Journey's end

    Well, we are at journey’s end.  After another marathon drive today from Las Vegas NV to Evanston WY we are all chilling.  Tomorrow will be in to Cheyenne and we will have completed the circle as Evan informed me.  The kids were terrific to travel with and I am so glad we got to take this time together.  Saturday evening and all day Sunday they spent with Grandpa and Grandma in Henderson.  They ate at their favorite places and saw “Finding Dory” which they thoroughly enjoyed.  We stayed at the historic Boulder Dam Hotel.  Built in the 1930s it has been a place where the likes of Bette Davis vacationed after filming “Of Human Bondage.” The rooms have been furnished 1930s style, but it still up-dated and of course, air-conditioned.
    As we came in to Boulder City, we took a quick trip over Hoover Dam.  It was terribly hot and the water has dropped dangerously low.  My brother said about one more foot and the government will take over rationing.  Phoenix is likely to be hit the hardest.  This week heralded record hot temperatures so we all waited until late in the day to be out and about.
    Leaving early this morning we still ran into temps from 93 degrees to 103 degrees, but again air conditioning in the car saved us.  I remember traveling in the summer before AC.  We opened vents on the floor and the side windows.  Sometimes we would picnic in a park until later in the day or travel at night.  The first AC dad bought for the car was for his mother when we were taking her to a wedding in Denver Colorado.  Unfortunately it really drew down on the power of the vehicle, but it made a real difference for all concerned.
    The country from Las Vegas north through Utah was really amazing, Abby and I agreed.  We saw a lot through the car windows.  Before St. George, Utah, we went through the Virgin River Gorge.  Unfortunately we couldn’t get out of the car to take pictures, but the geology of the canyon was magnificent with steep sides.  Moving into the area around St. George we saw the red rocks of the desert.  When the sun hits them it is as though they are on fire.  It was obvious we were traveling through the Great Basin area.  The mountains encircled the hot, dry desert floor.  The vistas are amazing. Coming up Interstate 15 we saw cactus of various sizes, brush, and wild flowers.  As you get into the more settled areas irrigation plays a terrific part in keeping the fields green.  Through Cove Fort, Utah, we climbed one of many ranges of mountains, going from 2000 feet above sea level to over 6600 feet which was close to the Grand Canyon.  East from Provo we were driving through the Provo River canyon seeing waterfalls, people tubing, kayaking and floating the river.  A couple of dams made for jet skis and motorboats.
    But I have to complain about the traffic.  It really is horrendous with all the trucks on the highway.  You can get boxed in as they pass you and each other.  Everyone is in a hurry and passing even on the Interstate is in and out.  Exhausting, really.  Even the kids were tired.  Abby drove for awhile but was glad to let me take over the wheel after awhile.  She used her GPS service to get us through some construction areas.  It was nice to have her along.
    Evan decided the water tasted better and the sky was bluer once we got to Wyoming. As one quotation says, “Life is a voyage. Heading home.”