hello I washed the truck and added a little bling

Mail

I got some mail from Las Vegas today, alas, no coupons. Oh well, what can you do. With any luck the packs going out to you guys with have some.

Hello I really don't have any thing to say but I thought you might like this.

Looks what comes out on May 25 - while we are out

Not as bad as one might expect

A Photo too cool to pass up

Pic of Imperial Palace car show

Vegas Real Estate

Just an interesting bit of info I came across - Land on the Strip has been going for $20 million to $24 million an acre.

The New Pool

Okay, so Anne's pool picture looked a bit shabby. Never fear - they are upgrading the pool just for us! Here is the new layout design.

Gambling News!!!!!

Good news for you gamblers out there! The Excalibur has 1 cent slots!

Our room?

Dad hasn't told me which room him booked, but he knows we only deserve the best, so I assume this king suite with spa will be waiting for us.

The Excaliber

Here is some pictures of the other hotel we are going to stay at--The Excaliber.
It is themed after King Arthur's court and looks pretty cool. It has a brand new swimming pool area that opens next month that includes two water slides! They also have a banquet dinner that is served without silverware!

map of Vegas

Here is a handy dandy map of vegas for all yall's navigating enjoyment

Circus Circus

I realized that we hadn't posted a picture of the hotel yet - so here ya go!

Shopping at Circus Circus

This hotels contains a modest (compared to other complexes) array of stores in their indoor mall. About 20 stores are currently occupied, many of them gift/souvenir type shops, including Vegas' own spin on the dollar store: the under 10 store (everything is more expensive on vacation) as well as an ice cream and candy store.

The Circus Circus amusement park

The hotel boasts a five acre indoor theme park. All day passes for the park are 23.00. You can also pay per ride.

Free Circus acts

The World's Largest Permanent Circus will never disappoint you. Highlighting the center stage of the carnival midway, Circus Circus presents world renowned live circus acts FREE everyday! See the excitement and action of the circus as never before.

Different acts perform each half hour from 11 a.m. to midnight.

Circus Circus

Well, we seem to have done a fair job with the nature bit so far - lets play a bit with the vegas section now. I will try to find what I can about our first hotel-Circus Circus. Let me know what you guys find.

That last post

Well, I am not sure what that last post had to do with vacation, but at least he is contributing.

sup yallllls

Free Food!

I found this little tidbit interesting: At the MGM Mirage people pass out free donuts in the morning to slot players, or people impersonating slot players, if you get our drift.

Free Antique Car Show at Imperial Palace

This is by far the best coupon I have found so far. A link will be found on the left as well. The show seems quite excellent - great old cars, as well as cars from great (and not so great) old guys, like the pope and Hitler.

The show is normally like $10 per person, so this seems to be quite a deal.

list of free things to do in Vegas

BELLAGIO CONSERVATORY | BREWERY Holy Cow! | CAESARS MAGICAL EMPIRE | CHOCOLATE FACTORY & CACTUS GARDENS CLOWN FACTORY | DESERTDEMONSTRATION GARDEN | DON PABLO CIGAR CO. | DRAGON BATTLE | THE FOUNTAINS OF BELLAGIO | FOUNTAIN FESTIVAL AT FORUM SHOPS | FREMONT STREET EXPERIENCE | LION HABITAT | LOST CITY OF ATLANTIS SHOW AT FORUM SHOPS | M&M'S WORLD | MASQUERADE SHOW IN THE SKY | MYSTIC FALLS PARK | PAHRUMP VALLEY VINEYARDS | SHELBY AMERICAN INC. | TROPICAL RAINFOREST | WORLD'S GREATEST CIRCUS ACTS' AT CIRCUS CIRCUS | WHITE TIGER HABITAT

Descriptions can be found here:

http://www.lasvegasfunbook.com/#forumshops

NEW: links!

I've just posted a number of links to the national parks, and hope to find some more for things in Vegas, especially online coupons!

