10th June 2025

So, all too quickly, this year’s adventure comes to an end! 😔

We left Las Vegas in temperatures of 103º F (39ºC) yesterday and have arrived home to sun, cloud and 69ºF (20ºC). In Las Vegas today there’s a ‘Extreme Heat Warning’ warning for heat as it’s108ºF (42ºC)! 🥵

Our flight was uneventful apart from some turbulence and even that wasn’t too bad. We arrived at London Heathrow on time but were then made to sit and wait for 30 minutes as the stand allotted to us was still being occupied by another plane. This is the second year in a row that has happened. It’s so annoying. Once we’ve landed we just want to get off and be on our way home. I’m sure there are lots of you who would agree. 🤨

We were offered the Virgin pyjamas to sleep in so we accepted them this time although we didn’t intend on using them, but we were told we could keep them, so why not?! 😂

I didn’t have a meal but Si had a chicken dish that he said was just wonderful. I ended up having one bread roll and a cup of hot chocolate. We both had breakfast this morning.

We were surprised when we reached the e-Gates (Security) at Heathrow to find them not busy at all, We both managed to get through okay this year. Plus, there was no-one in Customs (green channel) to check our bags. 🤷‍♀️

The roads from Heathrow to home were extremely busy, it felt like a Friday afternoon.

No matter how long we’ve been away for, everything remains just the same. It’s as though we just popped out for some milk.🥛🤷‍♀️

Our next-door neighbour, Mike, had cut the front lawn for us while the other next-door neighbour, Allan, watered all our plants for the whole time we were away. Many thanks to both. 👏

We’ve had a magnificent time, met lots of interesting people, including one lady at Las Vegas who happened to be catching our flight. She’s a huge Elvis Presley fan and goes to all major events in Nashville. She was travelling with her brother as she is now on her own, so is he and so he accompanies her as often as he can on trips as she doesn’t like to travel alone.

The only complaint she had about her brother was that he never listens to what she says! Show me a woman who doesn’t have that problem with a man!!!! 🤣🤷‍♀️

We had a lovely funny conversation with them, she lives in London now, he in Scotland but both were born in Scotland, about the English-Scottish rivalry. 😂

We’ve seen some wonderful sights and accomplished quite a few ‘firsts’ along the way too.

We did strenuous hikes, rode horses, slid down a roller coaster and travelled by train to the Grand Canyon, ate lots of delicious food, drank a ‘few’ cocktails  and of course. enjoyed the Bellagio Cheese Plate plus, did lots of shopping too. Hence, why my bag was overweight! 🧳😉We also experienced different weather, some snow and extreme heat. ❄️🥵⚡️🎢🏇🥾🍔🍹🚂

Plus, after a rocky start with the car hire, it all turned out okay in the end! 🚙 Even when Si drove on the wrong side of the road, it all worked out!! 🤣

As aways, we would like to say a big “thank you” to all of you who read and followed our adventures on the blog and for the comments too.They are always appreciated.👏

So, until the next time, there’s just one thing that remains for us to say, and that is ………. “goodbye again” 🥲

arrivederci, adeus, hejdå, 再见, zoi geen, zai jian, tot ziens, au revoir, tschüss, shalom, ciao, じゃね, anyeonghi gasyeo, poka/Пока, adios, hejdå, tạm biệt, vΘleft, farvel, ya sas, tókša akhé,

and hope to see you all again on our next adventure. 👋😀 ✈️🚙🇺🇸🇬🇧

8th June 2025

Good morning from another hot, sunny day in Las Vegas. The temperature today is forecast to reach 103ºF (39ºC). 🌞🥵

Warning! This post is mainly about eating and drinking, so look away now if it’s all too much and skip to the part about shopping at Walgreens and the Bellagio Atriium! 🤣

So, last night’s dinner at Bavette’s. We were not disappointed. Everything was just wonderful.

First of all, they sat us in banquette seating which we love as we could see the whole of the restaurant laid out in front of us. Our waiter, Carlos, was very friendly and attentive. They start serving dinner at 5 p.m., our reservation was for 6 p.m. and the place was already packed with diners.

Carlos felt our cocktails were taking a little too long so bought over two glasses of complimentary champagne to enjoy! 🥂🍾

Complimentary Champagne

We started with cocktails, even for Si! He had a French Martini (vodka, pineapple and Chambord black raspberry liqueur) and liked it so much he had a second! I had my usual Amaretto Sour, well two actually.

Si with the starter and his French Martini

Sand and her Amaretto Sour

We shared a starter of Peppered Duck and Goat Cheese Terrine, apricot Mustarda (a traditional Italian condiment made from fruit, both fresh and dried, syrup, spices) and thick pieces of toast.

For mains, Si had the Classic Ribeye, Chicago Cut, 16 ounce steak with bearnaise sauce and I had the Filet Mignon, Petite Duchess Cut, 6 ounces, again with bearnaise sauce (they were so juicy and tender we didn’t really need a steak knife to cut them) and shared buttery mashed potatoes and creamed spinach with blue cheese and caramalised onions. It’s no wonder we didn’t have room for dessert! 😂

Si’s Ribeye Steak

Sands Duchess Cut

I wonder if we will be able to get up from this table! 😂

We did have a little ‘flutter’ (gamble) after dinner with some success!

