get out and look and then catch the next shuttle to the next area. Pretty convenient system. We took it all the way to Sinawava Temple and got off and went on a small hike to the Narrows - where the canyon narrows. Stopped at the other areas - Court of the Patriarchs where a Mormon minister years ago named the mountains - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; Angels Landing; Grotto; Weeping Rock where the rocks drip water. It was cool throughout our journey in Zion. It was a more friendly environment for walking then the other Parks (Canyonlands, Arches). There was more vegetation and not a desert landscape.

Some of the other names for the sights are: The Pulpit, The Altar of Sacrifice, The Great Throne - religious theme.

Drove out of the Park and down to I15 and passed briefly through Arizona for 30 miles and then into Nevada. Destination for today is Las Vegas. Also passed into pacific time so we are three hours behind you folks in the east.

Got to the Super 8 on Fremont Street. We parked next to a NY car and it turns out he is from Albany and he knows Ogdensburg. The hotel has a pool so we had to hop in. It is an outdoor pool with 94 degrees today so we thought it would be like bath water. It was refreshing but not like bath water. Hotel clerk suggested we go to the Paradise Buffet in the Fremont Casino for dinner.

When we got near the buffet, the street had this amazing light show overhead that probably stretched for 5 blocks. I had read about it in the AAA guidebook and it said it plays on the hour for 6 minutes. When that was over we went to the buffet and got to choose from tacos, chicken, prime rib, seafood, Chinese, Japanese, and American food. Plus desserts! The line to get in was quite long but moved along quickly.

When we left I decided it need to try the slot machines. I put a dollar in one and lost it and put another dollar in a $.25 machine and had 4 trys and lost. Oh well. Will go again to the casinos tomorrow and maybe I'll get lucky. Dave insists that I play until I win enough to pay for the trip.

My aunt Terry used to live in Las Vegas and she gave us some tips on how to win at the machines. Will try that out tomorrow. If we win big we may not be coming home (just kidding).

Dave got us a hotel room at New York New York - how fitting - for tomorrow evening and also tickets for the Cirque du Soleil show "Zumanity".

Saturday, September 25 - Day 23

Drove 331 miles yesterday.

Got up and went to a local cafe for a wonderful homemade breakfast of eggs, toast, bacon, hash browns. Delicious. When we got up we could smell the smoke from the fire that we saw last night. Waitress said that it was the Twitchell Mountain fire and authorities were going to do a controlled burn but Mother Nature had other ideas - lightening strike.

Drove to Bryce Canyon National Park from Beaver this morning. We begin our adventures with a stop at the visitor center and we watch an orientation film about the Bryce.

At Bryce they suggest that you take the shuttle buses as there is little parking at the overlook areas and they are frequent and on-time.

We decided to take a hike - just a short one (2.5 miles) uphill most of the way. The good thing about this hike was that we begin at Sunrise Point and hike to Bryce Canyon Overlook and then take the shuttle bus back to Sunrise Point. The overlooks were again amazing. The beautiful rock formations were again sculpted by erosion into pillars called "hoodoos". The brochure states that "Bryce is not a true canyon but a series of horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters carved in the edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau by tributaries of the Paria River. An American Indian name for the area translates as "red rocks standing like men in a bowl-shaped canyon." We began the hike, which was good. We stopped at the overlooks and my first impression was that they look like huge sand castles on the beach with a trail that goes down to the canyon floor. We came to a sign that said "Bryce Canyon Overlook 1.3 miles. Dave was pooped by that point but finished it anyway. Way to go Dave! We packed a lunch and ate it while overlooking Bryce Canyon. We caught the shuttle and back to the car. It was suggested that we go all the way to the southern point and work our way back up as all the overlooks are on the east side. That would be good as we wouldn't have to cross traffic. There was an overlook called Natural Bridge. It is just amazing to see how Mother Nature works.

Out of Bryce by 2 and took the route that took us through Zion National Park. We were going to stay in St. George, UT. Going through the Park was the longer/slower way around. We got stuck behind slow traffic and construction. We went through a couple of tunnels - one was probably 1 mile long. We decided to get a room in Hurricane, UT for the night as we were tired and it's 20 miles closer for us to go back into the Park tomorrow.

Friday, September 24 - Day 22

Today is the end of our third week journeying across the country. What a great three weeks enjoying the beautiful United States!