Mesa Verde

Mesa Verde, Spanish for green table, offers a spectacular look into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years, from A.D. 600 to A.D. 1300. Today, the park protects over 4,000 known archeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings. These sites are some of the most notable and best preserved in the United States.
Yeah, great 4,000 sites, but many of them probably only have a broken pot or two. The real draw here isn't quantity so much as quality. They have about 5 pretty darn good sites here. The largest and most famous of which is Cliff Palace (see picture). There is a snag though. This site is only accessible through a guided tour, which is probably cool, but freedom is nice as well. Anyway, I think Cliff Palace is a must, and the tickets for the tour aren't too bad at $3 a piece. They describe the tour this way:
Cliff Palace
Mesa Verde’s Largest Cliff Dwelling This one-hour, ranger-guided tour involves climbing five, 8-10ft (2.6-3m) ladders, on a 100ft (30m) vertical climb. Total walking distance is about 1/4-mile (400m), round-trip. The tour begins at Cliff Palace Overlook, an 8-mile (13km), 20-minute drive from the Visitor Center.
There are two other good sites that allow self-guided tours on. These are a bit smaller, but I think we should find the time to squeeze them in as well. These are known as Spruce Tree House and Step House. Step House doesn't open until Memorial Day though, so depending upon when we end up in the park we might miss it (although they probably mean memorial day weekend).

Our semi-schedule

Okay so, here is a schedule that Peter and I figured out. We ended up with so many places that we wanted to visit that we had to cut some out. We tried to make a route that would best accommodate as many feasible places as possible and allow us to have a reasonable amount of time at each stop.

Day 1 (Tues. May 22)
Leave PHL airport at 8:00am
Arrive at Las Vegas Airport at 12:35pm
Check into hotel and tour sites in Las Vegas

Day 2 (Wed. May 23)
Spend the day in and around Las Vegas

Day 3 (Thurs. May 24)
Leave Las Vegas around 10:00am and head toward Zion NP
Stop at Valley of Fire on the way and arrive at Zion NP around 3pm
Leave Zion NP after sunset and head toward Bryce Canyon NP
Stay at hotel near Bryce Canyon

Day 4 (Fri. May 25)
Stay at Bryce Canyon for the day and leave around 5pm
Drive towards Capitol Reef and stop shortly at Escalante and Anasanzi Indian Village State Park
Stay in Torrey for the night

Day 5 (Sat. May 26)
8am- Start touring Capital Reef NP, leave around 12pm and head towards Arches NP
Arrive at Arches around 3pm and leave after sunset, head towards Mesa Verde, CO
Stay in Cortez CO for the night

Day 6 (Sun. May 27)
Attend 10:30am mass at St. Margaret Mary's in Cortez
Afterwards, spend the day in Mesa Verde and leave at 4:30pm for Four Corners National Monument. Arrive at Four Corners around 6pm and leave at 8pm heading towards Natural Bridges.

Day 7 (Mon. May 28--Memorial Day)
8am-Tour Natural Bridges, leave around 11am heading to Monument Valley
Leave after sunset and head toward Grand Canyon NP, spend the night in Tuba City, AZ

Day 8 (Tues. May 29)
Sleep in!!! Spend the day at Grand Canyon and leave in the pm for Lake Mead, NV
Spend the night in or around Kingman, AZ

Day 9 (Wed. May 30)
Arrive at Lake Mead around 11:00am and spend the day touring the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead NRA, leave in the pm for Las Vegas

Day 10 (Thurs. May 31)
Peter and Rachel may have to go home at 7:25 am, if not spend the day touring the city and perhaps visiting Red Rock Canyon

Day 11 (Fri. June 01)
Free day
Leave LAS heading home at 10:15pm

Day 12 (Sat. June 02)
Arrive at PHL at 9:02 am and head home!

Arches Review

Arches National Park contains the world's largest concentration of natural stone arches. This National Park is a red, arid desert, punctuated with oddly eroded sandstone forms such as fins, pinnacles, spires, balanced rocks, and arches. The 73,000-acre region has over 2,000 of these "miracles of nature." This park is one of the more popular ones, as such it has walking/biking/horsing/ATVing/Jeeping/etc tours. It also has a scenic 40 mile driving route to see many of the famous views. This one is definitely a winner in my book, but it is also pretty far away. It is a little further north than the others, and is getting close to the eastern border.

Canyonland review

I know this picture has been seen before, but it is by far the best. (in fact, it might be too go, insofar as it misleads us into thinking this is the best of the parks. In general this park seems a little bit duller, mostly because the pictures lack the bright red (this photo is the one exception) that many other parks have. On the upside, this park seems to have more sweeping vistas than the others. This might make it a better place to take pictures and drive, but perhaps not as good to hike. In the far southern reaches of Utah, the Colorado and Green Rivers carve the high desert into a labyrinth of red-rock canyons that are sheer ecstasy for the hiker, mountain biker, and whitewater adventurer. The park is broken into three distinct districts — Island in the Sky , The Needles and The Maze . The vast landscape offers hundred-mile vistas of rust-colored pinnacles, high mesas, sculpted buttes, sandstone spires, and sheer crimson cliffs. This park is even further into Utah, and is close to Arches NP.

