Here we go!!!!

[imported_Teresa]

We're leaving this morning! I'll be in touch along the way....or at least when we get to Vegas. See ya all soon!
Teresa

[Mark Sedenquist]

Teresa,

It is your job to bring the weather -- the lightning and thunder arrived last night (in LV)...

Have fun on the road trip!

M.

[imported_Teresa]

Hi Mark!
Well, apparently I am doing my job really well! This wonderful thing called a "monsoon" is here this week. So at 6:30 this morning I was looking for a sunny spot in the yard to lay out before it gets to 110 and 17% humidity. Heck, 17% humidity in Ohio is NOTHING...but here I guess it makes things steamy! Anyway....even though we didn't choose to stop and see all the sites....the drive was beautiful! And we saw so much scenery that we had only seen in pictures! Oklahoma started looking very different that what we are used to. It was 111 degrees most of the day (Sunday). We landed in Texas...Amarillo. Ate at the really neat Big Texan STeak Ranch. The atmosphere was great! And a teenage boy was attempting to eat the 72 oz. steak, which he would get for free if he ate it....plus the sides..in an hour. We left though, wanting to get to our room and hit the road early Monday. The weather was wonderful coming out. We didn't hit any rain until just after Flagstaff. And Flagstaff AZ was beautiful.
Coming through Texas....flat...lots of ranches, then all of a sudden the land changed to these beautiful plauteaus! We knew we were close to New Mexico then!
The Hoover Dam was awesome!
So much to tell....so many more pictures to take! So much to see in and around Vegas. My sis has made a box of flyers of places we can choose from. Any suggestions??

[imported_Teresa]

Well, 30 minutes was my limit! My relatives here are all working today and begin vacation tomorrow....so I decided to lay out. WRONG! Can't lay out in Vegas at 110 too long!

[Mark Sedenquist]

Teresa,

We are spoiled here -- anything above 10% humidity seems way too steamy. Valley of Fire, Red Rock, Death Valley (Titus Canyon),
Lil Alien Inn (Rachel), Mojave National Preserve.

Afternoon shows -- my favorites would be Mac King at Harrahs (funny magician) and Ronn Lucas at the Rio.

Ethel M Chocolate Factory -- http://www.roadtripamerica.com/places/ethelm.htm

The southern Nevada region was home to a huge amount of ceremonial activies for local tribes and it is quite easy to find petroglyphs on day hikes around the Las Vegas area. Some of the most extensive are in the mouth of Grapevine Canyon near Laughlin, Nevada (http://www.roadtripamerica.com/places/grapevin.htm)

M.

[Mark Sedenquist]

Teresa,

If you are still in the LV area -- Didn't the T-storms remind you of home today?

What do you think of this fair sin city?

M.

[imported_Teresa]

Still here....yep, sure reminds me of home. Went to Red Rock Canyon on Thursday. It's beautiful there. Awesome. We did make a stop to let the storm go by. Then over to Bonnie Springs. I could sure get some beautiful pictures here to paint (I oil paint). The interstates scare me a bit...so my bro-in-law drove the back streets. That was nice to see the different housing developments, apartments...etc, in case we decide to move here :) I do like it here. My sis said "well at least you know now...this is the worst it gets!!" And of course, we've hit a few casinos. The machines are easy for me to get hooked on....but my absolute favorite is craps! But you will notice I haven't said I won anything! I have no sense to quit when Im ahead. Today is looking better....so we'll see if it holds out (weather wise). We'll be leaving here Wed or Thur am....so I hope there is some of that "hot DRY heat" everyone told me about before we leave! I do like big cities though....more to do....more opportunity! I could get a job here making twice the amount I make for half the responsibility! I have my degree in Business Mgt, have been a manager for 15 years and currently am in facilities mgt for our agency. So I think I could land something pretty quickly here.
Ok so Ive gone on and on now. Vegas sure is prettier than I suspected...and just a few minutes and you can be out of the city and into the mountains. Neat!
Teresa

[Mark Sedenquist]

One of the "secrets" of LV is that within a five hour driving radius of the LV strip you can be inside five national parks and/or explore a whole slew of amazing country that sees (at most) 25 people a year.

Glad you are contributing to the welfare of the local community by distributing your wealth via the Craps tables.

[Mark Sedenquist]

Teresa,

OK, it is time for you to take the humidity (in Las Vegas) back with you to Ohio!

What adventures did you have while you were in Southern Nevada?

[imported_Teresa]

Mark -
Boy did we luck out. We travelled last week, Thurs, Fri and Sat and missed ALL storms. There were some to the right and left of us; in front and back of us. But we mostly kept sun over top of us! We did bring the humidity home...but we may have left some behind. We sure would like to experience the "dry" heat we've heard about!!!
We had to get back to work on Mon, so I haven't had time to get on here and respond.
Even though it was record heat and humidity in Vegas, we still had a wonderful time. Only one day did we get a little sick - we went to the Valley of Fire...and walked about taking pics...then climbed up the stairs to see the Indian carvings on one rock. That was a little much for us easterners.
We are talking about flying back out. The road trip was super and we don't regret it at all...but can't always get 2 weeks off in a row. My favorite (so far) was Red Rock Canyon. It was beautiful. And Bonnie Springs was fun with the old time western show and public hanging.
We visited lots of Casinos....but there are lots left to see. And of course we spent a lot of family time at my nieces pool..etc.
We are even talking of moving out there in a couple years. Even with the humidity, it was not a lot to us and it was nice not having the mid-Ohio Valley sinus problem for a week! In fact, we cleared up and didn't notice how bad it had been until the trip back. You could have blindfolded me and I could have told you when we reached trees and grass (my 2 biggest allergies). So moving out there is a real option for us.
There is so much left to see....we want to go to Mount Charleston...but didn't have time. And Circus Circus. We did make it to Texas Station where 3 of my relatives work. There were 24 of us total...many little kids. They have Kids Quest there and the kids loved it!
Now I've got to work real hard on my fear of flying so we can return soon! A 4 hour flight doesn't seem too bad...if I can get over freaking at the idea!
Vegas is beautiful. And we've decided we've spent our entire lives in the Ohio Valley and its time to move on.
Teresa