I have no earthly idea why all of the other entries are centered on the page now. I didn't do it!
We've been busy. Going thru my mail upon my return from the desert, I discovered that I had 20K hotel points expiring at the end of the year, and only 2 weekends left this year when neither Don nor I were booked. One of those weekends was this past one, so of course, we had to take off again for a trip. This REALLY wasn't planned, mind you, but I'm not one to let a freebie go to waste!
So... we ended up getting 2 free nights at the brand-new Comfort Inn and Suites in Cave City, KY, and we enjoyed our first visit to Mammoth Cave National Park. The entire weekend totally exceeded our expectations. The hotel was gorgeous, great free breakfast, giant comfortable rooms, nice indoor pool. We had a fridge and microwave in our suite, so to save money we packed an ice chest full of food and only ate what we brought. Sandwiches, chips, and pasta salad for lunch, taco salad and Spanish rice for dinner, and yogurt, fruit, popcorn, and brownies for snacks. All we spent for 2 nights/3days out was the cost of the cave tour tickets, and the gas to get up there!
Mammoth Cave fascinated me. We booked the 4 1/2 hour, 4 mile Grand Avenue tour, and that wasn't enough for me! I couldn't get over all of the different rooms and "slot canyons" and climbing we did. That cave had multiple personalities and I just loved being in it; I felt like Indiana Jones! We plan to go back to do the Wild Cave tour. That is the only longer tour that is offered, and for that one, we'll suit up and slither around... real spelunking. Woo-hoo! It's been 13 years since I've done that... way too long! The woods above ground were beautiful also and we enjoyed hiking the trails. On Saturday night, we went to an outdoor ranger presentation on cougars, and that was really fun, but the most excitement came from when I nearly stepped on a copperhead on my way to the amphitheatre. I think the entire park heard me screaming!
Don and I have recently started volunteering at the animal shelter where we adopted Penny. Our first day was last Monday, and it was quite the learning experience! I got to walk dogs, play with cats, refill food and water, and help visitors. This is what I have discovered so far:
1. Wear old clothes. It IS possible for a dog to pee while running, poop, throw himself into a washtub of drinking water, and tackle a person, in that order, in less than a minute's time.
2. Getting a slipknot leash on a hyper dog is similar to lassoing a cricket.
3. It is easy to tell when a cat has a cold. (Look for the snot along the sides of the cage.)
4. Accidentally locking oneself inside a kennel with a big dog is very humbling!
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Friday, August 17, 2007
Southwest Part 2
I’ve now had a week and a half to reflect on our wonderful time out west. I got to know my husband better, and I feel like I learned so much about myself, too. Not to mention the things I got to see! Observations and thoughts…
- Desert air is HOT and DRY. That’s no surprise, I heard it all my life, but 110 degrees in Vegas truly is easier to cope with than 90 degrees here. I never would have believed it if I didn’t actually experience it. The breeze feels like a hair dryer blowing directly on my face!
- Europeans outnumbered Americans at the both the GC and Zion, but even more so at the GC. It was so easy to spot them… they never wore white sneakers or baggy clothes, and a lot of the men had on capri pants. I think straight guys should never wear capris, no matter where they’re from! But anyway, seriously, it disappointed me… why aren’t more people from OUR country visiting our parks? The Europeans didn’t bother me and they were always very polite, but it did make me a little sad that it appeared that our own people don’t value what we have here, at least, not enough to make an effort to go. So many people I know would rather visit the same place every year than get out and see the world. Maybe it’s a factor of not being able to afford it, or not getting the time off work to do more than simply crash in a lounge chair during their paltry vacation allowance. I don’t know what our reasons are, but it definitely appeared that Europeans cared more about being there.
- That said, I was in my element being around so many outdoorsy people. Even here, I feel like a bit of an outsider sometimes among the circles I run in. It was nice to be surrounded by folks who get into sweating on vacation, and who don’t think I’m weird for living in my Teva’s.
- Don and I discovered that we truly ARE happiest when we’re playing outside and being with nature somehow. The best times we’ve had together have been when we’re out hiking, swimming, snorkeling, playing with animals, whatever. It doesn’t matter if it’s at our zoo, or a trail in Hawaii, or a beach in Georgia, or the desert in Arizona. We’ve learned that about ourselves and that is definitely shaping our future travel plans together.
