Vegas Baby! Joe and Lynda's Road Trip 2002.

Joe and Lynda's
Road Trip 2002 ~ Vegas Baby!

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Day 7(Friday - 4 States Day!):
Up @ 8, shower etc. & pack car (fill ice chest). Breakfast @ hotel & off. Hwy 666/160 - 160
4 Corners monument. Navajo Nation w/ lots of artists & kiosks. Bought t-shirts & postcards + my first new charm in ages. 160 - 191 (to Mexican Hat). Stopped @ Mexican Hat for pee/ice-cream break. stop in Monument valley for pictures, lunch is leftover pizza in car. 163 - 98 to Page. From Page to Kanab 89 - 89 Alt. through Vermillion Cliffs National Monument. Stop @ Soap Creek for photos: 'Those rocks rocked!!'. Dust devil!!
Behind slow-poke Winnebago w/ car in tow in Kaibab as approach hwy 67 to Grand Canyon. 'take the turnoff. You love the GC. These are not the droids you're looking for.'
89 - 14 to Cedar City. Thru Dixie Nat'l Forest.
Mileage: 1907
Dinner @ Sullivan's Steak House ~ Beautiful filet mignons!
Called Leah, Treasure Island to book for Sun night, ans. machine, & Mom.

Day 8 (Saturday):
Up close to 7am. Coffee & donuts @ motel, then up I-15 (past cattle guards on freeway onramp!) to SH 20 to 89 to Bryce Canyon. $20 to get in. Shuttle to Visitor's Center: saw film & interpretive center. Long wait for shuttle out to Bryce Point but once there ~ Wow!!! Great views. Shuttle to Inspiration Point - more photos. Shuttle to Lodge for lunch ~ Joe: Smoked Trout Salad, me: Wall Street Club w/ fries. Squirrel in the Lodge!!
Shuttle to Sunrise & rim walk to Sunset. Who knew Hoodoos are so cool?! Gorgeous views of mesas & 'sinking ship' & hoodoos everywhere.
Shuttle to Visitor's Center for postcards etc.
Back to Park & Ride @ Ruby's. Checked out Ruby's Old Town & thought I'd lost my M/C!! Panic!! Found it in my wallet but not until after looking everywhere we'd been & in all pockets. Bought fossilized sand dollars & bear fetish.
Off to Cedar Breaks National Park. Hwy 12 - 89 - 143. Asked about pine nuts: found in cone & ripe when fallen. Park has Marmots!!! Arrived in time for Ranger's talk on park. Very interesting. Not same geology as at Bryce. 10000 ft above sea level. In Iron County so colour is from iron oxidation. Tried trail but too close to edge. Back to Cedar City, Hwy 147 - 14 for dinner @ Godfather's Pizza. Back to hotel for night. More postcard writing. Child of the Heavyfoots above us ~ Stompy-boy! Grrr...
Mileage: 2087.2

Day 9 (Sunday):
Sleep-in day! (for Joe...) Stompyboy woke me. More postcards. Pack car & breakfast @ Denny's!
On hwy to Rachel (passing over more mock cattle guards). Hwy 56/319 - 93 - 318 (1/2 mi.) - 375 to Rachel. Whole lotta nothin' out here~ except unmarker dirt roads... Little Al'e'inn tacky beyond belief. Had Alien burgers & bought junk. Back onto Hwy 375 - 318 - 93 - I-15 to Vegas. Checked in not easy if self park. Saw L&R when got off elevator!
Crashed for a while (I had headache). Then down to casino to check it out & pick up Mystere tickets. Back to room 17092 for nap b4 dinner & show. Dinner @ Kahunaville (just starters) ~ got twist tie in my spring rolls. Free.
Mystere awesome!! Clown 'leading' people to their seats, big baby & his ball ~ 'Mama!!', guy flying over audience holding onto straps, 3 acrobats w/ suess-like headpieces who kept waving them, 4 poles w/ acrobats hanging on w/ one leg & jumping between them, glittery bungee trapezers, & triple trampoline! Wow!!! Joe blown away by 'those 2 dudes'.
Back to room & reading until 1:30.

