I'm jumping around a bit as far as the order of events. My first full SD card is the last card that I uploaded. I have little video clips of us zooming across the canyon on the ziplines and didn't want to lose or accidently delete them. Despite them being out of focus... I have yet to figure out how to use the video function properly. I have also learned from peeking over my pics, that I need to learn how to hold this new camera right in order to take appropriately aligned horizontal pictures. This lot tend to be a tad skewompus and need straightening... NO, I had not been drinking. I was in UT, remember?! LOL!
Day one of our trip out west, Thursday, was spent at the north rim of the Grand Canyon. We had already traveled thousands of miles to get to Grandma and Grandpa, what were another couple hundred miles at this point?! After a delicious breakfast of Toad in a Hole cooked by Grandma, we packed up a picnic and hit the road, winding and weaving our way behind Grandpa. The views are just stunning! There was a bit of a haze from the "prescribed fire" that was burning across the canyon but otherwise, spectacular. It was hot but the dry heat definitely tamed it for us.
After cautiously exploring all the trails out to majestic views of all angles at Cape Royal and Angels Window we settled down at a picnic table and had a good nosh. Replenishing and stocking up on energy for some more exploring at Bright Angel Point. What is it about food consumed after joyous, exertion that makes it taste so much better? All we had were sandwiches that we made from store bought lunch meats, truly nothing "special" and yet they were SO good!
Michael and our fearless child charged on ahead along railless trails that were right at the precipice, much to Michael's dismay. Nikolas and I sauntered along with I snapping pictures the whole way out and he trying to remain as far away from the edge as possible!
Leap ahead two days, now picking up from my last blog post. Michael and I have spent the night in Ely, Nevada and are now heading to Vegas. Nothing but long stretches of road. And more road, and more road. With a few spontaneous stops along the way. The freedom and flexibility to do as we pleased was exhilarating. Our only agenda item was Le Reve in Vegas at 9:30pm. A day full of endless potential and possibility.
First stop, Cathedral Gorge State Park. Our first view of the park was from Miller Point. An overlook that provided breath taking views of the vastness of the carved cliffs and canyons. Then we moved into the park and stopped to explore. The caves created by the narrow cracks in the rock are incredible both from an overall vantage point and up close, within them. You never knew what was going to be around the corner. Being out in the middle of absolute nowhere, we didn't have to worry about stepping on other people's toes, we were virtually alone.
Next stop, trilobite hunting. Or, fossicking, as Nikolas would have put it! We were cruising along US Highway 93 when we saw a sign that had Trilobite Site on it. Well, as we were literally flying down mountain and the pull out was onto gravel road, we shot right past it. Being THE only car on the road, we pulled a Virginia and reversed up to the gravel road. Equipped with our hammer and chisel from garnet hunting, we hoofed the 1/3 mile out to the shale trench and set to work. In the Nevada desert midday sun... We found a fair amount of fossilized vegetation but not one little trilobite. Those elusive little suckers! Each rock we split, we thought, "this will be the one". Alas, luck was not on our side.
Pushing onwards we hit Vegas mid-afternoon and checked into our room at Treasure Island. We had a room over looking the strip and the TI sign flashing neon out front. With time to kill before our show we cached our way down the strip and back.
Le Reve was... okay. The theatrics were spectacular but there was little story line running from one act to another leaving some cohesiveness to be desired. I know one doesn't see such shows for the story but it's nice to have a theme tying the whole thing together. The "stage" was actually a circular body of water with a stage that raised up and down depending upon the need for solid ground or not. Aerial acrobatics, synchronized swimming, diving, there was a bit of everything. Entertaining for sure, not worth spending a fortune on. I guess I'm a bit of a Cirque du Soleil snob!
I have some scrappy homework I NEED to get done. Will need to take a break from this for a little while. I still have family pictures to post and there are some more good zip line pics. I don't have pictures from the time that Grandma and Grandpa spent with the kids but am hoping that Grandpa will burn me a disc. I know the kids had a fantastic time and are already talking about going back next year!
These photos are just wonderful - so lovely to be able to see a part of the world I may never get to visit. The heat is just shimmering out of your photos. And I love that photo of you all from the back in particular - I'd have it large on my wall. :)
Posted by: alexa | Sunday, 21 August 2011 at 02:46 AM