- My husband is so freaking hilarious! How I wish more people experienced his quick wit and crazy one-liners. We cracked each other up for 11 straight days. That alone would’ve made the vacation time worth it whether or not we even went anywhere!
- Las Vegas… oh my gosh, where do I start? I have known people to return from Vegas and say they didn’t enjoy it at all, and I thought they were nuts and wrote them off as being unsophisticated and narrow-minded. That is, until I went there myself and now I KNOW. I’ve been to Atlantic City, been on Bourbon St twice, spent time in large cities and casinos everywhere from Canada to the Caribbean, no problem. Vegas, however, is hell on earth and I am not kidding. Don and I both felt the presence of evil even as we stepped off the plane. The entire city is built around the premise of self-indulgence. Like Babylon… it is a shrine to man, sex, money, booze, you name it, and I have never felt such emptiness and sadness just walking down the street. Temptation was flaunted literally everywhere you look, and we found it repulsive. It was like everyone was there chasing after something that they think will make them feel whole and happy, but when they leave, they will leave spent and empty. That is exactly how Satan works. How it must break God’s heart to watch what goes on there every single day.
The luxury hotels and other places that are built to be considered beautiful, they felt so cheap and dirty to me. I mean, we had just spent a week exclaiming over the grandeur of God’s creations of the GC and Zion, and then we see these elaborate imitations that cannot even compare to the works of His hands. He gave us so much indescribable beauty, and people ignore it to drool over Caesar’s Palace?!?
Even going to our hotel pool felt like walking onto a taping of MTV’s Spring Break. Loud drunks, bodies everywhere, pulsing music, no thanks. Same thing walking down the street… SO many people, many of them inebriated (no open container law), every person looking to have a good time no matter what the cost. Guys acting tough and girls flaunting everything they‘ve got. Walking anywhere outside of our room felt like going into battle, between fighting the crowds and trying not to let the whole disgusting scene get to us. We escaped after the Cirque show, and both of our moods lightened considerably as we raced out of that town back to Boulder City. I am glad we went to Vegas if only for the experience, and no one could have talked me out of going. However, being there simply wasn’t fun. If any of this resonates with you, do yourself a favor and don’t waste your money there!
- The evening after our first day hiking in Zion, I had an epiphany. Warning: possible TMI, so skip past this if you want!! Anyway, I was changing out of my clothes to get into the shower, and I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. And, I was truly surprised by what I saw. For awhile now, I’ve been beating myself up for my appearance… although I am not fat and never have been, I have a bit more on my hips and thighs than I prefer. In spite of working out and watching what I eat, those areas have stubbornly refused to budge. But the reflection I saw didn’t show any of that. I saw a glowing tan from the desert sun, shiny dark hair, bright green eyes, and toned arms. The legs that I have cursed have unfailingly carried me up mountains and to beautiful places that most people I know will never even see. The curves that annoy me are a prized part of this body that my husband loves and claims as his own. I’m not a beanpole teenager anymore… I look like a real woman now with an attractive womanly figure. Not only that, but this body is STRONG and has been more than faithful to me in spite of all that I have demanded of it. This all hit me like a ton of bricks, enough that I was truly emotional about how little I have acknowledged this tremendous blessing from God. So, I am FINISHED with looking down on myself!!! Thank you, my wise and loving God, for making me exactly who I am!!!!
- For me, the best part about traveling is that I realize how fortunate I am to claim Knoxville as my home. From this trip, I learned that the desert is beautiful and interesting in its own way. But to me, it’s still so… dead. Sure, there’s some life but not like here. I love the tall and gentle mountains nearby, the lush vegetation, the abundant shade from the trees, the streams and lakes everywhere you go, the songs of the birds and insects in the woods. On the plane returning home, I couldn’t WAIT to get back into our forests. Two days later, I went hiking alone at Ijams and couldn’t believe what I was seeing… it was like being in the woods for the first time. I noticed so many things that I hadn’t seen out west… soft brown dirt, so many green plants, cicadas and crickets, frogs, on and on. I like our weather… no crazy monsoons or floods to contend with. I like that I have lots of shopping, sports, and culture nearby, and that the people here are the most caring I’ve ever met. I like where I am planted, and it is here where Don and I will bloom together.
I am so glad that I am back here in my little corner of the universe. I am simply happy to BE.
