Zion National Park / St. George / Las Vegas, Nevada (April 30)

Odyssey Unlimited description of today's activities: 

En route to Las Vegas today, we stop in St. George, Utah, site of the winter home of Mormon leader Brigham Young and where the Mojave Desert, Colorado Plateau, and Great Basin converge in a stunning setting. We have time to explore and have lunch on our own before we continue on to Las Vegas, arriving late this afternoon. Tonight, we celebrate our Southwestern sojourn at a farewell dinner.

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Under cloudy skies, we rolled out of Springdale on the last leg of our tour - destination Las Vegas.

We descended into Utah's Dixie, so named for the area's history of cotton growth. 

We arrived in St. George, Utah at one edge of the Virgin River Gorge.  We were here to see Brigham Young's Winter Home & Office.  We were welcomed into Brigham Young's office where we received a history lesson from a Mormon minister on a sabbatical from his church in Georgia.

note the circled telegraph equipment connected by the straight line

From there we when into the living quarters.  It was of some interest, but nothing special and the small rooms made it crowded and for those of us who hung back, purely out of courtesy of course, hard to hear our guide (who was the minister's wife).  It would have been crowded back in the day had Brigham Young visited here with his 55 wives, but according to our history lesson he only came with the same one, year after year.

Before returning to the bus we had time to wander around the area and have lunch.  The former was uninteresting and the latter passed too quickly, finding us all gathering back at the bus awaiting our driver and guide so we could be on our way.  

As we rolled down the road to Las Vegas, our guide had us play Two Truths & A Lie. Incredibly, not everyone guessed that I did not graduate first in my class at MIT.

HELLO VEGAS !!!

We drove through the business district and historical part of the city, known as Downtown Las Vegas. While historical, and attempting to make a comeback as a tourist attraction, we were cautioned that it was a seedy, somewhat dangerous part of the city.

We continued on to The (Vegas) Strip, driving down its entire length before going to our hotel - The Westin Las Vegas. The hotel was located about a five-minute walk from The Strip and did not have a casino.  The former was a nuisance, but the latter made the hotel less chaotic than those that do. In other words, it was a more functional than fun hotel, but served our needs.

Our room was not ready, so we walked up to the strip for a brief orientation before returning, checking in and getting ready for our tour-end dinner.

At the dinner, our guide and driver gave out several awards.  Pam & I had the dubious distinction of winning the less than coveted Heaviest Bags Award. This was a bit of a surprise.  We had been careful to keep our bags under the designated weight while still bringing some clothes so that we could dress a bit more formally for a venue either side of the tour.  Ironically, although we wore those clothes because we brought them, a bit more research would have saved us that weight.  We were at the high end of attire (i.e.overdressed) at both of them.

It was a fun tour group.  We all went our own ways wishing each other well.

Las Vegas (May 01)

Tuesday, May 1

Our tour having ended, we have now back to planning our own agenda.

In the morning we wandered over to the Bellagio Hotel to orient ourselves for our return that evening to see Cirque du Soleil "O".  We then ambled along The Strip for a while.

For lunch, we went to the Stratosphere Hotel in Downtown Las Vegas.  Pam & I like to walk and from The Strip it did not appear to be that far away, be we took a cab having been warned that this was an optical illusion.  As the street blocks rolled by, we were glad that we had paid attention the voice of experience. 

We had a luncheon reservation at the Top of the World restaurant.  Visibility was good.  As the restaurant's floor slowly rotated, we had a nice meal with an every-changing view.  It sure is flat for a long way in any direction.

We saw someone jump off the top floor of the spire.  It did not spoil our appetite since the jumper was tethered and therefore avoided becoming a stain on the asphalt far below.  We did agree that it would be wise to only do it on an empty stomach.  We ate more...rapidly.

There are several thrill-seeker rides on the top of the spire.  Upon returning to Marion, we learned that one of the bartenders at our yacht club has done them all and make the jump, too.

We headed back to the hotel for a luncheon-coma nap.

In the evening, we saw "O".  It was an amazing show. There were often multiple things happening at once.  Pam & I agreed that we could see the show three or more times without spotting all of its components. 

Leaving the Bellagio, we watched two fountain performances and did some more people watching before returning to our hotel. 

 We had a light dinner in the bar with a couple from Wilmington, NC we met on our national parks tour.

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While I took lots of pictures in Las Vegas, coming up with ones that were unique or even interesting was a bit of a challenge.  For the most part, I failed.

Bryce Canyon National Park / Zion National Park (April 28)

Odyssey Unlimited description of today's activities: 

We depart this morning for Zion National Park, another celebrated Utah destination. Upon arrival mid-day, we have lunch on our own then begin our visit at Zion’s nearby visitor center, where we learn about this inimitable region, which encompasses four separate biomes: desert, riparian (or riverbank), woodland, and coniferous forest. Zion itself is so named for the 15-mile-long, 2,500-foot-deep Zion Canyon cutting through the park’s western half. We get our first taste of Zion’s wonders this afternoon then have the evening free for dinner on our own

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Departing the yet-to-become-a-megalopolis of Bryce Canyon City, we made a quick stop at the edge of the park in an area called Red Canyon where Butch Cassidy frequently hid.  

