Thursday, March 22, 2007
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Day 78: A day at two National Monuments.........
The morning routine was carried out flawlessly……..as it should have been after 78 mornings in TheHowserHouse on wheels. It was sooooooo damn windy ALL night long…..that occasionally TheHowserHouse shook and would wake me up. By morning….it never did get very chilly…..the winds had settled down.
We left for Flagstaff and the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument which is just a few miles north of town around 9am. It was quite cloudy and then the wind began to return….and even just driving the truck the 30 miles to Flagstaff became a bit of an effort to stay on the road.
Turning off of Hwy 89 North…north of Flagstaff……we soon found the first pull-off to view the many volcanoes in the large area. We then stopped at the Visitor Center for the National Monument drive……and spent some time there reading and viewing presentations on the activity of the volcanoes in this area about a 1000 years ago. I had NO idea that there sooooo many volcanoes in this area of the country. All of the mountains that we have been viewing while in this area are VOLCANOES.
We began the 34 mile drive……and stopped at many of the pull-offs to take some of the walks that are provided for better understanding of the destruction that volcanoes can make…..with the molten lava and the thrown chunks that litter as far as you can see. I have been at other volcano lava areas and while there seemed to be more lava at the other places…..this was definitely IMPRESSIVE!!!!
Of course, the 1st Lady being a ex-science teacher….she was really excited about the lava rocks, the splits in the lava, and the destruction of the ground and plant life in this area. She kept talking about the scientific theories of things like this…….hmmmmm. I enjoyed the landscapes of the lava rocks, the tall cone shaped mts., and just trying to visualize how it must have looked during the eruptions!
From there, we continued the drive until we reached the Wupatki National Monument which has several areas of “houses” of these Native American tribes. We went to the Visitor Museum….and then took a walk through the area where not only a large pueblo type house was fairly intact, but so was there ball field, and the meeting house. It is really a great place to visually study these remains…..and to learn more of how they lived. It never ceases to amaze me when we begin to talk about dates for these early tribes……just how far behind they were in comparison with the Europeans during of that time period.
My mind then goes to the way we just took over their land, their lives, and their other properties. I could get on my soapbox and deliver a scathing sermon about what our government did to these Native Americans…..but, I need to respect my blood pressure at my advancing age. There seems to be some degree of relevancy to what we are now doing in Iraq!!!
Returning to Flagstaff by mid-afternoon, we drove Route 66 into town and stopped at the Railway Depot downtown and stopped in at the Tourist Office to gather some info about their downtown arts and crafts area. We walked for several blocks stopping and stepping into some of the arts stores as well as other stores. There are MANY restaurants and cafes and watering holes throughout the area…….and so we inquired among the people in the stores as to a good place to dine.
We were urged by several to go to the Mountain Oasis……and they were correct in their review of this place. The 1st Lady and I had a glass of wine to begin with as I knew it was time for my evening dosage of my dark red medicine. I ordered the Penne Pasta with grilled chicken, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, and a wonderful basil cream sauce lightly covering the ingredients. I also had a bowl of soup: pumpkin pie soup!!!! Yep…..and it was delicious. There was some crunch in the soup……some small chips of celery and onion, but yet the soup had an overall sweetness from the pumpkin. GREAT!!!!
The 1st Lady had a small salad along with Linguine with garlic shrimp and spinach. I tasted it and it was just wonderful…….lots of garlic which I love!!! We had made some great choices from a rather limited menu……but by not having to prepare many menu items it allowed more time for individual preps and wonderful presentations for their cuisine. They had an extensive wine list………but, I stuck with my cabernet sauvignon and it was quite good!!
A quick stop at Walmart…..and then we headed back to Williams and TheHowserHouse. Tomorrow we leave for east of Flagstaff with the rv……and plan to visit the Meteor Crater that is there. I will talk more about it tomorrow evening…….
It has been a much, much cooler day with very little sun……but our day trip to the volcano lava beds and Native Am. ruins has made the day a very good one.
I understand my pics of the last two nights have not been able to get from me through cyberspace to you…….soooo sorry about that!!!! It is this damn slow pic sending through my cell phone…….as the Wifi sucks!!!!! I will get them on……slowly!!!
Life is Great…..and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!!
We left for Flagstaff and the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument which is just a few miles north of town around 9am. It was quite cloudy and then the wind began to return….and even just driving the truck the 30 miles to Flagstaff became a bit of an effort to stay on the road.
Turning off of Hwy 89 North…north of Flagstaff……we soon found the first pull-off to view the many volcanoes in the large area. We then stopped at the Visitor Center for the National Monument drive……and spent some time there reading and viewing presentations on the activity of the volcanoes in this area about a 1000 years ago. I had NO idea that there sooooo many volcanoes in this area of the country. All of the mountains that we have been viewing while in this area are VOLCANOES.
We began the 34 mile drive……and stopped at many of the pull-offs to take some of the walks that are provided for better understanding of the destruction that volcanoes can make…..with the molten lava and the thrown chunks that litter as far as you can see. I have been at other volcano lava areas and while there seemed to be more lava at the other places…..this was definitely IMPRESSIVE!!!!
Of course, the 1st Lady being a ex-science teacher….she was really excited about the lava rocks, the splits in the lava, and the destruction of the ground and plant life in this area. She kept talking about the scientific theories of things like this…….hmmmmm. I enjoyed the landscapes of the lava rocks, the tall cone shaped mts., and just trying to visualize how it must have looked during the eruptions!
From there, we continued the drive until we reached the Wupatki National Monument which has several areas of “houses” of these Native American tribes. We went to the Visitor Museum….and then took a walk through the area where not only a large pueblo type house was fairly intact, but so was there ball field, and the meeting house. It is really a great place to visually study these remains…..and to learn more of how they lived. It never ceases to amaze me when we begin to talk about dates for these early tribes……just how far behind they were in comparison with the Europeans during of that time period.
My mind then goes to the way we just took over their land, their lives, and their other properties. I could get on my soapbox and deliver a scathing sermon about what our government did to these Native Americans…..but, I need to respect my blood pressure at my advancing age. There seems to be some degree of relevancy to what we are now doing in Iraq!!!
Returning to Flagstaff by mid-afternoon, we drove Route 66 into town and stopped at the Railway Depot downtown and stopped in at the Tourist Office to gather some info about their downtown arts and crafts area. We walked for several blocks stopping and stepping into some of the arts stores as well as other stores. There are MANY restaurants and cafes and watering holes throughout the area…….and so we inquired among the people in the stores as to a good place to dine.
We were urged by several to go to the Mountain Oasis……and they were correct in their review of this place. The 1st Lady and I had a glass of wine to begin with as I knew it was time for my evening dosage of my dark red medicine. I ordered the Penne Pasta with grilled chicken, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, and a wonderful basil cream sauce lightly covering the ingredients. I also had a bowl of soup: pumpkin pie soup!!!! Yep…..and it was delicious. There was some crunch in the soup……some small chips of celery and onion, but yet the soup had an overall sweetness from the pumpkin. GREAT!!!!
The 1st Lady had a small salad along with Linguine with garlic shrimp and spinach. I tasted it and it was just wonderful…….lots of garlic which I love!!! We had made some great choices from a rather limited menu……but by not having to prepare many menu items it allowed more time for individual preps and wonderful presentations for their cuisine. They had an extensive wine list………but, I stuck with my cabernet sauvignon and it was quite good!!
A quick stop at Walmart…..and then we headed back to Williams and TheHowserHouse. Tomorrow we leave for east of Flagstaff with the rv……and plan to visit the Meteor Crater that is there. I will talk more about it tomorrow evening…….
It has been a much, much cooler day with very little sun……but our day trip to the volcano lava beds and Native Am. ruins has made the day a very good one.
