Day 19 - Salt Lake City

We left Bryce Canyon this morning around 9:00 and arrived in Salt Lake City mid-afternoon. We met my friend Bartly at the new Mormon temple for a tour. A rare opportunity to see the inside of a Mormon temple. It will be dedicated in August and the public will no longer be able to see the inside.

After checking into the hotel and refreshing a bit, Bartly and a friend picked us up and we went downtown Salt Lake City. Such a knowledgeable young man about the history of Salt Lake City and the Mormons. We first went to the State Capital building ... beautiful. We then had dinner overlooking temple square. Afterward we toured the Mormon tabernacle and the Conference Center.

It was so good seeing Bartly again. He was a student in the Planning Program at UVA and one of the nicest young men I know.

I haven't had much computer access recently and have lots of picture to post. I'll have to save that for another time or even after I get home. We need to get an early start tomorrow morning for Yellowstone. It's a long drive.

Okay ... a few from the past few days .... at the top of the page.

Days 16, 17 and 18 - Las Vegas - Bryce Canyon

Saturday, June 27
Wow! The Donny and Marie show was spectacular. Such energy. These now 50 year old performers can put on a show. We had great seats. As Linda said, we were so close you could see individual beads of sweat drip from Donny's forehead. They were funny and obviously enjoy working together. GREAT entertainers.
The Flamingo Hotel is really nice as well. A 15-acre area with palm trees and four pools. Pink flamingos are in the pool area (an island with three waterfalls) and all kinds of other critters.
We drove across Hoover Dam driving to Vegas. The weather from the Grand Canyon was good - light traffic until we reached the dam and Vegas.
I phoned Paul and April (my first cousin once removed) to let them know we had arrived in Vegas. Tomorrow, we'll go with them to the Hoover Dam, then to their house for dinner (ahhhh, a home cooked meal!), then down to the strip to see the lights and sounds of Las Vegas at night.
GREAT SHOW!

Sunday, June 28
111! 117! 108 in the shade! NEVER will I complain about the heat in Virginia, even when it reaches 100! I've heard so often that the dry heat in AZ, NV, etc. is not as bad as in Virginia (due to the lower humidity). BUT, I have to disagree. It has been HOT! Oh my goodness. 108 in the shade is HOT.
Today was very nice. This morning Linda took the monorail around Vegas while I walked over to
Caesar's Palace and walked around. Getting into Caesar's Palace was easy; finding an exit out was not. Paul said they planned it that way. The exits are set back so you can hardly seem them from most angles. Guess they want you to play the slots or spend money in the seemingly hundreds of shops. I thought I'd never find an exit. In fact I asked a sales clerk; she in turn asked another.
We met back at the Flamingo at noon and had a quick dinner at Margaritaville's. Paul and April picked us up a little after 1:00 and we headed out to Hoover Dam. It took just a little under an hour, until 4 miles from the Dam, then it took another hour to drive those last four miles. There is security for all cars crossing the dam sine 9-11.
Paul, April and Linda took the tour into the dam to see the generators. I chose to walk around the observation tower and the information center as well as the gift shop. The dam was amazing. I'm not particulary fond of elevators and the thought of taking an elevator down inside the dam wasn't appealing. I didn't mind hanging out on the top side though. I got a slushy after walking around it tasted mighty good.
Paul's truck was parked iin the garage and when we got in it the temperature read 108 (in the shade!!)
Paul stopped at an overlook for Lake Mead on the way out; it was amazing how low the water level is. If the water level continues to fall the situation is going to be dire. Even though Vegas uses a small percentage of water from Lake Mead, much of it is piped to California. Too bad they can't take some from Glen Canyon's Lake Powell, as their water level is rising.
We had dinner at Paul and April's then took a drive down "The Strip," starting where it begins on the north, all the way to where it ends on the south. We drove by the Pallagio at the right time -- the water show as going on; quite a site ... Just like Vegas, Quiet a sight!
A very enjoyable day.

