Las Vegas -- shh

Stratosphere roof top pool; not quite like the Monticeto.

New York, New York Coaster

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas; suffice to say the kids got kicked out of a Las Vegas lounge club.

Pawn Stars pawn shop is the real deal on the strip

P.S. Big Elvis is still big!

Four Corners to Grand Canyon

Thanks to Dad's smooth driving and nerves of steel we made it to the Grand Canyon on July 31st. On our way, passing any tractor trailer or RV that was in our way, we swept through the praries, plains, and dessert to make it to another national landmark - Four Corners, U.S.A. Doug had been looking forward to stand in one spot and be in four different states(Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado) since he heard about it in grade school; unfortunately it did not live up to his expectations. Four Corners Monument is managed by Navajo Nation and is currently under renovation so the monument itself was not accessible, however you could walk around the borders of the small park and make it through all 4 states in a matter of 5 minutes, which is just enough time to see the arts and craft stalls set up by the locals.

Four Corners Monument

As we continue on our way to Cameron Trading Post, just outside the Dessert View entrance to the Grand Canyon, we are all getting excited to get out of the car again! Established in 1916, the Cameron Trading Post is an authentic Indian trading post, and a pleasant stop in the middle of nowhere. The general store is flanked by a post office, Native American art gallery, restaurant, hotel and gas station -- everything you need, all in one place.

Sunset at Cameron Trading Post

At the rim

Whoa, that's deep!

Hazy, but beautiful.

The views were spectacular! The colors in the different layers reveal 100's of millions of years of history. It's not easy to capture in one snapshot. It was definately worth the trip, once.

Lost Springs, Wyoming

As we fly home today, 30 thousand miles above the roads, moutains and parks we visited, I realize that it's not much different down there than it is up here. Up here in the seemingly infinite sky is one plane, while down there moving over the miles and miles of road ways are the occassional tour bus, trailer, RV or car crammed with a family's vacation worth of "stuff." Over the course of the last 15 days and 4,300 miles, we have accummulated our share of souvenirs. As we packed our bags last night and tried to squeeze as much stuff in our bags as we could, we were able to get it all into the original bags we packed, plus one more carry-on. Way to go us!

This trip made me realize, as I thought it might, how much there is to see in this country, and how much space is in between it all! The "in between" is just as fascinating as the places to see and the things to do. As we drove on the seemingly endless two lane highways, I wonder where one plot ends and where another one begins, where the "driveways" lead to in the unseen distance, how frequently someone drives down to their mailbox, and how many miles the UPS truck has logged on the lonesome desserted roads. As we drove along one such road, Highway 20 in Wyoming at the posted speed of 75mph, we passed through Lost Springs. With a bar on one side of the road and a general store on the other, he/she must be one busy dude!

Could I live like that out in the middle of nowhere with no neighbors for miles and miles? No, not for too long. I think it's wonderful that someone does, although I hope they have a friend or two stop by or a really good calling plan without roaming fees! I can't imagine they ever get to leave town for very long without boarding everything up.

Arches National Park - out of this world!

I've never been to Rome or Greece to see ancient ruins, yet these massive rock formations at Arches National park that were created by natural forces made me think these are some of the world's most ancient ruins . Giant rocks look as though they rising from the earth, when they've actually been exposed from the top down by millions of years of weather and erosion. They look very much like massive Native American faces, totem poles, mammoth animals and tributes to gods rising from the earth to the sky. It made us pause and wonder if there aren't some other forces at work to create this unique space in the universe - maybe aliens!

The Balance Rock looks stategically placed and yet it seems like it is tetering on the edge ready to fall at any moment. Monica is a managing to keep it in just the right spot; hope her cellphone doesn't vibrate!






Arches National Park is one of the finest examples of the delicate balance of nature with over 2,000 natural sandstone arches. It was very different than anything we've ever seen anywhere else, especially in New England! Moab, Utah was just supposed to be a sleepover stop on our way from South Dakota to the Grand Canyon, yet it turned out to be a fantastic surprise for all of us.

Dreams Captured in Stone

Visiting monuments like these bring tears to my eyes. I am awed at the sheer will and determination necessary to see dreams and lives carved into stone. Mt. Rushmore exemplifies dedication to god, country and man more so than any other structure I've ever seen.



