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Location:At home
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
May 9, 2012
Today was so relaxing! We had homemade scones and breakfast at Trudy and Bruce's. He even made an extra copy of the daily sudoku so I could challenge my brain! Then John and I walked around town and did some window shopping. There are so many interesting stores and galleries to browse.
We had dinner at the Standing Stone Brewery. It was delicious.
On the way back to Trudy and Bruce's, they drove us through Lithia Park and up into the hills above the Shakespeare Theater area. There we saw several deer getting their evening snack. It's a treat to see the wildlife so close to town.
This has been wonderful vacation. We've see the beauty of our country and have been treated to the hospitality of friends. We're truly blessed. Tomorrow we return home to Milwaukie.
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We had dinner at the Standing Stone Brewery. It was delicious.
On the way back to Trudy and Bruce's, they drove us through Lithia Park and up into the hills above the Shakespeare Theater area. There we saw several deer getting their evening snack. It's a treat to see the wildlife so close to town.
This has been wonderful vacation. We've see the beauty of our country and have been treated to the hospitality of friends. We're truly blessed. Tomorrow we return home to Milwaukie.
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Location:Ashland
May 8, 2012
Today we traveled about 290 miles. The ones through northern California were very scenic. We were happy to see more green foliage and tall firs and pines. In Weed to stopped at an antique mall that had a small food counter. It was closed but a very friendly lady who was volunteering at the community center in the same building fixed us two large cups of coffee -- for free! As we were getting ready to leave town I snapped this picture of our little Shasta's namesake mountain!
At 5 pm we reached the home of our friends, Trudy and Bruce. They had a delicious, salmon dinner for us, and a cozy room with a very comfortable bed! We are truly pampered and at home here.
Following dinner they drove us to the Bowmer Theater where John and I saw "Animal Crackers". It was fantastic! We were in awe of the quality of the performance and the talented actors and actresses. When the play ended, Bruce was there to bring us home. What lucky guests we are!
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At 5 pm we reached the home of our friends, Trudy and Bruce. They had a delicious, salmon dinner for us, and a cozy room with a very comfortable bed! We are truly pampered and at home here.
Following dinner they drove us to the Bowmer Theater where John and I saw "Animal Crackers". It was fantastic! We were in awe of the quality of the performance and the talented actors and actresses. When the play ended, Bruce was there to bring us home. What lucky guests we are!
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Location:Reno to Ashland, Oregon
May 7, 2012
This morning before we left Las Vegas we drove 8 miles to the west of our motel to the Red Rock Canyon. It is a national conservation area and one of the top 5 climbing destinations in the U.S. Although John and I didn't scale any of the cliffs, we did enjoy seeing the interesting rock formations and the beautiful colors in the formations on this 13 mile scenic loop.
Our mileage for today's leg of our trip was about 475 miles. After seeing a lot of sand and desert-like areas, we were happy to arrive in Reno at the Silver Legacy Hotel, a huge facility comprising about two city blocks. We had a lovely, corner room on the 5th floor (there were 33 stories above us). The gambling floors were filled with every conceivable betting game and innumerable slot machines. There were restaurants of every type and many shops. It reminded me of being on a cruise ship!
Besides checking out our hotel, we also walked a couple blocks to see the famous Reno arch. Reno is a much quieter city than L.V., but still one with a focus on gambling - not my thing!
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Our mileage for today's leg of our trip was about 475 miles. After seeing a lot of sand and desert-like areas, we were happy to arrive in Reno at the Silver Legacy Hotel, a huge facility comprising about two city blocks. We had a lovely, corner room on the 5th floor (there were 33 stories above us). The gambling floors were filled with every conceivable betting game and innumerable slot machines. There were restaurants of every type and many shops. It reminded me of being on a cruise ship!
Besides checking out our hotel, we also walked a couple blocks to see the famous Reno arch. Reno is a much quieter city than L.V., but still one with a focus on gambling - not my thing!
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Location:Las Vegas to Reno
May 6, 2012
We travelled today about 290 sunny miles today. We left Tusayan, the town just outside the southern park entrance, and travelled through high plateau country with no trees, then we entered a national forest with pine trees. Arizona is not just a desert state!
We left the interstate for a short distance and visited the town of Seligman on the famous Route 66! "66" was the first completely paved national highway in the country between Chicago and L.A.
At the Nevada border we saw the famous Hoover Dam and we crossed over the newly completed O'Callaghan/Tillman Memorial Bridge.
About 3 pm we reached Las Vegas. What a place! Of course, we had to walk the "Strip". The sidewalks were packed with tourists. We could hardly move. The extravagance was overwhelming! I was very content to return to our quiet motel away from the noise and glitz.
