Las Vegas, NV

April 26, 2010

We can finally say that we've seen Las Vegas, no more shocked faces as we admit our failure to "see the lights"! The opulence, or at least an appearance of opulence, bombards the senses at every turn until, of course, you are approached by a homeless person who reminds you of how imperfect the illusion really is. We not only gawk at the setting, but also at the cast of characters. We've asked each other many questions:
How do they keep these rooms filled?
Can this many people really afford all of this?
Will that precious item in the Chanel bag really fit into your real world back home?
Will the Victoria Secrets' bag contents really fit your body!!?
Are we the only geezers walking around just looking and not spending?
Where do the homeless go in a city that never sleeps?

Enough social commentary!

We are as taken with the scene as everyone is. I got whiplash driving down the strip at night, not wanting to miss a single image. We lined up with everyone else to watch a Belagio fountain dance. I snapped pictures at every turn - we did miss the bronze, life-sized Ceasar and must go back. I put my $5 gambling budget in the slots and lost it all, but had a good time doing it. We have eaten at the buffets, and walked a million steps. We've been to Walmart and done the wash; so life goes on, even in Vegas.

Last night we went to the downtown strip, the "Old Vegas," and really enjoyed it. I had read about The Fremont Experience and wanted to see the canopy light show, Russell wanted to see Binion's Million Dollar display. So, after a quiet dinner at home, we headed back to the fantasy. What Fun! It is an Experince! The Golden Nugget is just as opulent, if not as big, as the uptown hotels. I have my picture with $1,000,000, we ate dessert, enjoyed a wonderful saxaphone player, and listened to the missionaries try to win souls - they carry large wooden crosses embellished with words of salvation and wear microphones. Fremont Street is the home of the neon and blinking lights that enchanted us in films like "Viva Las Vegas," and other such classics - Aladdin's Lamp, the Cowboy, a giant high-heeled tap shoe, and a near-naked lady high above the crowd - all are present in this Vintage Vegas.

The Fremont Street canopy is a half-pipe ceiling 3-4 blocks long and taller than the adjacent buildings that it connects. On the hour, all the blinking lights of the casinos stop, the side-show bands stop and the canopy goes dark. The Experience is about to begin! The ceiling transforms from a billboard to a light show, syncronized to '60's music with flashing images that take you back to when the music was new. They run film footage, psychedelic lights, even a shuttle launch that blasts across the entire display. We heard Don McClain's "American Pie" and a 3-song tribute to the Doors, music that all ages in the crowd could sing along and dance to. We wanted to stay until 10:00, when they were doing a Queen tribute. It was a situation of willing spirits and tired bodies. What happened to the kids who could dance all night long?

Our Vegas trip is far from over. We are staying another week and Kyle will be here for a trade show, Friday through the following Tuesday. Karyn will be here too! She has gotten tickets for "Phantom" and even knows a cast member!

Kingman, AZ

April 18, 2010

This northwestern Arizona town of roughly 30,000 is a railroading center. The trains pull through nearly every 15 minutes blowing the whistle loud and proud! And, yes, that is around the clock! It does become soothing, but takes some getting used to. It is nestled between mountains that have the appearance of clay sticks stuck together and arranged by a toddler. It really is interesting. In Mohave county, we made the assumption that this is the Mojave Desert, but research shows that it is the Sonoran Desert.

Kingman has a couple of claims to fame. Andy Devine grew up here and they have every right to be proud of him. I can still hear his raspy voice from the many western movies he was in. The story is that he was running with some kind of stick in his mouth as a young boy when he fell and jammed the thing through the roof of his mouth. He had to relearn to talk after healing. This sounds way too much like the story we all heard from our mothers. I wonder if they knew about Andy Devine.

The second claim to fame also struck a cord with this child of '60's TV. This is the heart of the longest remaining section of Route 66. I immediately drew a mental picture of George Maharis and Martin Milner cruising in their Corvette. The stuff of pre-teen dreams! We headed down the historic highway that carried so many dreamers to California in the '30s, and '40's.

The switch-backed road took us to the mining towns of this area, most notable, Oatman. Oatman is a former ghost town of some note. It has old wooden buildings full of souveniers and tourists. We opted to eat our picnic on the west side of town and by-pass the hoopla. A good choice, because we got to see several Model-A Fords chugging into town. We wondered if any of them had made the original trip west. The flowers were blooming and the scenery interesting, so we kept going until it ended at I-40. Later I looked up Route 66 in the Atlas and found it in only a few scattered locations. It seems to have been displaced by freeways like I-40.

We headed back to Kingman with a side trip to Lake Havasu City, which just happens to be the USA home of London Bridge. We had to see it! The bridge spans a channel of the Colorado River/Lake Havasu to connect to an sizable island. We enjoyed walking around after a full day of driving. Many of the other tourists were bikini-clad, cruising in their speed boats, but there were enough geezer types to help us blend. Interestingly, the next day we were watching some learning channel at the perfect time to hear a story about how London Bridge was indeed Falling Down in its original home when a wealthy Arizona oilman bought it to grace the newly built lake and city. Many of the shops surrounding the bridge look like they have seen better days, but it is still an attraction worthy of the time to get there.

