Yosemite to Grand Canyon

Well it kills me to admit it,  but I'm getting tired.  Our days usually stretch to 15 hours from the time we wake up, pack up our stuff, travel all day and the set up again at night.  Mo and I have a chance to go through of the world's problems, but haven't come to any firm conclusions on how to solve them.   I'm pretty sure he is going to be a politician, but he is very good at talking out of both sides of his mouth without really saying anything. 

Most of our time together has revolved around getting this library going.  I'm really hoping that he can pull this off.  I tell him that "the main thing is the main thing is the main thing."  I'm good at quotes like this, but not so good at putting them in practice.  If you don't know Mo, you will.


http://cnre.vt.edu/magazine/articles/201405/geography-student-puts-heart-and-soul-into-library-project.html


We are staying at hotel in Grand Junction, Colorado tonight.  They are playing the College World Series for Jr College women's softball.  I thought for about two seconds about going to watch a game, but decided sleep would be more prudent.  Dinner at Applebee's tonight, and for Mo, you guessed it, chicken and rice.

On Saturday morning we left Fresno early and headed toward Yosemite. We made our obligatory stop to get Mo his oat meal at McDonald's, and of course, two senior coffees.  As with the other national parks to distance is calculated to the first sign of the park, so our hour ride from Fresno was more like 2.5 hrs to what we wanted to see. 


Yosemite is an amazing park.   I've been wanting to go here for several years.  Dramatic view after view.  We visited two extremely tall water falls and got close enough feel the spray from both. Unfortunately a few million people have the same idea each year, and half of them decided to visit on the same day as us.  It was worth it, though.
 
 We camped Saturday night within 50 yards of a major road, so obviously not a restful sleep. just glad to find a spot.  We found a Mexican restaurant called Alexandro's and Mo got an order of Chicken Fajitas again.  




 On Sunday morning we drove back toward Fresno and then down to the Great Sequoia National Park.   We tried to get to the General Sherman Sequoia (one of the largest in the world), but the lines were so long it didn't made sense.  We have seen so many huge trees they are running together now.  In the early afternoon we did a 6 mile round trip hike on a trail to see some giant redwoods.
 This was much more fun than standing in line with hundred's of tourists to see the General Sherman.


Now back in the car and driving on to Las Vegas.   Miles and miles of crops of different types.  Quite an operation.   We arrived at our hotel at about 11:30.  I really wanted to take Mo to Las Vegas Boulevard to show him the big hotels, but I ran out of energy.  I decided to introduce him to the basics of gambling..... the nickel slot machines seemed safe enough.  But gambling can be addictive, even at this level.  I fronted Mo $3.00, but unfortunately he hit the wrong button and played for a whole dollar... and he won.  Now with $5.00 in his pocket Mo decided that he was good to go.  I was pretty sure he wasn't, and I was getting tired.  Mo  took out another $5 from his wallet, handed me his wallet and I headed up to the room thinking he couldn't get in much trouble.  He didn't, and the nickel slot machine has his $10.00 within 30 minutes and he sheepeshly snuck back to the room a beaten man.   Not the first, not the last.   

Monday morning we headed to Hoover Dam where we took a tour of the power plant.  I was here once before, but didn't make time to do a tour.  Glad I did.  Amazing ingenuity and resolve to get this project done.  I don't think it could be done again.  It was at a time in American history where people were very glad to have a job.

Now on to the Grand Canyon.  We got to our camp spot and took a 1.5 mile hike along the canyon on our way to dinner at the Lodge. Along the way we passed two young ladies setting up their camp spot.  I was ahead of Mo and he stopped to talk to them.  this is not unusual, but in this case Mo realized that he had a class with one of the girls at Va Tech.  Can you believe it?  The next morning I saw the girls in the parking lot and asked them if they went to Va Tech.  They did, and in fact they rent a house 50 yards from where I live in Blacksburg.  Such am amazingly small world!


Our server is Maria, from Columbia.  She has a wonderful accent and a very interesting character.  Her husband works at the Lodge, too. She would remind you of Sofia Vergara, but with two main differences.  I'll keep moving now. 

 

We had a great meal.  Mo and I both ordered trout.  He was attracted to it because it was served with rice.  Rice is very important to Mo.  When we are trying to figure out where to eat for dinner that is always his first question.  Do they have rice?

After dinner we sat out on the porch and enjoyed looking at the stars.  So bright out tonight.  After a while I'm getting tired and we turn on our head lamps to walk back to the campground.  So glad that no one at dinner made fun of us wearing our head lamps.  Just kidding. 

I know I'm behind on my updates.  Will work on filling you in on Zion tomorrow while we drive to Pike's Peak.  Mo tells me that he is enjoying my posts, so guess I'll keep chipping away.