On the Road & Rested

It's my sixth day on the road.

I left Calgary around noon on Thursday full of excitement about my Great American Road Trip. I was happy I delayed my start time for the trip because it allowed me to spend a few more hours with Erin before she left for Halifax and I got a mother-load of stickers from the board shop. I originally hoped to hit Yellowstone Park late on Thursday morning, but I didn't get there until very, very early on Friday morning. I wish I had woke earlier and checked the rates because I would have continued driving. Instead I took a couple hour nap while I waited for the park to open.

When I arrived at the main gate for the park I realized that NO passenger vehicles are allowed in the park during the winter. I wasn't willing to pay $200 dollars to freeze my ass off riding around the park on an ATV, so I got gas, stretched and left instead. New rules have been applied at Yellowstone National Park. The park is no longer allowing passenger vehicles to drive around the park during the winter. Instead, all visitors must rent ATV's and go on guided tours if they wish to explore YNP. The locals I spoke with while getting gas and food said that the new rules have killed business in the area. In addition, driving in the area was difficult because only the main roads are cleared of snow. Since I LOVE the heat, and feel desperate to see a palm tree, I decided continuing the drive to Las Vegas was a more exciting option.

The drive to Las Vegas was long but seeing the scenery change from powdered mountains to red clay desserts and sand put a big smile on my face. I ended up stopping in the town of Blackfoot, Wyoming because the wind was blowing massive amounts of snow across the highway. Visibility was minimal and accidents were happening all around. I actually ended up in median and had to be extracted by a police vehicle. Blackfoot is approximately 5 hours from Las Vegas so I slept in and enjoyed the room.

I arrived in Las Vegas at 5:30 pm and was on the strip by 6:30pm. Despite cooler than normal temperatures on the strip, the The festivities were underway when I arrived. I ended up spending most of the night in casinos (MGM, Ceaser's Palace, Belagio, California and New York) walking around, dancing and watching people. It was a lot of fun. I think Vegas may be one of the best New Years Parties in the country. Everyone looked fantastic, energy was high and there are so many places to go. The added bonus of being able to drink in the streets simplifies the entire night. Next time I go, I'm bringing a big crowd of people so we can "represent" our peeps.

New Years day came slowly. Hey...I was in Vegas, it's the city that never sleeps. After grabbing some food, I hit the road again. Starbucks was the second stop, as I needed something to keep my eyes open. Hywy 93 through the Hoover Dam is a cluster worth mentioning. It took over an hour to go 2 miles. Upon entry they mention construction, but immediately after entering the 2 lane highway drivers are informed that it's a security stop. The setup of the Security Stop made it feel like I was traveling from one country to another instead of from Nevada to Arizona. I drove on to the end of HYWY 93 and stopped for 2 nights in Kenman. Wednesday was devoted entirely to staying in bed, washing the car, taking a long bath and doing my nails. It was utter bliss and very relaxing. No internet access though :-(. Oh well, it kept me quiet.

Now, I'm in the Grand Canyon. Tomorrow, I plan on taking a helicopter ride and biking in Yellowstone National Park. It will be a blast. I look forward to uploading my pictures, but can't do it tonight. There is on way the connection in my room will allow me to upload pictures....it's way too slow. Look for pictures to follow tomorrow.

Best Wishes