The forecast proved to be spot on! I crawled into my little thermal cave just after nine o’ clock and drowsed until midnight listening to the wind and the rain. I must have fallen asleep at this point but woke up a couple of hours later to a stillness. Looking outside the reason was immediately clear; SNOW and quite a lot of it. When we all got up at 6.30 we found a winter wonderland and the tarpaulin over the tables and cooker had succumbed to the combination of wind and weight of snow.
Somehow we packed up, ate some hot oatmeal cereal and set off to re-visit the places seen in the rain the previous evening. Something of a bonus to get snow shots. We’ve now experienced every type of weather except tornado or hurricane! Photography over we set out southwards for Zion National Park and hopefully, better weather. As the van heater began to rev up to full effective I found myself stripping off to the extent that my seat soon resembled a jumble sale. Nothing new there I hear some commenting.
Somehow we packed up, ate some hot oatmeal cereal and set off to re-visit the places seen in the rain the previous evening. Something of a bonus to get snow shots. We’ve now experienced every type of weather except tornado or hurricane! Photography over we set out southwards for Zion National Park and hopefully, better weather. As the van heater began to rev up to full effective I found myself stripping off to the extent that my seat soon resembled a jumble sale. Nothing new there I hear some commenting.
The Zion National Park proved to be yet another canyon but this would be an unfair description. You’d think that by now another landscape etched into reddish sandstone would have nothing to capture the interest but this is not the case. Entry from the west was via a one mile road tunnel which brought us out into the bottom of a mini Grand Canyon on a similar scale to Yosemite. This is the strictest park and Sam was not allowed to leave the vehicle in the Park or accompany us on any of the walks. As we only had 2½ hours we took advice from the Rangers and took the shuttle to Emerald Ponds and managed to climb to all three in the time allocated.
Such a place really needs more time. I was amazed by how many people were about at a pretty remote place so late in the season. Some visitors of course, mostly French, German and Japanese but the majority were Americans. The Parks are not cheap to visit but they are clearly well patronised and run so efficiently. It’s a pity we can’t introduce some of these ideas in England. In particular, shuttle buses could do much to alleviate congestion in some of our most popular Parks.
Such a place really needs more time. I was amazed by how many people were about at a pretty remote place so late in the season. Some visitors of course, mostly French, German and Japanese but the majority were Americans. The Parks are not cheap to visit but they are clearly well patronised and run so efficiently. It’s a pity we can’t introduce some of these ideas in England. In particular, shuttle buses could do much to alleviate congestion in some of our most popular Parks.
On the way to Vegas we passed through the Hurricane Valley so now we only need a tornado! It was easy to tell that we were approaching Las Vegas due to the incremental increase in power lines heading that way. We arrived in good time assisted by gaining an extra hour due to the change in time zone. The Best Western Mardi Gras Hotel and Casino provides a massive room with a bed big enough for ten. Sam asked us to hang our tents out over the balcony to dry them. I was a little nervous about doing this as my room faces the front and when I unravelled the flysheet, lumps of snow and ice fell out onto the cars below. However, it did dry out quickly!
All domestic housekeeping completed we met to sample the delights of a Las Vegas buffet.
Most of the big casinos run buffets and we went to the Aria as it offered best value for $30. I tucked into a plate full of crabs’ legs, prawns and sushi, followed by a thick slice of rib beef and brisket with salad and some very rich mashed potatoes as well as some fiery horseradish. For sweet all I could manage was a lemon sorbet but it was all superb. I think my stomach has shrunk but this is no bad thing. Some people there were putting away prodigious quantities of food. Two of the girls stayed on but the rest of us shared a taxi back to the hotel where I’ve rescued my washing from the drier, enjoyed a beer and written this before retiring to bed with my Kindle.
Most of the big casinos run buffets and we went to the Aria as it offered best value for $30. I tucked into a plate full of crabs’ legs, prawns and sushi, followed by a thick slice of rib beef and brisket with salad and some very rich mashed potatoes as well as some fiery horseradish. For sweet all I could manage was a lemon sorbet but it was all superb. I think my stomach has shrunk but this is no bad thing. Some people there were putting away prodigious quantities of food. Two of the girls stayed on but the rest of us shared a taxi back to the hotel where I’ve rescued my washing from the drier, enjoyed a beer and written this before retiring to bed with my Kindle.
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