Western Odyssey- April 2008
Tuesday, April 8
We got up about 7:30, put things in the car and stopped to have the Post Office hold our mail. We ate subs on the way and were at the airport around 12:30 for our 2:40 flight. We were in Chicago after a short delay and a 2 ½ hour flight. We had a long wait for our flight to Las Vegas. We ate salads, watched CNN and talked to a French woman about politics in our two countries. The second flight was delayed as well, and when we got to our seats, the lights above them didn't work, so we drowsed our way west. We arrived in Las Vegas around 9:30 MST and took a shuttle to the rental car building. Because our hotel looked like a castle (The Excalibur) we found it fairly easily, and walked through the gaming areas to get to the elevator to our room. We were in bed around 11 MST.
Wednesday, April 9
We got up about 6, showered and wandered through the casino checking out places to get breakfast. We finally settled on getting a walnut and fruit salad and yogurt parfait at McDonalds in the casino. We got our GPS unit programmed and drove out of Las Vegas through the Mojave Desert, stopping for photos and rock hunting in a few places. We drove into Barstow on old Route 66 and stopped at a Hawaiian Barbeque place for lunch.
We arrived at Vickie and Marijan's house in La Canada Flintridge at around 2. We drank tea and talked, then decided to go to the La Brea Tar Pits. Vickie took us because Marijan had to teach that night. We saw the Tar Pits and hundreds of fossils and full skeletons of saber toothed tigers, giant sloths, camels, horses, American lions. dire wolves, etc. At one place lab workers cleaned newly found fossils.
Vickie got us cookies at a Jewish bakery and we drove on into Hollywood . In the Kodak Theater lobby we saw a publicity photo shoot for the ASCAP awards. We couldn't see who was the object of all of the yelling photographers when we were first there, but after we returned, we were told it had been Madonna. At that point the performer was Natasha Pennington who came out into accessible areas for us to see her after the shoot.
In between we had walked the star studded sidewalk up to Grauman's Chinese Theater and seen the foot and hand prints of stars like Judy Garland, Cary Grant, Tom Hanks, Shirley Temple and many others. We walked up the stairs to see the view of the Hollywood sign and took pictures on the giant casting couch up there.
When we got home Vickie made dinner with salmon Marijan had smoked and lots of veggies and salad. Before it grew too dark, we walked around their backyard, with its orange, lemon, and tangerine trees. Their two Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Cleo and Sheb , kept us company. The yard was beautiful, with tennis courts and flowering shrubs and vines everywhere. We sat and talked when Marijan got home, then went to bed around 11.
Thursday, April 10
We had breakfast, including the wonderful, sweet oranges from the trees in their yard, then we hiked for about three hours, up the zigzagging mountain trail behind Vickie and Marijan's house. Dick took bird photos and I took lots of plants as well as the views of Los Angeles in the distance. Even further up than we went, Marijan pointed out the place where he took the fall on his mountain bike in February. How he managed to lean on his bike and make his way down unassisted to their house with broken ribs and collarbone, was amazing.
We relaxed in the house for a little while, then drove to the new Disney Concert Hall, an undulating stainless steel looking construction. We walked around while Vickie circled the block, unable to find parking. My favorite thing there was a rose shaped fountain, built in honor of Lily Disney by her family. It was made of mostly blue and white fragments of china and was a lovely tribute.
We went on to Huntington Gardens, a vast, amazing group of gardens with different types of plants and themes. We walked through the cactus gardens first with many of the cacti in bloom and hummingbirds dashing about. It was a great place for bird photos and Dick was constantly on the look-out. From the coniferous area we walked through the camellia and azalea gardens, then the Japanese and Chinese gardens. Vickie and I went in the rain forest and cloud forest building and saw all the tropical plants there. Then, because time was running short, we left the art museum until another trip. Back at the house, we had sandwiches and fresh fruit, and left around 2:30 to avoid major traffic jams. The time spent with Vickie and Marijan was short, but had a great time seeing them again, and with their help, packed a lot of sightseeing into the time.
We hit some traffic jams well after we'd thought we'd be out of major population areas, but eventually did arrive in the desert, where we stopped several times to take photos, rock hunt, and enjoy the desert. One of my rocks was even bright blue, so if not turquoise, was at least a copper based mineral of some sort.
We got to Quartzsite around 8 and easily found the motel we'd booked. We got pretty healthy fast food and ate it in our room, watching CNN for our politics fix. After a very busy day, we were happy to hit the sack early!