- Desert air is HOT and DRY. That’s no surprise, I heard it all my life, but 110 degrees in Vegas truly is easier to cope with than 90 degrees here. I never would have believed it if I didn’t actually experience it. The breeze feels like a hair dryer blowing directly on my face!
- Europeans outnumbered Americans at the both the GC and Zion, but even more so at the GC. It was so easy to spot them… they never wore white sneakers or baggy clothes, and a lot of the men had on capri pants. I think straight guys should never wear capris, no matter where they’re from! But anyway, seriously, it disappointed me… why aren’t more people from OUR country visiting our parks? The Europeans didn’t bother me and they were always very polite, but it did make me a little sad that it appeared that our own people don’t value what we have here, at least, not enough to make an effort to go. So many people I know would rather visit the same place every year than get out and see the world. Maybe it’s a factor of not being able to afford it, or not getting the time off work to do more than simply crash in a lounge chair during their paltry vacation allowance. I don’t know what our reasons are, but it definitely appeared that Europeans cared more about being there.
- That said, I was in my element being around so many outdoorsy people. Even here, I feel like a bit of an outsider sometimes among the circles I run in. It was nice to be surrounded by folks who get into sweating on vacation, and who don’t think I’m weird for living in my Teva’s.
- Don and I discovered that we truly ARE happiest when we’re playing outside and being with nature somehow. The best times we’ve had together have been when we’re out hiking, swimming, snorkeling, playing with animals, whatever. It doesn’t matter if it’s at our zoo, or a trail in Hawaii, or a beach in Georgia, or the desert in Arizona. We’ve learned that about ourselves and that is definitely shaping our future travel plans together.
- My husband is so freaking hilarious! How I wish more people experienced his quick wit and crazy one-liners. We cracked each other up for 11 straight days. That alone would’ve made the vacation time worth it whether or not we even went anywhere!
- Las Vegas… oh my gosh, where do I start? I have known people to return from Vegas and say they didn’t enjoy it at all, and I thought they were nuts and wrote them off as being unsophisticated and narrow-minded. That is, until I went there myself and now I KNOW. I’ve been to Atlantic City, been on Bourbon St twice, spent time in large cities and casinos everywhere from Canada to the Caribbean, no problem. Vegas, however, is hell on earth and I am not kidding. Don and I both felt the presence of evil even as we stepped off the plane. The entire city is built around the premise of self-indulgence. Like Babylon… it is a shrine to man, sex, money, booze, you name it, and I have never felt such emptiness and sadness just walking down the street. Temptation was flaunted literally everywhere you look, and we found it repulsive. It was like everyone was there chasing after something that they think will make them feel whole and happy, but when they leave, they will leave spent and empty. That is exactly how Satan works. How it must break God’s heart to watch what goes on there every single day.
The luxury hotels and other places that are built to be considered beautiful, they felt so cheap and dirty to me. I mean, we had just spent a week exclaiming over the grandeur of God’s creations of the GC and Zion, and then we see these elaborate imitations that cannot even compare to the works of His hands. He gave us so much indescribable beauty, and people ignore it to drool over Caesar’s Palace?!?
Even going to our hotel pool felt like walking onto a taping of MTV’s Spring Break. Loud drunks, bodies everywhere, pulsing music, no thanks. Same thing walking down the street… SO many people, many of them inebriated (no open container law), every person looking to have a good time no matter what the cost. Guys acting tough and girls flaunting everything they‘ve got. Walking anywhere outside of our room felt like going into battle, between fighting the crowds and trying not to let the whole disgusting scene get to us. We escaped after the Cirque show, and both of our moods lightened considerably as we raced out of that town back to Boulder City. I am glad we went to Vegas if only for the experience, and no one could have talked me out of going. However, being there simply wasn’t fun. If any of this resonates with you, do yourself a favor and don’t waste your money there!
