Western Tour with the Robinsons

In a recent letter to my sister Mary, I commented that next time I visited them I hoped to see something of the Western United States. I thought it was time for me to explore my native country. In response, Mary invited me to join her, her husband Ellis, and their daughter Nancy on a tour of Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, and the Grand Canyon. I accepted instantly.

There were misgivings. Severe sciatica was beginning to cripple me, but I was determined to take the trip even if it meant seeing everything only from the car window. Mary by phone and letter and Nancy by email assured me that I would not be a drag on their holiday.

We rendezvoused in Las Vegas, partly because Katy (daughter of my dear cousin Helen Anne) now lives there and partly because it is accessible by air from almost anywhere.

Thursday, 2 September

My Continental flight from Belize to Houston was superb, the most elegantly comfortable economy facilities I ever have enjoyed. We were late getting to the gate in Houston and I had a very close connection with my onward flight to Las Vegas. By the time I was halfway up the passageway from my plane the pain was so severe that I knew I could not make it.

I passed a row of wheelchairs and attendants, “I need one,” I gasped. All four men leaped to attention. A tall man grabbed a chair, settled me in it, asked for directions and whisked me off. He was delightful and was determined to get me to my plane on time.

Fortunately my luggage was first off the carousel. My Guardian Angel snatched it up and whisked me through Customs and to the Continental desk just outside the exit. He parked me and, bypassing the crowd in front of the desk, carried my bags behind the counters and checked them through to Las Vegas himself. Fortunately, Continental in Belize now has electronic ticketing and issues all boarding passes for the entire trip when one checks in. The baggage tags showed the entire trip through to Las Vegas so I had the stubs already.

We raced along corridors, into elevators, and past other passengers to reach my gate as boarding began.

 

The Continental flight from Houston to Las Vegas was for sardines. However, it was relatively short and I had pleasant seat companions who were immersed in their own books until landing time.

In Las Vegas, I walked slowly up the ramp and found Mary and Ellis waiting for me, just inside the waiting area, with Katy. They all looked wonderful and we had a noisy, happy reunion, ignoring the people around us.

It was well into the evening hours, but they had waited dinner for me. Katy drove us to our hotel, where Ellis deposited my luggage in my room. Then we went to a charming restaurant for a late supper. Marie Callender’s is noted for its pastries. I amazed myself by ordering a turkey pot pie. It was unbelievably good with great masses of meat under a melt-in-your-mouth crust.

My body time was three hours ahead of everyone else’s. By the time we had eaten, I fell apart. Katy took us back to our hotel. I barely managed to undress before collapsing in my comfortable bed for overdue sleep.

Friday, 3 September

I awoke late to explore the wonders of my room. It was a large, pleasantly decorated standard hotel room, but surpassed many by providing a coffee maker, iron and ironing board, and wonder-of-wonders, a Jacuzzi.

I joined Mary and Ellis for one of the worst complimentary breakfasts I ever have been offered. The room was early food court. Beverages were acceptable. Breads were horrid small things wrapped in plastic. It was surprising in an otherwise lovely establishment.

It had been decided in our almost daily pre-trip email correspondence that Katy would take me shopping for essentials the first morning. That suited Mary. She had lost her driver’s license somewhere between Durango and Las Vegas and needed a replacement so she could share driving with Ellis on their long trip back to Colorado. She intended to spend the morning on the telephone.

Katy took me to a large drugstore, where I quickly acquired the necessities on my shorter-than-usual list. We then went to a Back Store, where I bought the lumbar-support pillow prescribed by my physical therapist.

Katy told me that she and her husband Larry planned to build a house soon and at my urging, took me to the new development, where she showed me the model home they had selected. I was enchanted. It was charming and ideal for them. The open first floor living area was attractively designed and perfect for a couple. The gem was the master bedroom upstairs, which had a separate small sitting room off it. Katy’s back problems force her to spend a lot of time in bed. The generous size of the suite will make her quiet hours far more pleasant than they would be within four walls.

We proceeded back to Katy and Larry’s condo not far away. I was introduced to Steve, the delightful young friend who has been staying there and taking care of things while Larry was working near San Diego. And I met Tess, Katy’s lovely Brittany Spaniel.

 

We returned to the hotel, picked up Mary and Ellis, and drove to the airport to meet Nancy. She arrived a few minutes late, hale, hearty, and happy. Katy dropped us all of back at the hotel and arranged to pick us up at four that afternoon to begin our investigation of the delights of Las Vegas.

