It's a trip!

Okay, I have about 20 minutes to belt out a blog before they kick us out of the hotel pool.

Here's the rundown of the trip thus far:

* Pismo California was absolutely amazing. The temperatures stayed between 65 and 90 degrees. The waves were beautiful and I loved falling asleep to them each night. We left our balcony doors wide open just for the sounds of the ocean. We had huge foothills on one side of us and ocean on the other... This place was heaven to me. The town was quaint... Perfect! We stayed 3 nights in Pismo... This just wasn't enough. I need more of that...it's good for the soul.

* We left Pismo and drove to Vegas. The wife has a conference to attend here tomorrow. I personally have never been to Vegas, and I can honestly say 5 nights is too long. I love to gamble, but nothing is paying. It was 111 degrees when we rolled into town and there is nothing green here, unless you go to the Bellagio and check out their indoor garden. The heat is dry and unrelenting, but you may occasionally get treated to a breath taking rush of scorching wind. There are sand foothills/mountains surrounding Vegas, and at night it's brilliantly lit and lively. There's something to do on every corner and you'll find that an odd assortment of people will suddenly start filling the streets as the sun goes down. Liquor flows freely, slot machine bells ring continuously, and peddlers sell everything from water bottles to their own bodies on the strip. It should be noted that selling water bottles is a crime and the peddlers are in excellent running condition. They will run from the cops on one corner and set up business again just a few blocks down. It is it's own amazing site, but eerily so... It's almost as if you were stepping into a strange sort of hell. The people living it don't realize that's what they're living in, and you being newly introduced to such a place, wonder when the whole thing will be sucked into oblivion and disappear into the desert it once was.

* Yesterday we took a day trip to the Hoover Damn and Grand Canyon. It's unbelievable to me how something such as the Hoover Damn can be built. The size alone is intimidating, but add that to the fact that it's been built within the confines of the steep foothills makes it even more astounding. They're also building a bridge that runs across the tops of the foothills. I can't wait to come back and drive over it! After taking some pictures of the damn we continued our trek to the Grand Canyon. The temperature dropped as we drew closer. We started seeing green again, and suddenly we were swallowed by rolling foothills overgrown with impressive pines. As we approached the gates to the Grand Canyon National Park, we were greeted by signs announcing the presence of deer... And we actually saw one! We tried to get a picture but the deer was faster than our camera. The canyon was stunning. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't that. I suppose I pictured a canyon surrounded by desert with overlooks protected by railings. What we had was full access to a beautiful multicolored canyon, surrounded by yet more pines, flowers, and water running through the very bottom. I loved it... It was peaceful and made for a very nice time spent with the kids and wife.

That's about it for now and there won't be much going on tomorrow. We'll go to Circus Circus for the rides, then come back and spend the rest of our day at the hotel pool. Both the wife and I are ready to be home with our furry babies! I think the kids are ready as well!!!!

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