October 27: Red Rock Canyon National Preserve

We spent the afternoon at Red Rock Canyon near Las Vegas. There we found more amazing sandstone rock formations an bright colored rocks.































We had an adventure at the end of our stay. We took off in Dave's Honda CRV up a canyon on a 4x4 road. We drove up over rocks and a small stream. We continued quite a ways before we came to our nemesis, a jumbled rock dry stream bed. Dave realized we weren't going to make it through so he began to back out. The car got wedged slightly sideways and one tire spun uselessly in the air. It took ingenuity and brute strength to unstick the car, turn around and come back down the canyon. Luckily it felt more like an adventure than a problem.












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October 26: Back to Valley of Fire

We had to go back. There is nothing quite like Valley of Fire. This time we saw some areas we missed last time and spent quite awhile in the red hills area. Then we returned to the rainbow rocks in the northern part. Dave and I walked together for much of the last part, coming out of the hills on a wash. The day was cool and breezy so Arvin was able to enjoy the day without being blasted by the sun. We stopped at an Indian Reservation for a very late lunch, or dinner as it turned out. When we got home we were ready for some quiet.















































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October 25: Hoover Dam

After a lazy morning we took off to see Hoover Dam. We drove over the new bridge and came back to the Hoover Dam visitor's center. The dam is amazingly massive. It was built in the 1930s during the depression. We took a tour of the huge generators and walked in some of the tubes used to divert the river while the dam was built.

We stopped on the way home to buy a new washing machine for Dave's house as the old one had a broken clutch and it wouldn't spin the clothes. We also shopped for food. Dave was planning to cook a steak dinner for us and Emmett, Jennifer and Sunny.

The gang arrived around 7:30 after having moved most of the large items into the new house. We had a yummy dinner together and then they headed back to the house to do more moving.

The rest of us played dominoes and had a pleasant quiet evening before bed.

(photos will follow.)
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October 24: Bailey and The Strip

Went over to Emmett and Jennifer's new house to visit and watch Bailey while Dave and Emmett installed a dog door. Took lots of photos of Bailey and fed her the first formula she's ever had. Her first reaction was priceless. She pulled back and gave me a look that said, "What the heck?" Then she tried some more and discovered she liked it. She drank four ounces with gusto after that.

When Jennifer got home we all went out to dinner at Mi Peru, a great restaurant in Henderson. The food was delicious and the service was great.

After dinner the kids went home to continue packing and to pick up Sunny, Jen's dad, who will help them move the big stuff tomorrow.

The rest of us went to the Las Vegas Strip to look at the lights and roam about. We watched the Bellagio lighted fountain and then went to the Venetian where we got totally turned around and came out facing exactly the opposite way we thought we'd be facing.

We wandered back to the car and headed home for an early night.

(Photos to follow later.)
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October 23: Bailey Grace

with Grandpa Dave











with Great Aunt Ann







with Great Uncle Steve



with mom Jennifer



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October 23: Valley of Fire

On the way back from Zion to Las Vegas we stopped at Nevada's first state park, Valley of Fire. We drove to the northern most tip of the road and stopped to photograph the amazing white rocks. I fell in love with all of the textures.







We went back down the road and made stops along the way. The colors of the rocks, the textures and the patterns were totally amazing. It was a hot day and though we fried in the sun, we couldn't stop taking pictures. Arvin got too much sun so he spent the last stop in the car in the shade.




























At the last stop we found a vast rock valley with stripes of pink, yellow, red, purple and white. The sand there was pink.








































Down by the Visitor's Center there was a huge jumble of orange rock with black desert varnish. The whole park was amazing. We will definitely return.



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Zion National Park

We spent the whole day today at Zion National Park. We parked at the visitor center and took the shuttle to the last stop. We walked along the river on a one mile path with many other visitors to the park. Along the way we took many photographs.



























Here is Steve leaning against a rock that is dripping water that has made its way through the rocks and formed a spring.



Arvin is enjoying the walk along the path.



We saw lots of ground squirrels along the way. They were very tame and had obviously been fed by tourists previously.



Our next walk was up to Weeping Rock. This is the view from under the rock.



This stream comes from the water that falls from the Weeping Rock.



We walked about half a mile down from the Grotto to the Lodge. We relaxed and had fruit smoothies while we waited for the restaurant to open at 5:00.



Steve and I walked across a bridge over the river and took photos as the sun set.















We had a delicious dinner at the Lodge and headed home for a quiet evening of games and photo processing.
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