After our whirlwind vacation in the southwest US,

we saw a lot and regretted not having more time at several places.

To share with some (and perhaps bore others) a limited selection of the over 1400 pictures we took are on webshots at

http://community.webshots.com/user/polgaratex

We flew to Vegas on Sat, visited Hoover Dam and Valley of Fire on Sunday.

Then Monday it was off to Zion National Park in Utah. We spent 4 to 5 hours there, it needs a full day or even multiple days if you're up for hiking trails. Didn't get to do much walking there, but by descriptions some of the trails are mild and some are very strenuous. Beautiful place, I'd really like to spend a longer time there sometime, maybe two nights and most of all three days. Even a full week might be well worth it. But there so many places we'll never see anyway, don't know if we'll ever be back there again on our limited travel or not.

Tuesday it was the Grand Canyon and again about 4 hours and probably should have spent a day. Honestly though, while the Grand Canyon was impressive, if I go back to the area, I'd give up any more time there to spend more at Zion. Of course, at neither place am I physically up to the more challenging hikes and camping adventures, so that may make a difference to some also.

Then Wed thorough Friday was visiting relatives and meeting (first time) some online friends and sights around Phoenix AZ. We did take most of one day to travel to Sedona and see a bit of that area, famous red rock canyons. Also we went by Montezuma Castle, a cliff side "apartment complex" of prehistoric residents.

Then it was back toward Jean, Nevada, though some of what has to be close to the most desolate countryside in the USA.

Then an exhausting 5 hour flight home and a stay overnight in Raleigh. Sunday we did visit a renaissance fair event in state fairgrounds before struggling on home.

Of course, the next day, work started again.............

Once more, we try to cram way too much into a single trip, but it was all good, even if rushed. At least this way, if we ever win the lottery, we'll have a huge list of places we want to go back to after we go to all the tourist traps we haven't been yet, LOL.

Roger