Monday, June 29
Leaving Las Vegas. We got on the road at a decent hour. The trip should have been about 3 1/2 hours but it took about an hour longer as we stopped frequently in Zion National Park and as we drove to Bryce Canyon. The scenery was breathtaking.
The Grand Canyon was beautiful but Zion and Bryce are equally as beautiful, perhaps even more so in a different way. Zion was lots of red rocks and beautiful shapes, with lots of places to pull over and see. Bryce is different with "hoodoos" (rock formations that have formed "windows" but later the tops fall leaving tall columns.
We are staying at the Bryce Canyon Lodge, no air conditioning -- BUT -- unlike Vegas we are almost 900 feet up in altitude and the air is much cooler AND thinner. cough cough. We wlaked to Sunrise Point and Sunset Point today. Along the walk I read that 200 days of the year Bryce Canyon's temperature is below freezing. Don't think it was near that tonight but a far cry from the high temperatures in Vegas.
Paths meander through tall ponderosa pines. On the way back to the lodge from the rim tonight we were taking one of the paths and probably 8 to 9 feet from us a deer was grazing. I purposely coughed; he looked up and I think I got a pretty good picture.
Tomorrow is Salt Lake City and the afternoon and dinner with a former Planning student, Bartly. He's taking us on a tour of a new Mormon temple that has not opened yet, so it'll be a rare occasion. We'll actually get to see inside a Mormom temple.

Day Fifteen - Grand Canyon and Friends

This morning started off with Linda and I driving up to the Canyon and meeting Bruce and Joan (my best friends), Joey and Brenda (Joanie's brother) and Phyllis and Doug (friends) for breakfast. Having been on the road two weeks now it was SO nice having a piece of home ... . They were in Vegas yesterday and late in the day took a train to the Canyon. They headed back to Vegas this afternoon and we might even have a chance to catch up with each other again tomorrow night when Linda and I get to Vegas. This long on the road one gets a little homesick ... miss my family and my dogs!!! :)

I go to the beach almost every summer with Bruce and Joan and we get to view sunrises together. We didn't get to share one today but we did get to share some of the beauty of God's creation together!!

Linda hasn't been able to do much walking due to a hip/leg problem so I walked down a path into the Canyon a bit with Bruce and Joanie ... not far mind you, but far enough to say I was on the trail! Going down was so easy. I wanted to go further then decided to turn around. Oh my goodness!!! I thought I was in better shape. Didn't walk too fast or too far without stopping. Here, wherever one goes, a water bottle goes too. The water guide yesterday told us that the air is so dry, sweat evaporates before you know you're sweating so good hydration is important.

Today was probably the prettiest day we've had ... the smoke from the controlled burns was contained a bit due to an overnight rain and several times during the day heavy rains and t-storms blew in, and out, of the Canyon quickly. Beautiful beautiful day.

Hey! I saw two condors soaring today. Got some pictures AND a short video which I'll try and post. Once I get a faster connection I will do so IF I can't get them uploaded now.

It was a good day today. Tomorrow ... Vegas and Donny and Marie!!

Day Fourteen - Colorado River Float Trip

Whew! A long but rewarding day. Up at 5:00 to meet the bus at 6:00 to take us to the base of Glenn Canyon Dam for our smooth water raft trip down the Colorado River. The trip was a little over four hours long and went pretty near the north rim of the Canyon. We saw parts of the Grand Canyon we had not seen yet; it also went through Navajo country, pretty desolate land.

The day on the river was hot - around 104. We had to go through quite a few security checks when we reached the Glenn Canyon dam (because of 9-11) and down through a two mile long tunnel through the mountain rocks to the base of the dam. Along the river trip we made two stops ... one to see cliff writings, another for lunch. Both were welcomed breaks. The river water is a constant 47 degrees but dipping bandanas or towels in it then placing them around your neck was so refreshing. I even got my feet wet in the water of the Colorado River.

We saw quite a few elk on the trip this morning (and again this afternoon). The BIG one this morning was just feeding along the side of the road and took its time, just looking up right at us. By the time I grabbed my camera, the bus was pulling away ... nice shot of his back side though. His antlers looked like velvet!!

