Running away from home

In the plane from Detroit to Las Vegas, I had the feeling that I was running away from home. Everything I know left behind, nothing but the new and strange ahead. A little like I felt joining the army or going into a new job. Probably accurate.

Vegas. It seems nearly everyone I know has been here, or knows someone who has. Obviously it appeals to a lot of tastes. We'd already been here once and wandered up and down the strip (On New Year's Eve, for Chrissake).Okay, but godawful commercial and wearing. Elbows everywhere. I find grand buildings full of slot machines and expensive consumer goods depressing. All right, the showy architecture is impressive. For a while.

 However, the last time we were here, we took a trip to Zion National Monument. That time it was in a snowstorm. Like being in a snowglobe, a surreal fairyland. We were determined to find out it was like when we could actually see all the way to the top. Wow! I can supply pictures, but they can't actually convey the grandeur. I urge anyone who comes this way to take a day and see for themselves. A shuttle bus takes you up and down the canyon in an 80 minute round trip with several stops. Get off, look around, visit the restaurant/gift shops, get a crick in your neck looking up,  get back on. The hiking trails vary from an easy stroll to something  only an experienced climber can enjoy. We stuck with the easy strolls - this time. You betcha we'll be back here.

Heck, even the view on the trip in between wes great!

Actually, this is a dry and forbidding area. For a farm boy who's always been in sight of at least a patch of woods, it was more  than a little scary. Part of the attraction of Zion is that it's comparatively lush.
Last night, Liz wore herself out battling the net, firming up plans and reservations in Hawaii. Did I mention we're going to Hawaii? For 5 weeks?  Did I mention that Liz is a GREAT secretary? Let me mention both things again. With her perseverence and dediction to the cause, we may yet salvage something of a budget.

Which reminds me, today we give our pound of flesh to the outfit that gave us our (nearly) free room at the Luxor. They'd dearly love to sell us a condo in this flashy town and are going to fill our morning with high pressure sales tecniques. Sigh. Nothing for it but to point to our previously emptied  wallets.  With a little luck, we can get away in time to go see the Valley of Fire, an hour or so north of here.

Tomorrow, we once again strap ourselves into a tube of soft metal and go hurtling throught the skies to a new destination. Gee, I wish I'd originated that phase.