Capitol Reef review

Another nice place. This one didn't make Anne's list, but is on the way. Take it or Leave it, you decide. This one also includes a 30 minute scenic tour. A great little place, and seems to be a bit of an unknown (this might mean smaller crowds which is always nice. It is along Highway 12, and is between Bryce and Arches. So why not take advantage of it and spend the 30 minutes on a nice drive or a bit more and do some hiking and touring (apparently the correct verb form of tour, as in, what a tourist does, I like the word touristing myself - but they tell me that is not a word).

Bryce Canyon - review #2

This is a view of the canyon, with the park's famous "Thor's Hammer" on the left. One photographer's site that I found stated: Bryce Canyon is my favorite National Park. It is easy to see the whole thing and it has some really nice trails that let you get into and feel apart of the canyon. He also has pages for many other Utah and Western parks, so he has been around. I on the other hand think it is nice, but too much like a smaller Grand Canyon. Thats not to say I think we shouldn't stop, just that this is not my top place to see. It does seem like a nice place to hike though. It is located a bit further into Utah than Zion, and would make a good 2nd stop. There is a half hour scenic drive that seems very nice. (The larger picture is from the drive).

Zion - the first of the organized place descriptions

Zion National Park, Utah is often said to be one of the most beautiful places in America and is a masterpiece of towering cliffs, deep red canyons, mesas and massive monoliths. It was the first of Utah's National Parks to receive that distinction. (this might say something about its beauty relative to the other parks in the area, but maybe not). It is a place to hike - and they offer biking, horsing (Yes its a word - or it should be) jeep rentals, etc. It contains massive canyon walls which ascend toward a brilliant blue sky. To experience Zion, you need to walk among the towering cliffs, or challenge your courage in a small narrow canyon. These unique sandstone cliffs range in color from cream, to pink, to red. They could be described as sand castles crowning desert canyons. It's not a barren dessert with huge rock upcroppings (that is in monument valley), but a semi-dessert area, ,with cliffs, rock formations, animal and plant growth, and even some water (and at least one very good water fall). It is located pretty close to the Utah/Nevada border and would make a good first stop or last stop on a driving loop.

getting organized

I think we should start showing off points of interest (esp those already in the must see list) with pictures and an over view of what this place has to offer. This way we can all get an idea of each place, and whether is it must see - should see - can live without - or must not stay there at all costs (here I am thinking of Whiskey Pete's. Of course I am kidding though, it does seem nice enough, and if we pass we need to stop and take a picture)

just an idea - take it for what its worth

the beginnings of a route???

1)okay - we start out in Vegas (not NP, but one day perhaps?) Nevada
(here is where it gets tricky)
2) Zion NP Utah
3) Bryce Canyon NP Utah
4) Capitol Reed perhaps, NP Utah (not on the list, but check it out, might be on the way)
5) Canyonlands NP Utah
6) Arches NP Utah (yes, that makes 5 national parks in a row, all in Utah, but we aren't done yet) (Anne listed Moab as another NP, but it seems to be a town, not a park, outside of Arches)
7) Mesa Verde NP Colorado
8) 4 corners
9) Antelope Canyon near Page Arizona
10) Grand Canyon NP Arizona
11) Las Vegas Nevada