Friday, April 11
Dick got up early and went out to shoot birds. I did a bit of rock hunting and found my most likely turquoise of the trip. On our way through Quartzsite we stopped at an amazing outdoor rock shop, with tables of rocks of every kind, and slag glass as well. I spent a fairly long happy time, looking at everything. We ended up buying a polished fossil ammonite, millifiore beads and pretty glass shards to use in future windows, two possible geodes for Ricky and Randy, turquoise, and pyrite (Fool's Gold).
With no particular sights we wanted to see in Phoenix , we changed plans and drove toward Lake Havasu instead. I got a lot of agates at one area with a dry creek bed we stopped at. We found a motel in Lake Havasu, then drove as far north as the dam and crossed it several times taking photos. Several parks along the lake beckoned to us, so we stopped and I rock hunted by the shore while Dick hunted birds to photographed. After lunch at the Golden Corral, we drove to see London Bridge, then to the beach close by. We got food at a local supermarket, then had a picnic beside London Bridge and watched the sun go down.on another lovely day.
Saturday, April 12
We ate breakfast in our room (always have a box of cereal and powdered milk with us) and left by 8. We drove a lovely, but tricky road through the mountains on our way to Sedona. At one rest stop I wandered around out back and scared a bird out from a bush, that I thought was a road runner, but was smaller than I thought they were. It eventually turned out to be the only road runner either of us saw, and we regretted not trying to flush it again so Dick could have gotten a photo.
The views were amazing from the high twisty road and we stopped a few times to take photos. When we drove through Jerome- a lovely old time town clinging to the mountainside- we wanted to stop, but the parking spots were all filled, so we couldn't.
We found our motel in Sedona easily and had lunch at the Red Planet Diner- an odd little place with a Martian theme and very good food. Then we drove a long loop road the people at our motel had recommended and took photos of rock formations. Crossing the main road, we went up another road and I wandered up a trail while Dick stalked birds. Although I was mindful about cougars, it was fun to just wander around taking photos of rock formations from all different angles- way too many pictures, but that's the joy of digital cameras!
Continuing on our recommended way, we headed for the airport, where we were told the best sunset photos could be taken. We ended up climbing a high rock- rather precariously on the way up, but by a tamer path on the way down. A man up there was play drums and a didgeridoo. We stayed atop the rock until it was fairly dark, then headed down, bought groceries and headed to the motel where we used their computer to check email. After a very scenic day, we hit the bed early to be up for sunrise photos the next morning.
Sunday, April 13
We got up around 5 and drove around taking photos of Sedona rocks in early morning light. We drove up past the airport road over some very bumpy terrain. At the end, we climbed up a rocky point taking photos as the sun rose. Back in town, we took some photos of the southwestern style buildings. Had breakfast and showered back in the motel room, then left for the Grand Canyon . When neat birds caught our eye, Dick would stop and attempt to photograph them. We got to the Red Feather Lodge around 12:30 and called people to catch up on happenings.
When we got to the Grand Canyon, I gave an involuntary “Wow” looking at its vastness- then stood around enjoying the reactions of the others on seeing it for the first time. We walked along the Rim Trail to the Visitors' Center, then drove to the Bright Angel Lodge. Dick stayed there taking photos of a condor, so I walked along more of the Rim Trail- to the head of the Bright Angel Trail . On the way I stopped in at a gift shop and an exhibit of paintings of the Grand Canyon . Then I walked a small bit of the trail, looking for fossils in the rocks, but didn't see any. I went down far enough to photograph a tunnel the trail went through. Signs along the way told you to go to the inside of the trail if mules were passing, and obey the instructions of the trail leader. When I got back, Dick was still photographing the condor, so I got us both ice cream cones then we walked back over the territory I'd covered to the Bright Angel Trailhead again.
At the motel we rested a while and I mailed off our postcards. Then we drove back into Grand Canyon Park and we ate at the cafeteria at Maswick Lodge. On the way we passed a corral with mules from the trail trips, but were in too much of a hurry to stop. After we ate, we walked up to the bus stop for the park buses and caught the bus to Hopi Point where we had been told the best viewing of the sunset would take place. The bus driver was funny and informative- and he suggested some of us might want to get off at Powell Point and walk the rest of the way to Hopi Point, so that's what we did.
We took loads of photos as we walked the Rim Trail and loads and loads at Hopi Point, where a large crowd had gathered to watch the sun go down. The driver on the way back was equally funny and we were reminded of the bus driver we had at Denali. On the way back to our motel we stopped and took photos of the mules who were very friendly. Back at the lodge, we watched politics until we were ready to call it another good day.