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We left the interstate for a short distance and visited the town of Seligman on the famous Route 66! "66" was the first completely paved national highway in the country between Chicago and L.A.
At the Nevada border we saw the famous Hoover Dam and we crossed over the newly completed O'Callaghan/Tillman Memorial Bridge.
About 3 pm we reached Las Vegas. What a place! Of course, we had to walk the "Strip". The sidewalks were packed with tourists. We could hardly move. The extravagance was overwhelming! I was very content to return to our quiet motel away from the noise and glitz.
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Location:From the Grand Canyon to Las Vegas
May 5, 2012
We spent the entire day and most of the evening at the Grand Canyon, arriving at 8:45 am and leaving at 9:00 pm! We didn't waste a moment of the day. We walked portions of the rim - elevation 7000 ft., visited historic buildings, rode the efficient shuttle buses to the Hermits Rest Route, viewed the canyon from many of the overlook sites, saw the sun set and awed at the spectacular shadows on the canyon walls, attended an hour+ geology lecture, then saw the full moon rising! It was a most memorable day!
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Location:South Rim of the Grand Canyon
Friday, May 4, 2012
May 4, 2012
We had a sunny warm day to drive the 257 mile distance between these two national parks. After leaving Zion we traveled along the southern edge of Utah, before crossing into Arizona. Some portions of that road went through the Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument. The rock formations and colors were spectacular.
As we neared Utah's border, we caught a glimpse of Lake Powell. It seemed strange to see such a huge body of water in a desert area. Shortly after that, we crossed the deep Glen Canyon on a newly constructed bridge. It is quite an engineering feat.
We arrived at the east entrance of the Grand Canyon at 4:30 pm. We stopped at Desert View (7400 feet high) and got our first sight of the canyon with the Colorado River snaking its way far below. The grandeur and magnitude of this place takes your breath away.
Located at that viewpoint is the famous Watchtower, designed by Mary Jane Coulter and built by the Fred Harvey Company and the Santa Fe Railroad in 1930. It is a re-creation of prehistoric towers which were scattered over the Southwest. I was amazed at how it seemed to be a natural part of the landscape.
We continued driving along the rim with more spectacular sights of the canyon that seems to go on forever. Then we entered a pine forest which was rather dense. John even spotted a deer grazing under the trees. We reached the parking lot for the visitor center and decided stop our day of sightseeing and drive to our motel. It is located one mile outside of the park's south entrance, in a community called Tusayan. The motel is very large, deluxe, and with beautiful grounds. On our way to dinner this evening we saw two elk enjoying a meal of grass and shrubs just outside our door!
Having had a busy day, we're ready for a good rest tonight. Then we will spend all day tomorrow back in the park.
Note: since Monday afternoon when we entered Huntington, Oregon, we have been on Mountain Daylight Time. When we entered Arizona today, we discovered that all the state, except for an Indian reservation, is on standard time! So once again, we are on the same time as we would be at home.
Also, WiFi is down here and my AT&T connection isn't working. This won't get posted until those problems are solved!
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As we neared Utah's border, we caught a glimpse of Lake Powell. It seemed strange to see such a huge body of water in a desert area. Shortly after that, we crossed the deep Glen Canyon on a newly constructed bridge. It is quite an engineering feat.
We arrived at the east entrance of the Grand Canyon at 4:30 pm. We stopped at Desert View (7400 feet high) and got our first sight of the canyon with the Colorado River snaking its way far below. The grandeur and magnitude of this place takes your breath away.
Located at that viewpoint is the famous Watchtower, designed by Mary Jane Coulter and built by the Fred Harvey Company and the Santa Fe Railroad in 1930. It is a re-creation of prehistoric towers which were scattered over the Southwest. I was amazed at how it seemed to be a natural part of the landscape.
We continued driving along the rim with more spectacular sights of the canyon that seems to go on forever. Then we entered a pine forest which was rather dense. John even spotted a deer grazing under the trees. We reached the parking lot for the visitor center and decided stop our day of sightseeing and drive to our motel. It is located one mile outside of the park's south entrance, in a community called Tusayan. The motel is very large, deluxe, and with beautiful grounds. On our way to dinner this evening we saw two elk enjoying a meal of grass and shrubs just outside our door!
Having had a busy day, we're ready for a good rest tonight. Then we will spend all day tomorrow back in the park.
Note: since Monday afternoon when we entered Huntington, Oregon, we have been on Mountain Daylight Time. When we entered Arizona today, we discovered that all the state, except for an Indian reservation, is on standard time! So once again, we are on the same time as we would be at home.
Also, WiFi is down here and my AT&T connection isn't working. This won't get posted until those problems are solved!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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