- The evening after our first day hiking in Zion, I had an epiphany. Warning: possible TMI, so skip past this if you want!! Anyway, I was changing out of my clothes to get into the shower, and I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. And, I was truly surprised by what I saw. For awhile now, I’ve been beating myself up for my appearance… although I am not fat and never have been, I have a bit more on my hips and thighs than I prefer. In spite of working out and watching what I eat, those areas have stubbornly refused to budge. But the reflection I saw didn’t show any of that. I saw a glowing tan from the desert sun, shiny dark hair, bright green eyes, and toned arms. The legs that I have cursed have unfailingly carried me up mountains and to beautiful places that most people I know will never even see. The curves that annoy me are a prized part of this body that my husband loves and claims as his own. I’m not a beanpole teenager anymore… I look like a real woman now with an attractive womanly figure. Not only that, but this body is STRONG and has been more than faithful to me in spite of all that I have demanded of it. This all hit me like a ton of bricks, enough that I was truly emotional about how little I have acknowledged this tremendous blessing from God. So, I am FINISHED with looking down on myself!!! Thank you, my wise and loving God, for making me exactly who I am!!!!
- For me, the best part about traveling is that I realize how fortunate I am to claim Knoxville as my home. From this trip, I learned that the desert is beautiful and interesting in its own way. But to me, it’s still so… dead. Sure, there’s some life but not like here. I love the tall and gentle mountains nearby, the lush vegetation, the abundant shade from the trees, the streams and lakes everywhere you go, the songs of the birds and insects in the woods. On the plane returning home, I couldn’t WAIT to get back into our forests. Two days later, I went hiking alone at Ijams and couldn’t believe what I was seeing… it was like being in the woods for the first time. I noticed so many things that I hadn’t seen out west… soft brown dirt, so many green plants, cicadas and crickets, frogs, on and on. I like our weather… no crazy monsoons or floods to contend with. I like that I have lots of shopping, sports, and culture nearby, and that the people here are the most caring I’ve ever met. I like where I am planted, and it is here where Don and I will bloom together.
I am so glad that I am back here in my little corner of the universe. I am simply happy to BE.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Southwestern Adventures
We returned 2 days ago from our glorious trip to Arizona, Utah, and Nevada. What an awesome time! I am still jet-lagged and going on 2.5 hours of sleep after a full day‘s work, but I can’t stop thinking about what I want to write about our trip. I think the best way to capture this is in 2 parts: the first to chronicle what we did, and the other to note on interesting experiences and what I learned.
So here’s the lowdown:
Friday: Allegiant Air flight to Las Vegas, arriving at 9:30 pm Pacific Time. Spent the night at the super El Rancho Boulder Motel in Boulder City, NV.
Saturday: Awake at 5:30 and ready for a full day! Breakfast down the street at the Coffee Cup Café, the local greasy spoon breakfast hangout… good food and fun atmosphere. Sitting in the CVS parking lot before 7 am to buy a cooler and case of bottled water, a bottle of Febreze for our rental car, and loads of sore throat and allergy medication to deal with my allergy to our rental (which reeked of cigarette smoke). Febrezed the car. Drove 10 minutes to Hoover Dam and spent 3 hours wandering around and taking the Discovery Tour. Got our first experience with the desert while driving to Peach Springs. Made a stopover in Kingman specifically so I could experience the legendary In-N-Out burger chain. It definitely lived up to the hype, especially their chocolate milkshake! Proceeded to the nasty Grand Canyon Caverns Inn. Had dinner in their funky restaurant, the only game in town. Had our ears assaulted by Rafael, the synthesizer-playing lounge singer from hell. Prepared our packs for our backpacking trip to Supai EARLY the next morning. Bumped into other hikers who informed us that the trail and bridges were washed out due to flash flooding. Sadly canceled our plans and decided to go with plan B for the next day…
Sunday: On the road and headed for Sedona, Arizona! What a lovely town, ranked first in USA Weekend’s most beautiful cities of America poll. Hiked a 4-miler to Chicken Point for nice views and a good warm-up workout. Visited the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Nabbed a room at Sedona’s Matterhorn Inn, ranked #2 on TripAdvisor (oh, how I love that website!). Room was gorgeous!! Enjoyed the best meal of our trip at the Cowboy Club, pricey, but still worth it. We don’t get cactus salsa at home! Strolled the streets for a bit doing a lil’ shopping.
Monday: Up early again for an 8-miler to Turkey Creek. (Had to get off the trails by 1 due to monsoon activity and flash flooding.) Fabulous hike, very secluded trail, killer mountain climb at the end, but the reward (view for miles across red rock mountains) was more than worth the climbing in the heat. This one was a terrific workout for my body but even better for filling my spirit. Left Sedona in a storm and experienced our first monsoon, a lite one but still heavy rain. Drove through Flagstaff and across northern Arizona through some of the most beautiful alpine country. Entered the Grand Canyon South Rim and headed for the Bright Angel Lodge. Our cozy lodge had just been renovated and was Don’s favorite room from our whole trip. I loved it too… such a nice change from standard motel rooms! Got my first glimpse of the canyon after dinner… wow!
