Grand Canyon South Kaibab Trail to Cedar Ridge

Hiked a mile-and-a-half down into the Canyon (1,200 feet of descent) along the South Kaibab Trail to Cedar Ridge. Even after 1,200 feet, it was only just beginning to feel that we were inside the Canyon instead of on top of it.

Grand Canyon Rim Hike

Cold last night (well below freezing) but beautiful today for a walk along the canyon rim.

Lake Powell

Cruising on Lake Powell, in the high desert on the way to the Grand Canyon. Created in 1963 by damming the Colorado River, the lake took 17 years to fill. Very, very windy today, but impressive.

Climbing up to Angel's Landing in Zion National Park. Never been there before, but it's spectacular. Quite Yosemite-like, but with crumbling red and white sandstone instead of granite.

And climbing chains!

In the Valley of Fire. Because it's red.

With ancient (2000BC allegedly) petroglyphs.

Red Rock Canyon

Scrambling to the top of the canyon

Lake Mead to Red Rock Canyon

Departed Lake Mead RV park at 8:30am and headed over to Red Rock Canyon. On the way we got lost in the messy freeway spaghetti around Las Vegas, causing a 10 minute diversion; and then we stopped at the Speedway Blvd "Petro" service station. Gas and doughnuts, can't say fairer than that. Speedway Blvd, by the way, is genuinely a speedway track with attendant facilities. Very large and rather grand, and no doubt ridiculously noisy when in use. On an off day like this one, merely a handy stopping place for big rigs and RVs.

Hubby's favorite job

Hubby always enjoys the dump ritual: First the latex gloves, then the pipes. Black water down the sewer outlet, then the grey water, topped off with a bucket of clean water down the loo. What fun.

In the RV, and at Hoover Dam.

Las Vegas to Hoover Dam

After a 90 minute pick up period at Cruise America - attended by the most stressed out (but perfectly friendly and competent) worker we've seen in a long time - we headed off to the nearby Walmart, cathedral of cheap retailing. An hour of stock-piling food (mostly crisps) and drinking water, and we were off to Hoover Dam.

Hello Las Vegas!

Hubby, Deep Thought, and Dr Mom arrived in Las Vegas late yesterday evening. (Pony Girl is in Nicaragua with school.) We spent the night at the La Quinta Airport South: Rather an upscale version of the brand, especially compared with the Fresno outpost. Now we are heading out to pick up the RV. No gambling for us!