The Road Home / That is all.

Parting is such sweet sorrow

After sleeping in a little at Grandma's we woke up and had fresh breakfast around the kitchen table again. We debriefed Grandpa on the events of the evening over eggs. After breakfast we packed up and headed home. The freeway between Vegas and Barstow is always littered with the remains of lesser cars, and we have been lucky enough to always drive past them. We stopped in Baker to get some gyros that had been advertised on many roadside billboards, but otherwise drove straight home. Vacation was over and we just wanted to see Sherbert.

Smiling Gramps and Jon

6 hours later we made it to Fresno. We first stopped by the post office to grab all the mail, then stopped by Chris' apt to pick up our keys and truck. Steph lost her keys somewhere between Colorado and Utah, so we needed the set we left with Chris. Upon arrival at our apartment, we discovered 15 newspapers laying on the doorstep. I know I called to cancel the paper, but I guess the paperboy never got the message. Opening the door Sherb was very happy to see us, and very hot. We soon discovered that he was out of food and water, and that his box was more full than I have ever seen. We immediately saw to his needs, but he didn't immediately take advantage of them, so I guess he wasn't too bad off. I had set the AC to 87 when I left, so the heat wasn't immediately worrying, but when I tried to change it to a more reasonable temperature, I discovered that the AC wasn't working at all. It was 116 in Fresno, 95 in the apartment and we were cooking. The apartment manager said someone would be out to fix it the next day, but it's the next day, and they're not here yet.

Our sweet baby......

We had a great trip, over 7000 miles. It's been an odyssey. You've seen it all with us, and you know it's been fun.

That is all.

Vegas Baybee!

We started the morning with breakfast and the Sunday paper around the kitchen table. Grandma pointed out several articles that show that people are mean and the world is going to hell in a handbasket. After everybody was up and fed and read, Grandma and Steph went out to go pick up Barb and pick up tickets for a show we would go to later in the day. I stayed behind to do my blog homework, and Grandpa is less mobile these days, so he stayed behind as well.

Gramps and I talked and talked for quite a while. I fiddled with the DVD player again, trying to find a better place for it, and managed to get the disc stuck in there again. Grandpa and I discussed his work history, and how he made the decisions he did. We discussed his health and what he wants for the future. We just talked our jaws off. Before you knew it, it was time for lunch, and we made some chicken sandwiches. After about 4 hours the ladies finally returned. It turned out that Barb had them go shopping with her in the big big big Vegas strip mall, and then parked quite far away from the Riviera which was where they had gone to pick up the tickets. I wasn't there, but they actually made it sound like fun.

Barb and Grandma at the mall

Stephanie asked Grandma if she had a card deck, but when Grandma went looking for cars she discovered some photo albums she had put together. The last time Steph and I visited Grandma Steph asked to see pictures, and Grandma didn't have a lot. I guess in the interval Grandma put some pictures together. We spent the rest of the afternoon examining them. There were lots of pictures of Barb and Debbie, and pictures of Grandma and Grandpa when they were young and didn't know any better.

Looking at pictures

By the time we had exhausted the picture supply it was time to go out for the evening. We threw on some more decent clothing and headed out to go pick up the Queen of Vegas fun, Barb. Barb has a huge 2 bedroom apt just a little ways from Grandma and Grandpa's, it has a very Barb-like green decor. Barb took over the driving from there, and we were all glad for it. Vegas freeways are not all that congested, but they move fast and they are full, and they seem to be configured to give good views rather than get you to your destination.

Post pasta stuffing

Our show was at the Riviera, so we made a quick decision to eat at one of the 3 restaurants at that casino to limit our plethora of options. We first opted for a buffet, but it was closed, so we went to the italian restaurant. The food was good, though a little on the pricy side, and we were all stuffed by the time we walked out the door. We had budgeted a little more time for dinner, so we had a little time to kill before our show started. Grandma and Barb each gave us $20 to play, since we are flat broke at the end of our long trip, and we all committed to giving it back to Vegas. Steph and I tried to win a car at one of the penny slots, but big surprise, we didn't win it. Grandma and Barb came away ahead and we all headed into our show "Splash".

Outside the show

Splash is an old time Vegas revue, which is just what we wanted. We had a booth just off the main stage. The show started with a little video montage of the start of Vegas through today. I guess Vegas was founded in 1906 so they were playing up the centennial aspect. At the end of the montage, the curtain raised and about 15 topless girls came out on stage singing and dancing. I expected there to be something like this, but they really came out and shocked you with it in the first act. They had a little 10' by 20' ice skating rink in the middle of the stage that they randomly had people skating on, and Elvis impersonators, tons and tons of costumes. At one point a Wayne Newton impersonator was singing his heart out with obviously stuffed pants, making the girls giggle hysterically. A couple of Argentinian guys came out with a percussion and comedy act. They mercilessly picked on this guy in the front row "Edward". We all had good laughs at Edwards expense. At the end they even had a 10' steel ball that 3 motorcycles zipped around in. Overall, the show was over the top. It was fun and racy and exciting. We had a great time.