Left camp at 8 am in order to get on the road. We went back to Potash Road to look for the petroglyphs that we missed yesterday. We were able to spot them today and they were 25-30 feet up on the rock cliff. That means that when the Indians carved those onto the rocks in the 1600's they were on the shore. The water level is much lower now.

Went to Canyonlands National Park. Again, amazing views. Canyonlands is divided into 3 different areas called districts. Islands in the Sky, The Maze, and The Needles. The Maze was for serious hikers and The Needles was too far away even to fit into our schedule. We enjoyed Islands in the Sky. We first stopped at the Visitors Center where it was recommended that you take plenty of water with you as there were no places to buy it along the route. First stop was Shafer Canyon Overlook, where cowboys used to take their cattle down for the winter in the 1800's. The trail was steep and dangerous that cattle sometimes fell off. We saw a vehicle driving along the dirt road and decided that was a drive we didn't need to make as it looked only wide enough for one car.

Decided we would do a couple of short hikes. The first one was Mesa Arch. It was a half mile round trip hike and you could see it without going all the way to it. Dave wasn't going to go all the way down to it but another hiker suggested it was worth it. It sure was. It had a great view down into a canyon with the Arch as a frame. We then went up to Upheaval Dome, where we did our second short hike of 1 mile. From the brochure - "Geologists would probably single out Upheaval Dome as the oddest geologic feature on Island in the Sky. Measuring 1,500 feet deep, the dome does not look like a dome but rather like a crater. How was it created? One theory suggests that slowmoving underground salt deposits pushed layers of sandstone upward. A recent theory suggests that the dome was created when a meteor hit."

There are two rivers that are important to this area. The Green River and the Colorado. The rivers divide the area into the 3 districts.

Other viewing areas were Green River Overlook, Buck Canyon Overlook and we had our lunch at Grand View Point Overlook, which had beautiful mesas, towering mesas in the canyon. A Ranger at the visitor's center told Dave that Canyonlands is 1,500 feet deep. I hope you can get a sense of the depth and vastness from the photos.

Continued our journey to I70 to the junction of I15 and then south to Beaver, UT, where we are staying for the night. Dave was driving and he mentioned that it looked like smoke behind the mountains. Sure enough there were highway signs indicating a fire on the other side of the mountains. The radio said it was a 39,000 acre wildfire.

It will only be a couple hours drive to get to Bryce Canyon tomorrow.

Thursday, September 23 - Day 21

Dave here. Lisa typing again. What a great day.

We are camped at a KOA campground outside Moab, UT, access to Arches National park and Canyonlands National Park. We had to let the rain subside and wait for a window in the clouds to get the tent up and the car attached. Our last 30 miles here was an adventure in western rain storms. We spotted funnel clouds which went right behind the car. I was pushing pretty hard to beat the storm. It was still here when we arrived at our campsite. Got camp set up, dinner made and ate and the rain hit hard. It really came down and thunder and lightening over the cliffs a mile to immediate west and was a good test for the tent. We sat in the tent in our chairs and tried to watch Monday night's Hawaii Five-O. We had a small leak because the car was backed up too close to the tent and no damage done.

Out the door at 8:30 and on our way to Arches. Stopped at Visitor's Center and saw the orientation movie. Fascinating history of this area.

You will see in the photos attached sandstone fins thrusting out of the ground. The center of these fins erodes through small cracks and they become arches when the center falls out. The arches continue to enlarge until they too eventually fall down. The geology here is ongoing. The park is not just arches but magnificent vistas of red stone canyons, pinnacles, spires and balanced rocks. The latter are particularly interesting as you will see the photos attached. An enormous stone rests atop a pinnacle which is slowly eroding beneath it. It's hard to believe some of them can balance that way especially when you stand directly underneath it. I found two previously unknown rock formation. I hope Lisa will attach photos of my discoveries, Dave's Balanced Rock and Dave's Arch.