I understand my pics of the last two nights have not been able to get from me through cyberspace to you…….soooo sorry about that!!!! It is this damn slow pic sending through my cell phone…….as the Wifi sucks!!!!! I will get them on……slowly!!!
Life is Great…..and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!!
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Day 77: Spectacular Sedona!!
WOW…..WOW……WHAT a day of spectacular scenery!!!!!!!! A day of superlatives with each curve that we turned…..with each cloud that passed over……with the different slants of the sun beaming down/across the incredible bluffs and rocks and red mountains of that magical place called…….SEDONA!!!!!
We were up at the usual time. It was to have been below freezing last night so I opened the drain tank from the kitchen galley and then let the kitchen faucet drip all night…..and our water hose to TheHowserHouse did not freeze……like others in the RV Park. YEAH!!!
We left about 9am…..and headed east for 30 miles on I-40 to Flagstaff and turned south on the mountain road to descend for 13 miles at a 7% descent grade of the road into the canyons and finally surrounded by these HUGE red mts. and rocks that were that picturesque red color that so many magazines have featured. After a couple of picture stops we arrived in the town of Sedona……..and there is not any other town that is like this one…that can compare to this one. It has become a tourist destination for people from all over the world…..and we heard languages there from all over the world
The town is filled with wonderful….beautiful art galleries…..and soooo many wonderful shops that are not the average tourist traps. There are restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, contemporary sandwich shops, etc., etc., etc. BUT…….the overall WOW factor is the gorgeous surrounding scenery!!!! The colors of the rocks, bluffs, cliffs, surround Sedona is a burnt orange…….and with each passing cloud the color changes……and then sun shifts a bit and the colors change again. It is a never-ending color palette that revolves every few minutes…….all you have to do is just stand there and as these factors change the colors……your mouth just drops farther and you stand there feeling as if you are in some dream with all of these colors flowing through your head……..no words that I write can give you an accurate picture of this lovely, lovely town of Sedona and the surrounding area.
We went immediately to the local Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center to get some detailed maps and some suggestions as to the various roads that we needed to travel on for various viewpoints…..and some possible times for the various stages of the sun as it passed overhead and then as it headed down to the horizon. We came away with several road trips, times, and specific locations that we “must see”. We found a little place….while we were still parked(a difficult task to park in this town with little extra space for large trucks)…..a place much like St Louis Bread Company. We grabbed some soup, salad, and sandwiches and headed to the outside patio to sit, to eat, and to enjoy the ambience of the mountains radiating their various colors.
We then headed into the hills…..down and up the twisting roads to view the ever-changing scenery and color…..as I keep mentioning.. We spent the next several hours seeing as much as we could with the time we had. By late afternoon we decided to stop in town at an Arts district which is housed soooooo wonderful in great shops in a Spanish setting. Great shops…..great works of art by local artisans……and much beauty in some these artworks that were on display. From there, we headed to the main street…..and with a difficult task…again….of parking the truck, we went to an ice cream shop….and sat on the outside patio as we devoured them…..and once again….enjoying the red mountains. I picked up a Starbucks cappuccino as we headed back to the truck and then began the 13 mile ascent up the twisty, hairpin road where no semi’s are allowed, as well as rv’s. And….if the rver’s are sensible they will not even begin to attempt to come down or go up this road………never!
We returned to TheHowserHouse about 6:30pm…….filled still with the memories of this wonderful…..very magical place in the center of Arizona. It is no wonder that soooo many different New Age spiritualists find their way here……..even I found it a place to meditate on a higher power that can create such a wonder as this area!!!!
My pictures just do NOT show the colors….the wonderful warm feeling that these mountains project. I am really disappointed…….perhaps the worst day of pictures that I have done on the entire trip. Just couldn’t capture the true and vibrant colors of this area…….perhaps it is as it should be……..because everyone should find their way to Sedona and see it and experience it for only themselves…..and not for someone else. You will undoubtedly find yourselves renewed spiritually…….and question yourselves as to why we all cannot live in Peace in a place such as this.
Do I really need to say/write my usual tag line after a day like this???? Of course……because I feel even stronger about saying it than I usually do……..
LIFE IS GREAT……AND I HOPE IT IS FOR ALL OF YOU, ALSO!!!!!!
We were up at the usual time. It was to have been below freezing last night so I opened the drain tank from the kitchen galley and then let the kitchen faucet drip all night…..and our water hose to TheHowserHouse did not freeze……like others in the RV Park. YEAH!!!
We left about 9am…..and headed east for 30 miles on I-40 to Flagstaff and turned south on the mountain road to descend for 13 miles at a 7% descent grade of the road into the canyons and finally surrounded by these HUGE red mts. and rocks that were that picturesque red color that so many magazines have featured. After a couple of picture stops we arrived in the town of Sedona……..and there is not any other town that is like this one…that can compare to this one. It has become a tourist destination for people from all over the world…..and we heard languages there from all over the world
The town is filled with wonderful….beautiful art galleries…..and soooo many wonderful shops that are not the average tourist traps. There are restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, contemporary sandwich shops, etc., etc., etc. BUT…….the overall WOW factor is the gorgeous surrounding scenery!!!! The colors of the rocks, bluffs, cliffs, surround Sedona is a burnt orange…….and with each passing cloud the color changes……and then sun shifts a bit and the colors change again. It is a never-ending color palette that revolves every few minutes…….all you have to do is just stand there and as these factors change the colors……your mouth just drops farther and you stand there feeling as if you are in some dream with all of these colors flowing through your head……..no words that I write can give you an accurate picture of this lovely, lovely town of Sedona and the surrounding area.
We went immediately to the local Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center to get some detailed maps and some suggestions as to the various roads that we needed to travel on for various viewpoints…..and some possible times for the various stages of the sun as it passed overhead and then as it headed down to the horizon. We came away with several road trips, times, and specific locations that we “must see”. We found a little place….while we were still parked(a difficult task to park in this town with little extra space for large trucks)…..a place much like St Louis Bread Company. We grabbed some soup, salad, and sandwiches and headed to the outside patio to sit, to eat, and to enjoy the ambience of the mountains radiating their various colors.
We then headed into the hills…..down and up the twisting roads to view the ever-changing scenery and color…..as I keep mentioning.. We spent the next several hours seeing as much as we could with the time we had. By late afternoon we decided to stop in town at an Arts district which is housed soooooo wonderful in great shops in a Spanish setting. Great shops…..great works of art by local artisans……and much beauty in some these artworks that were on display. From there, we headed to the main street…..and with a difficult task…again….of parking the truck, we went to an ice cream shop….and sat on the outside patio as we devoured them…..and once again….enjoying the red mountains. I picked up a Starbucks cappuccino as we headed back to the truck and then began the 13 mile ascent up the twisty, hairpin road where no semi’s are allowed, as well as rv’s. And….if the rver’s are sensible they will not even begin to attempt to come down or go up this road………never!
We returned to TheHowserHouse about 6:30pm…….filled still with the memories of this wonderful…..very magical place in the center of Arizona. It is no wonder that soooo many different New Age spiritualists find their way here……..even I found it a place to meditate on a higher power that can create such a wonder as this area!!!!
My pictures just do NOT show the colors….the wonderful warm feeling that these mountains project. I am really disappointed…….perhaps the worst day of pictures that I have done on the entire trip. Just couldn’t capture the true and vibrant colors of this area…….perhaps it is as it should be……..because everyone should find their way to Sedona and see it and experience it for only themselves…..and not for someone else. You will undoubtedly find yourselves renewed spiritually…….and question yourselves as to why we all cannot live in Peace in a place such as this.
