Number 6's Blog

View from our back porch Pagosa Springs July 1, 2011

Another post from our yearly pilgrimage to Pagosa Springs for a week to escaped from the Texas heat.  This is  the view from our back porch at the Pagosa Springs Wyndham.

As I write this post at 5:30 PM on August 13 the temperature here in Fairview Texas is 86 degrees which is the coolest afternoon since early May.  We just finished 40 days in a row over 100 degrees! The record is 42 days.  Many people, me not included, were depressed because we did not break the record.  I was depressed because of the heat so the cool temperature is lifting my spirit.  Our relief is short lived however.  The high tomorrow is predicted to be 103 degrees!

We always stop in Santa Fe on our yearly pilgrimage to Pagosa Springs Colorado to at least eat at Tomasita’s Santa Fe Mexican Restaurant.    While there we usually take a stroll around old downtown.  I took this photo of a couple of vendors setting up their hot dog stand on the square with a Canon Rebel T1i digital camera.

Hot Dog vendors setting up on a cool June morning in Santa Fe

Pig and friends

Son in law, Chris, is preparing a pig for their Memorial Day barbecue.  Daughter Campbell is, of course, helping.

Canon Rebel T1i with Tamron 17-50 Zoom

Yellow flower with Lilly Pads

Taken with Canon camera with negative film.  Scanned the photo onto the computer.

Location: Santa Barbara city park.

I liked the contrast of the yellow flower against the dark green lily pads.

I came across some old photos of a camping trip we took to Ayers Rock with the Wilson’s in 1980.  Back then you could camp right next to the Rock.  Now days you camp 30 miles away.  My how things have changed.  Sara is standing up front in the photo below.  I suppose she is trying to tell me something.  Andy and Claudia are happily playing in the dirt.

Sara standing while Andy and Claudia play in the red dirt

Later in the day we climbed Ayers rock –except for Gwen and Sara.  Sara wanted to go but Gwen would not let her.  In the photo below we are resting after the climb and Claudia is sitting on the marker on the top of the Rock.

Claudia on top of the World

Actually the trip down is much scarier than the trip up.  Here is a photo of the view going down.  Watch out, don’t trip!  During the years we were there was at least one fatality a year at the Rock

The way down

In February we spent typical long weekend in Las Vegas.  Even if you don’t gamble this is a great destination for a long weekend.  In our case we arrived on Friday and flew home on Tuesday.  We stayed at the Wyndham Grand Desert (a timeshare we have a stake in, but that is a story for another time and another day).

We arrived Friday afternoon and immediately drove over to Trader Joes to buy groceries.  Next we checked into the Wyndham and went for a walk along the strip.  Las Vegas is worth a try just to take in the architecture.

Las Vegas Strip

We dined Friday night at the Haufbra House which is not too far off the strip and for Las Vegas is a bargain.  As an extra attraction the night we were there the teams from the U. S. Collegiate Rugby Playoffs were there.  Those boys know how to party!

The Fremont Experience on Saturday Night

We did not get our fill of casinos on Friday so after relaxing in the morning we took another walking tour of the casinos.  Las Vegas is also a great place to exercise. Saturday  we dined at the Triple George’s Grill just off the Fremont Experience downtown.  It is a steak and seafood place with a really, really cool hardwood bar.  We highly recommend it. And it is quiet unlike a lot of the joints on the Strip.  After our meal we walked (again) the Fremont Experience.  If you have not been there in a few years it has completely changed.  In the old days (2000) every hour you would pop out of the casinos for a light show.  Now the main attraction is the bands (3 along the strip – they are good and they are free), the lights which are on, an the eclectic crowds. You will not find a more diverse crowd anywhere.

On Sunday morning we left town for a field trip to Valley of Fire State Park.  The drive out is pleasant.  It takes about an hour on the freeway North of town.  As a sidelight North Las Vegas is not the best of places to live.  At least from the freeway it seems to leave a lot to be desired.  But I digress.  The park is famous, at least in Nevada, for the limestone formations carved out by the endless winds in that part of the World.

Later on that evening we walked (again) the Mandalay Bay Casino.  We ate dinner at Lupo’s, an Italian restaurant: another great place to eat by the way.  Then we took in The Lion King.  We bought discount tickets several weeks before we left Dallas for $80.  The seats were great – in the 1st section.  The show was el stupendo!  I don’t really like musicals but I definitely enjoyed the Lion King and would watch it again in a New York Minute.

Come Monday morning we exercised and then took another waking tour of casinos.  Our third walking tour and we have hardly seen a fraction of them. We stopped for Happy Hour a  a Mexican restaurant at Venetian. Chips and salsa was great and Negra Modelo was great.  Monday was Valentine’s day so for dinner I had made reservations at the Voodoo Lounge at the Rio.  The Rio is just west of the strip and the Voodoo Lounge is on the top floor (51st I think) so you have a spectacular view of the Strip at night.  The food was scrumptious also.  Great place to eat but not cheap.

On Tuesday we checked out of Wyndham and took another walking tour of the casinos. We ate lunch at Mesa Grill At Ceasars Palace. It has the 2nd best Chili Releno I ever had. Then we flew home and were in  our own bed at midnight

Thinking back my favorite was the Valley of Fire State Park closely followed by Sunday night at the  Mandalay Bay, ate at a good resturant (Lupos), and great entertainment – Lion King – for me it went really fast – most musicals drag for me.

Florence Duomo

Writing this on a perfect Saturday afternoon with the temperature in the 70s in January.  Heaven won’t last long – A blue Northern is coming Tuesday and the temperatures are supposed to drop into the teens!  Today got me thinking about taking a trip and remembering our best vacation.  In 2002 we visited Florence, Salzburg, and Munich.   This is the Florence Domo.  If I lived in the Middle Ages in Italy I would have been in awe of places like this.  They are huge and beautiful.  I am ready to go back.  Next time I will publish a photo of the interior of another Domo which is just as breathtaking.

Took this with a Pentax MX camera using Kodachrome.  Long live Kodachrome!  Scanned it into the computer with an Epson scanner.  Not half shabby.