Day 10 (Monday):
Woke up when Leah & Ross call @ 9:50!! Shower & meet them for breakfast @ 10:30. Go to their room (17065) & Ross @ Starbucks getting latte! Breakfast @ Cafe w/ L&R and Gerry. Eggs benedict all round (except Joe ~ giant bran muffin). Then take Leah to hairdresser - hi to Gael.
Then to Costco for gas, Office Depot for stylus & to internet cafe... Sort of. Scuzzy computer room above bail bonds place. Needed bath! Post office for stamps & back to hotel. Ben & Jerry's ice cream & coffee. Back to room to get ready for Brad & Gael's wedding. Chapel lovely w/ seating for about 50-60. Gael crying as she came in on Carole's arm. Short service (punctuated by Gael's crying & giggling) ~ liked what the officiant said about the rings. Then up to Penthouse # 1 for drinks & view. Bus to Buca for dinner. More wine/beer & a _TON_ of food: antipasto of pizza, garlic bread & Caesar salad. Then dinner: tortolloni, ravoli, chicken Marcela & veal parmesan. Ugh!!! Lots of photos & laughter. Then cake! Gael & Brad made cds for guests. Back to penthouse @ 10:30 for one last drink & views. To room to digest!!!

Day 11 (Tuesday):
Up @ 10 & called L&R. Arranged to meet @ SB @ 11. Wrote more postcards. L&R late... Joe got us Krispy Kreme donuts. L&R arrive ~ coffee & yak before setting out. To Mirage by tram & look @ tiger. Walk over to Bellagio ~ stop for beers @ pub. Then to Mirage by tram. Next to NYNY so Leah & I can ride roller coaster!!! ($8 w/coupon) Rode in back then rode in front second time ($5 for re-ride)!!! Whoo hoo! Leah loved it ~ Ross doesn't like them much either. Over to MGM Grand to get tickets to George Carlin. Along to M&Ms store!! So many colours! Had dulce de leche too. Bough some, of course. Stopped @ cafe @ Coke store for lunch: Leah needed fries, Ross had burger, Joe SW chicken salad & I had beef dip.Back to hotel ~ it's HOT!!! Temp: 112°F w/ 16% humidity! Bought Mystere shirt. Back to room where Joe clogged toilet! Yay! Post-card to clinic.
Nap for Joe then out @ 7:45 to MGM. Took tram to Mirage then walked to Bally's & took tram to MGM. Took over an hour! Then show! Opening act very funny & great guitar player. George funny: did 10 commandments & people who should be killed. Walked back to the hotel which took 2 hours. Went into Alladin, Paris & Venetian. Paris very nice.
Back to hotel ~ exhausted & hungry. Ate @ Cafe (shared bbq chicken wrap) then to bed.

Day 12 (Wednesday):
Up @ 9:45 ~ called L&R. Have plans w/ Carol, meet up around 3? Wrote Las Vegas pc to Mom & Dad.
Down to SB for coffee & yummies. Back up to room for 2N's. :-) Slept until 2 then bathe & message to L&R that we'll be in SB.
L&R come down to SB. Ice Cream @ Ben & Gerry's then over to Venitian to look around. Gondola rides: $15 / person! Walked around shops then back to Treasure Island for margs @ Kahunaville w/ L&R. Back to room before dinner :-)
Meet R&L @ their room & walk to Mirage to eat @ California Pizza Kitchen. Yum! Ate & yakked until 11pm. ßack to casino @ TI to see Gerry still playing the slots. Won $7700 that morning after winning $600! Was up $200 when we got there. Joe & I spent $20 in slots: he won $20 & I won $88.50!! Back to room to pack.
Mileage: 2449

Day 13 (Thurs. July 11):
Up @ 7:30, shower, finish packing, fill ice chest & pack car. Down to check out then chat w/ Jerry while wait for L&R. Eat w/ L&R as Gael, Brad, Bruce, Bill & Carol all come by. Got to say 'bye' to everyone. Ross' web page: www.fer-ociousproductions.com.
On the road again. I-15 - 215 - 515 - 93 over Hoover Dam to Kingman. I-40 / 93 to Wickenburg. on 'Joshua Forest Freeway' w/ (duh!) Joshua Trees. Went through Wothing AZ Saguaro cactuses everywhere!! And troll doll hair cactuses & prickly pear . Stopped to have ice cream & get out of car in Wickenburg @ The Chaparral. Agate Shop-like. Hwy 93 - to (end) Hwy 60 - 101 - I-10 thru Phoenix to Tucson.
Arrived @ Day's Inn @ $44 / night. Up to room: so tired. Ordered Chinese food & did 2 loads of laundry. Joe finished his book.
Mileage: 2833