Do I really need to say/write my usual tag line after a day like this???? Of course……because I feel even stronger about saying it than I usually do……..
LIFE IS GREAT……AND I HOPE IT IS FOR ALL OF YOU, ALSO!!!!!!
Monday, March 19, 2007
Day 76: AHHHH....The beauty of the GRAND CANYON National Park!!
Hmmmm…….a COLD night seemed to have slipped into our RV Park….and it penetrated TheHowserHouse…somewhere around 6am. I woke up and it seemed a bit cold and so I got up and closed the bedroom door……and then turned on the little portable ceramic heater that we have in there for just this type of occasion. By 7 everthing was toasty warm in the bedroom and then I clicked on the furnace for the rest of “thehouse”.
We had breakfast…..and then as the 1st Lady was making the final preps to leave, I dashed into town to pick up an expected letter which was to have my membership card in it for Passport America. This is a club that allows members to camp at their member campgrounds for half price. Upon arriving here yesterday afternoon I had given them an email which showed that I was a member…….and while the membership cost me $45.00 for the year, our bill for four nights here was only $62 at half price. Soooooo based on my math I have already paid for my dues….and came out $17 to the good!! THAT is the way I like it……and now every cg that we stay in that is a member is just saved money in our pocket!! There are almost 1400 member rv parks in the country…..so it should work for us.
The post office was closed until 9am…….so back to the Canyon West RV Park I went……picked up the 1st Lady and we then went back to the post office and picked up my General Delivery letter. Then…….we turned north and headed to the Grand Canyon National Park…..54 miles up the road.
As passed through the entrance I was excited to be almost 64 years old!!! When I reached 62 a couple of years ago I had purchased for $10 my Golden Age Passport….which allows me to take myself and car and passengers into any national park for FREE. The sign read that the entrance was $25 per car!!!!!! WOW….another savings for my pocketbook!!
We stopped at the first overlook once in the park…..and OMG……I was sooooo amazed at the size of the canyon!!!! My first look……and I don’t think I will ever forget it. The rest of the day was spent in riding the tram along the western south rim of the canyon, stopping at all the viewpoints and walking, taking pics, and ooooooing and ahhhhhhing and just overcome with the beauty of this place.
I could go on with the adjectives but will save you from that…….it was just one of those perfect cloudless skies and a perfect temp…..and it was a PERFECT DAY!!!! We left the park a bit after four and drove back to our rv park in Williams. We had thought about eating at this recommended Mexican restaurant…..but we just decided to eat in at TheHowserHouse and enjoy the evening.
I do have to remember to let my water drip through my city water connection as many of the water hoses froze here in the camp…..not in the coaches, but in the hoses on the ground attached to the coaches. Sooooo, guess I was lucky last night!!! Without question………..after a day like today…..
LIFE IS GREAT!!!! And I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!!! (Thanks for the info, Margaret!)
We had breakfast…..and then as the 1st Lady was making the final preps to leave, I dashed into town to pick up an expected letter which was to have my membership card in it for Passport America. This is a club that allows members to camp at their member campgrounds for half price. Upon arriving here yesterday afternoon I had given them an email which showed that I was a member…….and while the membership cost me $45.00 for the year, our bill for four nights here was only $62 at half price. Soooooo based on my math I have already paid for my dues….and came out $17 to the good!! THAT is the way I like it……and now every cg that we stay in that is a member is just saved money in our pocket!! There are almost 1400 member rv parks in the country…..so it should work for us.
The post office was closed until 9am…….so back to the Canyon West RV Park I went……picked up the 1st Lady and we then went back to the post office and picked up my General Delivery letter. Then…….we turned north and headed to the Grand Canyon National Park…..54 miles up the road.
As passed through the entrance I was excited to be almost 64 years old!!! When I reached 62 a couple of years ago I had purchased for $10 my Golden Age Passport….which allows me to take myself and car and passengers into any national park for FREE. The sign read that the entrance was $25 per car!!!!!! WOW….another savings for my pocketbook!!
We stopped at the first overlook once in the park…..and OMG……I was sooooo amazed at the size of the canyon!!!! My first look……and I don’t think I will ever forget it. The rest of the day was spent in riding the tram along the western south rim of the canyon, stopping at all the viewpoints and walking, taking pics, and ooooooing and ahhhhhhing and just overcome with the beauty of this place.
I could go on with the adjectives but will save you from that…….it was just one of those perfect cloudless skies and a perfect temp…..and it was a PERFECT DAY!!!! We left the park a bit after four and drove back to our rv park in Williams. We had thought about eating at this recommended Mexican restaurant…..but we just decided to eat in at TheHowserHouse and enjoy the evening.
I do have to remember to let my water drip through my city water connection as many of the water hoses froze here in the camp…..not in the coaches, but in the hoses on the ground attached to the coaches. Sooooo, guess I was lucky last night!!! Without question………..after a day like today…..
LIFE IS GREAT!!!! And I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!!! (Thanks for the info, Margaret!)
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Day 75: Short of cash(now)....and Short of breath (now)
Well……I knew that this was eventually going to have to happen, but I thought that perhaps I could manage to not have to until we returned to Missouri. Yep……..my problem??? I went out to double check the air pressure in the truck and trailer tires…..and I noticed on the front right tire of the truck that there was a couple of small splits and indentations on the sidewall!!! OMG…….my stomach sank……after all it was SUNDAY morning….and where does one get new tires…besides WallyWorld….on a Sunday morning?????????????????????????
I waited until the 1st Lady woke up…..and told her: “1st Lady…..we have a problem”. She agreed that the front two tires should be replaced, BUT……we had to leave by noon from this cg…..and we had reservations for four nights in Williams, AZ….just an hour south of the Grand Canyon. Sooooo, I went up to the RV Park office…..looked thru the yellow pages and found….BELIEVE IT OR NOT…..a tire “store” that is open on Sunday from 9-5!!! Soooo, it was only about 4 miles from where we were camping….and so off I went attempting to get there by the time they opened. AND…..I DID!!! So, I looked and talked about the kind they sold…..just what I wanted to replace these huge tires….and told them to replace the front two.
Well…..guess what???!!! As the looked at the rear tires once they had the truck in the air……there was another one that had some of the same problems!!!! SOOOOOO, after conferring by cell phone with the 1st Lady, I told them to replace them all……….the cost????? $733.00!!!!!! DAMN!!!! NOT the type of unexpected bill I wanted after having just spent the last 5 days in Las Vegas……hahaha. Especially without any winnings to cushion the financial blow. But what does one do????? Have a blow-out…..or two of them….and then end up in God knows where????
This exchange of truck rubber took about 1.5 hours….even tho I was first in line when they opened. By 11am we were pulling out of the RV Park….and on our way to Williams, AZ. And across the desert we went, not crossing the Hoover Dam as they have tooooo much backed up traffic….and so we went south, the way we came up to Vegas. BUT…..instead of going to Needles, CA…..we turned east and went to Laughlin to cross the Colorado River.
OMG…..thank God I had had a modified exhaust brake installed two years ago. It was about a 5 mile descent to the river…and down a 5-6% grade on the highway!!! The 1st Lady was a bit uptight as we headed down with 6-7 tons pushing us down the steep descent…….but the exhaust brake held us right at 50mph ALL THE WAY down!!!!! WHEW……..that was the longest time I have had to use it….and I am sooooo happy that I found out about it on the Ford Diesel webpage….as it is just a inexpensive modification to the “butterfly” valve in the exhaust which already exists in the 2001 F350!!!!! It cost me $170.…..vs….about $1000+ for a real exhaust brake. WHAT a lifesaver it is/was!!!
