"It's very rude of him," she said, "To come and spoil the fun!"

Travel Date: Sunday, July 4

After some much needed sleep at a campsite within Bryce Canyon, we decided we needed to see more of this incredible place.  We drove through the rest of the park, stopping for many more unbelievable vistas and hiking trails (although we were a bit more cautious this time around). 

Still addicted to Mother Nature, we staid off Vegas’ call a bit longer and squeezed in another quick trip, this time through Zion National Park.  Again, spectacular sights as we began to see the terrain shift from traditional looking mountains into more rugged desert cliffs and mesas even more so.  [Editor’s note: Great place to have a mountain bike and bathing suit for tubing handy.]  Finally, it was off to Las Vegas, just in time for Independence Day.

Where to begin…  We set ourselves up with the nearly impossible task of trying to take in all of Sin City in less than 24 hours.  Not advisable for future trip planning but all in all, we actually faired quite well.   After destroying an always dangerous all you can eat buffet at our hotel, we set to the streets.  Being the 4^th of July, we found ourselves packed into small spaces with thousands of others as the neon lights glowed brightly from all around.   Trekking up and down the strip, we walked in and out of hotels, each one seeming to outdo the last, playing slots here and cards there.  We caught the fountain show at the Bellagio, the risqué pirate battle at Treasure Island (the “pirates” being much bigger floozies than the scalawags we had envisioned), and in appropriate fashion, an epic firework display courtesy of Caesar’s Palace.  Though we stayed at the Luxor and enjoyed riding elevators at 45 degree angles, we ultimately had a split decision for favorite hotel between New York New York and The Venetian.

The next morning we took advantage the opportunity of having a comfy bed to stock up on some much needed quality sleep (desert rocks can be a bit rough), did a bit more exploring along the strip, grabbed lunch at the brand new Hard Rock Café: Las Vegas, and once again set out on the road, this time heading back East.

- The Walrus & The Carpenter