We went first to Treasure Island and settled onto a balcony overlooking a small lake. To our right we could see a life-size replica of a pirate ship affixed at the far end of the pool. We could see sailors climbing the rigging.

Gradually the water in the little lake became agitated with rough waves. We heard the noise of voices and rustle of rigging out of sight to our left. Slowly the HMS Britannia sailed into view and came to a stop directly in front of us. The captain stalked back and forth issuing orders to sailors in red-and-white-striped shirts.

The pirate ship fired on the British ship. The battle was joined. The ships fired back and forth at each other with increasingly real and terrifying pyrotechnics. The pirate ship was set afire. Flames leaped high. Sailors dived from their high perches into the water to escape. The dying pirate ship sent a final volley into the Britannia, sinking it. The British ship slowly disappeared into the water, stern-first, until only one rail was above the waves. Thunderous applause from onlookers on the balcony and from the people lining the fence along the sidewalks on the far side of the lake.

To everyone’s amazement, a few moments later the Britannia rose slowly, majestically from the “sea.” Incredibly, there was the Captain, standing at attention, on his deck. He spit a great jet of water over the rail, doffed his great hat, and finally stepped out of his role and began raising the ship’s sails. With only one man on board, the ship quietly sailed back around the corner and out of sight. The fire on the pirate ship burned out as the British ship sank. However, the flames had caught a palm tree above the top mast. It continued to blaze merrily. This must have been a regular occurrence because men appeared, sprayed it, and extinguished the errant blaze.

The entire show was a magnificent, realistic display. It was one of Las Vegas’ several spectacular free shows.

 

From Treasure Island, Katy took us to a Tex-Mex restaurant well away from the Strip. It was delightfully informal with excellent food. While we were waiting to be served, Katy produced a deck of cards and proceeded to show us the finer points of Black Jack. She dealt each of us a hand, displayed the dealer’s cards, then told us how to decide whether or not to ask for another card. She gave us the basic rules for judging the dealer’s hand and one’s own hand.

After several rounds of Black Jack, she took out a pad and pencil, diagrammed a roulette table, and suggested the best chances to win, either a risky big win or a safer small one.

Katy has years of experience dealing Black Jack and acting as croupier for Roulette. She is not fond of the latter. She herself plays regularly at a nice casino not far from their condo. She allows herself $50. If she loses it, she stops for the night. If she wins $100, she stops for the night. Over time, she has a nice little bit of extra spending money from her disciplined betting.

After dinner Katy drove us up and down the Strip so we could see the great, gaudy, gorgeous casinos. We were too late for the light-and-sound show at the Bellagio but since it comes on every fifteen minutes, we knew we could see it another time.

Saturday, 4 September

Katy picked us up at 10:30 am and took us to Caesar’s Palace. Its Forum Shops is a magnificent mall of expensive shops done in the Roman style, radiating out in a series of corridors. A large central room has a huge fountain with nearly life-size winged horses and ancient gods.

We separated to explore on our own then regathered in another rotunda by another fountain displaying four life-size “marble” gods. Varicolored lights around the ceiling played on the figures. A flash of lightening lit the “sky” The central god, seated above the others, slowly lifted a cup to his lips, lowered it, and began to talk. Unfortunately, you could not understand a word. Katy was most disappointed. In the past his dialogue was a clear and interesting tale of the gods.

The base holding the three lesser gods began to revolve. Each of the statues in turn moved eerily, an arm raised and lowered, fingers strumming a harp. Jets of water showered the figures. Lights played over them. The show was an intriguing concept and we enjoyed it, though we would have appreciated it much more had we been able to understand the dialogue.

 

We went to the nearby Planet Hollywood for lunch. I have read about that popular chain of restaurants without particularly wanting to visit one. I was right. It may be heaven for movie buffs but to me, it was almost grotesque with noise; movie artifacts; too many, too small pictures everywhere; and numerous video monitors mounted overhead showing clips of famous scenes so briefly that it was hard to recognize one before the next one began.

We were lucky enough to be seated in a booth at the back, slightly away from the crowd. It gave us a modicum of privacy. Our lunches were excellent but they could not compensate for the cluttered decor.

Before lunch, Katy and Nancy went upstairs to the movie museum. Mary and Ellis visited it after lunch. I did not think there was anything I needed to see since Nancy had reported on Planet of the Apes, The Terminator, and other movies I had not seen and had no wish to see.

