Checking Out The Local Sites

 "Where are we going today? Los Angeles?" my nephew joked when he got up this morning. 

Yes, we've done a lot of driving in the 4 days we've been here. Trek number one was a 3-hour drive to Zion National Park. Trek number 2 was yesterday's 2-hour journey out to Death Valley.

Getting to each park was one thing. The other thing was the hiking. Let's just say I've broken a few exercise records on my Apple watch.

We kept it local today and headed out to a Nevada State Park by the name of Spring Mountain Ranch. It turned out to be quite a sight! The ranch has been owned by a famous furrier to Hollywood, a radio show star, a famous German actress, and Howard Hughes.

German actress Vera Krupp's story is the most interesting. She came to Nevada to get out of Hollywood. By all accounts, she did more than her fair share of work on the ranch. The Krupp diamond, one of Vera's most prized possessions, had a story of its own. 

Our little history tour of the ranch residence was interesting, but the real prize of the park was the beautiful surroundings. The towering red sandstone peaks of nearby Red Rocks Canyon provided quite the backdrop as we wandered the sandy paths around the property. We saw chipmunks scurrying the desert floor, a jack rabbit, and a few wandering burros.

We topped off the outing with some delicious tacos. 

What a vacation it's been.

Beep Beep

The weather today was wet, something you don’t expect when hanging out in the desert. Our plan was to head about 2 hours west to Death Valley and we weren’t going to let a little rain get in the way. 

The ever-changing landscape of Death Valley is stunning- even in the rain. The salt flats did not disappoint. The hike up Golden Canyon challenged me and provided a stunning view from above the canyon. 

It was a fabulous day. The only thing that could have made it better would have been a roadrunner sighting. 

Maybe next time. 

Some Sphere

The Sphere is one of the newest attractions on the Las Vegas Strip. If you've seen any videos of U2's concert online, you can see what a sight it is on the inside.

I didn't know that it was a Madison Square Garden property. The auditorium seats 18,600 people and includes a wrap-around LED screen and 4D visual effects.

On Wednesday night I found myself high up in the auditorium waiting for a screening of a 50-minute movie, "Postcards from Earth," designed to showcase the technology of the sphere. I was not disappointed. 

It was like being in the front car of a ride, except the entire auditorium was the front car. We traveled across 7 continents and saw a glimpse of the world from snowy mountaintops and African savannahs. Elephants stomped across the screen with a force that shook our seats. (Thank you 4D experience) We watched and screamed as a lizard let its tongue fly to grab a spider. Landscapes spread out in front of us as we traveled with ease from one place to another. 

If you're ever in Vegas I'd recommend giving it a try.

What A Day

Zion is Utah's first National Park. Walking the trail along the Virgin River gave our group an amazing view of the sandstone cliffs rising high up into the sky. 

I'm always amazed by the beauty on display throughout the US and am happy every time I get a chance to see it up close. 

Today was not an exception.

Snow Day in Las Vegas

Snow isn't something that immediately comes to mind when one thinks of a week in Las Vegas, but we got to see more than our share of it today on Mount Charleston. 

The drive from Summerlin's desert landscape to the Spring Mountains forest only took about 40 minutes. Stubby palm trees sprouted from the desert floor but eventually gave way to towering pine trees and wooden a-frame homes. The rocky ridges rose high up into the bright blue sky. Climbing out of the car at an overlook I took in a long, deep breath of the mountain air.  If I didn't know better I might have thought I was somewhere in Colorado.

After 7 trips to Las Vegas, I probably thought I'd seen it all. The snow-covered landscape reminded me that I have not.

Also, there was sledding. 

Heading Out

 My bags are packed. And yes, I'm ready to go. Getting out of town is a little easier when the flight time is in the evening. There's no early wake-up alarm and I have enough time to stop in at the chiropractor and to get a quick manicure.

I also get to hang out with the cats a bit. They know that the silver suitcase means the rhythm of their lives is about to change. 

I'm sorry about that, but sometimes a gal needs to get out and see the world a bit.

Take Another Road

My Instagram feed is full of ads showing me how to stretch my back, improve balance, and the best morning stretches. There are also moves to unlock those tight hips, and tips for getting off the floor gracefully.

I understand it's all my fault. In the past five years, I've had two knee replacements and rotator cuff surgery. I suffered for too many years on a bed that was way too soft, so through the years I've investigated a few back and lower body stretches online. I was never a strong science student, but I'm pretty sure I'd graduate at the top of my class at Google Medical University.

And while I enjoy all of the stretches and yoga moves being sent my way it's definitely time to reroute my internet trails.