Day 14 (Friday, Tucson):
Up @ 8ish, showered & down for breakie. Leave @ 10am, gas up & air in tires. To Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum ~ twisty road into desert & Saguaro cacti everywhere!! Some look sick & have lots of holes in them. Arrived & had coupon for 1 free. Into park around 10:50 or so. Into fishes & amphibians exhibit ~ cute frogs! Then into reptiles & invertebrates: cool snakes & icky bugs! Ranger in ramada w/ great info on saguaro cacti. Holes for nesting birds. Creates a 'boot' inside cactus, as long as birds don't penetrate ribs doesn't hurt the cactus. Often when one bird done, another will use boot. Saguaro only grow from seed & must be 60 years old & at least 10 feet tall before it will flower or grow an arm. The small cactus on her table was 18 years old! Will live to about 100 to 200 years old. Other plants were ocatillo (troll doll hair), barrel & organ pipe cactuses, teddybear cholla, jojoba etc. Rangers favorite is jojoba ~ leaves turn all day so sun only ever shines on edge, & the wax / oil derived from the nut is used in cosmetics so saved sperm whale, & what's leftover after pressing nut is an appetite suppressant! Wow!
Went through other exhibits: saw bear, mountain lion parrots, & prairie dogs! So cute! Then through desert loop trail (so hot! But water fountains around trails & cool!) ~ saw cats snoozing in cat canyon w/ a loud squirrel chirping , & javelinas!! Took a while to find them but then came out of shade/hiding. Couldn't see any coyotes, though. Very hot on trail. Wilting. Found restaurant & ate lunch @ around 2. I had chicken breast burger w/ prickly pear plum sauce (tingly!) & onion rings, Joe had turkey wrap. Back out to the walk in aviary. Got to see cardinal, cactus wrens, ducks, doves, Gambels' quail w/ 7 4-5 day old chicks!! Mom had to protect them from a snake & other quails! Saw more birds than we could identify but got lots of photos. Back out to trails & to gift shop. Joe got shirt & we got postcards & fridge magnets.
Too tired for anything else so headed back to hotel. Stopped @ Costco for water & drinks. Back to room ~ Joe naps while I update trip diary. Jacuzzi bath for me ~ aaah…
Dinner @ Cracker Barrel: I had tortilla soup & ribs, Joe had fish & chips. Fur dessert, shared lemon icebox pie. Browsing thru store: got treats for the road & borrowed a book on tape.
Back to room for more postcards & bed.
Mileage: 2885

Day 15 (Saturday):
Up @ 6 to get early start. Today we'll lose 2 hours: one when we leave Arizona (which doesn't participate in daylight savings time) & the other when we clear west Texas. Listened to The Cat Who Smelled A Rat to El Paso. Stopped for lunch @ 1:30 in El Paso @ Cheddars. Tons of food.
Back on road again. Lynda napped for about 1/2 hour. Into Central Time zone. Drive, drive, drive. Stop once to switch drivers. Yes, I got to drive! Drove to Ft. Stockton & stopped for dinner @ McDonald's then Joe took over again. Lots of windmills between Ft. Stockton & Bakersfield. Stopped @ Best Western (3 diamond for $52.) for night in Ozona. About 7 hours drive from home.
Mileage: 3539.6

Day 16 (Sunday):
Up, showered, breakfasted & gone by 9:20. Joe drove to Roosevelt then I drove to San Antonio. Blue Lexus speeder got caught! Circuitous route around town. Stopped for lunch @ Country Pride restaurant in TravelCenter America.
Bad back up due to (cleared) accident around Flatonia. Really bad rain near Harris county. Home Again! One quick stop at HEB Pantry for moo etc. & home sweet home.
Total Mileage: 3942

San Antonio | Ottawa | New Orleans* | Newfoundland
BC 2001 | Vegas Baby!

*coming soon

Last Updated: 020823