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April's Pictures
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Fully fed up with work it was off to Llandudno but initially the Welsh Mountain Zoo. I only remembered after being there for a few hours of our last time here where I think I got a little grumpy about the Pokomon-like visiting that we did. It was nothing about enjoying the trip it was all about seeing every last thing like some mad collector.
It wasn't that bad this time but at one time it did look like it could have happend that way. Note to self, if my wife wants to go to the Welsh Mountain Zoo, decline the offer politely, not that it's a bad place to be honest.
Here we have a couple of moneys in the enclosure for your Delightment. They were playing about to their hearts content that day climbing all over the place as monkeys do.
| 0 comments have been left | 22:07 26 Apr 2010 | Tags: llandudno monkeys zoo clouds |
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On from the Grand Canyon we have Red Rock. Different in that it costs only five dollars or ten if you go about it the wrong way like we did. It includes a 13 mile scenic drive which seems to take ages (I'm not complaining it was quite spectacular and would have been even better if I weren't driving). I have come to the conclusion that an American mile is longer than a British mile owing to the amount of time they take to drive, however I suspect in the UK I would actually be driving faster.
Anyway back to Red Rock. Aiming at the rock climber, cyclist or car driver who likes looking at big things you drive around the base of the canyon and it's impressive in a different way. With the Grand Canyon you see a huge canyon from the top and get herded around, with this one you get to drive around or even climb over the canyon at your own pace. The picture is from the visitor centre that you need to get done before the drive as the drive exits you from the park meaning you have to pay your entrance fee again to see the visitors centre. No guesses which way we did it... But it's only five dollars.
| 0 comments have been left | 01:43 9 Apr 2010 | Tags: canyon vegas red rock panorama |
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So it's the Grand Canyon today and to the sky walk. It's a bit expensive and that's without a helicopter trip that I thought that we were going to splash out on until I found out that just the normal trip was a splash out. OK so I am a cheapskate.
What's surprising is that whilst you are walking on a glass floor 4000ft above the Colorado river it just doesn't feel that high. Perhaps it's too high to comprehend. Mind you we nearly never made it. It turns out last night when I though that I was charging the GPS it was actually discharging it. After 10 minutes in it switched off so out came the car charger. When I left home I decided not to bring the old tried and tested charger but a new one which I now know doesn't work. Needless to say I was under the bonnet looking at fuses to find them all fine, so a map of Arizona and a new charger later we were on the road despite the new charger not charging well and not allowing us to use the GPS whilst charging. Well as you can see we made it so it was not all bad.
| 0 comments have been left | 05:55 8 Apr 2010 | Tags: arizona canyon las vegas |
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Just for those that doubt that I am here, here is the classic Las Vegas sign, not that this really proves it to be honest and not that anyone cares but it was the best photo of the day. We went to the Stratosphere but the pictures were poor. The Stratosphere is pretty impressive though with rides at the top that are truely frightening. Personally I didn't think I would like just being at the top but once I was used to it and was certain that the building wasn't swaying and that the clunks were a result of the ride catapulting thrillseakers (or idiots as I prefer to call then) off the edge of the tower I was fine. There was also a ride that suspended people over the edge and spun them horizontally but that wasn't working. So from here it was to downtown and the old Las Vegas which was pretty good and a little like Blackpool even down to the Kiss Me Quick hats... Nah I'm kidding. We did wait for the light show that never happened so that was a bit of a let down but hopefully the Grand Canyon will make up for it tomorrow... I hope.
| 0 comments have been left | 04:51 7 Apr 2010 | Tags: vegas sign |
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The short drive to the Hoover Dam or the Boulder Dam as it was initially called isn't that interesting and to be honest the story of the Hoover Dam is more interesting than the place itself. Mind you a paddle on the shores or Lake Mead might have soothed our aching feet from yesterday but we passed on that. It's a huge structure and impressive but the tour that we went on wasn't up to much despite going from the top to the bottom via lift it almost felt rushed. 650ft+ of concrete at the base and complede in 4 years it powers millions of houses and gives drinking water to about 4 states. It appears impressive in figure form at the very least. Mind you the water line is dropping and if this continues it does make you wonder what they will do if Lake Mead runs dry.
So back we go heading for Ethel M's Chocolate factory. Built by Mr. Mars to provide handmade chocolates, it makes you wonder how exactly it fit into the whole history of Mars as nothing really explains. Short and sweet (no pun intended) it appears to serve more as a shop than anything else. So it was off to drive back down the Strip which as this time of day is a little like a slow moving car park, but we did see Stratosphere which we will have to go to so that we can see a bird's eye view of Las Vegas though I suspect no-one will be up for the fair ride at the top.
| 0 comments have been left | 23:57 5 Apr 2010 | Tags: vegas hoover dam clouds dam |
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For those observant of you, well you don't have to be that observant, this isn't New York it's New York New York in Vegas where you can visit many mock countries in just one day so long as your feet hold out. Lots of walking and lot of heat make Zamyatin a tired boy and it's only 5pm a time when Las Vegas is just getting into the swing of things. As someone who likes to buck the trend we've gone for a rest in the hotel as it has been a long day. We might pop out later to see the lion enclosure at MGM or see the lifts that apparently go sideways at Luxor (I think someone was pulling my wife's leg or at least mixing Las Vegas up with Charlie and the Chocolate factory) but who knows.
| 0 comments have been left | 01:13 5 Apr 2010 | Tags: vegas statue america manilow |
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