Then….after crossing the river, I made a wrong turn and after about 9 miles I began to realize that we were headed south and NOT east…..soooo, I turned around in a not sooo good place and as I came back on to the highway the approach was sooooo humped up that as I went over, something drug as it crossed. Well……..I had to keep going to get out into the turn lane….and then with a red lite, I stopped and jumped out to inspect the cause of the not so good sound. Couldn’t see anything, so I jumped back in and took off for the intersection where I had missed the all so important turn to get to Kingman.
Making the turn correctly this time, I realized that we had to get out of this Colorado River valley….and UP and UP and Up and UP we went…….it was a HARD, HARD pull up a 7% grade for just over 10 MILES!!!!! No leveling off spot anywhere…..and all we could see was about every mile someone had placed three plastic milk jugs full of water for cooling overheated engines!!!!! NOT a good sign….huh????
I turned off the A/C…..it was soooo damn hot in the valley with an elevation of just 500 feet in the desert…….and I kept watching the temp gauge….and for that matter…..ALL gauges!!!! Had we needed to make a stop there is no way ever that we could have started forward up the 7% grade again!!!!! Guess we would have had to just stay there until I could have called for assistance. But…….the F350 just kept whining and chugging and pulling the 6-7 tons of TheHowserHouse at about 40 mph. I think I was about to lean through the front windshield as I was physically trying to push it harder to the top!!!! HAHAHA……I am sure for those going down in the other lanes that I looked like some little old man with a curved back as my chin was almost on the steering wheel!! And…..my butt muscles have never ever been soooooo damn clenched and tight…..ha-ha!
When we reached the top of the 10+ miles ascent……I realized just how tense I had been…….hmmmm, will I ever go to Laughlin again???? Well, I will not make a firm decision TODAY….hahaha!!
In about 12 miles we reached Kingman…and I-40.….ahhhhhh!!!!! But, we decided to top off the gas tank…..at a TA truck stop. WHAT a MISTAKE!!! Of course, the length of my rig does not allow me to go into the regular diesel rv pump…..and so I have to go the trucker line of pumps. And….then you have to take your credit card inside….they check it out…and then they keep it until you pump your diesel and return to sign the bill!! Well….it took me 10 minutes before I could get to the counter to leave my card. Then I had to pump it…and then return to get in line to pay….another 15 minute wait in line!!! Oh well……..
And soooo, about 4:30pm we reached our rv park in Williams, AZ. It is nice…..but after a walk around the park I was sooooo out of breath I thought I had a problem!!!! Then….I remembered we are up at about 6000+ feet in altitude……just a natural shortness of breath in the higher altitude after being in the desert for sooooo many weeks. A couple of glasses of my dark red medicine and I am relaxed and SOOOO EXCITED about going to the Grand Canyon tomorrow!!!!!
And sooooo…..after a day of many trials, tense butt muscles, and now shortness of breath…….plus $$$ spent that I hadn’t counted on spending……..as always…..
LIFE IS GREAT!!!!!! And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!!!
I waited until the 1st Lady woke up…..and told her: “1st Lady…..we have a problem”. She agreed that the front two tires should be replaced, BUT……we had to leave by noon from this cg…..and we had reservations for four nights in Williams, AZ….just an hour south of the Grand Canyon. Sooooo, I went up to the RV Park office…..looked thru the yellow pages and found….BELIEVE IT OR NOT…..a tire “store” that is open on Sunday from 9-5!!! Soooo, it was only about 4 miles from where we were camping….and so off I went attempting to get there by the time they opened. AND…..I DID!!! So, I looked and talked about the kind they sold…..just what I wanted to replace these huge tires….and told them to replace the front two.
Well…..guess what???!!! As the looked at the rear tires once they had the truck in the air……there was another one that had some of the same problems!!!! SOOOOOO, after conferring by cell phone with the 1st Lady, I told them to replace them all……….the cost????? $733.00!!!!!! DAMN!!!! NOT the type of unexpected bill I wanted after having just spent the last 5 days in Las Vegas……hahaha. Especially without any winnings to cushion the financial blow. But what does one do????? Have a blow-out…..or two of them….and then end up in God knows where????
This exchange of truck rubber took about 1.5 hours….even tho I was first in line when they opened. By 11am we were pulling out of the RV Park….and on our way to Williams, AZ. And across the desert we went, not crossing the Hoover Dam as they have tooooo much backed up traffic….and so we went south, the way we came up to Vegas. BUT…..instead of going to Needles, CA…..we turned east and went to Laughlin to cross the Colorado River.
OMG…..thank God I had had a modified exhaust brake installed two years ago. It was about a 5 mile descent to the river…and down a 5-6% grade on the highway!!! The 1st Lady was a bit uptight as we headed down with 6-7 tons pushing us down the steep descent…….but the exhaust brake held us right at 50mph ALL THE WAY down!!!!! WHEW……..that was the longest time I have had to use it….and I am sooooo happy that I found out about it on the Ford Diesel webpage….as it is just a inexpensive modification to the “butterfly” valve in the exhaust which already exists in the 2001 F350!!!!! It cost me $170.…..vs….about $1000+ for a real exhaust brake. WHAT a lifesaver it is/was!!!
Then….after crossing the river, I made a wrong turn and after about 9 miles I began to realize that we were headed south and NOT east…..soooo, I turned around in a not sooo good place and as I came back on to the highway the approach was sooooo humped up that as I went over, something drug as it crossed. Well……..I had to keep going to get out into the turn lane….and then with a red lite, I stopped and jumped out to inspect the cause of the not so good sound. Couldn’t see anything, so I jumped back in and took off for the intersection where I had missed the all so important turn to get to Kingman.
Making the turn correctly this time, I realized that we had to get out of this Colorado River valley….and UP and UP and Up and UP we went…….it was a HARD, HARD pull up a 7% grade for just over 10 MILES!!!!! No leveling off spot anywhere…..and all we could see was about every mile someone had placed three plastic milk jugs full of water for cooling overheated engines!!!!! NOT a good sign….huh????
I turned off the A/C…..it was soooo damn hot in the valley with an elevation of just 500 feet in the desert…….and I kept watching the temp gauge….and for that matter…..ALL gauges!!!! Had we needed to make a stop there is no way ever that we could have started forward up the 7% grade again!!!!! Guess we would have had to just stay there until I could have called for assistance. But…….the F350 just kept whining and chugging and pulling the 6-7 tons of TheHowserHouse at about 40 mph. I think I was about to lean through the front windshield as I was physically trying to push it harder to the top!!!! HAHAHA……I am sure for those going down in the other lanes that I looked like some little old man with a curved back as my chin was almost on the steering wheel!! And…..my butt muscles have never ever been soooooo damn clenched and tight…..ha-ha!
When we reached the top of the 10+ miles ascent……I realized just how tense I had been…….hmmmm, will I ever go to Laughlin again???? Well, I will not make a firm decision TODAY….hahaha!!
In about 12 miles we reached Kingman…and I-40.….ahhhhhh!!!!! But, we decided to top off the gas tank…..at a TA truck stop. WHAT a MISTAKE!!! Of course, the length of my rig does not allow me to go into the regular diesel rv pump…..and so I have to go the trucker line of pumps. And….then you have to take your credit card inside….they check it out…and then they keep it until you pump your diesel and return to sign the bill!! Well….it took me 10 minutes before I could get to the counter to leave my card. Then I had to pump it…and then return to get in line to pay….another 15 minute wait in line!!! Oh well……..
And soooo, about 4:30pm we reached our rv park in Williams, AZ. It is nice…..but after a walk around the park I was sooooo out of breath I thought I had a problem!!!! Then….I remembered we are up at about 6000+ feet in altitude……just a natural shortness of breath in the higher altitude after being in the desert for sooooo many weeks. A couple of glasses of my dark red medicine and I am relaxed and SOOOO EXCITED about going to the Grand Canyon tomorrow!!!!!
