Boulder City (2 nights)
123 miles
After a large burrito for breakfast we were ready to go. As we were only travelling about 80 miles we decided to go via Red Rock Canyon - a good decision. We had a couple of short stops at other places that sounded interesting before we got there.
We ended up in a strange little cowboy tourist place! Not quite sure what the zombies have to do with cowboys and Indians!
Then we went to look at the Hoover Dam. The temperature had been rising and had been in the mid nineties so once again we had only made short trips away from the car and the air con! Even when it topped 100° we were quite blasé after the high temperatures of Death Valley and thought that it would stop there.
But when we got to the Dam the temperature was 107° and so we walked across it, came back and got into the car without lingering! We didn't even bother going to walk across the higher bridge as there was no shade there.
Our accommodation had a casino in it and this was the view from our window.
The heat has been quite exhausting and apparently the high temperatures are not the norm here for the time of year. But some areas have been told to expect snow over the next few days!
Wednesday 13 Sept
230 miles
We drove past the turn off to the skywalk and ended up at Lake Mead - a good decision as no one else did! So we had the place to ourselves and ours was the only car in the car park. The picnic benches even had little barbecues with them!
We then drove to the skywalk. Most of the coaches were making their way past us going the other way homewards so it was a good time to visit and there no queues and few people around.
We weren't bothered about the skywalk so we just took the shuttle bus to the various places. A great experience. As it was quite cloudy the sunlight picked out various bits of the canyon in turn - very pretty. And we were quite glad to sacrifice the sun for a bit of shade! The temperature did reach 102° though at one point - but it mostly hovered around the mid nineties so at least we were able to walk around a bit today!
Long journey back to the hotel through a lightening storm - but once again a great day!
Thursday 14 Sept
Las Vegas
30 miles
A short hop today - only 30 miles to LV. I thought that getting to our hotel today would be a pain in the bum with getting through the traffic and finding places. This wasn't helped by an email the day before saying that we had to go to alternative parking for the car.
As we set off we noticed that the sat nav wasn't talking to us so we had to rely on looking at the screen and guessing which lane we needed to be in.
Despite these problems we sailed into our alloted parking spot with absolute ease and minimum effort. And right at the side of Fremont Street too!
Only glitch was that we were far too early for our room but it was no problem to go and have a look round and get something to eat while we waited.
We couldn't eat free in here - we weren't heavy enough!!
It was fun to watch the people whizzing overhead on the zip wires - not for me though!
We caught a bus to the Strip and just wandered along in and out of hotels and casinos - and then had a burger at Bobby's Burger Palace. We walked until dusk and then jumped back on the bus.
An advert for the Blue Man Group.
Where Siobhan and I met Mandi and Jared!
We walked past Minnie Mouse and in her squeaky voice she said 'I like your hair!' Very funny!
Back to Fremont Street for a further walk up and down looking at the ever changing light canopy above us.
Some very strange sights (and that was just the men!) - as Mike said - Blackpool on mega steroids times ten! All OTT and LOUD!!
Friday 15 Sept
Mesquite (2 nights)
152 miles
The lady in reception at our hotel in Las Vegas very kindly put us in a room facing the road so that we didn't have the music and noise from the pool area and casino all night (we must have looked as though we needed the peace and quiet!) so we had a good night's sleep overlooking the side of Fremont Street.
After a rather large breakfast we were off again to the Valley of Fire State Park as it was en route to our next destination. Again a wonderful decision as it proved to be absolutely magnificent - the total opposite to the excesses of Vegas! Firstly the sandstone beehives.
Then the petrified trees.
Then petroglyphs that I didn't actually see because bit was too high for me so I just pointed my camera and came down again.
These are the petroglyphs that I didn't actually see!
A sandstone arch.
And my absolute favourite area which was called the White Rocks - which quite understandably has been used in dozens of films.
Most of the time here as I was taking pictures I was in very bright sunshine so I couldn't actually see what was on the screen. So some of them were a lovely surprise to see how nice they look!
And I use the 'super vivid' feature on my camera a lot as it really shows the colours and makes them pop! Not so good on faces though when you forget to switch it off! 😁
A beautiful, beautiful place - one of my favourite places of the whole tour - but once again much too hot to do more than just the shortest of walks.
We left the park suitably gobsmacked and decided to drive to the north side of Lake Mead. Mistake. Nothing there and couldn't get down to the shore. Still very beautiful but obviously a summer place for the super rich with boats! A lovely drive though so nothing lost.
Onwards we went through the Nevada desert - with the occasion little groups of greenery and palm trees which proved to be growing in areas of tiny springs - so just like little oases - which they actually were!
There were even sand dunes amongst the scrub!
An occasional glimpse of Lake Mead in the background.
And a rail track running alongside the road - just like the one in Back To The Future!
Saturday 16 Sept
85 miles
A quiet day with not too much driving. Drove to Cedar Pockets recreational area a few miles out of town for a picnic. Lovely views of the Virgin River and the gorge.
Then a drive through the gorge as it was listed as a scenic route. But could only take pictures from the car as we couldn't stop anywhere.
A short stop in St George then we turned round and came back. Quite nice to have a lazy day!
Sunday 17 Sept
Panguitch (2 nights)
253 miles
Up early and off to the supermarket before the sun rose!
As we checked out - at about 6am there were still people playing on all the machines and tables - either early risers or they'd been there all night!
And the cacti I touched!...
Biscuits and gravy in Duck creek village - bit of an acquired taste I think! Sort of dumpling/cobbler squidgy thing smothered in a slightly peppery thick white sauce! Nothing like a biscuit or gravy that we would know in the UK!
Aspen Mirror lake - nice to see some water after all the arid desert!
Cedar Breaks National Monument - another beautiful canyon between Zion and Bryce so it had a lot of the characteristics and colours of both.
Think this may have been one of the first 'tourist attractions' built specifically for visitors. It was to give work building roads etc to thousands of labourers who would otherwise have had none!
Bryce canyon.
Monday 18 Sept
84 miles
Red Canyon (not to be confused with Red Rock Canyon!)
Coffee and a bear's claw pastry before a walk down to the hoodoos in Bryce canyon.
The walk said it was 1.3 miles - I'd say it was more!!
Advertised as a 1.3 mile walk it was definitely more with a very steep descent and ascent at the beginning and end. Quite spectacular though and a lovely walk along the valley bottom once we got there. Bit of 'longing down' on the way back up.
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