Katy took us back to our hotel. I could see that she was getting very tired and was worried about her. We arranged to meet at 7:30 pm to allow her several hours to rest her back.

 

Ellis called my room about six to say that they were going to drive to the bookstore. The day before, Katy had taken him, at his request, to two bookstores that were at the far edge of the city. He found the book he wanted in one of them. I had no idea why he needed to return, and declined Ellis’ offer to accompany them.

At about 7:25, I called the Robinson’s room. No reply. I walked down the corridor and knocked at their door. No answer. I did not want Katy waiting alone at the parking lot door, so went on out. I perched on a low concrete wall and watched the occasional comings and goings of hotel guests. The scene was unremarkable but the cooling evening air was pleasant.

To my vast relief, the Robinsons arrived about quarter to eight, laughing and joking about the heavy traffic. It was the Labor Day weekend and Katy said the city expected a million visitors. Katy drove up moments after the Robinsons, so the timing was perfect.

 

Katy said she wanted us to see downtown Las Vegas, where the gambling began. As more and larger casinos were built farther away, downtown deteriorated. The city decided to renew it. A main street and parts of adjacent side streets were cordoned off and resurfaced attractively for a pedestrian mall. At cost of $90,000, a great curving metal framework was erected arching over the length of the main street to provide hourly laser light show.

We all were delighted with downtown Las Vegas. It was ablaze with coloreds lights but the clubs were smaller. One could stroll from one side of the street to the other without fear of becoming one of the frightening pedestrian death statistics. There were people but not crowds. It had a neighborhood feeling.

Katy took us to The Golden Nugget, one of the old, established casinos. It happened to be the one where she got her first job. It still is one of her favorites.

 

Mary obviously wanted to dive into Black Jack or Roulette after her indoctrination of the night before. Katy explained that she would be lucky to find even one seat and certainly the tables could not accommodate us all. I suspected that Katy was protecting her elderly aunt from her own enthusiasm.

Katy found a bank of poker slot machines and settled each of us in front of one. Katy happened to be sitting next to me and gave me some guidance for the first several rounds. We played for close to an hour until the laser light show began. I never had seen one and was fascinated at the music, the lights, the moving forms, the elaborate display.

We all went outside and watched the spectacular show. I had walked farther than I could manage comfortably and was in extreme pain. However, I perched on an uncomfortable narrow cement ledge to watch the show. At the end I hobbled back to our poker machines and settled on its padded stool with a sigh of relief.

We played for another hour. As I remember it, everyone lost the $20 they had dedicated to the evening. I started with a stake of $2, won some, lost some, won again, and returned my original stake to my wallet. I continued to play, enjoying it, to end up even. It quickly became obvious to me that the machines were set to make the player lose for three or four spins, then allow him to win two to four quarters, lose again, win a bit more, and so on. Big wins were spaced farther apart. The machine let the player win often enough to prevent his losing interest.

We went back outdoors to watch a second laser show, then left for the night. We all were charmed with the easier, less formal, less boisterous downtown club. We bid Katy farewell until the next weekend and hoped she would get a good rest before Larry returned at end of the week. We thanked her profusely for acting as our chauffeur and guide in Las Vegas.

Sunday, 5 September

The Robinsons and I packed and after a leisurely breakfast, were settled in the car and on our way to Zion National Park by 10:00 am.

We drove through fairly ordinary countryside at the beginning of the drive then came to dessert, which I found bleak and disturbing. We reached an area of denuded mountains, no vegetation whatever. It was ominous and intimidating. As we neared Zion, we passed magnificent vertical walls of the brilliantly red Navajo Sandstone so characteristic of the canyon. The walls were sheer and at the base were enormous rocks that obviously had fallen from the face.

The Virgin River runs through Zion Canyon. Mary had been told that our rooms would not be available until 4 o’clock, so we enjoyed some of the spectacular views of the canyon on our way. Mary, Nancy, and Ellis took a short hike to the Hanging River. This is a reminder of the long-ago time when the Virgin River was cutting its course down through the mountains to create what today is Zion Canyon. The Hanging River is a remnant of the time when the river was at that level, half-way up what is now a wall of the canyon.