And sooooo…..after a day of many trials, tense butt muscles, and now shortness of breath…….plus $$$ spent that I hadn’t counted on spending……..as always…..
LIFE IS GREAT!!!!!! And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!!!
Day 74: Last Day in Vegas....and "Mama Mia"
The last day in Las Vegas……we are leaving in the morning (Sunday). Today, I was up a bit earlier…….as I needed to get to the Strip and be at the Mandalay Bay Hotel so that I could get in line to get our two seats for “Mama Mia”. We had paid for the vouchers at half price yesterday but the seats were not assigned with any specificity…..so to get the best that were available I wanted to be there when the box office opened….at 9AM.
And….I was. In fact I arrived there at 8:30.….found a Starbucks…and get my usual cappuccino accompanied by a chocolate twist pastry. I was first in line when they opened and I got the “best seats available”……..went to the parking garage and was back at TheHowserHouse by 9:30am. WOW……was the Casino ever hopping this early!!! AND…..the betting room with all of the huge TV’s for the March Madness betting was full of hundreds of people watching the early games and placing their bets. And when we returned to the hotel this afternoon it was even busier…..if that is possible!
We went to the pool for a couple of hours this morning…..and enjoyed sitting at the pool during the morning hours. The air was warm….but the sun was hot, so we stayed out of the sun when possible.
We left for the Strip about 1:45pm……..as we wanted to eat prior to the seating for the musical in the theater which was to begin at 5:30pm. The show opened at 6pm….as they had another show at 10pm. Arriving at the Mandalay Bay……we walked around trying to decide where to have an early supper…….and the entire hotel/casino/shops/hallways were absolutely PACKED!!!! WOW……..the World Light Featherweight Boxing Match was being held right in the Mandalay Bay Convention Center……between to Mexico City guys…..and Espanol was the language of the day in the hotel!!!! It was really exciting as the camera crews, etc., etc were wandering everywhere interviewing those standing in the halls waiting to enter the convention center.
We finally decided on a little café called “Red, White, and Blue”……and it was a big mistake!!!! We just didn’t check the menu close enough…..and so we wound up with a cheeseburger/fries/drink…….for a total of $38.50!!!!!!!!!!!! The most expensive damn hamburgers we’ve ever had…….and they were not good to make the meal even worse…..just an average burger……UGH!!!!!! WARNING: I would hesitate very strongly before eating there……..any of you!
We wandered around the casino after the very un-delightful meal…….lost a few bucks in the machines….and then we were seated in the theater for “Mama Mia”. The show: first of all, the music accompaniment was WAY TOOOO LOUD!!!!! It became very, very, difficult to be able to hear/understand the vocalists…..solos or choral numbers. The acting was…..well, just not up to the standards that I expect for a show that charges mezzanine seating of $86.00 a seat. I know that the last show I saw was in NYC on Broadway…..but, this…to me…was a disappointment. The story line is weak….and therefore does not lead to any tension that needs to be resolved during the show itself. The soloists, when they were able to be heard, were just……OK. Hmmmmm…..am I being too critical….too negative????? No….I think not…….just giving my honest musical trained opinion. Would I see it again????? Well, not unless it was in NYC, or a tour group that originates in NYC……….
Back at TheHowserHouse following the show…..I did a few things that I could do to get things ready for our departure tomorrow. The rest will have to wait until morning…….
Las Vegas thoughts: Each day I found myself enjoying it more and more, but there really isn’t much to do after you have toured the fabulous hotels/casinos besides eating and gambling. The eating very quickly can become really expensive…….if you are to eat at some of the newer fusion cuisine restaurants which are the ones to really experience. We had thought about eating at one in the Mandalay Bay, BUT……the “fixed price” menu which has only ONE price was $123.00 per person, sooooooooo we didn’t eat there. What has happened to the days when it was soooooooo cheap to eat in LV???? Those days certainly have disappeared………..
Hmmmmm, as I reread this, it appears I have been rather negative……..not my usual way of Life, is it??? But, you know……..even with a few things that could have been better today………it doesn’t really matter because….
LIFE IS GREAT……and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!
And….I was. In fact I arrived there at 8:30.….found a Starbucks…and get my usual cappuccino accompanied by a chocolate twist pastry. I was first in line when they opened and I got the “best seats available”……..went to the parking garage and was back at TheHowserHouse by 9:30am. WOW……was the Casino ever hopping this early!!! AND…..the betting room with all of the huge TV’s for the March Madness betting was full of hundreds of people watching the early games and placing their bets. And when we returned to the hotel this afternoon it was even busier…..if that is possible!
We went to the pool for a couple of hours this morning…..and enjoyed sitting at the pool during the morning hours. The air was warm….but the sun was hot, so we stayed out of the sun when possible.
We left for the Strip about 1:45pm……..as we wanted to eat prior to the seating for the musical in the theater which was to begin at 5:30pm. The show opened at 6pm….as they had another show at 10pm. Arriving at the Mandalay Bay……we walked around trying to decide where to have an early supper…….and the entire hotel/casino/shops/hallways were absolutely PACKED!!!! WOW……..the World Light Featherweight Boxing Match was being held right in the Mandalay Bay Convention Center……between to Mexico City guys…..and Espanol was the language of the day in the hotel!!!! It was really exciting as the camera crews, etc., etc were wandering everywhere interviewing those standing in the halls waiting to enter the convention center.
We finally decided on a little café called “Red, White, and Blue”……and it was a big mistake!!!! We just didn’t check the menu close enough…..and so we wound up with a cheeseburger/fries/drink…….for a total of $38.50!!!!!!!!!!!! The most expensive damn hamburgers we’ve ever had…….and they were not good to make the meal even worse…..just an average burger……UGH!!!!!! WARNING: I would hesitate very strongly before eating there……..any of you!
We wandered around the casino after the very un-delightful meal…….lost a few bucks in the machines….and then we were seated in the theater for “Mama Mia”. The show: first of all, the music accompaniment was WAY TOOOO LOUD!!!!! It became very, very, difficult to be able to hear/understand the vocalists…..solos or choral numbers. The acting was…..well, just not up to the standards that I expect for a show that charges mezzanine seating of $86.00 a seat. I know that the last show I saw was in NYC on Broadway…..but, this…to me…was a disappointment. The story line is weak….and therefore does not lead to any tension that needs to be resolved during the show itself. The soloists, when they were able to be heard, were just……OK. Hmmmmm…..am I being too critical….too negative????? No….I think not…….just giving my honest musical trained opinion. Would I see it again????? Well, not unless it was in NYC, or a tour group that originates in NYC……….
Back at TheHowserHouse following the show…..I did a few things that I could do to get things ready for our departure tomorrow. The rest will have to wait until morning…….
Las Vegas thoughts: Each day I found myself enjoying it more and more, but there really isn’t much to do after you have toured the fabulous hotels/casinos besides eating and gambling. The eating very quickly can become really expensive…….if you are to eat at some of the newer fusion cuisine restaurants which are the ones to really experience. We had thought about eating at one in the Mandalay Bay, BUT……the “fixed price” menu which has only ONE price was $123.00 per person, sooooooooo we didn’t eat there. What has happened to the days when it was soooooooo cheap to eat in LV???? Those days certainly have disappeared………..
Hmmmmm, as I reread this, it appears I have been rather negative……..not my usual way of Life, is it??? But, you know……..even with a few things that could have been better today………it doesn’t really matter because….
LIFE IS GREAT……and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!
Friday, March 16, 2007
Day 73: A beauful day on the Strip!!