The raft trip itself was actually in the Glen Canyon part of the Grand Canyon. The trip ended at Lee's Ferry, where the Grand Canyon begins. The cliffs and walls of the canyon were magnificent. There is so much I thought about on the trip that I wanted to write. Now that I'm back at the hotel my mind isn't thinking of them all.

We got back to the hotel around 6:00 and went to a nice restaurant at the hotel. And for dinner, we ordered elk! Not bad really. Very tender.

Tomorrow morning we're heading back up to the Canyon. Bruce and Joanie are at one of the lodges there so we're meeting them for breakfast. One more full day here then we're off to Vegas early Saturday morning ... and the Donny and Marie show!! :)

I was finally able to upload some pictures.

Day Thirteen - Grand Canyon continued

Another nice day at the Canyon. Took more pictures but will have to post some later. We're heading to bed early as we have to catch a bus in the morning at 6:00 that will take us to our river trip destination. They say the entire adventure will take 11-12 hours. Bruce and Joan will be here at the Canyon tomorrow. Sure hope I can catch up with them. We've shared many a sunrise and sunset at the beach together; it would be nice to share one here at the Grand Canyon.

I hope also to post a picture here soon of a California condor. Linda took a picture with her camera and if I can get it to my computer I'll post it. Hopefully tomorrow we'll see lots of birds to post.

Day Twelve - GRAND CANYON

We are here!! Day 12 on the road and we have reached the Grand Canyon!!! It is all and more than I imagined. It's all I can do to take it in. I think I took about 300 pictures this afternoon alone. God's creation is awesome!!!

The National Park Service is doing a controlled burn to get rid of underbrush and it was quite hazy .... my eyes burned because of the smoke. Late afternoon a nice breeze came along and helped a bit. We stopped at several different vantage points and although some offer the same scenery it is different from one angle to another.

We're at a hotel just two miles from the south entrance and the drive into the park takes about 15 minutes. There are shuttle buses we plan to use tomorrow though. They run every 15 minutes and sure will save the hassle of finding parking places.

We rode down to the hotels on the rim and had dinner at one of them - the Bright Angel - I think it was. Our table was at the window overlooking the rim right at sunset. I went outside while the food was being prepared and took some pictures as the sun started going down. The scenery and color seemed to change every few seconds.

Even saw some wildlife. At one of the points a family was excitedly pointing to an object below ... naturally I walked over to see what it was and it was a ram far below. Got a picture of it too ... thank goodness for digital zoom. Coming out of the park a deer or elk (it was dark) was at the side of the road, about four feet from the car. That thing was as tall as the car and it's rack was bigger than any I've seen on a Virginia deer.

It's been a busy day and an emotional one to behold all the beauty of God's creation, the Grand Canyon. Thank goodness I have internet access so I can post each day. Thursday we'll be taking a smooth water raft trip. Tomorrow we're hoping to catch some of the programs offered by the park service. Condors are in the park now ... perhaps we'll have the good fortune to see one, or even an eagle or two.

Tomorrow is a new day. I look forward to new adventures at the Canyon.

Day 11 - Flagstaff, AZ

We left Santa Fe, NM around 9:00 this morning. The trip was nice. Beautiful weather. Linda's been saying she needed to get an oil change, probably in Flagstaff, but at our lunch stop she saw a guy with a Ford shirt and asked him if there was a Ford dealership nearby. There was. They graciously did an oil change AND washed the car. We were in and out in less than an hour. As we neared Flagstaff we finally started seeing trees again!!! The terrain has been flat and barren for days it seemed ... started in Texas Saturday, continued into Omaha, and even flatter in New Mexico and much of Arizona, so, yeah, days!! :)

Tonight went to the Lowell Observatory, one of the oldest observatories in the U.S. We arrived early and stayed late. It was still daylight when we arrived but they were showing Saturn through a 16 inch telescope. As day turned to dusk we again looked through the telescope and could see it more clearly, even seeing the rings around it as well as one of its moon. Very interesting. We also looked through a 24 in telescope -- HUGE -- and saw a cluster of stars called M-5, 26-billion light years away. Those telescopes were operated by computers and the telescopes would move along with the night sky. There was yet one more telescope, another 26-inch, but had to be moved by hand to track the star or object being followed and that one was showing one of the brightest stars, Arcturus. Hey, I didn't know any of this stuff, just learned it tonight. We were approximately 300 feet above Flagstaff at an elevation of 7,246 Feet!! The sky was beautiful and filled with God's creation. Despite all the talk and information heard last night about how the universe was formed, I know above all, it was God who created it and put each star and element in its place.