We backtracked along the road we came in heading southwest until we got close to Mt. Carmel Junction where we turned onto the road to Zion. At the turnoff we passed the Thunderbird Restaurant with a neon sign advertising "Ho Made Pies.  Our guide explained that although the butt of an ever increasing number of snickers over the years, it was not intended as a joke.  At the time it went up, neon signs were very expensive, so the shop saved some money by shortening "home" to "ho".  Whatever the value-added it provided to their business at the time, the number of people who stop there these days 'just because' made a short-term frugal signage decision a long-term wise investment.

We rolled on into Zion National Park at the east entrance and along the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway. (I checked - the name is the same regardless of which direction you're going.)  We passed magnificent scenery. 

We transited the 1.1 mile Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel, getting momentary glances through venting windows.

vent holes from the inside-out and outside-in

rock climbers are circled in white

We descended into the park valley through some serious switchbacks, then drove to the Zion Lodge.  In the distance were the Great White Throne and Angels Landing, both serious ascents.

The weather forecast for tomorrow not being promising, we went on two hikes today.  

The first hike was on the Emerald Pools Trail.  We were able to walk from the lodge to the trail head.  Once on the trail, there was some rise and uneven footing in places, but it was far from challenging.  The hike was fine and the Emerald Pool picturesque, but neither were anything special.

In the interest of time, we had lunch at the Castle Dome Café, nice name for a crowded food court with a long line, long wait after ordering and limited seating to eat mediocre food.  

The second hike was on the Riverwalk Trail.  Our bus not being permitted to transport us to destinations within the park, we took a shuttle bus from Zion Canyon Lodge to the last stop - Temple of Sinawava.

We got to the end of the trail, or more specifically the feet-dry portion of it.  To continue, it would have been necessary to walk about a half-mile in chilly river water.  This wading is part of the trail, but due to the height and velocity of the water, it was not allowed.. There was not much to see, so a few minutes later, we turned around and followed the trail back to the tram stop.  This hike was more about the walk than the destination.

Perhaps the most interesting thing at the end of the trail.  

When we returned to the lodge, we boarded our bus for the trip to our hotel - Hampton Inn & Suites Springdale/Zion National Park.  

For dinner we walked to Jack's where we had an informal, good dinner.

Zion National Park (29)

Odyssey Unlimited description of today's activities: 

We spend the day amid the wondrous natural world of Zion National Park. Despite its modest size, Zion counts as one of the most diverse national parks in the United States. Deserts and forests, rivers and canyons, buttes and natural arches all greet us here, along with numerous plant and animal species. As with most of the Southwest, the area is dominated by red-rock bluffs that show eons of sediment buildup; indeed, the rock formations here represent about 150 million years of geological history. We take a guided hike and have ample free time for exploration and lunch on our own. This evening we enjoy dinner together at our hotel.

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With rain threatening, we returned to the park this morning in the hope of walking the Weeping Rock Hiking Trail before the precipitation began. Our bus dropped us at the entrance to the park where we caught the tram, riding it to Stop #7.

False

As we rode the tram back to the South Entrance, it started to rain, then pour.  We sprinted across the parking lot to Zion Canyon Brew Pub where we had a good lunch.

We rode the Springdale shuttle from the South Entrance back to our hotel where we had a relaxing afternoon, including a fun impromptu gathering by the pool.  We walked across the lawn to the Switchback Grille where we enjoyed a group dinner.  Leaving the hotel, it was raining hard enough to accelerate our walk back to the hotel.

Bryce Canyon National Park (April 27)

Odyssey Unlimited description of today's activities: 

Despite its name, Bryce isn’t truly a canyon at all, but a series of natural cliffs and amphitheaters carved into the region’s plateaus. The result: a stunning array of hoodoos, natural stone pillars and spires reminiscent of a child’s drip sand castle, as we see today. Thousands of these delicate structures stand side by side along the canyon’s ridge lines, lending a dramatic atmosphere to this remote location. In the park’s visitor center, we see a film about the unusual geology here then have the day free to explore at our own pace. Our full day of natural splendor concludes with dinner together tonight.

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Our hotel was located in ambitiously named Bryce Canyon City - population 224.  It is just outside the Dixie National Forest in which is Bryce Canyon National Park. 

We began our day in a horse-drawn wagon for a trip to the canyon rim.  

I hoped for...

...but got...

...which still made Pam happy.

The whole thing was a bit hokey, but the driver's stories were amusing and the views nice.  

After our wagon ride, we boarded our bus. Once inside the park, we went 11 miles to the southern end, climbing to 8,627 feet. There were patches of snow on the ground.

We were told that as recently as three weeks ago some of the roads in the park were impassable. 

Our first stop was Natural Bridge (which should be "arch" because it was formed by erosion rather than moving water).

As we drove toward our next stop, Bryce Point, we passed a forest fire area, the fire having been started by a lightning strike several years ago. 

Bryce Canyon has a lot of unique geology.  The amazing rock formations are called hoodoos.  The dolomite caps allow the Navajo Sandstone to erode away leaving the hoodoos.

note the walkers wading through mud and snow

It was one great view after another all the way to Sunrise Point.

We returned to Ruby's Inn General Store for late lunch on our own at the Cowboy's Buffet & Steak Room.  We then did some shopping in the massive general store before returning to the hotel for the afternoon.

  

We had a good dinner in the park at Bryce Canyon Lodge. The lodge was quaint, but did not offer a view of the hoodoos. We arrived close to dark.  By the time we headed back to the hotel it was pitch black and getting chilly.