Travels

Day 1 - Vegas. Stayed at Excaliber. Vegas is a walking city! Got me thinking why doesn't LA have pedestrian bridges in some spots, but I realized no one would use them. Ate dinner at Proper Food Court in Aria - a better lunch spot than dinner - but still reflective of better food options in Vegas these days. Kids enjoyed an arcade dungeon. Unsurprisingly, I'm not a fan of the buy a credit card style of arcade games today. Somehow less free than the old quarters. Did a bit of blackjack in the evening at an electronic table. Not nearly as a fun. But you can play for $5 vs. $25 a hand. Back in year 2000, I'd play blackjack at $5 a hand and even today, I don't find it fun to play for anymore than that. Why, I wonder? I checked inflation and the internet says prices have increased 69% since then. So it makes a weird sort of sense - I should be willing to play at like $8 a hand. But why has Vegas inflated the low end so much? I only saw $20 and $25 tables. Granted it was Saturday night, but something has happened here...

Day 2 - Breakfast at Hash House. Kids liked. Drive to Zion. Stayed in remarkable tiny home "resort" in the middle of dessert. Almost like glamping. Really enjoyed the locale and amenities. Hiked Zion Canyon Overlook trail. Stopped by nature center and touched the river. Got a nice meal on the way back at Camp Outpost. Roasted smores at night, star gazed...great view of Jupiter and Big Dipper. Passed out at night before other planets could come out. Would've loved to spend more time in Zion to do some more adventurous outdoors stuff...

Day 3 - Drive to Antelope Canyon. Delicious Mexican canteen lunch at El Tapatio in Page, Arizona. My informal theory is that Mexican restaurants with Tapatio in their names tend to be good. I've had a number of good experiences in this direction. Hiked down into Antelope Canyon with a Navajo guide in the afternoon. Spectacular slot canyon - just google the images. Got groceries and had healthy dinner in hotel room (kitchen included). 

UPDATE:

Day 4 - Took a kayak trip down the Colorado through horseshoe bend. Peaceful water. Kids got to paddle a bit. Unbelievable scenery. Well worth it. Dinner at brewery. Mediocre food. 

Day 5 - Drive to Grand Canyon. Find snow on the ground. Kids play with it, more impressed by the snow than the lookouts at the South Rim. Checked out visitor center. Fell asleep in a short movie about Grand Canyon. Got into hotel. Lousy dinner at tavern like place, sort of ski resort/tourist type of spot. More star gazing. Saw Jupiter and Mercury. 

Day 6 - Early bike rentals ride along South Rim. Great time. Saw big family of elk. Best views probably on the planet. Got back, lunched. Took shuttle to South Kaibab trail - one of the main hikes. Only did the first bit to Oo Ah Point. Not too bad, kids could've done a bit more but the hike apparently gets more treacherous on the way down. Every month 600 hikers need help from Rangers, etc. Seems high.

Day 7 - Drive back to Vegas - actually Summerlin. Stayed at resort called Red Rock. Nice family alternative to the strip. Less seedy. Some decent restaurants/food. There's a bowling alley. I didn't gamble. Great pool. Huge room. Found out the place is owned/built by Howard Hughes corporation. Felt oddly like a place you might see in Asia. Built recently. Gaudy, not overly tasteful. Practical, clean, PG-13 compared to the rest of Vegas...