It was a terrifying drive to get here from Yellowstone as we drove over the Beartooth Scenic Byway(I-90). White-knuckled and praying all the way that we would make it up AND down and over AND around some of the most curvy and winding roads we have ever been on. We drove up several thousand feet into the snow-capped mountains on the narrowest roads still under construction! We now have a new found respect for the small luxuries of guard rails and breakdown lanes that we used to take for granted!



Pictures could not capture the momentary relief of getting out of the car. This wasn't even the highest point in the drive. The nightmare continued as we made our way down the other side. We blessed all the people who were working on this maze in the mountains and prayed for their safe completion of this project. If we were assigned this job, we would have quit on the first day!

Before getting to South Dakota we drove through a portion of Montana and stopped at the Little Bighorn Battlefield. Famous for Custer's last stand, Little Bighorn is also home to Custer National Cemetery where veteran's and their spouses were interred from 1886 through 1978. It was a quiet stop and a good place to stretch our legs during the 250 mile drive today. The kids learned a little bit about history that they don't talk about in school.

Custer Nation Cemetery

Mt. Rushmore-July 29, 2010

Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse are fantastic projects completed with the will and perseverance of man. It's hard for us to imagine what it was like for the people that worked and continue to work on these mountains. The tools alone were heavy, the dynamite was dangerous, the wild life encountered in the mountains must have been scary, and the weather was not always as pleasant as it was on our visit.

Their massive size of these pieces of art are only specks on the landscape surrounding them.

Crazy Horse Memorial in Black Hills of South Dakota

After seeing the monuments we had some fun at an old gold mine turned tourist trap in Keystone. The Big Thunder Gold Mine was first discovered in 1882. For nearly 32 years two gentlemen worked this mine searching for their lucky strike ultimately digging out about 10 ounces of gold; not too profitable! Ultimately these gentlemen were also munition experts who also worked in other mines and that's how they supported their hobby. The mine is now a fun activity for kids and families where we all had fun on the tour and then panned for gold. The kids discovered a few flecks of gold along with several pieces of pyrite. It was really quite a relaxing activity where we spent an hour or so swirling dirt, sand and rocks.

Getting ready for the tour of the gold mine

Later in the evening we returned to Mt. Rushmore for an evening ceremony at the monument. It was a solemn ceremony about the making of the monument, the leaders immortalized in stone, and a recognition of veterans that sacrificed to serve our nation and preserve our freedom.

You Smell Like a Geyser Basin

Another feature in Yellowstone that is practically unmatched anywhere else in the world is it's collection of geysers, and other thermal features. They are magnificent to view along side the road. You can see the steam coming up on the horizon as you drive along the roads leading you around the park.

As we get out of the car to view them up close, we are greeted with the "sweet" scent of hydrogen sulfide gas. The kids didn't care for the rotten egg smell and tried to cover their noses as we walked the trails around several different geyser basins. And so we coined the phrase, "you smell like a geyser basin" instead of "you stink."

Sulphur Caldron along the Yellowstone River

Bubbling Mud or Paint Pot

Cone

Spring

Grand Prismatic Spring

The colors and intensity of these sights is not easy to put into words. The pools of azure color water look so inviting, but would be dangerous to touch. The heat coupled with the low oxygen content make it difficult for most living creatures to survive here except the smallest bacteria and algae that contribute to the colors in this picture.

Sunrise at Yellowstone

As the sun begins to rise we are already out and about in Yellowstone National Park. It's a great time of day to see wild life and you feel like you have the whole place to yourself.

Yellowstone is huge. It covers more than 2 million acres and expands into 3 states. My husband and I have both agreed it is one of the most beatiful places we have ever been, and we've travelled many places over the years. It's just so pristine and even though millions of people visit, it is just maintained so well that it appears to be untouched by human hands.

There are grasslands, mountains, forests, lakes, rivers, streams, creeks, waterfalls and cascades, not to mention the geysers, steam holes, mud pots, natural springs, paint pots, and so much more! In our short time here we only scratched the surface of what there is to see and do. One of the best things about it, however, was the lack of t.v., cell service, and internet connection! That alone is worth the price of admission!
The animals you can see in Yellowstone are just as impressive as the land formations! We literally saw buffalo(a.k.a. bison) crossing the road, trotting along a river, and herds of them making their way across a valley.

One gentleman was so kind as to let us see through his monocular and showed us long horned sheep up on a mountain top, as well as both an adult bald eagle, and a juvenile bald eagle. We were also lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a black bear cub on the side of a hill! That was just the icing on the cake!