Our tour of the South West USA
December 30 - January 9

We drove from Park City to Page, Arizona where I quickly realized my ski clothes weren't going to work in Arizona's climate, so we shopped for lighter clothes.   We viewed the Glen Canyon Dam, then spent a couple hours in the Visitor Center

Spent New Year's Eve with the Klebosky family at their party in Scottsdale
and joined them the next day for a picnic and kayak outing

We took route 10 west from Scottsdale and stopped overnight in Palm Springs


A big attraction,
although the Thursday night street fair was also fun


To appreciate the size of the statue
Charlie stood underneath.

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to San Jacinto Peak 
where there are miles of trails was a day well spent.

We reached Altadena on Saturday and enjoyed the weekend with DJ and Sue, 
plus the friends they invited to dinner


at La Brea Tar Pits


at home


Heading back to Park City, we spent a night in Las Vegas


Got tickets to see Cirque de Soleil's production "Zumanity"
and found ourselves to be the closing act!

 

I noted Antonio (above) at one point going up the aisle talking to folk in the audience but paid no attention.  Then he was at the last row where we sat next to the couple who were on the aisle.   I didn't hear what he said to them, but he then asked me if we were married, and for how long. When I said "53 years" he handed me the card shown above and said something like "You're it!".  I didn't understand, but later in the act the emcee stoopped her act, the lights went on and the spotlight was on me! There was nothing to do but get up, so I handed my purse to Charlie saying "Hold on to it".  Once I was out of the row and in the aisle, she then called for Charlie too to get up - "Put the purse on the floor".  Oh my, all our cash and credit cards on the floor of the last row of the theater.  Charlie joined me and we were whisked up onto the stage. The emcee asked us some questions and the audience applauded each one.  When she got to one I didn't hear and admitted my hearing aid was off, she suggested we dance together.  The band struck up and so we danced together.  The audience was great.  They applauded everything. This was the last act of the show, and we were escorted back to our seats to find with relief that my purse was safe on the floor.  As we walked out of the theater various folk complimented us.  Now I can see how movie stars get overblown egos from a lot of applause.  It was fun, and I still can't believe we did it -- in sneakers and my red turtleneck too!

Antonio did present me with a long stemmed rose which I carried all the way to Bryce Canyon but absent mindedly left in the motel room there.

 

Later musings -- apparently Antonio's job was to find a married couple to feature in their last act.  Yet he had to interview couples from row 1 to the last row before he found one!  What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

 

The drive back to Park City  -- Route 15 through Zion with two overnights at Bryce
In the northwest corner of Arizona it felt like driving through a slot canyon.  The scenery is spectacular!