Monday, April 14
We got up around 6, had breakfast and decided to change our plans once again. The lodge very nicely let us cancel without penalty, so we headed back into the park to see the rest of the Grand Canyon then head for the Painted Desert. So we turned right and headed along the canyon in the other direction. At Yaki Point we saw an elk that rose to her feet and gave us lots of opportunity to photograph her. Dick decided to stay in the wooded area and look for birds, so I headed down the road, then took a path through the woods and followed the Rim Trail to the point.
When I got to the point, I found that it was also the trail head for the South Kaibab trail. A large group of hikers were gathering there to start their hike. I walked back along noticing another mule stable, and detouring to photograph it. When I got back to Dick, he had discovered a hole in a tree where swallows and bluebirds were obviously nesting, flying in and out constantly.
We stopped at the Tusayan Museum and saw the displays of tribal costumes and artifacts, then walked around the village ruins there. Lots of stops were made a different viewing areas along the canyon, including Navajo Point with its Watchtower. The Colorado River , far below, was visible more there than on yesterday's hikes.
When we left the park, we headed for the Painted Desert, stopping to photograph the snow covered San Francisco Mountains . We stopped at a meteor crater, but Dick was tired and the idea of a nap was more appealing to him. So I went into the viewing area myself and walked around photographing the crater. Unfortunately, on the way down, I was reading the literature about it they had passed out, missed a step and took out both knees and a pantleg of my convertible pants. A couple of bandaids later, we were on our way again, stopping to check in at a motel in Holbrook.
Having found that the Petrified Forest was just one end of the Painted Desert Park, we went to the lower end of the park, stopping at a rock shop to buy some petrified wood first. We had a coupon that allowed us to pick up pieces from a pile they had outside- getting about a quarter pound of rock sample free- a helpful thing to bolster self restraint since taking any rock samples from the park was forbidden. And hard as it was for me to resist- I did not take on single piece of petrified wood from the park!
We drove about five miles into the park, with the idea of going past the Petrified Forest section, but realized the area about fifteen miles was prettiest, so in the interest of racing the park closing, we went back and walked through the outdoor trail through the petrified wood. The colors of the minerals that replaced the wood fibers were amazing- lots of reds and yellows. Then we walked through the museum, which had a beautiful section of petrified wood that had been polished in Barre, Vermont . We talked to the guide about finding road runners and he told us the northern parking lot was a place when you could sometimes see them. He also confirmed that what I saw earlier was probably one.
On the road beyond the park entrance, we stopped and I did a little rock hunting once again. I may have found some petrified rock chips, but I certainly found some rocks to add to my collection. We ate at a Chinese restaurant, then I washed my rocks and made the painful decisions about which ones I could part with. I was a bit proud of the pile of ‘throw away' rocks I found I could part with. We watched Stephen Colbert on Larry King until bedtime, then listened to train whistles a lot during the night.
Tuesday, April 15
We were up before 6 AM and photographed some of the buildings on old Route 66 in Holbrook before heading for the north entrance to the Painted Desert Park. While we watched for road runners, we ate breakfast by the car and waited for the park to officially open the entrance gate. Once again, nary a road runner was about. But on the drive into the park we stopped many times and Dick did get some bird photos of other new species then.
I especially like the Pueblo site that had ruins and some interesting petroglyphs on the stones. Agate Bridge was a large petrified tree that had fallen across a ravine. The Jasper Forest was an area when many petrified logs had washed out of the hillsides and lay on the valley floor. I walked the trail through the Crystal Forest, but unfortunately, as the signs had warned, people had removed the large crystals from the logs and only small crystal lined geodes remained.
We drove all the way through the park, then were on the highway heading for Las Vegas by about 10 AM. I had wanted to get a photo “standing on the corner in Winslow , Arizona ” as in the old Eagles song (and they do have a sign right there for people to stand in front of), but there were sand storms blown by heavy winds, so we couldn't do it. Later along the way we made many stops to photograph birds, look for rocks, and enjoy the scenery.
We drove down to a park on Lake Mead and Dick pursued birds while I pursued rocks at the water's edge. Then just as we were driving down to turn around and leave, a herd of seven Bighorn sheep walked through the parking lot on their way to drink from the lake. We were amazed to see them and got out and got some good photos of them. From there it was on to Las Vegas, finding our hotel and walking back to the Excelsior for their $7 sirloin steak dinner- which was very good, even after a twenty minute bout of near-starvation waiting to get seated. We were back at our motel by nine, ready to rest after another busy day.
