We departed rainy Denver and headed east in search of some fine weather, with no plans of stopping until we found it. We were halfway across Kansas before the rain stopped!

We stopped at a visitor centre in Kansas that was offering free coffee and wireless internet. I asked if the internet was working and the guy just gave me a blank stare like I was speaking another language. So I asked again, slower this time. He still gave me the same blank stare. Not an “I beg your pardon” or anything. So I got Mike to translate. Somehow they understood him first time. Maybe I need to drawl it out a bit and roll my rrrr’s more.

We had decided to spend a couple fo days in the Rocky Mountain NP, but when we got up the top the road was closed due to snow. Snow in the middle of summer! So we turned around to fo back down and it started snowing. Well it was more like giant chunks of ice falling out of the sky. The outside temperature dropped to 39 F (4 C).

So we fast tracked it to Denver where it is also raining, cold and miserable. We shall continue driving now until we find nicer weather.

We left Moab and did a quick tour through the Arches NP. Then we did a diversion to National Monument. This was a windy scenic drive with sheer drops down to the valley below. It was a very impressive detour. We just couldnt capture the grandeur of this scenery on camera.

We camped the night just outside a small town called Cedaredge, Colorado. We were the only ones there and this seemed odd. Anyway, we set up camp, cooked a yummy pasta and drank a few coronas then stumbled into the tent. I awoke at 2am to the sound of animals sniffing around the tent. My immediate thought was bear. Mike said there were no bears here. Anyway I couldnt sleep so I got up and surfed the internet, scaring myself with all the bear attacks that had recently happened in Colorado.

Apparently the black bears are becoming agressive as they know humans have food. People are stupid by leaving their food out when camping and there have been a number of cases where bears have dragged people from their tents. They also like to scavenge in trash cans. Anyway, these stories were enough to scare me so I slept in the car. Not sure I will be able to camp again.

The scenery in America never fails to impress. They say Americans do things bigger and better than everyone else, and this seems to apply to the scenery also.

Here are some photos from the Canyonlands NP. The photos dont do the place justice.

And a sweet little chipmonk sheltering from the relentless sun:

We did a diversion to National Monument where the Navajo Indians live. This is where a lot of the westerns are filmed, John Wayne films and that. As I’ve never seen a John Wayne film in my life, it didnt mean much to me. The scenery was not stunning and wasnt really worth the diversion.

Here is a rock doing the finger as if to say, “Up yours paleface!”

Today we drove through the gorges of Capitol Reef NP. None of this hiking for miles in 40 degree heat rubbish in America. Just a leisurely drive in the comfort of our air conditioned car with the occasional snap out the window. Again, the scenery was amazing.

We camped in a little place called Bluff.

We headed to the Bryce national park today. The scenery was very dramatic. We were about 2800 metres about sea level and we both noticed it with a short walk we did. I think we will get over our colds properly before we do any major hiking.

Driving along we saw several groups of deer threatening to jump out in front of us. They are more of a threat than kangaroos!

We also saw lots of cute little chipmunks darting across the road in front of us. This one stopped to beg for food like a little dog I know. We didnt feed it cos we’re not allowed to.

Some more pics of Bryce National Park. They are not the best photos as we were too lazy to lug our big camera up.

We left Vegas $210 of the casinos money and headed for Zion National Park in Utah. It was really really really hot. We found a camping site in Springdale, which was in the Zion NP. We took the last available site by the river. It sounds like we were lucky to get a camp spot being a Saturday night in the middle of summer.

It was really really really hot as we put up our tent, then went to the shop for some coronas. They are delightfully cheap here, a pleasant surprise after the overpricedness of Australia. Only $13 for a dozen.

We aren’t really set up for cooking yet, so we went for a Mexican meal in a café next to the campground. It was well good, but well spicy. Coriander is called Cilantro here. We sat and watched the sun set over the rocks.

We decided to blow our budget to smithereens and stay another night in Vegas as Jerry Seinfeld was on at Caesars Palace. He’s a comedian on my to-do list to see, so we just had to do it.

Vegas is not cheap on a Friday night in the middle of summer on the date 8/8/08. Apparently everyone wants to get married on this date and all accommodation booked out. And who wouldnt want to do that? Get married in Vegas I mean, not on that date. I’d never do as tacky as that. But to get married in Vegas is ideal. Quaint little chapel, Elvis, minimum hassle and only $500 and that includes a photographer!

Anyway, it was well worth the extra expense as Jerry Seinfeld was hilarious.

Today it was really really really hot. Apparently it was about 104 degrees F, whatever that means. It felt like about 40 degrees plus out there.

Mike decided he wanted to visit the old part of town where all the poor people stay as that was Vegas when he was here 20 something years ago.

Thats about it, now its time to hit the blackjack tables!

We departed the smoggy shithole that is Los Angeles and headed for the pretty lights of Vegas.

Its my forth trip to Vegas and I never get sick of it. Where else can you get Paris, Venice, New York and Monte Carlo in the same street. Athough the eiffel tower looks more like the leaning tower of pisa in this photo.

We stopped and looked at the bouncy water outside the Bellagio. The water danced in time to “Singing in the Rain”. Very pretty.
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Then we sat outside for dinner at a French Restaurant and watched the bouncy water some more. Then we hit the Black Jack tables. Mike did well, at one stage he was up well and good, and then ignored me when I said to walk away. He soon dwindled it away until there were only a few bucks left. He shoulda taken advice from an experienced gambler! Alas, I had no luck. Sorry Lynda!