4 Nights And 5 Days In Las Vegas

One day was mostly getting there and the last day was mostly provisioning...Smiths', BB&B, Costco, plus some truck repairs and RV shopping...so maybe it was 4 nights and 3 days. Circus Circus still maintains a very affordable RV lot at the upper end of the Strip, and that is where we parked. We walked the Strip several times, did a show...Zumanities...a fun and interesting time-share presentation, for which we were amply rewarded, and also the outstanding buffet breakfast/lunch at Caesars (bottomless mimosas on our Groupon). Of course, we also gamed, losing a little but not so much as to be either poorer or wiser. We have been to Vegas enough times to be able to track its development, at least personally, and to have a variety of stories, the best of which are due to long-ago friends Michael and Lisa and also to the Smithsonian Institution and the Federation of State Humanities Councils (we stayed in a non-gaming hotel, if you can believe such a thing exists (believe!)). Anyhow, below are some nearly random pix from our visit.

It is of course the simulacra capital of the Known Universe

'

Zumanities was here; also lots of memories
from the piano bar of yesteryear

Not pictured: the surprising number of indigents
and homeless, everywhere

We got there at least in part because of my
confusing Cirque de Soleil with Blue Man
Group; but it was amusing and edifying,
especially at 1/2 price;  I also occasionally
confuse Frodo with Harry Poppins

Most of what you see is merely imitative of
other places in the world or imagined places
in the world...but there are occasional 
glimpses of architectural creativity; and
much appreciated

Did you know that Clark County is named for the Montana
Copper King William Clark? When the Montana legislature
elected him to the US Senate, the process was so openly
corrupt that the Senate refused to seat him; says much about
Las Vegas' springs and origins and nature...

Favorite places, as these things go

Walking neon billboard

Sad thoughts of Paris and France and the world, now

Thus

Exhibit A from the era when Las Vegas was trying to promote
itself--don't laugh--as a family vacation destination

Hans, Franz, and Tony; "we eat you up!"

Hail, Caesar ("hail, yes!")

Ceiling at Bellagio front desk; we always visit the Chihuly
store

Bellagio fountains at rest (we'd seen them at play the night
before but didn't take pix)

Elsa takes a time-out to check messages

You'd think a place like Las Vegas would be over the top in
the Xmas decorations department; at the giant Fashion Show
mall, however, this is the only sort of Xmas thing you see; is
Las Vegas anti-Christmas?! I leave you with that troubling
thought...

Zion's Narrows, 2

Continuing our very satisfying hikes up The Narrows, Zion National Park's upper Virgin River Canyon...

The House

Shots looking up are really difficult...but here you're looking up some hundreds
of feet, through a 10-20 foot slit in the canyon ceiling

And here we are at a side canyon that is a well- known
landmark on the hike; we'd just finished visiting with a
guided party that had stopped for mimosas on the way
and shared them and some stories with us...nice folks on
the trail

And now we are deep in The Narrows

And really narrow

Pausing for the Moment

Thus

Wall Street, so-called

Looking up again

Well beyond Wall Street now

And still quite narrow

Proceeding on

Miles of incredible erosion features, high and low

And the stream responsible

Ever onward

Another floor to ceiling shot that mostly worked

20 feet above the creek, caves scoured out aeons ago with
grapefruit- and watermelon-sized rocks left behind

Vicki and more Narrows

On the return

Petty incredible place...we'll be back

Zion's Narrows, 1

It wasn't the Tour du Mont Blanc, nor the Milford, nor the Everest trek, but we were pretty pleased with our two day-hikes up the Narrows, aka the Virgin River Canyon, in Zion NP. The Narrows are a really narrow part of the Canyon, the really interesting part of which is 3-4 miles up the creek from the Narrows parking area. Most of the hike, depending on conditions, season, etc., is down in the water, wading in the creek. On our two hikes, the water depth ranged from ankle to mid-thigh, the latter level getting interesting with the heavy current. There was a minimal shore to walk on perhaps a third of the way. Anyway, to do all this, unless you really like wading in 45 degree water (hypothermia is possible below 46 degrees), you rent water boots and waders, all of which really work; plus you get a hiking stick mostly for probing the depths and holding yourself against the current in the deeper water. The first day, we got a late start, were learning the technique--we both fell once, me in the water and Vicki on the shore--and didn't get as far as we wanted; and so resolved to do it again, starting way earlier. The second day we got where we wanted and had a great time. And took lots of pix, a few of which are below and in the next post.

Starting out

Dimrill Dale; I am in awe of those photographers who can
do canyon landscapes; handling the contrast between
brightest light and deep shadow is beyond my skill;
presently

Vicki, just beyond the waterfall, early into the hike; temps in
the canyon got as high as the low 50s

On a bit of shoreline

A rare floor to ceiling shot

Pretty much what it looks like in the early stages

Then things start narrowing...

Thus, me

Vicki at one of the innumerable crossings; note cave

Ever onward

Narrow...

Narrower...

The hike wasn't crowded, but you were never alone for very
long, and making and getting portraits made was never a
challenge

Thus; narrow but not straight

Moi, again

Undercut

The canyon-cutting ever interesting

Really big undercut

To be continued...