Day 14 - To Las Vegas

We finish our trip today when we reach Las Vegas.  We leave the Grand Canyon following Rte 64 south and pick up I-40 west, with side trips along route 66 at Seligman.  When we reach Kingman, we will turn north on Rte 93 and cross the Colorado River on the Hoover Dam bypass bridge.  We’ll finish in Las Vegas using 515 and 215 to drop some people at the airport.  On our way, we pass a railroad museum. 

After picking up those who chose to do a scenic flight over the Grand Canyon, we made our first stop on Route 66 at Seligman.

Seligman is one of the towns along the “Mother Road”, another name for Route 66, that is trying to keep some of the old feeling.

Several tourist shops exist along the road

As well as a few cafes, look they have malts, had to get one.

Don’t tell his wife, but I caught our bus driver Ching, with Marilyn Monroe.  He does look happy though.

We leave Route 66 and get back on I-40 where we stop for lunch in Kingman.  After lunch we turn north on Rte 93 where the scene has turned more hilly and rocky.

As we near the Hoover Dam, we can see the Colorado River, which because of the dam has a bluer tint to the water than when we were following it in Colorado and Arizona.  The Canyon is not as deep here as it was yesterday.   You can see a boat as the river makes its way down to Laughlin.

We cross the new bridge next to the Hoover Dam and we can see the dam from the river side.  You can still drive your car (cars only) across the dam, but only after an intense inspection. 

As we near the city of Las Vegas, we can see many of the casino hotels in the distance, even though we are still over 5 miles away.  You can see the Chrysler Building at New York, New York on the left and the top of the Eifel Tower at Paris on the right side.

We drop several people at the airport and then continue to the Tropicana on the Las Vegas strip (no this is not the Trop, but New York, New York - its better looking).  This is where we end our trip today and for some of us make our way home.  Carmen and I are staying another three days at the MGM Casino and Hotel.  We're also going to see The Austrailian Bee Gees.

Here is a group picture of the people on the tour taken in front of the State Capital in Salt Lake City, Utah. 

Some of the people we can not place names to faces, or at least I can not– I’m horrible with names, especially after a week or so – but have put some faces to their names below.  On a side note, compared to some of the other trips Carmen and I have been on, this has been a very good group.

Bruce Hall, Tour Director – Top left corner

Ching Razon, Coach Driver – Far Right

Jean Reeves, England – First row, first person (left)

Fiona Reeves, England (Jean Reeves’ daughter) – Second row, first person (above Jean)

Mariko and Ryuji Ishi, Japan – First row, third and fourth persons

Jeanne Hagio, Hawaii – Third Row, first person (from left)

Ray Hagio, Hawaii (Jean’s husband) – right behind Jean

Carmen, my wife, Florida – Second row, third person (yellow top)

Me – Third row, right behind Carmen

Jane Mead, Florida – Second Row, fifth person

Harold Mead, Florida, Jane’s husband) – blue shirt behind Jane

Mike Bess, California – Top row, fourth (from left)

Julie Langley, Australia – First row, first from right

Phil Langley, Australia (Julie’s Husband) – Second row, far right side, behind Julie

Margaret Shi, Australia – Second row, second from right (next to Phil)

Wilson Shi, Australia (Margaret’s husband) – Third row, first from right (behind Margaret)
Elaine and David Linfoot, Sydney, Australia  – Top row, last coupple on right
Lorraine Eriksson, Sydney, Australia – Next to top row, far right (blue and white strips shirt)
Pam Meares, Sydney, Australia  – Next to top row, second from far right (behind Wilson Shi)
Marlene Merzbach, Massachusetts – First row, second from right
Suzette Franham, Massachusetts – First row, third from right (in purple)
Jack Franham, Massachusetts – Second row, behind Suzette's right shoulder
Lorraine Tully, Massachusetts – First row, fourth from right (in green)

If you read this blog and want to indicate where you (names) are located, please send me either an email or make a comment to this posting and I will update this page to reflect you and your location.

Thanks Bob and Carmen.