Wednesday, April 16
We slept in a bit, then had breakfast in our room. We drove around a bit, looking for a place to park and finally found one in a parking garage near the Fashion Show Mall. Then we set off, with our trusty Vegas 2 Go Guide in hand, marked up to show the highlights of the casinos we wanted to wander through. We started at Treasure Island with its pirate ship and lagoon outside. The Venetian, with its gondolas was right across the street, but either because of the wind or the early hour, there were no gondoliers to be seen. But they did have an amazing museum, The Guggenheim Hermitage Museum, that had paintings from all the French Impressionist Masters and free admission to boot!
We walked through Caesar's Palace and spent a good deal of time trying to find the fountain where Greek Gods ‘came to life' on the hour and told their stories. Finally we found a hotel employee who told us the fountain was under reconstruction, and when we walked back past it, we saw the gods with their machinery hanging out. The Flamingo was next- with its beautiful Wildlife Habitat. Flamingos (of course) walked around their little islands with African crested cranes Chinese pheasants and exotic ducks. Huge koi swam in the ponds below the paddling feet. We wandered around looking for the cute little western quails that have feathers bobbing on their heads, but couldn't find any. After spending a good long time there, we decided to eat at the buffet that overlooked the wildlife habitat. The food was varied and great and we left, stuffed, to wander one last time through the habitat.
We took a lot of photos of the Paris casino form the outside, then went into Bellagio to see the lovely Murano glass flowers blooming from the ceiling in the lobby. Their botanical garden featured flowers molded into shapes of ladybugs, snails, and waterbirds. And they also had a butterfly house, where many-colored butterflies and moths lived.
Thinking this was probably the last actual casino we'd visit, I decided to play the slots. I put $10 into a machine and had it up to $19.50 in a short while. Dick thought I should stop then so I could brag I'd almost doubled my money in Vegas. But I needed to keep going, eventually cashing in with $16.50 after a few more ups and downs. But now that I'd got the hang of how to feed money into a machine, I couldn't resist trying a cou0ple more times. Then at the airport, the machines were Wheel of Fortune themed. Since I'd gotten a fortune cookie that told me “The wheel of fortune is spinning your way” and recently read an article on people winning the lottery using their fortune cookie numbers, I had to at least try a couple of times to see if I could win the $400,000+ advertised as the current and rapidly building jackpot. Unfortunately The Wheel of Fortune machines I tried were not spinning my way! I figure I came out of it with $8.50 or $9.50 and had a good time for my money.
We went outside to await the Bellagio's choreographed fountain show, but high winds caused them to cancel it. The Treasure Island 's pirate show was cancelled too. We walked back through the casino and saw their stylized female motor cycle sculpture. The Fremont Street Mall in downtown Vegas seemed like a good place to spend what was left of our evening, so we used our faithful GPS unit, Emily, to get us there, parked and tried to feed the meter enough to give us two hours to spend there. After it ate several coins and getting only and hour and fifteen minutes credit, we walked to the enclosed mall. A really good rock and roll/country band was playing there and a lot of the original Vegas neon signs were mounted all around. We wandered around taking pictures and I shopped in a souvenir shop.
Our time on the meter was running down, so Dick asked me if he should go to the end of the street to find the car and I said, ‘Yes.' Unfortunately that was one street too far and by the time he got to the car, the meter police had given us a $20 ticket. We waited around until he came around again, and he told us we could call the number on the envelope and contest it. So when we got home we called, they tested the meter, found it had a low battery, and cancelled our ticket. We found the city to be very tourist friendly and that was just another example.
But as Dick was worrying about the ticket, I was back in the Fremont Street Mall enjoying the digital light show that took place on a mesh arch above the street. Everything from sunsets to geometric shapes to the words, ‘We Will Rock You' played overhead, to throbbing music. I met Dick back at the car in time to wait with him for the officer to come around again.
We fed the name Airport Road into our GPS and Emily delivered us to the county airport. Then we looked at the address for our car rental, gave her the proper info and made it to the airport with loads of time to make our 11:50 PM flight home. And as those overnight flights go, this one also passed in a blur. But we emerged at the Raleigh Airport , easily found the courtesy bus to out outlaying parking lot and stayed awake on the drive home- at least Dick did which was all that mattered. It was a really packed trip, but a great and varied one!