Tuesday: up early (again!) to hike the rim trail. This was the best time to hike; even as late as 8 am, we still had the park to ourselves. Spent all morning on the rim trail, the afternoon hopping on and off the shuttle at different stations and shops. Saw a flier for an exhibit opening soiree that evening at a cabin/exhibition hall near our lodge. Made it there before the party started for the “I am the Grand Canyon” exhibit about the Havasupai tribe, the folks whose reservation I was supposed to backpack to. Several tribe members were present and spoke, a group of young Havasupai girls performed native dances, then their old ladies did their thing, then some Indians cried and blessed the exhibit. Tuxedo-clad servers mingled throughout the crowd passing out fancy sweet treats, and a meaningful time was had by all.
Wednesday: Up before dawn to watch the magical sunrise with my sweetie. Reluctantly checked out of our room and explored the east side of the park on our way out. Stopped at the Cameron Trading Post on the Navajo reservation where we’d planned to have lunch and do some serious souvenir shopping. We both enjoyed Navajo specialties… the stew, taco, and lots of fry bread! Yum! Bought lots of goodies for family and friends, and snagged a cute pair of Navajo-made earrings for myself. Continued north and encountered our first truly serious monsoon. Drove through it with lightning touching down all around us and white-knuckled the entire way through. Thought we were done with the rain, but encountered another (less-scary) storm as we approached Utah. Entered Zion National Park through the east entrance and ooohed and ahhhed over the crazy rock mountains and formations. Checked into the charming Red Rock Inn B&B in Springdale, Utah for 3 nights. We had a beautiful cottage and a full breakfast delivered to us each morning. Perfect!
Thursday: Zion - Flash flooding imminent signs and monsoon weather warnings, so our big hike to Observation Point was pushed back until Friday. Elected to tour the canyon and do several shorter hikes instead… Emerald Pools, Riverside Walk, Weeping Rock. Dinner at the Zion Pizza and Noodle Company was beyond fabulous!
Friday: The morning of our big hike, but I couldn’t sleep the nite before, and the Donald had a headache. Scrapped all plans for Ob. Pt. and headed back to Kanab to visit the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary which we’d driven past earlier. This is the country’s largest no-kill sanctuary for animals, critter nirvana if you will. What a great experience for animal lovers! Our guide practically had to drag us out of the special needs cat house. On our return through the Park, we hiked the short but sweet Canyon Overlook Trail. This one provided much bang for the buck as far as views, climbing, and sights along the way. Dined upscale Mexican at the Bit-N-Spur before hitting the local ice cream parlor later that night.
Saturday: Our last fabulous breakfast from the Red Rock Inn. L Checked out and decided we had to have one last hike in Zion, selected the Hidden Canyon Trail. Begins by climbing several hundred feet up the side of a mountain, at one point you are hanging onto chains on the side of a cliff for several minutes as you carefully continue going up! Got to the end of the trail where it leads into a canyon you can scramble over boulders and sneak into to explore. We were way up in the sky but truly felt hidden from the world! Amazing and my favorite hike of our trip! After this, we headed south to Las Vegas. Checked into the Flamingo on the strip, and both of us decided pretty quickly that we hated the Flamingo and hated Las Vegas even more. Began considering escape options as we walked around. Saw the fountains at the Bellagio, went inside Paris and Aladdin/Planet Hollywood, saw the Lions at MGM Grand, took pics at NYNY. Did a little shopping at the Miracle Mile to get my POG juice and coconut syrup from Hilo Hattie.
Sunday: Still planning our escape route. Tried to go to church but couldn’t find one after 30 minutes of driving around. Brunch at the terrific Spice Market Buffet, ranked #1 in Vegas. Checked out of our room a night early even though we already paid for it. Walked around the Venetian, Caesar’s Palace, and Bellagio. Saw Cirque de Soleil’s “Mystere” at Treasure Island. Lost some cash in the slots at Treasure Island, or paid $40 for a beer and a daiquiri, however you want to look at it. Hightailed it out of town and back to Boulder City to the cute motel we stayed at on the very first night of our trip.
