Yes, this post is, indeed, different than previous ones. It comes at the front rather than the end of the blog as we have done so far. After some thought we realized that we have a lot of stuff we would like to share with you - from our most recent trip and from some of the others we have had. They include - of course - lots of photos of some of our country's incredibly beautiful sights but, also, some information about places we have visited that we thought you might find interesting. And - if you happen to visit some of the places, the info might be helpful to you in getting the most out of your travels. Soooo .... we thought we'd start doing "real-time" updates. That means that now, we'll have the most recent post at the top of the page. We will leave the trip posts as they were so if you want to look at any of those again you can still go down through them in the sequence we used before.
And - our tips and thoughts do not mean that we're trying to be "know-it-alls" because we certainly "don't." We would also like to get your feedback and any tips you might have for us. For now, we'd like to add a few of the photos we thought might give you some insight into the wonders of our parks, cities and states - natural and man-made.
For openers, the web site of the National Park Service is really phenomenal!! Their web address is:
You really owe it to yourself to take a look at it. You'll be surprised at the various information it gives you and the helpful tips for planning your trip. (Wish I'd paid more attention to it myself!!) And, if you are 62 don't forget about the National Parks Senior Pass. It is really valuable!! It is on the above web site at:
http://www.us-parks.com/golden-age-passport.html
When we mentioned we were starting our trip in Las Vegas we encountered more than just a few "turned up noses." Why, they asked, would you want to spend time in a "gambling place?" Well, turns out that some of the architecture and art that can be seen there is absolutely amazing. Yes, there is more than enough "glitz" to go around but - take a look at a few things we saw.
This 35,000 year old Mammoth tusk was carved to depict all of the people living in a community in China. The carving was begun about 500 years ago and the work continued for about 100 years. The tusk sits on a carved piece of ebony wood five feet long and three feet high. The piece comes from the Ming Dynasty and is exhibited in one of the casinos.
This remarkable piece, also from the Ming Dynasty, is one of a pair of jars - each weighing over 1,200 pounds - carved out of a solid piece of Jade. The vessels were about four feet high and were incredibly ornate.
And this is a motorcycle that was hand-made to represent the "Siren of Treasure Island". It is on display in the casino and was extraordinary. I'm going to try to add a video that shows it in more detail and I think you'll see why it earned second and third looks from everyone who walked by.
Believe it or not - we've still got a camera or two to go through. Sherwood has some good pics from Las Vegas - and the other places we visited - that we'll be adding later.
One thing we have found very beneficial in virtually all of the parks we've visited is the abundance of places to stop for photos or just to sit and enjoy the amazing sights. And - those same places make it easy to pull off to allow someone who is in a bigger hurry than you might be. (Don't worry, they will some day regret rushing through these magical places.)
Another thing we have greatly appreciated is the availability of places to stop for a picnic! That's something we enthusiastically recommend. It might take some extra planning but, believe me, it's worth it. This spot was in Yosemite, right beside a beautiful stream.
We'll try not to put you into "photo-overload" so we'll end this post for now.
First, though, I wanted to go back and say a word or two about one of the things we commented on in earlier posts. It is the "Tillman" bridge that now spans the Colorado River high above the unbelievable Hoover Dam. Take a look at this picture. It was taken from the top of the dam - which is, itself, nearly four hundred feet above the surface of the river. The bridge rises another 300 feet + above. Take a look at the picture and the tiny figures looking down from the walkway. Amazing!!!!!! Thanks for sticking with us. We'll be back soon!!
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