And sooooo….I will say it again……it was a BEAUTIFUL DAY……AGAIN!!!!! We were up, fed, coffee’d, and tea’d and on our way to the Strip by 10 this morning. Our first stop was at the Half-Price Ticket booth just north of Treasure Island Hotel. It didn’t open until 11am, so we waited for about 30 minutes in the rather hot sun, however, the Ticket Office passed out large umbrellas to shade all of us standing in line….nice, huh????
We decided to purchase tickets for Mama Mia……for tomorrow night. For some reason they were selling tickets for Sat evening’s performance, so we purchased tickets in the Mezzanine section for $36.00 dollars…..a damn good price for a show!!! It is at the Mandalay Bay Hotel on the south end of the Strip…..and so we have our plans made for tomorrow night. Guess we will wear GREEN to the show….hahaha!!
By the time we had purchased the tickets it was getting close to noon….and so I moved the truck from the parking space besides Macy’s……a good and free place if you are interested sometime. We drove down to the Paris Hotel, parked in their garage (most parking garages are FREE…..what a wonderful change of pace)…..and then walked into the hotel and decided to eat at JJ Boulangerie…….a wonderful choice!!! We took the lunch specials…..I had Spicy Taco Soup and an incredibly huge tuna salad sandwich on a baquette loaf of bread. It was just soooooo damn good……and I couldn’t finish all of the soup….just tooooo much!!! Cost: $11.00 each and that included the drink.
This hotel is wonderful!!! I love the French culture, the French food, the French wine, and …….actually, most things French!! If you haven’t spent some time in this hotel, amble through it….spend an hour or two or three just wandering through the little streets and shops and cafes……and eat, drink, and soak it up. You won’t be sorry!
From there we went to the Bellagio Hotel….another piece of artwork. Just beautiful…..the use of the fresh flowers in the Atrium, the butterfly house, the enlarged artificial bugs and flowers……it is just spectacular!! The shops are very expensive….but it IS fun to just look and pretend that you are serious about a purchase.
We did some more walking and looking and dropped about $20 in various casino machines….losing it ALL. Then we took the truck and went to the Rio Hotel/Casino to catch their “show in the air” in the hotel. It was just OK……nothing special…..or,….OR am I becoming jaded to sooooo much opulence, glitter, and bright lights??????? I am beginning to think so……damn it.
I have taken a ton of pictures over the last few days, but the Wifi is sooooo expensive here in this RV Park and I refuse to pay for it at their prices. Sooooo, when I attempt to upload a few pics each night, it oftentimes takes up to 25-30 minutes for one picture to go out into cyberspace and so, I have just almost given up. You will have MANY pics to enjoy when we do get to a place where I don’t have to use the cell phone to upload them.
We returned to our RV Park, after a brief stop at Wally World across the street from the Park….and I began talking to a “new” neighbor who had parked next to us today. They are from British Columbia in Canada….and are on their way back after spending the winter in Mexico…..down by Puerto Vallarta. I questioned them in detail until they felt they had been drained……..the 1st Lady and I are becoming serious about spending the winter next year down in Mexico……at least to Puerto Vallarta and perhaps as far as Acapulco. More research to be done…..but they told us to “DO IT”. They have been going down for about five years and have had no trouble at all…….all they could do was praise the wonderful people of Mexico. Hmmmmm….do we have to wait until January????????? Guess the heat is toooo much for the summer down there, though.
And soooooo….guess what??????!!!! You guessed it…..
Life IS GREAT!!!!! And I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!
We decided to purchase tickets for Mama Mia……for tomorrow night. For some reason they were selling tickets for Sat evening’s performance, so we purchased tickets in the Mezzanine section for $36.00 dollars…..a damn good price for a show!!! It is at the Mandalay Bay Hotel on the south end of the Strip…..and so we have our plans made for tomorrow night. Guess we will wear GREEN to the show….hahaha!!
By the time we had purchased the tickets it was getting close to noon….and so I moved the truck from the parking space besides Macy’s……a good and free place if you are interested sometime. We drove down to the Paris Hotel, parked in their garage (most parking garages are FREE…..what a wonderful change of pace)…..and then walked into the hotel and decided to eat at JJ Boulangerie…….a wonderful choice!!! We took the lunch specials…..I had Spicy Taco Soup and an incredibly huge tuna salad sandwich on a baquette loaf of bread. It was just soooooo damn good……and I couldn’t finish all of the soup….just tooooo much!!! Cost: $11.00 each and that included the drink.
This hotel is wonderful!!! I love the French culture, the French food, the French wine, and …….actually, most things French!! If you haven’t spent some time in this hotel, amble through it….spend an hour or two or three just wandering through the little streets and shops and cafes……and eat, drink, and soak it up. You won’t be sorry!
From there we went to the Bellagio Hotel….another piece of artwork. Just beautiful…..the use of the fresh flowers in the Atrium, the butterfly house, the enlarged artificial bugs and flowers……it is just spectacular!! The shops are very expensive….but it IS fun to just look and pretend that you are serious about a purchase.
We did some more walking and looking and dropped about $20 in various casino machines….losing it ALL. Then we took the truck and went to the Rio Hotel/Casino to catch their “show in the air” in the hotel. It was just OK……nothing special…..or,….OR am I becoming jaded to sooooo much opulence, glitter, and bright lights??????? I am beginning to think so……damn it.
I have taken a ton of pictures over the last few days, but the Wifi is sooooo expensive here in this RV Park and I refuse to pay for it at their prices. Sooooo, when I attempt to upload a few pics each night, it oftentimes takes up to 25-30 minutes for one picture to go out into cyberspace and so, I have just almost given up. You will have MANY pics to enjoy when we do get to a place where I don’t have to use the cell phone to upload them.
We returned to our RV Park, after a brief stop at Wally World across the street from the Park….and I began talking to a “new” neighbor who had parked next to us today. They are from British Columbia in Canada….and are on their way back after spending the winter in Mexico…..down by Puerto Vallarta. I questioned them in detail until they felt they had been drained……..the 1st Lady and I are becoming serious about spending the winter next year down in Mexico……at least to Puerto Vallarta and perhaps as far as Acapulco. More research to be done…..but they told us to “DO IT”. They have been going down for about five years and have had no trouble at all…….all they could do was praise the wonderful people of Mexico. Hmmmmm….do we have to wait until January????????? Guess the heat is toooo much for the summer down there, though.
And soooooo….guess what??????!!!! You guessed it…..
Life IS GREAT!!!!! And I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!
Day 72: Visit to Hoover Dam......and a former student's home......
The internal clock…well it slowed down last night because I didn’t awaken until an hour later than usual…….not a problem, but just a bit different for this aging and sagging hulk of me!
We left shortly after we had some Fr. Roast coffee and the 1st Lady….her tea. We turned south and went over the mts. out of Vegas towards Boulder City….and Hoover Dam. Hmmmmmm, guess I am showing my age(?) or I’m getting senile, but last night and before I have been calling it Boulder Dam…….WRONG!!!! It was declared by Truman to be Hoover Dam in recognition of the part that Herbert Hoover played in getting the dam constructed.
Anyway…..just a tiny mistake on my part…….we were heading down the mountain from Boulder City to the dam in less than 30 minutes from the time we pulled out of the RV Park here at Sam’s Town. And……OMG…..what a spectacular view(s) we had in the various locations around the dam. Prior to arriving at the dam, there is a check point where your vehicle is subject to be searched…..but we were waved on through. They are searching rv’s….and as the morning wore on, the lines became longer and longer.
I drove across the dam….and then up the Arizona side until we reached a good parking spot for viewing the dam and lake. From there we went back to the Nevada side, parked in the new parking garage that hangs on the mountainside….and purchased our tickets for the tour THROUGH the dam. The entire tour lasted about an hour and was really worth the $11.00 admission price.