While my companions were exploring, I stayed in the car enjoying a view of The Court of the Patriarchs. Its three towering pillars of rock are named for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

 

Ellis warned me that national parks are staffed by civil servants so I was not to expect courtesy. He could not have been more mistaken. Mary and I went into the lodge to register. The woman at the desk was as warmly welcoming as any hotel clerk I ever have seen. She went out of her way to answer questions and make sure we were comfortably accommodated.

Our rooms were in a nearby building, adjacent to each other, each with a private balcony looking across a wide lawn to soaring red cliffs. We left our luggage in our rooms, then returned to the car to follow the scenic drive up to the end of the canyon. It was a gorgeous ride between high red rock walls with the shrunken Virgin River snaking below the road.

Returning from the scenic drive, we parked and got out of the car to see the great formations of The Organ, Angels’ Landing, and The Great White Throne. Nancy and Ellis strode off on one of their hikes while Mary and I stayed near the car.

A small sedan stopped near us and an attractive young woman rolled down her window to call to us. She said she had been following a sightseeing tram. The driver pointed out to his passengers this rock and that formation then added, “…and there are two lovely elderly women enjoying he scenery.” Mary and I were convulsed.

 

We returned to the lodge and freshened up for dinner. The dining room in the lodge was attractive; the service, excellent; and the food, exceptionally good. I was surprised and impressed. I could not pass up the Prime Ribs. It was the first of my several fine beef dinners in the lodges on our trip.

We returned to our rooms and set up for bridge. Mary had suggested it because Nancy is learning to play and she thought a few friendly teaching hands after dinner might be fun for us all. Mary had brought cards. I suggested our using my room. I had a handsome wooden table of bridge size and two nice upholstered arm chairs. Mary and Ellis brought two of their chairs in from their room next door.

Ellis and Nancy were partners, as were Mary and I. We play similar, though not identical systems, so we had to be careful not to confuse Nancy. Both Mary and I told her that the important thing was that she and her partner play the same system. We played for a happy hour or so, then parted for the night.

This is when we began playing games with time. It was an hour later than it had been when we left Las Vegas. Our trip would take us back and forth through Utah, Arizona, and Nevada with changes in time almost daily. I never did get used to changing my watch.

Monday, 6 September

The sun wakened me and I fixed a cup of coffee in the lovely little traveling coffee pot Air France gave me.

As I was enjoying scenery and coffee on my balcony, Nancy and Ellis walked by after an early breakfast before hiking a nearby trail. They asked if I had seen the huge porcupine on the lawn, but apparently he disappeared before I emerged from my room.

Their walk took them past the Weeping Rock. The Navajo Sandstone is so porous that water permeates it, moving downward until it reaches one of the impervious layers. Then it moves horizontally and seeps out of the rock face as a spring or sheet of water.

 

Mary and I went over to the lodge for breakfast by ourselves. It was our first—and best—visit alone together. Unfortunately, Mary was not feeling well and preferred to stay home for the day. When they returned, Nancy, Ellis, and I set out in the car to drive to the southern end of Zion then up the East side of the park. The drive took us in and out of the park, sometimes over private land, sometimes, national. As the road climbed, we passed fascinating rock formations. Sparse vegetation gave way to woods of pine, aspen, and oak. It was surprising to be in so lush an area after having seen mainly desserts and raw rock walls.

We were on the Horse Pasture Plateau. We drove past beautiful homes and farms with cattle grazing. Not a mountain in sight, just long, lovely flat vistas. We assumed we were atop the Temple Cap formation that forms a narrow layer above the Navajo Sandstone.

We began to see large basalt rocks on either side, remnants of an old lava extrusion. We ended at Lava Point with a 180-degree vista across plateaus, mesas, and canyons to mountains far in the distance. We were at almost 8,000 ft. elevation, some 4,000 ft. higher than Zion Canyon.

 

When we returned to the lodge, Mary was well and was eager to take a nearby trail to a ledge high on the cliff on the other side of the river overlooking the lodge. The three of them took off hiking and I retired to my room.

We had another lovely dinner then a happy hour or so of bridge before saying good night.

Tuesday, 7 September

Mary and Nancy had an early breakfast and took a short hike while Ellis and I had a more leisurely breakfast and visit together.

We had set 9:30 as our departure time. We checked out, loaded luggage into the car and were ready. Mary strolled down the walk to meet us. I had learned from listening to family conversation that Mary was the one least likely to make a deadline.

