Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is fun, in small doses. I'm staying in Henderson again, trying a different hotel. Comfort Inn had an offer on. Just £40 for a suite and full breakfast. Can't be bad.

A nice pool which I always had to myself.

I did venture onto the Strip this time. It was chaotic, lots of new building going on. A big casino next to Ballys was being dismantled brick by brick.

Parking at the Paris was not easy without Diane's handy little notebook. Finally got there.

It's incredibly hot. When I left at 9.15 pm it was still 99 degrees in old money.

It's hard to get a photograph with no one in it!

Inside Caesars.

The Fountains of Bellagio are always on the list.

This time they were dancing to Shania Twain.

Next morning I weighed the suitcases and I was a couple of kg under. Time to visit Quiltique again!

I took my finished quilt top to show them. It has 1296 pieces in it.

Andrea had finished the one she was working on too.

It was nice to see them all again but now it's time to go home. Sad farewells to Dora who has been brilliant for each of the almost 2000 miles we have driven. There were a lot of U turns and I will not miss the 'right lane must turn right' sign but otherwise no problems at all.

Until next year!

Diet starts tomorrow.

 

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Cedar City, Utah

When you ask google how far it is from A to B don't forget to put driving into the search. Otherwise google will think you are an eagle. The journey from Grand Junction to Cedar City was much longer than I expected!

After only 20 miles Dora and I are in Utah. The landscape is quite different. My children called them crazy rocks.

It's a bit bleak.

I stopped in Green Springs for a break. A river in the middle of the desert.

Then an exciting drive through the San Rafael Reef.

 

Yes they are pretty crazy rocks.

 

Butch Cassidy hid around here after his various crimes. I tuned into Outllaw Country Radio. First track is Bruce Springsteen singing 'pay me my money down'.

No wonder they couldn't find him. No petrol or services for 120 miles.

Finally we arrive in Cedar City. It looks nice.

Quick meal at Sizzler.

Stroll down the Downtown area, apparently Cedar City was founded by an Englishman. Here he is.

This is the reason I am in Cedar City.

For the last 50 years they have held a Shakespeare festival here.

They have built a replica of the Globe in London.

I've been to the Globe. It's not exactly the same but its nice.

This is backstage.

Everyone was in costume.

I saw Loves Labours Lost. You couldn't take photographs during the performance. It was great fun. I'm sure they changed some of the words and they updated it to Regency times. Despite being late it was really warm so the fact that there was no roof wasn't a problem.

The cast invited everyone in the audience to come back in the morning for coffee and to chat about the performance.

But I'm heading for my last stop. Las Vegas!

 

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Grand Junction, Colorado

Trail Ridge Road ends at Grand Lake on the western side of the Rockies. It is the largest natural lake in Colorado.

The town is full of tourists. It's nice but not as nice as Estes Park.

The lake is beautiful. It is part of the Colorado River which flows down here from that meadow.

Oh dear, the luggage is getting heavier.

After Grand Lake I decided to do another cross country short cut to avoid Vail and the Eisenhower tunnel. I followed the Colorado all the way down to the Interstate 70.

 

The Colorado countryside is beautiful, rolling hills and huge ranches.

Down at the I 70 the railway and the interstate and the river share the narrow gorges. Here the road is 'double - decker', like that awful bridge leaving San Francisco.

Finally arrived at Grand Junction and the hotel is right in the middle of Downtown.

There are statues on every corner just like in Pueblo. It's all part of a national initiative called AOTC. Art on the Corner!

He is huge!

There is a strong cycling theme here.

Not art but fun!

I found this lovely bagel cafe and sat there for ages using their wifi.

And eating bagels!

 

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Trail Ridge Road, RMNP

On our first trip to Disney World in Florida Henry and I stood for ages outside the Tower of Terror trying to find the courage to go on the ride. We did it (never again) and we bought the tee shirts. As I ate my breakfast looking up at the mountains I had the same feeling. Trail Ridge Road is one of the highest continuously paved roads in the world.

I set off really early to avoid traffic. I didn't want to hold everyone up as I crawled up the mountain.

It was a beautiful day. At the entrance to Trail Ridge Road sits this drive through coffee shop. They served chicken fried latte! No I didn't try it.

The Ranger in the booth said that Trail Ridge Road was clear and that I would be fine, just to take care around Rainbow Curve and that 'it only lasts for a few seconds'...

On the way up there are plenty of pull-ins so that you can take in the amazing scenery

About half way up, looking back at the road.

I stopped just before Rainbow curve.

As you can see there are low walls here but the stretch shortly after this had a sheer drop and no walls. For more than a few seconds.

I didn't stop to photograph it.

Now I am at the Tundra level.

This is what that means.

The landscape is glacial.

This is how I know.

No cars around but there are bikes! Good grief!

Next stop is the Forest Canyon overlook.

We are now above the tree line. Me and the elk that is.

And above the snow.

And above the trees, and some of the clouds.

Welcome to the Alpine Ridge Visitor Centre.

What a relief.

It is freezing up here and very quiet.

Lovely shop and cafe.

 

Coffee with an amazing view.

The road is closed for most of the year because of snow.

It opened in 1932.

It's getting busier now.

 

On the way down I crossed the Continental Divide and a boggy meadow where the mighty Colorado River has its source.

It's nowhere near as scary going down.

Oh, and I bought the tee shirt!

 

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