Okay, this seems to be a pretty good route, as far as I can tell, hitting all the places Anne listed in her original post, plus Antelope Canyon. The problems include: this is a lot, let me rephrase that, A LOT, to do in just a short time, with a lot of driving. So the question is, should we cut down the trip to make us spend less time in the car and more time at the various places? The problem with this is that we would then cut out (most likely) the places the furthest away - which is Mesa Verde and 2nd four Corners. But Mesa Verde, as I understand it, is the #1 reason for the trip - kinda a theme for the whole road trip around which all else was planned. We could cut things on the way, that would save some driving time (perhaps a lot, perhaps not, I don't have a good enough feel for how far out of the way some of these places are. if we could travel line of sight alot of them would be on the way anyway, so why not stop, but the way roads are laid might make them quite out of the way), it would also save time in that we wouldn't be spending time walking and sightseeing. This could help the trip to be less hectic, but might make it end up being: time in Las Vegas, a day of driving nonstop, some time in mesa verde, another day of driving non-stop, then back in LV. (obviously I am oversimplifying, we wouldn't get rid of all the other stops). The problem with this is that we have very long amounts of time in the car without any breaks. Is this a problem?
If we leave the route as is (at least roughly - it surely needs some fine tuning) the problem is that although the start of the trip is well paced, meaning you are never in the car for a super-extended period without a stop, on the way back there are only 2 stops really, Page/Antelope and the Grand Canyon, so the pacing isn't as good. Since this route is a loop, not a line which we backtrack after reaching the destination (mesa verde, since it is the furthest) it is not possible to simply 'hit this place on the way back.'
I know this is alot to take in. It helps to read this with an atlas in front of you. Let me know what you guys think, and if there are any other places that should be included. (I didn't include the places close to Las Vegas, like Hoover Dam, Valley of Fire and Red Rock Canyon, since they don't need to be done in a specific place in the large driving loop).
One thing I think we should consider is not only hitting all the most beautiful locations, but rather hitting the most beautiful of each type of location - ie, the best Indian dwelling, the best canyon, best arches, best climbing/hiking, etc.

Welcome to Pecos!

Pecos preserves 12,000 years of history including the ancient pueblo of Pecos, Colonial Missions, Santa Fe Trail sites, 20th century ranch history of Forked Lightning Ranch, and the site of the Civil War Battle of Glorieta Pass.

For several centuries the Upper Pecos Valley, has been one of those rare places where the impact of geography on human experience is strikingly clear.

Another cool place - this time in AZ -

is this one of the places you guys have been talking about? Its called Montezuma's castle, but I am not sure where it is exactly.

Looky Looky

Fine, so its in Peru - its not like we haven't driven long distances before.

Chaco Canyon National Historical Park, in NM

From AD 850 to 1250, Chaco Canyon served as a major urban center of ancestral Puebloan culture. Remarkable for its monumental public and ceremonial buildings, engineering feats, astronomy, artistic achievements, and distinctive architecture, it served as a hub of ceremony, trade, and administration for the prehistoric Four Corners area for 400 years--unlike anything before or since.

Chaco Culture National Historical Park preserves one of America's most significant and fascinating cultural and historic areas. It was a major center of ancestral Puebloan culture between AD 850 and 1250 and was a hub of ceremony, trade, and administration for the prehistoric Four Corners area - unlike anything before or since.

Chaco is remarkable for its monumental public and ceremonial buildings, and its distinctive architecture. To construct the buildings, along with the associated Chacoan roads, ramps, dams, and mounds, required a great deal of well organized and skillful planning, designing, resource gathering, and construction. The Chacoan people combined pre-planned architectural designs, astronomical alignments, geometry, landscaping, and engineering to create an ancient urban center of spectacular public architecture - one that still amazes and inspires us a thousand years later.

Another cool place in Utah

I think this is pretty cool, maybe you don't. Don't blame me, I tried to imbue some taste into yall's heads. On the down side, I think you need a 4wd to get there.

Capulin Volcano National Monument, NM

Mammoths, giant bison, and short-faced bears witnessed the earthquakes and firework-like explosions which hurled molten rock thousands of feet into the air. Approximately 60,000 years ago, the rain of cooling cinders formed Capulin Volcano, a nearly perfectly-shaped cinder cone, rising more than 1000 feet above the surrounding landscape. A 2-mile paved road to the top of the volcano and paved trails into the crater and around its rim provide access to explore the volcano.

more cool destinations - but is this a good thing?

Is anyone else getting scared by all these new places in distant lands. Yes, distant. They may be only half a state away--but out west states are BIG. Rhode Island wannabees need not apply kind'o'thin. Not that we shouldn't post all the cool things we can find - it just worries me, thats all. BTW, Mesa Verde (which as far as I know is the furthest destination from LV that has been decided on for sure is a 600 mile hike (or car ride if you city-slickers can't handle it). Not as bad as some of our trips for sure (I do seem to remember a drive to our northern brothers which was roughly 6,903,765,746 miles long.) but we do have to keep all this in mind.

Bandeleir NM

Bandelier National Monument

The ancestors of modern Pueblo people built thriving communities in the area called Bandelier about 600 years ago. Several thousand Ancestral Pueblo dwellings are found among the pink mesas and sheer-walled canyons. The best-known archeological sites, in Frijoles Canyon near the Visitor Center, were inhabited from the 1100s into the mid-1500s.