Monday: A new day full of possibilities! Our original plan was to hang out in Vegas, but obviously that wasn’t working out. Enjoyed a perfect morning swim in our pool. Went on a Lake Mead cruise to Hoover Dam that afternoon. Found a tempting beach on Lake Mead, changed back into our swimsuits in the backseat of our Avenger (haha), and refreshed ourselves in the clear cool water. Explored the shoreline a bit before heading to the only movie theater near Boulder City, a little two-screener in a casino near the dam. Saw “The Bourne Ultimatum”, a truly excellent flick. Headed to the airport to return our car and wait for our ride home. Our plane got swapped out, some clueless dude somehow got to the gate without a boarding pass and he and his wife pitched a hissy fit since they weren’t allowed on the plane, a drunk chick got booted out of our plane, the flight attendants could not remember where we were going, and we took off late (of course!).
Tuesday: We landed safely (thank goodness) and arrived home to our sweet kitty at about 7:30 am.
So here’s the lowdown:
Friday: Allegiant Air flight to Las Vegas, arriving at 9:30 pm Pacific Time. Spent the night at the super El Rancho Boulder Motel in Boulder City, NV.
Saturday: Awake at 5:30 and ready for a full day! Breakfast down the street at the Coffee Cup Café, the local greasy spoon breakfast hangout… good food and fun atmosphere. Sitting in the CVS parking lot before 7 am to buy a cooler and case of bottled water, a bottle of Febreze for our rental car, and loads of sore throat and allergy medication to deal with my allergy to our rental (which reeked of cigarette smoke). Febrezed the car. Drove 10 minutes to Hoover Dam and spent 3 hours wandering around and taking the Discovery Tour. Got our first experience with the desert while driving to Peach Springs. Made a stopover in Kingman specifically so I could experience the legendary In-N-Out burger chain. It definitely lived up to the hype, especially their chocolate milkshake! Proceeded to the nasty Grand Canyon Caverns Inn. Had dinner in their funky restaurant, the only game in town. Had our ears assaulted by Rafael, the synthesizer-playing lounge singer from hell. Prepared our packs for our backpacking trip to Supai EARLY the next morning. Bumped into other hikers who informed us that the trail and bridges were washed out due to flash flooding. Sadly canceled our plans and decided to go with plan B for the next day…
Sunday: On the road and headed for Sedona, Arizona! What a lovely town, ranked first in USA Weekend’s most beautiful cities of America poll. Hiked a 4-miler to Chicken Point for nice views and a good warm-up workout. Visited the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Nabbed a room at Sedona’s Matterhorn Inn, ranked #2 on TripAdvisor (oh, how I love that website!). Room was gorgeous!! Enjoyed the best meal of our trip at the Cowboy Club, pricey, but still worth it. We don’t get cactus salsa at home! Strolled the streets for a bit doing a lil’ shopping.
Monday: Up early again for an 8-miler to Turkey Creek. (Had to get off the trails by 1 due to monsoon activity and flash flooding.) Fabulous hike, very secluded trail, killer mountain climb at the end, but the reward (view for miles across red rock mountains) was more than worth the climbing in the heat. This one was a terrific workout for my body but even better for filling my spirit. Left Sedona in a storm and experienced our first monsoon, a lite one but still heavy rain. Drove through Flagstaff and across northern Arizona through some of the most beautiful alpine country. Entered the Grand Canyon South Rim and headed for the Bright Angel Lodge. Our cozy lodge had just been renovated and was Don’s favorite room from our whole trip. I loved it too… such a nice change from standard motel rooms! Got my first glimpse of the canyon after dinner… wow!
Tuesday: up early (again!) to hike the rim trail. This was the best time to hike; even as late as 8 am, we still had the park to ourselves. Spent all morning on the rim trail, the afternoon hopping on and off the shuttle at different stations and shops. Saw a flier for an exhibit opening soiree that evening at a cabin/exhibition hall near our lodge. Made it there before the party started for the “I am the Grand Canyon” exhibit about the Havasupai tribe, the folks whose reservation I was supposed to backpack to. Several tribe members were present and spoke, a group of young Havasupai girls performed native dances, then their old ladies did their thing, then some Indians cried and blessed the exhibit. Tuxedo-clad servers mingled throughout the crowd passing out fancy sweet treats, and a meaningful time was had by all.