I found the entire tour and viewing points really, really interesting because my father had gone to this area at the time the dam was being constructed and worked on the construction for several months. More and more workers were meeting their untimely death while working there, so he quit the job and returned to Missouri. But…..it was cool to remember that he had played a vital role in the construction of Hoover Dam!!!
After a quick bite of lunch in Boulder City, we returned to the RV Park…..and just hung out for a few hours. At a bit after 5pm we went to Henderson, a suburb of Vegas and were guests in the home of Zane and Paula Simpson for a wonderful BBQ on their patio beside their swimming pool.. They have three wonderful children…….and it was sooooooo damn good to see Zane….and Paula…..again. As I mentioned before, he played trumpet when I taught in the Eldon, MO school district…..and now he takes bagpipe lessons. He is policeman in the Vegas area……….so we did get to hear of some of his job stories. I really was glad we got to see each other……….hard to believe he is 40 years old………but, I will be 64 on the 31st of this month……so, we ALL are aging quickly.
We returned to TheHowserHouse…….and after a short walk-thru of Sam’s Town Casino….we were back in here a bit later. Another beautiful day…..a great trip to Hoover Dam…..and a wonderful evening filled with great food and wonderful conversation and laughter at a former student’s beautiful home. What more could anyone ask???? AND…….as always…..
Life is GREAT….and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!
We left shortly after we had some Fr. Roast coffee and the 1st Lady….her tea. We turned south and went over the mts. out of Vegas towards Boulder City….and Hoover Dam. Hmmmmmm, guess I am showing my age(?) or I’m getting senile, but last night and before I have been calling it Boulder Dam…….WRONG!!!! It was declared by Truman to be Hoover Dam in recognition of the part that Herbert Hoover played in getting the dam constructed.
Anyway…..just a tiny mistake on my part…….we were heading down the mountain from Boulder City to the dam in less than 30 minutes from the time we pulled out of the RV Park here at Sam’s Town. And……OMG…..what a spectacular view(s) we had in the various locations around the dam. Prior to arriving at the dam, there is a check point where your vehicle is subject to be searched…..but we were waved on through. They are searching rv’s….and as the morning wore on, the lines became longer and longer.
I drove across the dam….and then up the Arizona side until we reached a good parking spot for viewing the dam and lake. From there we went back to the Nevada side, parked in the new parking garage that hangs on the mountainside….and purchased our tickets for the tour THROUGH the dam. The entire tour lasted about an hour and was really worth the $11.00 admission price.
I found the entire tour and viewing points really, really interesting because my father had gone to this area at the time the dam was being constructed and worked on the construction for several months. More and more workers were meeting their untimely death while working there, so he quit the job and returned to Missouri. But…..it was cool to remember that he had played a vital role in the construction of Hoover Dam!!!
After a quick bite of lunch in Boulder City, we returned to the RV Park…..and just hung out for a few hours. At a bit after 5pm we went to Henderson, a suburb of Vegas and were guests in the home of Zane and Paula Simpson for a wonderful BBQ on their patio beside their swimming pool.. They have three wonderful children…….and it was sooooooo damn good to see Zane….and Paula…..again. As I mentioned before, he played trumpet when I taught in the Eldon, MO school district…..and now he takes bagpipe lessons. He is policeman in the Vegas area……….so we did get to hear of some of his job stories. I really was glad we got to see each other……….hard to believe he is 40 years old………but, I will be 64 on the 31st of this month……so, we ALL are aging quickly.
We returned to TheHowserHouse…….and after a short walk-thru of Sam’s Town Casino….we were back in here a bit later. Another beautiful day…..a great trip to Hoover Dam…..and a wonderful evening filled with great food and wonderful conversation and laughter at a former student’s beautiful home. What more could anyone ask???? AND…….as always…..
Life is GREAT….and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!
Day 72: Visit to Hoover Dam......and a former student's home......
The internal clock…well it slowed down last night because I didn’t awaken until an hour later than usual…….not a problem, but just a bit different for this aging and sagging hulk of me!
We left shortly after we had some Fr. Roast coffee and the 1st Lady….her tea. We turned south and went over the mts. out of Vegas towards Boulder City….and Hoover Dam. Hmmmmmm, guess I am showing my age(?) or I’m getting senile, but last night and before I have been calling it Boulder Dam…….WRONG!!!! It was declared by Truman to be Hoover Dam in recognition of the part that Herbert Hoover played in getting the dam constructed.
Anyway…..just a tiny mistake on my part…….we were heading down the mountain from Boulder City to the dam in less than 30 minutes from the time we pulled out of the RV Park here at Sam’s Town. And……OMG…..what a spectacular view(s) we had in the various locations around the dam. Prior to arriving at the dam, there is a check point where your vehicle is subject to be searched…..but we were waved on through. They are searching rv’s….and as the morning wore on, the lines became longer and longer.
I drove across the dam….and then up the Arizona side until we reached a good parking spot for viewing the dam and lake. From there we went back to the Nevada side, parked in the new parking garage that hangs on the mountainside….and purchased our tickets for the tour THROUGH the dam. The entire tour lasted about an hour and was really worth the $11.00 admission price.
I found the entire tour and viewing points really, really interesting because my father had gone to this area at the time the dam was being constructed and worked on the construction for several months. More and more workers were meeting their untimely death while working there, so he quit the job and returned to Missouri. But…..it was cool to remember that he had played a vital role in the construction of Hoover Dam!!!
After a quick bite of lunch in Boulder City, we returned to the RV Park…..and just hung out for a few hours. At a bit after 5pm we went to Henderson, a suburb of Vegas and were guests in the home of Zane and Paula Simpson for a wonderful BBQ on their patio beside their swimming pool.. They have three wonderful children…….and it was sooooooo damn good to see Zane….and Paula…..again. As I mentioned before, he played trumpet when I taught in the Eldon, MO school district…..and now he takes bagpipe lessons. He is policeman in the Vegas area……….so we did get to hear of some of his job stories. I really was glad we got to see each other……….hard to believe he is 40 years old………but, I will be 64 on the 31st of this month……so, we ALL are aging quickly.
We returned to TheHowserHouse…….and after a short walk-thru of Sam’s Town Casino….we were back in here a bit later. Another beautiful day…..a great trip to Hoover Dam…..and a wonderful evening filled with great food and wonderful conversation and laughter at a former student’s beautiful home. What more could anyone ask???? AND…….as always…..
Life is GREAT….and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!
We left shortly after we had some Fr. Roast coffee and the 1st Lady….her tea. We turned south and went over the mts. out of Vegas towards Boulder City….and Hoover Dam. Hmmmmmm, guess I am showing my age(?) or I’m getting senile, but last night and before I have been calling it Boulder Dam…….WRONG!!!! It was declared by Truman to be Hoover Dam in recognition of the part that Herbert Hoover played in getting the dam constructed.
Anyway…..just a tiny mistake on my part…….we were heading down the mountain from Boulder City to the dam in less than 30 minutes from the time we pulled out of the RV Park here at Sam’s Town. And……OMG…..what a spectacular view(s) we had in the various locations around the dam. Prior to arriving at the dam, there is a check point where your vehicle is subject to be searched…..but we were waved on through. They are searching rv’s….and as the morning wore on, the lines became longer and longer.
I drove across the dam….and then up the Arizona side until we reached a good parking spot for viewing the dam and lake. From there we went back to the Nevada side, parked in the new parking garage that hangs on the mountainside….and purchased our tickets for the tour THROUGH the dam. The entire tour lasted about an hour and was really worth the $11.00 admission price.