Our last day trip from Kingman was to Hoover Dam. The drive out was not nearly as scenic as Route 66 until the very end when you get into the mountains and canyons of the Grand Canyon area. You get to the bald red mountains about the same time as you arrive at road construction and then car inspections. Homeland Security wants to feel comfortable with every vehicle that crosses the iconic dam that provides water and electricity to the entire southwest. A beautiful new highway is openning in October that will take the bulk of traffic up and over the dam, easing congestion and security issues.

The dam is really impressive, probably why tens of millions have visited since its completion. The tours do a very good job of helping visitors appreciate the engineering achievement it is and the vast improvements it brought to the area. The dam controls flooding, provides a reliable source of water and hydor-electric power to millions. It is also beautifully adorned with '30s art deco sculpture and mosaics. We were awed by the attention to all the details the builders considered for the present and future value of this man-made landmark.

Camp Verde, Arizona

April 6 and 8, 2010
Indian Cliff Dwellings

We are staying at Zane Grey RV Park, a great kick for 2 old western novel readers. In the office library, you can take any book you like except for the Zane Grey's which may only be borrowed. They have a nice collection. This is the area Grey described in his books; he lived and traveled between Camp Verde and Payson.

One of the office staff told us about a great place to hike, just off the highway.
So off we went to find Indian ruins. We parked at the gate, just a mile or so west of the park. "Just up there? We don't even need to take water!" Right! The path was easily followed, even when it went straight up! it wasn't very far, really, or very strenuous, it was just the UP parts that got to me. Russell was great, reliving the lives of the Ancients who once trod these hills. We could see the caves from the road, but their complexities opened to us only as we entered the openings. We had worked up a pretty good sweat, but sitting in the shade of overhangs was very refreshing. Russell explored doorways and several "rooms." I just sat and was happy to do so. It was very cool to look down on the new housing development in the valley. We had the better view, perfect for defense, and really very cozy. The new houses had much better access to water!

On Thursday, we went to Montezuma's Castle, just north of here. These folks knew how to maximize cliff dwellings! They used adobe/mud to build walls several stories high. The Sinagua (without water) people lived in this village for over 300 years. Tourists used to climb up in the complex, but preservation requires that we stay on the sidewalk now. This made our previous climb all the better; we could relate our first-hand experience to the slightly removed one. The early European pioneers mistakenly named the ruins after Montezuma, but they date back centuries before, from 1100 to 1400.

Our final Sinagua trip in time was to Tuzigoot, an Indian condo of sorts. These folks had it made near the Verde River, on a short hill, with plenty of farm land between to 2. They climbed a ladder to enter from the roof, a doorway that also served as chimney. The artifacts found here are truely amazing! The park service has a new visitor center planned to properly display them, so we only got to see pictures of the really big clay pots. We then took the switch-backed road up to the old mining town of Jerome. We were there last year, but this visit was earlier in the day, not as crowded and way more relaxed! The Haunted Hamburger was a very good recomendation for lunch.

All of the "back-in-time" glimpses make me happy to be moving across the desert in an air-conditioned RV with all the modern conveniences.

Happy Easter in Tucson

April 4, 2010

We have enjoyed our second trip to Tucson from a new perspective. This year we are staying on the northwest side of town and we have driven more of the back roads to get the flavor of neighborhoods. We are also not far off the freeway and have greater access to downtown.

For the tourist bit, we went to Biosphere 2, the University of Arizona and Mission San Xavier del Bac. All tours were set in glorious cool, bright weather; citris fragrance hanging in the air; mountains and blooming cactus in the background.

Biosphere 2 is a one-of-a-kind place for science. The experiments that began in the '90s as a sealed-enviroment habitat continue in a less intense format. This has been on several "Must See" lists with good reason. Eight people lived here for two years in total isolation! They recycled the air and water, grew their own food, and conducted experiments - real human guinea pigs!

Our trip yesterday to Mission San Xavier Del Bac was a total treat. The mission has just been restored to its original baroque style of statuary and murals. Its walls tell the story of Christ and the Saints with depth, realism and vivid color. Visitors and parishioners alike sat and prayed in vigil waiting for the Risen Christ of Easter.

Our trip to the UofA Art Museum continued the Easter mood. We found a wonderful exhibit of 60 by 43 inch panels from the Retablo of Ciudad Rodrigo in Spain. The collection of 26 altar pieces were painted in the late 1400's by artists Fernando Gallego and Master Bartolomé. They depict the life of Christ in vivd color and individualistic faces. The stylized representations really captured me, especially so on the day before Easter. The remainder of the exhibits, which were wonderful, paled in comparison.

Our Tucson experience culminated with a walk taking photos of blooming cacti. FABULOUS!