From our vantage point at the Observatory, we could see the San Francisco Peaks to our north. They are the tallest mountains in Arizon, with an altitude of 12,660 feet. We could see three of its prominent peaks. They looked pretty close.

An amazing part of the night at the Observatory, was while standing in line to see Arcturus, there was a man behind me and a very young fellow behind him. As often happens while standing in lines, conversations picked up. The young fellow was naming stars and constellations, etc etc. The man and I looked at each other in amazement. After a bit I asked the young fellow what grade he was in. He responded, "I just finished 4th and will be in 5th grade next year." Well now, that does go to show I am NOT smarter than a Fifth grader.

There were beautiful plants and flowers at the observatory as well.


Tomorrow -- THE GRAND CANYON!!!! Our main destination of the trip.

Days 9 and 10 - Amarillo TX and Santa Fe NM

Two busy days!!! Yesterday was Amarillo, TX. Today, Santa Fe, NM.

On the way from OKC to Amarillo, we stopped just on the east side of Amarillo at a Huge cross which also had twelve stations of the cross. The weather was threatening so it was a quick stop.

After arriving in Amarillo we grabbed a snack at a local restaurant then around 6:00 headed toward Palo Duro Canyon, 30-40 minutes out of Amarillo. Storms were in the area but the forecast said it would be clearing by 7:00. On the drive to the canyon we saw a rainbow in the distance. Everything is so flat in Texas (and even flatter in NM) that you could look behind you and see yesterday and in front of you into tomorrow, or so it seems. The rainbow didn't fade and we inched our way closer and closer to it. Finally I said to Linda, "we might even find the end of this rainbow." A few seconds later we were actually INside the rainbow itself. It ended in the road. We were surrounded by the brilliant colors of the rainbow. It was an errie feeling but one of the neatest things I've experienced. We're still looking for that pot of gold though. Linda thinks it might be under the hood of the car.

The outdoor drama, "Texas" was about 1000 feet at the bottom of Palo Duro Canyon, a steep 10% grade drive. Beautiful beautiful surroundings and a wonderful night of entertainment. We had signed up for the steak dinner before the play and it was actually pretty good. I think I've eaten my yearly quoto of red meat the past ten days. Barbeque or ribs practically everywhere we've been, though tonight in Santa Fe I finally had chicken!!!!

The drive from Amarillo to Santa Fe was amazing, at least to me. I've never seen landscape like what I saw today. Miles and miles of road that you can see in the distance ... so flat you think you're going to run off the edge of the earth. Once into NM the mesas were abundant. We both agree though that Virginia and Tennessee are the prettiest states we've seen.

Just outside of Amarillo, we saw the 10 cadillacs buried in the ground. Pretty amazing. And so many places along the way saw Wind Farms (groups of wind turbines).

We got into Santa Fe and streets were blocked off in the downtown area due to an arts festival. It took a bit of tricky maneuvering to get to the hotel. We're staying at the La Fonda on the Plaza, which is one of the historic hotels of America (if you have the book Historic Hotels of America, check it out on page 133). Like all the buildings in Santa Fe, it seems, it is made in the pueblo style of architecture.

After getting settled we walked around Santa Fe and the arts festivals. Lots of handmade crafts, many made by the local indians. Beautiful jewelry and garments. We're both tired tonight.

We were just getting use to Central Time and today crossed into Mountain time (two hours behind our Eastern time). We've been waking up around 6:00 so we'll probably be up at 5:00 (Mountain time) tomorrow.

Tomorrow is an overnight stop at Flagstaff, AZ and Tuesday .... Tuesday, the Grand Canyon!!!!!