We really needed some exercise after sitting in the car for the last few days. We decided to do a few hikes in Arches. We took the primitive trail to Windows where we approached it from the back side which is the only place where you can see both Windows at the same time. Got lots of good photos. I spoke to a couple in German who did not realize I was American. Haven't lost my native accent. Nice to know. The Windows, as for all the Arches, are much larger than one would think from just viewing a photograph. I hope Lisa will show the photograph I took of her in the North Window. My ankles were holding up then. Off to the next challenge - the Moab symbol on their license plate - The Delicate Arch. One has two choices - to hike to a close up view of Delicate Arch or drive to a lower view in which the Arch is a significant distance away. We were looking for exercise and chose the former. It was tough. A mile and a half, allegedly, up. It was great exercise. Lisa and I accomplished it without a break. I practiced my Zen breathing and was very pleased that my training was once again validated. The climb was about a 1/4 mile over a slanted sandstone plate at a steep angle. Then through a slightly uphill saddle to a 3 foot wide walkway with a sheer drop-off along a sandstone cliff to a site overlooking the Arch. Mrs. Aerobics was carrying a 25 pound pack and had to be held in check to keep from running the distance (Lordy, Lordy I wish I was 40). Naturally, Lisa had to get under the Arch at considerable danger to herself. I could not stand to look at it while she asked someone else to take photographs. We started back down and were struck by the number of people ill-equipped for the climb, no or little water, no hat. It was a tough climb and people were advised at the entrance to the climb to have plenty of water, good hiking shoes and to monitor their physical fitness. No wonder the Rangers have to assist people off this climb. There were people with no water. We even heard some woman in a group of about 6 people state that "I wish we had brought some water" and they were not even two-thirds into the climb. It was hot, in a desert, on a barren climb with no shade. Can't fix stupid.

After Arches, we went down the Potash Road to view the petroglyphs and the dinosaur tracks. We missed a lot of the petroglyphs so maybe more of that tomorrow. Probably do Canyonlands and then head toward Zion and Bryce National Parks. We intend to be in Las Vegas Monday and Tuesday but are willing to stay a third day, luxuriating by the pool with Margaritas. If anyone is planning to join us please let us know where you are staying, if you need an airport pick up - we can do that. If you need Cirque du Soleil tickets we can get them for you. But you must let us know ASAP. We are going to the Zumanity show possibly on Tuesday evening. We are planning to leave Wednesday but are willing to stay another day if people will be joining us.

More adventures tomorrow.

Lisa here.
The views of the Arches and landscape was beautiful. It is amazing to see what time, wind and water will do to sandstone. Just for the record - I was not in considerable danger to myself. There was plenty of rock to support me.

Wednesday, September 22 - Day 20

Addendum to yesterday's post - the woman who wrote America the Beautiful was Katherine Lee Bates.

Dave here - Lisa typing. What a great day. When I was a child I used to think it was boring to drive through the corn fields of Illinois. This trip has been an eyeopener. Crossing the vast corn and wheat fields of Iowa, South Dakota, and Montana, I was never bored. Likewise, the trip from Lakewood, CO to Moab, UT. What a great country we live in. I have been on 4 continents and never seen anything to compare with this. We left Lakewood about 8:30 am - hit I70 west rising steadily through Loveland Pass and the Eisenhower tunnels. Across the Continental Divide again and down to the flat lands of Grand Junction, CO. The villages and towns bore the names of history - Rifle, Powderhorn, Aspen, Vail, and Breckenridge. After Grand Junction, we swore we would never let our gas tank or our potable water supply fall below half full. There were places where, if a person stood up, he/she would be the tallest thing in a 50 mile circle. How the pioneers must have felt. We are constantly struck with that thought. The courage and dedication it must have taken to cross this great country. When we arrived in Moab, we both thought the settlers here must have said "that's it - forget it - no farther". My god this is scary country. Red rocks rise all about. There is no water. It is unforgiving landscape. We found the KOA campground outside Moab because it at least had showers and potable water. None of the national parks campgrounds had showers or potable water.

We had to wait out a passing rain storm to establish camp. Got the tent up, stove ready to go and then another storm followed. On the way to KOA, large dust devils crossed behind us hitting the traffic behind. We just missed them. Many funnel clouds were seen on the plains. We are sitting in the campground in the tent, getting ready to make some dinner. Lisa and I have discovered that we prefer to camp over a motel. We are very self-sufficient, comfortable and easy with each other. What more could a person ask. Love to all, Dave.

Las Vegas or Bust! We are tentatively planning to be in Las Vegas on September 27 and 28. Is there anyone out there who would like to join us? Give us a call and we can let you know more accurately as the days progress.

The chef is preparing rigatoni and asparagus for dinner.

We will be going to Arches National Park tomorrow
Going