Wednesday: Up before dawn to watch the magical sunrise with my sweetie. Reluctantly checked out of our room and explored the east side of the park on our way out. Stopped at the Cameron Trading Post on the Navajo reservation where we’d planned to have lunch and do some serious souvenir shopping. We both enjoyed Navajo specialties… the stew, taco, and lots of fry bread! Yum! Bought lots of goodies for family and friends, and snagged a cute pair of Navajo-made earrings for myself. Continued north and encountered our first truly serious monsoon. Drove through it with lightning touching down all around us and white-knuckled the entire way through. Thought we were done with the rain, but encountered another (less-scary) storm as we approached Utah. Entered Zion National Park through the east entrance and ooohed and ahhhed over the crazy rock mountains and formations. Checked into the charming Red Rock Inn B&B in Springdale, Utah for 3 nights. We had a beautiful cottage and a full breakfast delivered to us each morning. Perfect!
Thursday: Zion - Flash flooding imminent signs and monsoon weather warnings, so our big hike to Observation Point was pushed back until Friday. Elected to tour the canyon and do several shorter hikes instead… Emerald Pools, Riverside Walk, Weeping Rock. Dinner at the Zion Pizza and Noodle Company was beyond fabulous!
Friday: The morning of our big hike, but I couldn’t sleep the nite before, and the Donald had a headache. Scrapped all plans for Ob. Pt. and headed back to Kanab to visit the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary which we’d driven past earlier. This is the country’s largest no-kill sanctuary for animals, critter nirvana if you will. What a great experience for animal lovers! Our guide practically had to drag us out of the special needs cat house. On our return through the Park, we hiked the short but sweet Canyon Overlook Trail. This one provided much bang for the buck as far as views, climbing, and sights along the way. Dined upscale Mexican at the Bit-N-Spur before hitting the local ice cream parlor later that night.
Saturday: Our last fabulous breakfast from the Red Rock Inn. L Checked out and decided we had to have one last hike in Zion, selected the Hidden Canyon Trail. Begins by climbing several hundred feet up the side of a mountain, at one point you are hanging onto chains on the side of a cliff for several minutes as you carefully continue going up! Got to the end of the trail where it leads into a canyon you can scramble over boulders and sneak into to explore. We were way up in the sky but truly felt hidden from the world! Amazing and my favorite hike of our trip! After this, we headed south to Las Vegas. Checked into the Flamingo on the strip, and both of us decided pretty quickly that we hated the Flamingo and hated Las Vegas even more. Began considering escape options as we walked around. Saw the fountains at the Bellagio, went inside Paris and Aladdin/Planet Hollywood, saw the Lions at MGM Grand, took pics at NYNY. Did a little shopping at the Miracle Mile to get my POG juice and coconut syrup from Hilo Hattie.
Sunday: Still planning our escape route. Tried to go to church but couldn’t find one after 30 minutes of driving around. Brunch at the terrific Spice Market Buffet, ranked #1 in Vegas. Checked out of our room a night early even though we already paid for it. Walked around the Venetian, Caesar’s Palace, and Bellagio. Saw Cirque de Soleil’s “Mystere” at Treasure Island. Lost some cash in the slots at Treasure Island, or paid $40 for a beer and a daiquiri, however you want to look at it. Hightailed it out of town and back to Boulder City to the cute motel we stayed at on the very first night of our trip.
Monday: A new day full of possibilities! Our original plan was to hang out in Vegas, but obviously that wasn’t working out. Enjoyed a perfect morning swim in our pool. Went on a Lake Mead cruise to Hoover Dam that afternoon. Found a tempting beach on Lake Mead, changed back into our swimsuits in the backseat of our Avenger (haha), and refreshed ourselves in the clear cool water. Explored the shoreline a bit before heading to the only movie theater near Boulder City, a little two-screener in a casino near the dam. Saw “The Bourne Ultimatum”, a truly excellent flick. Headed to the airport to return our car and wait for our ride home. Our plane got swapped out, some clueless dude somehow got to the gate without a boarding pass and he and his wife pitched a hissy fit since they weren’t allowed on the plane, a drunk chick got booted out of our plane, the flight attendants could not remember where we were going, and we took off late (of course!).
Tuesday: We landed safely (thank goodness) and arrived home to our sweet kitty at about 7:30 am.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