Day Eight - Oklahoma City, OK

One week on the road now and Oklahoma City has been one of our favorite stops. Yesterday was a bit on the emotional side visiting the site of the 1995 federal building bombing. But today was uplifting. A visit to the Cowboy Hall of Fame and Museum, lots of good food, a swim in the pool and a ride on a boat taxi. The Cowboy museum had some beautiful art and sculptures on display as well as displays of cowboy life. Lunch was at Toby Keith's Bar and Grill ... great food, and dinner at Mickey Mantel's steak house .... more good food. After dinner we took a boat taxi around Bricktown. Lots of interesting sculptures along the way as well.

Tomorrow on to Amarillo, TX where we'll have another steak dinner before the play "Texas." My brother Weller recommended this outdoor play to us. It looks pretty interesting from all I've read. I'm not sure I'll get to post to the blog tomorrow night as we might be pressed for time upon arrival in Amarillo and it'll probably be late when we get back to the motel.

Days Six and Seven - Dallas TX and Oklahoma City

Stop over last night was in Dallas TX for an overnight at my cousin Michael's. (No internet connection there for me.) A nice restful stop. We didn't do any sightseeing, but it may have been a blessing in disguise. I got my first restful night of sleep. The trip to Oklahoma City wasn't all that long today.

I'm having trouble with internet connections here at the hotel today and hoping tomorrow will have it all worked out. But for now .... 6:00 p.m. Central time, here's the latest update of the trip.


This afternoon we went to the site of the Federal building that was bombed April 19, 1995. Goodness. I never expected to react the way I did. It was overwhelming. VERY emotional. 168 innocent people lost their lives to an act of domestic terrorism that day; 19 of them small children. The outside memorial chairs were beautifully done in memory of those individuals. Afterward we went inside to the museum. Several times I wanted to leave the exhibit because it was almost more than I could endure but I walked a little faster and made my way through.

I'm in the hotel lobby at the moment because I'm having trouble getting online in the room. I'll sign back on tomorrow to relay what we did tonight ... where we dined. Tomorrow I think we're going to the Cowboy Museum and Hall of Fame.

Day Five - Mt. Pleasant, TX

A more relaxing day today. The trip to Mt. Pleasant from Memphis took about six hours. Traffic was incredibly light and the day beautiful so we made good time. We stopped for lunch in Hope, AK ... kept an eye open for Bill Clinton to walk into the KFC. He didn't show. :)

When we arrived in Mt. Pleasant I phoned my friend Michael and he came to the hotel. We sat around the pool about two hours talking then went to dinner. After getting back to the hotel we all sat beside the pool again watching the bird activity. Different species than in Virginia ... AND ... I saw my first bald headed eagle in the wild!!! Wouldn't you know the camera was in our room though so, no pictures, just memories.

A nice break in the hectic schedule we've had the past few days.

Heading to Dallas, TX tomorrow to visit my cousin Michael and family. We may take their high speed train system to downtown Dallas and visit the site of JFK's assassination. Depends on whether we're up to it. Another slow day might be nice. Michael said his wife Tina has fixed homemade salsa for some frititas (sp?) tomorrow night. Looking forward to seeing them. Since we won't be at a hotel tomorrow night I doubt I'll be able to post here. Tomorrow Dallas, then on to Oklahoma City.

Day Four - Memphis, TN

We had a little rain today traveling from Nashville to Memphis. Nothing major thank goodness. We settled into the hotel then headed for Graceland, home of Elvis. Had lunch in a little 50's diner before the tour. Stood in line about 30 minutes waiting for the shuttle to go across the road to the little mansion. Like many people have said, it wasn't a large place but quite interesting to see the house and grounds. After all, it was part of Elvis' legacy. :) It was HOT, hovering around 100. A heavy rain early this evening has cooled things down a bit.

With the CMA Fanfest in Nashville last week and over the weekend the crowd at Graceland was quite heavy. Lots of Elvis' cars were on display, even his private planes.