A picture they wanted us to pay $40 for. So I took a picture of it for free.

After the show, Steph and I hit the bathroom, and by the time we came out, Grandma had won another $50 on the machines. I guess Vegas likes the locals better. We headed back to Grandma's and slept the sleep of the satiated.

Grandma taking Vegas for all it's worth

That is all.

Canyons: Bryce and Zion, but no Grand.

A buffalo farm we drove by

This morning we made the executive decision to go to Bryce and Zion, and skip the Grand Canyon. We want to be home by monday, and we wanted to visit at least one day with my grandparents in Vegas, so that gave us the choice of a 16 hour drive today to visit all three, or to choose Grand Canyon, or the other two. Stephanie felt that 2 parks is better than one, so we chose the 2 parks, and I think we got the better deal.

We started by heading east from Panguitch about 20 miles, through the Red Canyon. The Red Canyon is a wonder in itself, with deeply red dirt and interesting rock formations. The highway to Bryce goes through a couple of stone arches. They seem like they were natural arches that the construction crews just finished off.

Grand Tetons. I mean, Bryce Canyon.

Bryce itself is just like the pictures, only lots freakin bigger. There's a nice highway through the park that takes you to seemingly all of the best views. On the way into the park all of the pullouts are on the left, which made it awkward to pull into. Of course, all of those pullouts are on the right when you are heading out, which is what the guide that they give you when you come into the park says you should do. Across one meadow, 4 antelope were chewing grass right off the roadway, not 10 feet from the car. We stopped and took pictures from the window, and as we were pulled over, they began to cross the street right behind the The rock formations are weird and cool, all sticking up like they don't belong there, and orange and yellow and white. The cliffs have arching holes in them and red/orange sand below. We could see people walking among the towering spires way wayyy down there. They looked like ants. At one stop a little chipmunk walked right up to Stephanie, it clearly wanted food. I held out my hand and I was able to stroke my finger down its back before it ran off.

Big antelopes

A tasty morsel for Sherbert

From Bryce we drove west to Zion. The highway in Zion is even more spectacular than Bryce in my opinion. The cliff walls extend straight upward from the road, and they are everywhere. Stephanie and I spent more time trying to figure out how to get the whole cliff in the shot, than actually taking pictures. On the drive through the 3 mile long tunnel, Steph said we should hold our breaths. We did, but she quickly lost it cuz her aide beeped. I started breathing through my nose, but kept my cheeks bulged. She believed that I was holding my breath for about 5 minutes, until I started laughing at her. This whole trip has been really good for our relationship, and we've had countless moments like this throughout the trip.

Up in the middle of that cliff, you can see a window that goes into the long tunnel.

Outside of the parks, the freeway from Zion to Vegas is awesome too. Huge sweeping mountainscapes and steep cliffs and tight twisting turns. On one particularly nasty grade going down, at 75mph, we came upon a whole truck tire right in the middle of my lane, right around a tight turn. With cars on all sides of me, and a concrete wall to my left, I had little options. I slowed down to around 50 before we were upon the tire and I managed to squeeze our car between the tire and the wall, with about an inch to spare on either side. Stephanie shrieked, but we squeezed by and continued on our merry way.

Before long we could see the impressive skyline of Vegas beckoning in the distance, and not long after that we were battling for our lives in heavy urban freeway traffic. The final stretch down the surface streets involved 2 roundabouts. I had to go through the first roundabout 3 times before I got going the right way, but I breezed through the second one like a pro.

Grandma and Grandpa greeted us at their door. They have a lovely huge apt and welcomed us right in. After a little chitchat Grandpa mentioned that his computer was giving him fits, so I buckled down to see if I could help. It turns out that I couldn't really help, but I gave him a workaround of sorts. While I was helping Gramps, Barb showed up, and Grandma started making dinner. Steak and potatoes, mmmmmmm. We had a nice family dinner around the table, and before you know it, it was time for Barb to head out, and Steph and I did the dishes. Grandpa mentioned that his DVD player wasn't hooked up, so I buckled down to see if I could get it working. In the process I managed to lose a DVD inside the player, so I had to open it up and fish it out. However, now the DVD player works, if they can remember how to turn it on. The DVD that Gramps wanted to watch was of my uncle Walter doing Chi Gung, which Grandpa wants to try doing, to help him excercise and relax.Working for my supper

Making sure I don't mess up.

After all that hard hard work, we were ready for bed, and took advantage of it.

That is all.

We briefly entered Arizona