Wandering Retirees

Valley of Fire, Nevada State Park and Las Vegas 

Bob, Val and Pat got underway home today. We had such a good time together! Lots of memories to share. 
We headed out toward Las Vegas (Lost Wages) to see the city all lit up and get the bike serviced tomorrow. On the way, we stopped at the Valley of Fire, an Arizona State Park to see .. wait for it … more red rock. Though this is a deep, fire pit red that seems to glow at mid-day. There are contrasting domes and strata of silicate rock that are bone white that make the red just pop. And the tectonic forces that forced the layers of rock to shift shift millions of years ago created fantastic shapes with unlikely names like the Seven Sisters, the Beehives and the Elephant. Gorgeous. And the ride was a lot of fun winding through breaks in the rock formations, lots of curves and changes in elevation in this dry and very hot desert.

We headed for LV early in the afternoon and got a taste for the back roads here. We found the roads appear to lead straight away into the distance. It’s a bit deceiving, though. Our line of sight extended up to 10 miles, but the road managed to take unexpected dips through dry washes and through seemingly modest breaks in the terrain that didn’t appear until we were right on top of them. Wonderful to have long term goals, but it pays to pay attention to what’s right in front of you. (Moral for the day.)

We’re staying at the Luxor at the base of the Strip at Tim’s suggestion. We’re in the main pyramid so our room’s ceiling slopes like the second floor of a cape cod. The view is nice, though I keep forgetting to duck.

We got cleaned up and had supper at the House of Blues a bit before the evening rush. Felt like real retirees looking for the early bird special – no discount meals but it was Happy Hour. We call that a win. Then we went for a stroll up the Strip toward the Bellagio, looking forward to the fountains. They did not disappoint. Check out the pics Connie took. The reality is just like the final scene from Oceans Eleven. Thanks, Tim, for your help in planning.

We walked back to our room and have our feet up now. After so much time in quiet surroundings, we found that we didn’t have a great appetite for all the noise and general clamor for attention. We did not play any games and thereby contribute to the general accounts of MGM which owns this hotel. So we still have cash for breakfast. Much more important.

We met some interesting people, especially Ben and Freeman from San Francisco who showed us a wonderful exhibition on the theme of the Japanese Tea Garden in the Bellagio’s atrium. We shamelessly promoted Dan’s restaurant in SF and his clientele may grow by a couple.

That’s all for tonight. Sleep well.

Approaching Hurricane, Utah.  The view left us breathless.

Entering the Virgin River Gorge.  After we passed through the gorge, we were in hot, dry desert.

Las Vegas – although it really is obvious we aren’t at a National Park!