Zion Nat'l Park

Zion Nat'l Park is nothing short of spectacular! Have I said that about other places? I'm sure I have. Nonetheless, it is true...again!

We hiked up the Wiggles on the Angels Landing Trail to Scout Lookout. To the right, the cabled (I don't do cables) trail continues up a very steep, rocky, narrow trail with sharp dropoffs on both sides. To the left, our trail of choice, the path continues up but in a much more civilized switchback manner. We encountered a bit of snow and had fun playing in it. The next day we hiked above the Virgin River to the Emerald Pools.

Zion seems like a place one could return to many times and never cease to marvel at the wonders of nature.

Northward we go to Salt Lake City where we'll stop for a day of biking on Antelope Island.

Las Vegas

The scenic drive from Tucson to Las Vegas was unexpected. Northern Arizona is quite mountainous, and definitely differs from the desert landscape of southern Arizona.

We took the road that crosses over Hoover Dam and passes by Lake Mead. I don't recall it being quite the tourist spot it is now. Trucks are not allowed on the road, but RVs are allowed to navigate the steep, narrow road with the hair-pin turns only after submitting to a brief search of the coach and large storage areas.

During this week of travel, we moved between time zones several times...and Daylight Savings Time occured as well. Arizona doesn't participate...except for the Navajo Nation. The line of demarcation between Mountain Time and Pacific Time is not even close to being a straight line, nor were we traveling in a straight line. Banks and businesses don't always get their marquees changed right away. We didn't know what time it was for about a week! Twice we missed our shuttle from the RV Park to The Strip.

Las Vegas is bigger than life and a world unto itself. Where else can you climb the Eiffel Tower, take a gondola ride on Venice's Grand Canal, view New York harbor and the Statue of Liberty, see a Broadway show, go to the Circus, watch pillaging pirates curbside, eat, drink, shop, gamble and gawk... and enjoy myriad other events and attractions in one two-mile stretch of road?? Can we say over stimulation of the senses...and dirty feet?

Somehow, when strolling The Strip, people shed whatever inhibitions they might normally possess. We just couldn't believe how differently we looked in our photos!! Skin-tight, shimmering gold pants make me look a lot thinner I think! That white, ten-gallon hat turned Al into a free-spending Texas oil baron! What happens in Las Vegas, stays in Las Vegas...

It was much fun, but two days on The Strip was almost more than one could endure.

Someone (me) once said there is nothing pretty about Nevada. Whoa, I was wrong. We spent two days hiking in nearby Red Rock Canyon. It was candy for the eyes! The variety of rock formations, red rock, granite and sandstone, provided a beautiful contrast in color, dimension and texture. At the end of the second day, and 10 miles of trail, we finally spotted Bighorn Sheep. How interesting that one of the sheep banged his horns on a round cactus until it broke open and he could happily munch on the inside.

The icing on the cake: Al spotted a Samurai Sam's Teriyaki Grill on the way to the Canyon. What a yummy dinner to look forward to after long hours of great hiking and wildlife viewing!! It was a perfect day. I'm such an economical --ok cheap, date!

All good things must come to an end. The dazzling lights of Las Vegas Blvd. and the kaleidoscope of Red Rock Canyon hues fade behind us. Photo memories safely stored, we don't look back as we set our sights on southern Utah and Zion Nat'l Park.

Tucson, AZ

Tucson has grown since last we visited--spread out is more accurate I guess. Nonetheless, we were happy to have a few travel-free days! We went immediately to Saguaro Nat'l Park for the sunset and happened upon Park Ranger Chip Littlefield from Bangor, ME. He graduated from Bangor HS around the time I was graduating from OTHS. We had a nice chat.


True to his word, Al let me sleep in the next morning, and coffee was served in bed--in a real mug! What a guy!! To our amusement, the Griswold's cousins were parked next to us. The little wild child took Al's crocs and raced around the park and ended by burying them in the sand. He was later remorseful though! Living in an RV with three kids, two adults and a barking dog would probably make me run wild through the park as well!

We had a great hike on the Hugh Norris Trail. It was too early for the cactus to be in bloom, but the scenery was awesome anyway. On the trail, we met a couple from northern New Hampshire, and surprisingly we had some acquaintances in common from Al's West Stewartstown days. The world is really a small place!

I am so disappointed there is no longer a Samarai Sam's in Tucson. The days have flown by so fast. It is time to make a right turn and head due north. There is more travel relief in sight. Las Vegas, here we come!