From Vegas to Williams, AZ

So I did what I said I was not going to do...I set my iPhone alarm clock this morning to 5 AM in order to get up, shower, make-up, unhook and leave Vegas very early! We needed to get to the Hoover Dam before the tourist hit. Well, thanks to our friends, Dan & Lynn, we made it! We got to the Security checkpoint and David had to open each bay underneath the rig for one Security person to look, while at the same time, another Security person boarded the rig. He didn't even get past the front door, David said it was because my rig looked like a Chinese laundry. You see, I have a washer & dryer which means I never go home with dirty clothes! So, last night I washed some clothes and some didn't dry, so, they were hanging from the cabinets on hangers drying. Guess it was a little too intimidating for this kid;-)

We were lucky enough to see the new bridge being built across the Colorado River. It is an amazing structure and you can see that they still only need one more slab and they will be done. Actually, they plan for it to be opened the end of 2010. It is truly a very cool bridge!!!

Now, we'er in Williams, AZ, the home of Route 66 and the Grand Canyon. We will board the Grand Canyon Railroad in the morning and it's about a 2 1/2 hour trip to the South Rim, then we board a tour bus for a complete tour learning everything we need to know about the Grand Canyon!

Tuesday, we go to Sedona, can't wait. We've been there before, but if you are ever close, you MUST go once more!

Our weather has definitely changed from Vegas' 80 degree weather to tonight to get about 20 degrees tonight!

Good friends...

Last night we went to our friends house and had a great time reminiscing the good days when we used to camp together at the Calistoga Ranch Club in Calistoga. It is no longer there, has been replaced by a resort charging over $300 a night and some rooms are over $1,000!!! It sure wasn't like that when it was an RV park! They have been living here in Vegas for almost 12 years and really enjoy living here. It's a nice place to visit, but I think we  need to live somewhere else.

Today we went to the newest casino here called the M Resort & Casino which was beautiful! This is what they call a "locals casino" since it isn't right on the strip but further out of town. Gorgeous!!! Won a little, lost a little. My charter is I take what I can lose, and if I lose it, oh, well....but if I win...WOO HOO!!! Won $107 yesterday, but I think I felt bad about it and returned every bit of it today.

We will leave tomorrow morning early as we have to cross the Hoover Dam and Sunday is guaranteed to be a tourist day over the dam. If we don't get an early start, it could feasibly take hours to cross! So, we leave Sin City and our friends to venture to Williams, AZ and do the Grand Canyon on Monday morning and get ready for a weather change...from 80's during the day to 60's (will even get below 30 at night)!!!

We say goodbye to our old friends and will make them live up to their promise of a trip to Tennessee in March, 2011!!

Where are my driver's license???

Last fall, I realized that my driver's license had disappeared! Had they been stolen? Don't think so, some of my other cards would be missing, too. I looked high and low for the sucker;  in the motorhome, under the cushions of the sofa, in the car, my handbags, David's pockets...but no license.

I let it ride for a while because I just knew they would appear eventually. Well, Christmas came and I went to the credit union for my annual withdrawal for Christmas $$ and took my world recognized passport. Unfortuanately, my credit union does not recognize passports, but requires a STATE ID card! So I finally had to give up and go to the DMV for a replacement card. I had hoped that they would re-take my photo cause we all know how terrible the driver's license picture is of ourselves, but no, they would use the same old, ugly photograph on my replacement card and still charge me $22!

About 15 days later, my replacement card arrived and I was finally able to get my Christmas $$ for my kiddies. I totally gave up on the old card and went on my merry way.

This week while David & I were in Anaheim, we went to the market for some groceries. I had on my capris that had been packed away for the winter. As we were walking into the store, I felt my hip pocket and there was a little hard rectangle thingy in there. Unbuttoned the pocket and, you guessed it, there is my driver's license!!! It had survived a good washing, warm drying and got tucked away for a long winter's nap only to  be brought out out in the Southern California sunshine!!!

Now I have two CA driver's license....I'm good until October and then I'll trade them in for a Tennessee driver's license. Go figure!!!

We're in Las Vegas, baby....

We left Anaheim this morning headed west for Vegas. Was only about a 4 hour trip, but when you are crossing the desert, it seems much, much longer! Very non-eventful day except when we stopped right across the state line in Primm so David could stretch his legs. Those casinos right at the state line have lots of parking so finding a place for the motorhome and the car was a piece of cake.

We headed into McDonald's for a hot fudge sundae. How could that go so wrong???? I asked for a hot fudge sundae with a cup of ice water....not a good thing! Can you imagine, you have just crossed the Mojave Desert and go into Mickey D's for a sundae, but they want a dollar for a cup of ice water???? David was so ticked (those of you who know David, knows this is not a good thing), he requested to speak to the manager. Manager repeated what the clerk said, water is $1.00, David informed him that he has never paid for water at any McDonald's in California! The manager said, "well, sir, you aren't in California anymore!"

Thank goodness I always have ice water in the motorhome, I didn't get any ice water at McDonald's in Primm, Nevada!!!

Tomorrow, we will meet up with our friends, Dan & Lynn Rodriquez and will have lots of fun!!! Stay tuned!

California Adventure

What a cool place! David loved the California Soarin....an amazing journey through California! The Disney people do such spectacular things...you get in the ride and it gives you the feeling of hang gliding through the entire state....fun, fun, fun!!! We wanted to ride it again but the lines were just too long!

Let me tell you, we have found out that we are not as young as we used to be...when we got tired...we just left the park. The bus to our RV park stops every 20 minutes so it was easy to go back to the motorhome, rest and eat then  decide if we wanted to go back. Actually, we decided that we DID NOT want to go back....we were just too pooped!!!

Today is our last day as California residents, by tomorrow afternoon we will be in Las Vegas.

Disneyland

So today David & I went to Disneyland, had a ball! The weather has been so gorgeous so we are taking advantage of it while we can. I cannot tell you how cute the little girls are when they arrive at the park already dressed as their favorite Disney princess. I saw Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Snow White...I think Snow White was only about 18 months old! Too stinking cute!

David and I rode everything from It's a Small World to Space Mountain. David wasn't into Space Mountain but I told him that he had ridden it before...NOT! I think he actually enjoyed it...when we were getting off the ride, the guy in front of us said that we must have really enjoyed the ride. Well, screaming is part of the ride, isn't it? What I told David made me remember that I had told my daughter, Robyn, when she was about 7 years old and we were in Disney World that she would really enjoy Space Mountain and probably it scared the wits out of her; probably not something a mother should do to their child.

We left the park about 4:30 even though we wanted to see the fireworks, but we can see them from our motorhome as our RV Park is so close to Disneyland.

Tomorrow we will go to California Land. God give me strength!

Ronald Reagan's Library in Simi Valley, CA

Well, today we had the opportunity to visit the Reagan Library in Simi Valley. The location could not be more perfect, the view from this hill is amazing and very appropriate for this president. We have been here before but it was before Air Force One was refurbished and open to the public and we really wanted to be able to tour it.

Don't think that amazing will do the trick when it comes to describing a Boeing 707! When we were touring the plane, I was in awe in knowing that all of the president's from Nixon to George W. had used this plane. It is in a beautiful pavilion, totally enclosed and perched on only 2 pedestals! I'm so glad we got the opportunity to drop by here once more before leaving California!

Another thing that is jaw dropping is the mini White House completed constructed in a minature version. The attention to detail was perfection!

If any of you have the opportunity, no matter your political affiliation, you must do yourself a favor and visit this library.