New Mexico Places

About Aztec Ruins National Monument

Around 1100 A.D. ancestral Pueblo people embarked on an ambitious building project along the Animas River in northwestern New Mexico. In less than three decades they built a monumental “great house.” Aztec West stands three-stories high, stretches longer than a football field and once had as many as 500-rooms including a ceremonial “great kiva” over 40-feet in diameter.

A short trail winds through room blocks of this massive site offering visitors a uniquely intimate experience. Along the way discover original roofs intact, ponder intriguing “T” shaped and north-facing corner doors, see a reed mat left by early inhabitants and more. The trail culminates by descending into the reconstructed great kiva, a building that inherently inspires contemplation, wonder, and an ancient sense of sacredness.

Doesn't this look like a fun spot for a picnic-just don't fall off!

this is in Zion btw.

Some Cliff Writing in Valley of Fire

Our list is getting longer....

Okay so, our must see list is getting longer! This is Monument Valley that is located on a Navajo reservation near Lake Powell, isn't it amazing looking? It is listed as the number one place to visit in southern Utah and I can see why.

Here is a map of the area

Don't forget Vegas

All this natural 'beauty' is making sick! What about the glitz, glamor, and utterly tasteless display of American capitalism and non-culture that is Las Vegas! Here are some things in and around the city that I think are worth hitting (in no particular order):
1) The Fremont street experience - a three block TV suspended over the street with light/music shows at night.

2) Outdoor classic Vegas neon signs from the old school (now destroyed) hotels and casinos

3) The little church of the west - a quaint western chapel where everyone and their neighbor has been married - from Elvis to Mickey Roony (come '0n, a little lame I know, but wouldn't mock wedding photos be fun!)

4) Pictures in front of the fabulous Las Vegas Nevada sign

5) Showcase mall - with the worlds largest indoor playground and a several story coke bottle, chocolate "museum" and other assorted strangeness. (not a must see, but fun for a few minutes)

6) Bellagio water dance - a must see - or so 'they' say. It takes place several times a night in front of the casino of the same name.

7) Pirate show - another free show which takes place in front of the Treasure Island everynight.

8) Mirage Volcano - from what I have read, it is among the lamer (is that a word) of the outdoor 'shows' but should be easy to catch because it takes place every 15 minutes (once its dark).

9) random acts performed at circus circus in and around public areas of the hotel throughout the day.

10) antique and collector car show at the imperial palace - note: look for free coupons.

11) The Star Trek Experience at the Hilton!!! need I say more?

12) the crazy touring/shopping/gawking/ centers at Ceasers, Venetian, and Excalibur (or is it the Morocco?)

13) tours of all the other theme hotels - Luxor, Treasure Island, Paris, New York, etc.
****
Within a short drive are these other cool areas:
14: Hoover Dam
15: Red Rock Canyon
16: Valley of Fire

This is a good idea

Here is a planned trip route for southern Utah that hits most of the "must see" places. It says that they recommend at least 2 weeks to see all the stops but that it can be done in one week. You know what that means, us Furlongs can do it in 4-5 days no problem!

Mesa Verde NP

Arches NP

re:lets plan a route

What about antelope canyon? Should that be on the list?

Let's plan a route

These are places that we should try and squeeze in to our trip. So, let's try to figure out a route that will best accommodates, realistically of course, these places.

Zion NP
Arches NP
Moab NP
4 Corners
Grand Canyon
Bryce Canyon NP
Canyonlands

Isn't this pretty!

Umm....I don't think so!

Sorry Dad!

Another from Valley of fire

Another view of Ringo

Valley of Fire

Here is a first glimpse of this park. This is also close (within an hour) of Vegas.

Antelope Canyon

Hey, look at this place! It's called Antelope canyon and is on a Navajo reservation near Lake Powell. Isn't it amazing looking? It's like going through the canyon on that Star Wars Nintendo 64 game. I think we should go!

a bad picture of the good elephant in Red Rock

The title says it all. The picture in the guide book is soooo much better, but you get the idea. Still not very red though, is it? This is about 20 miles from Vegas (I think). Thats the park, not the elephant, (let's call him Ringo) I don't know where in the park he is.

Check this place out! This is Red Rock Canyon - or at least one part of it. This image doesn't show the red rocks so much-but trust me, they are somewhere in the park