I found the entire tour and viewing points really, really interesting because my father had gone to this area at the time the dam was being constructed and worked on the construction for several months. More and more workers were meeting their untimely death while working there, so he quit the job and returned to Missouri. But…..it was cool to remember that he had played a vital role in the construction of Hoover Dam!!!
After a quick bite of lunch in Boulder City, we returned to the RV Park…..and just hung out for a few hours. At a bit after 5pm we went to Henderson, a suburb of Vegas and were guests in the home of Zane and Paula Simpson for a wonderful BBQ on their patio beside their swimming pool.. They have three wonderful children…….and it was sooooooo damn good to see Zane….and Paula…..again. As I mentioned before, he played trumpet when I taught in the Eldon, MO school district…..and now he takes bagpipe lessons. He is policeman in the Vegas area……….so we did get to hear of some of his job stories. I really was glad we got to see each other……….hard to believe he is 40 years old………but, I will be 64 on the 31st of this month……so, we ALL are aging quickly.
We returned to TheHowserHouse…….and after a short walk-thru of Sam’s Town Casino….we were back in here a bit later. Another beautiful day…..a great trip to Hoover Dam…..and a wonderful evening filled with great food and wonderful conversation and laughter at a former student’s beautiful home. What more could anyone ask???? AND…….as always…..
Life is GREAT….and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Day 71: Another great day on the Las Vegas Strip!!
It doesn’t seem to make any difference to my internal body clock….no matter how late I am still up and going, my body clock still awakens me at the same time: 7AM!!! Oh well……at least I am still able to use that bodily clock!!
Not certain where the morning went to……..before I knew it, it was almost noon. The 1st Lady did a bit of laundry this morning…..and then by 1pm, we were leaving for the Strip and the rest of the day. I had walked over to Sam’s Town Hotel/Casino about 11:30 to check it out……not a bad hotel, but after seeing those magnificent ones on the strip last night, this one looked a bit shoddy. The Atrium in the center was nice….but I didn’t stay too long…just a quick once over.
We drove down to the Strip…..and found a parking place in the Luxor parking garage……sure glad they thought about us people who have oversized vehicles!!! Not a problem parking there at all.
We toured the Luxor Hotel/Casino……really cool place with all of the Egyptian décor and style. The interior of the hotel is really, really cool with the way the floors of the hotel are open to the center and the next higher floor is hanging out over the lower one….by several feet. GREAT idea!!
From there we went to the Mandalay Bay Hotel/Casino…….nice…but not as thematic as the Luxor. Then it was on to the MGM and all of the others that were north of that lower area……….
Ok…which ones do I like the best??? New York…..Paris…..The Venetian…..Luxor…..and in no particular order. These four are so well thought out, planned for, and such great replicas of the cities they represent. Just incredible!!!!
We had dinner at “Mon Ami Gabi” in the Paris hotel. We requested an outdoor table and so we had to wait for an hour and 15 minutes……not that bad…..and actually WELL WORTH THE WAIT!!!!! It is wonderful restaurant……styled in such a Parisian way….and a vast array of incredible offerings on the menu. We each had steaks….hers a sirloin and mine a filet mignon……and they were soooooo wonderful….cooked perfectly to our wishes….with wonderful frites, thin and almost crip. We each had a glass of wine which was very, very good. Wine by the bottle ran from $45 up to $368 each. We did have one desert, which we shared……a chocolate caramel tarte with pecans, whipped cream, and freshly made vanilla ice cream. WOW…..was it every wonderful!!! The bill was as would be expected in a place such as this……about $112.00. We dined outside….and we overlooked the actions of the sidewalk….as well as the beautiful fountains which performed every 15 minutes across the street at the Bellagio Hotel…..all computerized to various musical styles and vocalists. What a wonderful way to dine……it was almost like being IN Paris. Brings back sooooooooo many memories!!!!
We returned to the truck and drove up to the north end to the Treasure Island Hotel for their evening outside show of pirates, water action, and some exciting fireworks and special affects. All in all…..a really interesting show……we just weren’t in a very good location to hear or see, but enjoyed it anyway.!!
A very busy afternoon….and a wonderful dinner in a great atmosphere!!!! What more can you ask for????
Tomorrow…..we are going to see Boulder Dam….and then, we are having dinner/BBQ at the home of a former student of mine…..Zane Simpson, his wife Paula, and three children. Zane graduated in 1985.…so guess he is, or will be, getting close to 40 years old. WOW….time flies when you are having fun!!!
What more can be said tonight???? Stay tuned for more pics once I get on actual Wifi……here it is very costly, so I am using my cell phone which is sooooo damn slow in uploading the pics for all of you. Anyway…….
Life IS Great….and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!
Not certain where the morning went to……..before I knew it, it was almost noon. The 1st Lady did a bit of laundry this morning…..and then by 1pm, we were leaving for the Strip and the rest of the day. I had walked over to Sam’s Town Hotel/Casino about 11:30 to check it out……not a bad hotel, but after seeing those magnificent ones on the strip last night, this one looked a bit shoddy. The Atrium in the center was nice….but I didn’t stay too long…just a quick once over.
We drove down to the Strip…..and found a parking place in the Luxor parking garage……sure glad they thought about us people who have oversized vehicles!!! Not a problem parking there at all.
We toured the Luxor Hotel/Casino……really cool place with all of the Egyptian décor and style. The interior of the hotel is really, really cool with the way the floors of the hotel are open to the center and the next higher floor is hanging out over the lower one….by several feet. GREAT idea!!
From there we went to the Mandalay Bay Hotel/Casino…….nice…but not as thematic as the Luxor. Then it was on to the MGM and all of the others that were north of that lower area……….
Ok…which ones do I like the best??? New York…..Paris…..The Venetian…..Luxor…..and in no particular order. These four are so well thought out, planned for, and such great replicas of the cities they represent. Just incredible!!!!
We had dinner at “Mon Ami Gabi” in the Paris hotel. We requested an outdoor table and so we had to wait for an hour and 15 minutes……not that bad…..and actually WELL WORTH THE WAIT!!!!! It is wonderful restaurant……styled in such a Parisian way….and a vast array of incredible offerings on the menu. We each had steaks….hers a sirloin and mine a filet mignon……and they were soooooo wonderful….cooked perfectly to our wishes….with wonderful frites, thin and almost crip. We each had a glass of wine which was very, very good. Wine by the bottle ran from $45 up to $368 each. We did have one desert, which we shared……a chocolate caramel tarte with pecans, whipped cream, and freshly made vanilla ice cream. WOW…..was it every wonderful!!! The bill was as would be expected in a place such as this……about $112.00. We dined outside….and we overlooked the actions of the sidewalk….as well as the beautiful fountains which performed every 15 minutes across the street at the Bellagio Hotel…..all computerized to various musical styles and vocalists. What a wonderful way to dine……it was almost like being IN Paris. Brings back sooooooooo many memories!!!!
We returned to the truck and drove up to the north end to the Treasure Island Hotel for their evening outside show of pirates, water action, and some exciting fireworks and special affects. All in all…..a really interesting show……we just weren’t in a very good location to hear or see, but enjoyed it anyway.!!
A very busy afternoon….and a wonderful dinner in a great atmosphere!!!! What more can you ask for????
Tomorrow…..we are going to see Boulder Dam….and then, we are having dinner/BBQ at the home of a former student of mine…..Zane Simpson, his wife Paula, and three children. Zane graduated in 1985.…so guess he is, or will be, getting close to 40 years old. WOW….time flies when you are having fun!!!
What more can be said tonight???? Stay tuned for more pics once I get on actual Wifi……here it is very costly, so I am using my cell phone which is sooooo damn slow in uploading the pics for all of you. Anyway…….
Life IS Great….and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)