Hiking Trip Day Five: One last "hike" in Vegas and then home (and a link to ALLLL the photos!)

 Our flight home wasn't until noon, so we took a morning "hike" around the strip. It always amazes me how clean Las Vegas is, considering...

One more chance to sit and ponder...

Then off to the airport for home. We had time to grab lunch...

...and my travel companion fell asleep on the table!

I am so lucky to have this kid as a travel companion. Words don't do this trip justice... maybe all of the photos come closer. You can find them all by clicking here.

"Hiking" trip Day Four (afternoon and evening): Vegas, Baby!

 We stopped at a fun gift store / compound on the way out of Zion. Syl then promptly conked out, and totally missed Arizona!

While planning this trip, I was torn about flying in and out of Las Vegas. I almost shifted to Salt Lake City. Boy am I glad I didn't! 

Syl's one ask, to my surprise, was that we find time to go to Omega Mart, an immersive art experience styled as an alien grocery store. So we drove straight there from Zion, before even checking into our hotel. 

Holy moly, was this a weird experience. These photos don't even scratch the surface.

After about an hour, we both had sensory-overload headaches and were happy to head to our room at the Venetian, in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip.

Syl was amused to find that, like any self-respecting Vegas hotel, the Venetian is set up to route everyone through the casino in order to get anywhere at all.

After showers and a little down time, we share a delicious Italian dinner and then headed to Cirque du Soleil at the Bellagio.

I have never been to a Cirque show. Wow, what an incredible spectacle. Every single performer should be rich and famous for what they do and what they risk. We chose "O," the variant of Cirque that is performed over and in a massive pool of water. I don't think either of our jaws closed the entire time.

I had been sort of dreading Vegas, but this turned out to be one of the most fun evenings of the trip.

Syl's road photos

 Throughout the trip, the driving time provided some of our favorite moments. I think Syl and I can both attest that there was no boredom. To the contrary, there was always something spectacular to look at. We drove from desert to snow and back again all in one day. We passed through more distinct geographies than we could count. Along the way, Syl occasionally grabbed my phone to capture a scene. The camera never does the landscapes justice, but she did a great job. 

That isn't a normal shoulder and scrub brush. That is a tiny gravel shoulder and a massive drop. The green is trees, far far below us. 

This shot almost made me crave a Bud.

At one point in Escalante the road ran along a spine barely wider than the pavement, with cliffs on each side and no guardrails. I asked Syl not to talk to me so I could focus on not getting dizzy!

Hiking Trip Day Four: Zion National Park

 The morning of Day Four we checked out and drove into Zion National Park, thinking we might take a decent hike before heading back toward Las Vegas. The traffic quickly told us we'd better curtail our plans somewhat. As these photos attest, Zion is stunningly beautiful. But, probably because of its relative proximity to both Vegas and Salt Lake City, the Park is, unfortunately, just overrun with people. There is something very disconcerting about sitting in traffic surrounded by such beauty. 

Crowds notwithstanding, with the help of a ranger at the main gate, we were able to find some solitude and some fun rocks for climbing one last time on this wonderful trip!

Can you spot Syl in this one?