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!

Hiking in Maricopa County

March 29, 2010
In Arizona the county parks are equivilant to Texas state parks, large, well-maintained, and if not completely staffed, full of helpful, knowledgeagble folks. In this Sonoran desert park we hiked most of the short routes. The Pemberton, a 15m loop, was way beyond my ability or desire, but I was proud to complete the 5m Scenic Rim loop yesterday. It was a beautiful day with many Sunday hikers out to enjoy it. The info from Ranger Jenny on previous walks added to our knowledge of peaks, flora, and understanding of geology of the area. It was a perfect way to culmate our stay here.

On Saturday we took a short section of the Pemberton to an artesian well that has been home to cattle, coyote, fish and frogs for eons. An oasis, literally. This was a ranger-led hike with a fairly large group to admire a full moon in the desert. So we began with a bit of sun settling over the peaks west and a bright, almost-full orb in the east. the air was crisp and refreshing and the path brightly lit. Watching the light and shadows change as we progressed was fascinating. Any hopes of seeing or hearing wildlife were dimmed by the amount of noise we made moving along - quiet conversations, shuffling feet, occassional informative remarks from Jenny. it was in no way strenuous, but a delightful way to spend a Saturday evening.

Wildflowers! They have arrived in Phoenix. When we got here in January, plant life was as grim as everywhere else, but the desert has come awake in the last week. It is neat to see the variety as you move from urban to rural and between elevations because the display changes. Even the creosote is beautiful, the bougonvilla goes way past beautiful! Poppies in golden shades of orange and yellow, lupines are the bluebonnets of Arizona, chia, and fairy dusters. I'm just showing off my new-found knowledge! Name dropping, so to speak.

Today we head for Tucson and hope to see more wildflowers as we head into Easter.

All of this and more has helped to heal the body and soul that was me a few weeks ago. Sleep, walk, good food, good friends, routine, tasks accomplished, beautiful new life and the promise of Easter. God has provided them all and given us the opportunity to be renewed if we will just slow things down a bit. We happen to be at the season of anguish and glory in liturgy, but God shows us that glory does follow anguish, we just have to allow it to happen.

I'm hoping that this message finds each and every reader in glory!

Phoenix, again!

March 22, 2010
I'm back at home after 3 weeks in Houston. It's wonderful to be able to be where we need to be. Equally wonderful to be back home and ready to move.

We are staying at the Maricopa Regional Park in the Sonoran Desert. It has huge campsites with a fire ring, grill, and picnic table. It does not have on-site sewer, internet, or very good phone reception. There are almost daily ranger-led hikes, lots of hiking paths, beautiful sunsets, and I hear the sunrises are spectacular, but have no first-hand experience (thank you Russell!)

Yesterday we sat in the shade at the Fountain Hills park to listen to Latin music. It was a beautiful afternoon. We always enjoy our time with friends and have been able to eat, laugh, watch camp fires and relax with them in the last week.

Next firm destinations: Las Vegas with Kyle first weekend of May, Dallas the following weekend.

Houston

This is the last night in Houston after 3 weeks. I flew in to help with family matters, and it has been a very intense trip.

Mom died a week ago today. I felt very fortunate to be with her. Dad, Lynn and I were with her through the night. We had dinner together on Monday night, but she was in distress after that. I'm so glad that her pain is over, but will miss being able to visit and see her. The funeral was Friday, so we have had time to settle a few matters and share some time together. Dad is doing well, but faces a very difficult time being alone after 60 years of marriage.

Russell joined us in Houston, adding so much support, and flew back to Phoenix on Sunday. I am anxious to be back home and hitting the road again before long.

I'll pick up the travelogue again soon.