Tonight we ate at Neely's BBQ. Yep, "The" Neely's from the Food channel. They had just returned from a book tour and were taking a few days off, but brother Tony was there and came around to each table to chat a bit. A light crowd but perhaps the storms and rain kept them away. Good BBQ but we ate at Corky's BBQ in Nashville yesterday and they were equally good.

It was a fun day. Tomorrow off to Mt. Pleasant, TX to stay overnight and have dinner with my friend Michael. Wednesday Dallas TX and overnight with my cousin Michael. I don't know if I'll have access to internet at either place but every chance I have to sign on and write on this blogspot I will do so. Most places have internet access but some places don't.

Day Three - Nashville, TN

Today we visited the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in downtown Nashville. (I'm the little person at the far end of the museum's name.) The CMA annual Fanfest was going on as well, so there was LOTS of activity going on. There were three "girls" on a stage being interviewed by someone so I suggested to Linda that we sit down and see if they were going to sing. The minute I sat down I saw they were one of my favorite contemporary singing group that has recently started doing some crossover to country ... Point of Grace!!! Pretty cool.

We sat at a picnic table to rest and there was a group nearby signing autographs and having pictures taken, "The Lost Trailers". I'm not familiar with them but people were pretty excited. I walked around several blocks and streets were blocked off and tents and activity everywhere. Today was the last day of the Fanfest so things were quieting down.

The museum and hall of fame was quite interesting as well.

We had lunch and dinner with Linda's high school friend, Patty, who lives here in Nashville. Tomorrow it's on to Memphis and Graceland.

Day Two - Nashville TN

Mountain City, TN yesterday, population 2,408. Tonight, Nashville, TN, population over 600,000. A bit of a difference in the traffic to say the least.

The weather was good again today for our travel. We left Boone, NC at 9:10 (EDT) where we stayed overnight and arrived in Nashville 4:10 (EDT) (but we saved an hour as we're now in the Central Time Zone so new time was 3:10. After a QUICK change at the hotel we headed for Nashville toward the Grand Ole Opry. We ate at a restaurant called Tony Romo's, REALLY good food.

The Opry was very enjoyable, lots of old-timers (and some new) but the music was familiar and enjoyable. And yes, Little Jimmy Dickens is still very much alive and kicking at age 88!! Other performers of the night were The Whites, Mandy Barnett, Charley Pride, Connie Smith, Jim Ed Brown, Mel Tillis, Pam Tillis, Bill Anderson, Jean Shepard and Tracy Byrd, along with several I didn't recognize. Tomorrow we're catching up with Linda's friend from high school for some sightseeing of the area. Then Monday heading to Memphis and Graceland.

I'm tired tonight. It's been a busy day. Didn't sleep well last night so hopefully will make up for it tonight.

On the Road - Day One

We got out of Dodge (Charlottesville) around 9:40 this morning. Two hours later we stopped for lunch at a Cracker Barrel near Christianburg, VA. We had a few rain drops along the way, otherwise the weather was beautiful.

I told Linda that last night I prayed three things for this trip: (1) safety in travel for ourselves and those around us, (2) good weather), and (3) that when we get home, we'll still be friends. Oh yes, and (4) that we'll take lots of good memories home with us.

After checking in at the hotel in Boone, NC and getting about 30 minutes rest, we headed out for Mt. City, TN, a 30-minute trip, to fix dinner for Linda's 88 year old aunt. What a delightful, spunky lady! A Tennessee mountain woman for sure! A typical lady of people from her era. Sharp wit. Sharp mind. And ... an ELVIS fan!

Her walls were covered with pictures of her children, her grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren and she told me everyone's name and how old they are! And of course, there were also pictures of Elvis. While Linda and her cousin prepared dinner, Aunt Lee and I sat and talked. She said she had never been to Graceland but always wanted to go. I promised her we would send her a postcard from there. She smiled a huge smile.

The scenery between Boone, NC and Mt. City, TN was spectacular. And I thought we had a mountain called Afton Mt. back home. What we saw today made Afton Mt. look small.

Tomorrow it's on to Nashville, TN and a night of culture at the Opera. Oops I spelled that wrong; it should be ... O-P-R-Y. :)