Well, Lil and I have returned from our week touring out West. We were accompanied by our son, Charlie and his friend, Tim. We flew to Las Vegas and rented a car. It was early in the day when we arrived so we decided to go on down to see Hoover Dam and Lake Meade first thing. So much has already been written about Hoover Dam that I won't bore you with more "facts." Only two things surprised me about the place. First, there is no rebar inside the concrete at Hoover Dam - they apparently didn't know about reinforcing concrete with rebar at the time the dam was poured. Such is not the case at Glen Canyon Dam - by the time they got around to pouring that one, the state of the art had advanced to the point that lots of rebar was used to reinforce the concrete. Secondly, water dispersal is the primary purpose of both the Hoover and Glen Canyon Dams. Hydroelectric power generation is secondary. And because water levels are down (due to many years of drought) in both Lake Mead and Lake Powell, some of the generators are now off line as there simply is not enough water to justify their utilization.
We left Hoover Dam and then drove to a bed and breakfast that Charlie had reserved for us at Springdale, Utah. The place is just outside the entrance to Zion National Park. It was late in the day and we found a nice restaurant where we enjoyed a late dinner.
The next day, we ate breakfast and headed toward Zion. As we approached, signs indicated that the entrance fee was $25 per car (regardless of the number of occupants). About then, Lil asked if I still had some obscure pass that we had purchased in Florida. It took me a moment but I finally remembered that about three years previous while visiting another son (David) and his family in Orlando, we had gone for a drive over on the coast and among other things we visited the Canaveral National Seashore. The ranger who was collecting the entrance fees saw Lil and I in the back seat and surmised that we were legitimate "seniors." He then indicated that for some fee (probably about $25 but I honestly don't remember the exact amount), we could purchase a "Golden Age Passport" plastic card which not only would cover our entrance fee there but would also cover any future entrance fees to National Parks and several other government operated recreation areas. Wondering if this might in fact be a "pig in a poke," I reluctantly paid the fee, got the plastic card, and stuck in the back of my billfold where I immediately forgot about it to this moment.
I fumbled around and eventually found the card. We pulled up to the entrance gate and the ranger said, "That will be $25." I had lowered the window in the back seat and I offered him my Golden Age Passport. He took it and then said, "Can I please see a valid driver's license of the person named on the card (me!)?" I then handed him my driver's license and without hesitation he handed everything back to me along with some brochures and maps and said in a very courteous voice while waving us through, "You folks have a great day in the park." So, thanks to Lil and her good memory, we got into Zion National Park twice, the Grand Canyon, and Bryce Canyon National Park without paying a dime in entrance fees. Without the Golden Age Passport, entrance fees would have been a total of $100.
As with Hoover Dam, much has been written about Zion National Park so I won't go into any great detail. Suffice it to say, the scenery is spectacular and it seemed like every time we rounded a corner, there was some new breathtaking view to take in. I mean there is so much to see that is truly special that after a while it kind of all starts running together in one’s brain.
We then drove on to Jacob's Lake which was our next place for staying a few days. This is about 40 miles north of the north rim of the Grand Canyon. Lil and I had a cabin as did Charlie and Tim. This was our home for three days. The main lodge at Jacob's Lake had a fairly nice dining room and we started each day with a hearty breakfast and usually had dinner there in the evening. The north rim of the Grand Canyon and the surrounding area is largely undeveloped and remains much as it was in the 1930s. This is in contrast to the south rim which is very developed, commercialized and quite congested (or so we were told by any number of people who know both places).
We then toured the Grand Canyon and - well, what can I say that hasn't already been written?! The place is an immense hole in the ground which positively mesmerizes one with its breathtaking vistas and scenic views. There are many, many overlooks and places to view the canyon, no two of which are alike. Look on Google and I'm sure you will find all you want about the Grand Canyon.
During our last day at Jacob's Lake, we drove to Page, Arizona to see the Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell. Along the way, a very scenic feature called the Vermillion Cliffs lay in the distance off to our left. Again, I will spare you any lengthy commentary about this dam. One thing, however, did surprise me and that was to hear that the Glen Canyon Dam actually has much more concrete in it than does the Hoover Dam. Security is very tight at Glen Canyon and we had to undergo about the same procedure as the airlines require before we were allowed to tour the dam.
After checking out at Jacob's Lake lodge, we then headed north to Bryce Canyon National Park. This was also a very spectacular place but I must tell you that, whereas I experienced sensory overload to some extent at Zion, by now I was really "reeling!" Don't get me wrong - Bryce Canyon is beautiful and there are some unique features there that are found nowhere else on the planet. Bryce is noted for its Hoodoos - columns of eccentrically shaped rock, produced by differential weathering. But I think I was just getting "canyoned out" by now and probably didn't fully appreciate everything.
After Bryce Canyon, we drove back to Springdale where we again stayed in the same B&B that we had been, earlier. The next day, we headed for Henderson (a suburb of Las Vegas), Nevada where I had made a reservation at a Best Western. We got there in the afternoon and I spotted a big casino like place that also sported a multiplex cinema. So, after depositing our belongings at the motel, we drove back to the casino and took in an afternoon movie. We saw "Burn After Reading" which we all felt was a big "much ado about nothing!" ( i.e., we each thought it dumb and boring.) We then went to the casino and played the slot machines for a couple of hours. I think Charlie won about $50.
Here's a web link which will take you on a montage of sorts - pictorial summary of the entire trip - that runs about 4 minutes: http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~fishertr/Tom7.wmv.
We then flew back home the following day. As we flew over Missouri and Illinois, I was flabbergasted to look down from 25,000 feet and see so much flood water. I guess this was the aftermath of hurricane Ike and I obviously had no idea how big and lasting this storm had been. All in all, it was a lovely week and I Lil and I really did enjoy ourselves. It was actually good to be away from TV and such for a week but now I am ready to rejoin the fray. Hope all of you have fared well this past week.
"I have been a stranger in a strange land."
- Hebrew Bible. Moses, in Exodus 2:22
Tom Fisher
Purdue University (USA)
Email: fishertrin@gmail.com
Tom's Netlink Site http://www.nlci.com/users/fishers/
Tom's Purdue Site http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~fishertr/
Copyright © 2008 - Thomas R. Fisher, All Rights Reserved.