Mary proclaimed, “See, we are getting in the car exactly at 9:30,” then added, “but I need a cup of coffee.” She strolled back to the lodge’s snack bar, leaving the rest of us grinning to each other in the car.

Ten or fifteen minutes later Mary returned, coffee in hand, and we left Zion for Bryce Canyon. It was a short trip. We decided to make a brief stop en route at Cedar Breaks National Monument.

 

Geologically, the canyons we were visiting were linked. The top layer at the Grand Canyon becomes the bottom layer at Zion. The top layer at Zion becomes the bottom layer at Cedar Breaks and Bryce. Together they form The Great Staircase with the tilted edges of strata exposed in places as the Pink Cliffs of Bryce, Gray Cliffs, the White Cliffs of Zion, Vermilion Cliffs along the north edge of the Grand Canyon, and finally the Belted Cliffs of the Grand Canyon itself.

Cedar Breaks is a relatively new national park. The Visitors Center overlooks a great amphitheater of red rock walls and “hoodoos,” precursors of the formations found at nearby Bryce Canyon. Hoodoos are bizarre freestanding or linked pinnacles, pedestals, or toadstool forms of rock that has eroded free from rock walls and been further shaped by rain, ice, and wind-blown sand.

We stopped at two or three more overlooks before leaving Cedar Breaks to continue on to Bryce.

 

The lodge at Bryce dates back to the thirties, old dark wood and rustic decor. We were given adjoining rooms in a separate building at the edge of the lodge area. To our amusement, the rooms looked almost identical to the ones we just had left. Again, we both had private balconies overlooking open woods. We left our luggage in our rooms then took off for a late-afternoon drive to two of the overlooks past the lodge.

The vistas were gorgeous—an incredible jungle of brilliant red hoodoos apparently springing up from the canyon floor alongside the great cliffs that gave birth to them. Cliff strata were not as clearly visible at Bryce as at Zion. Here the stripes were pastels shading one into the other. Basic rock colors were rich shades or red or the palest of yellow.

 

Kate’s unfinished trip report ends here. The trip continued to the Grand Canyon and was followed by a reunion in Las Vegas with Katy & Larry; Tom & Carli; and Mary & Ellis’ oldest daughter, Peggy, and her husband Dick. The following excerpts from letters written after the trip give a little more information.

Carli Scott

We spent two days each at Zion, Bryce, and the Grand Canyon. None of the pictures, moving or still, I ever had seen prepared me for the towering cliffs, the vivid colors, the twisted stone shapes, the varied colors, the striking striation, the glowing colors, the vastness, the shifting colors of the differing canyons. For neighbors, we had friendly mule deer.

It was a fascinating trip made richer by being with family whom I see seldom. Mary and Ellis both look marvelous and are a delight to be with. Having time to get to know Nancy on an adult basis was a major plus. She is a fine, bright, capable, charming young woman.

Throughout the trip everyone was wonderful about letting me out of the car at the closest entrance. I am eternally grateful to Mary for suggesting the wheelchair at the Grand Canyon. It was the only way I could have enjoyed that magnificent scenery—or managed a meal, probably. Thereafter, all cheerfully accepting the effort and nuisance of pushing a creaky relative over rough walks.

We returned to Las Vegas and a ten-strong family mini-reunion, which was a blast—noisy happiness and more laughs than real conversation. It was lovely seeing Peggy and meeting Dick. They appear very happy and added a lot to our group.

 

Tom, Carli, and I had invited Katy out on our final evening after others had left Las Vegas. She picked us up in her car at 4:30, as I remember, allowing time to get to the Bellagio through heavy traffic, park, and be on time for an early dinner before the show.

The dining room downstairs at the Bellagio was the height of elegance. We were shown to a table next to a large window overlooking the water where the fountain show played for us several times while we were eating. Our dinners were delicious and the service, impeccable. When I excused myself after dinner, an attentive waiter led me to the facilities so assiduously that I feared he would continue to see me all the way to a cubicle.

We were in our seats at the nearby theater a few minutes before curtain time. The Cirque Du Soleil show Eau was spectacular. Incredible acrobatics and fantastic staging.

 

Next morning, Carli and Tom met me at my room at 5:30 am for an early departure and flight.

My trip home was easy. I took wheelchairs all along the way. Alex almost dived off the viewing gallery in shock when he saw me in one on my arrival in Belize, but calmed down once we were in the car together and he realized I had not deteriorated unduly during my absence.