So, I had a mini disaster yesterday evening getting ready for dinner. I somehow managed to knock my makeup bottle from the sink area onto the marble floor! Of course it smashed the glass bottle, make-up and glass everywhere! 😱

Lucky for me, the store Walgreens, is in an alliance with Boots in the UK so I was able to pop along this morning and buy my No. 7 make-up! 👏(Oh, oh, now I’ve given away my secret of how I stay looking so young …………. Boots’ No.7 range for the ‘old folk!) 🤣Thank goodness for alliances! Some of the products are much cheaper than in the UK while some are about the same price. Believe me when I say, no-one wants to see me at dinner without my make-up! 🤣 The day has been saved. 👍

Walgreens No 7 counter

We managed to take photos and a video of the Bellagio Atrium this morning too.

Health warning! My video is rather all over the place so may make you giddy! 😵‍💫🥴

Many of our followers will know that a stay at Bellagio must include a visit to the Petrossian Bar for the cheese plate. This ‘must do’ was done this lunch time. It was as delicious as ever. 👏

Si with his Lavender-flavoured Lemon Drop – just love the flower! He had two!

Sand and her Bellini

Here comes the cheese plate!

The cheese plate

Sand’s Amaretto Sour!

Snacks were brought out to enjoy with our second cocktails!

The snacks

The entertainment

After that lot a hot drink was required!

Si has decided that we need another meal tonight as it’s our last evening here so we’ve decided to go back once again to Jasmine here in Bellagio.

By the time we get home we will have put back on all the weight we lost during our hiking earlier in the holiday! 😔

Looking back at this post it’s mainly all about eating! Well, we are here in Vegas with some of the best restaurants anywhere so what are we supposed to do! 🤷‍♀️

Here’s another lovely flower display in the Bellagio.

Tomorrow we leave the Bellagio to fly back home, so please join us for our last U.S. post. 😊

Thanks for sticking with us. See you tomorrow.

7th June 2025

Another brilliant, hot sunny day here in ‘Sin City!’ It’s currently 100ºF (38ºC)! 🌞🥵Luckily, it’s a dry heat, no humidity, so it’s just about bearable when walking outside.

A new centre-piece at the Bellagio. I thought we had come to the wrong country! 😂

Since our return here, the famous Bellagio Atrium has been remodelled for Summer. It means either an early-morning or late-evening visit as it gets packed out during the day. Photographs coming soon!

The day so far has consisted of lunch (we were up too late for breakfast), shopping and gambling. We dined at Mercato della Pescheria in St. Mark’s Square in the Venetian Hotel and Casino. Another ‘first’ for us as the restaurant we used to eat at was taken over by this company.

I had a Margherita Pizza and a non-alcoholic cocktail while Si had Tortellini al Proscuitto, Tortellini filled with Prosciutto, in a Grana Padano Broth, finished with Tomatoes & Truffle Oil and a Fat Tire beer (any followers of Bosch on Netfilix will know the name as that’s what Harry Bosch drinks). All the food was delicious.

Si waiting for his lunch

Delicious!

Sand with her pizza

And her non-alcoholic cocktail

I’m getting just a wee bit concerned about the suitcases! So far, we’ve had to expand Si’s suitcase but I don’t anticipate doing any more shopping before we fly home on Monday, so I think we should be okay space-wise.🤞🧳

Coming out from London they had ‘Heavy’ stickers placed on them even though one weighed 24 kilograms (53 pounds) and the other 26 kilograms (57 pounds). Our allowance is actually 32 kilograms per bag so I thought I had done quite a good job packing. They are a wee-bit heavier now. That Si buys so much during these trips,😉 so they’ll probably get ‘fork-lift truck needed to lift’ stickers instead! 🤣

Tonight we will dine at Bavette’s Steakhouse inside the Park MGM Hotel and Casino.

In their words, they are a stylish departure from a traditional steakhouse, Bavette’s embraces French flair without the formality, blending fine dining with unabashed fun. Indulge in timeless steakhouse fare, including richly flavorful ribeyes, fresh seafood, traditional side dishes, and house made desserts. Strong cocktails and a well-curated international wine list enhance the gilded space which features red leather banquettes and glowing chandeliers.

The last time we were there the food was fabulous so we are hoping for a repeat this evening.

We shall have a little ‘flutter’ after dinner. Probably on the same slot machine that we won our $13,000 in 2023 and Ann’s $89 this week. Fingers crossed we are lucky again this evening, but we won’t be holding our breaths!

Once again, I’m sat at the window typing this post and the Bellagio fountains are below me. They look magnificent.

Sand typing the latest Post for the Blog

Tomorrow will be the last full day of our holiday as we fly back to Blighty (the UK) on Monday evening, so please join us then to hear about tonight’s dinner and to see what we got up to!

As always, thanks for reading.

6th June 2025

A beautiful start to our first full-day in Las Vegas. 🌞 At 8.30 a.m the temperature was c 79ºF (26ºC) with the highest predicted to be 94ºF (34ºC) by 2.00 p.m.

First of all, let me back-track to last night’s meal at Spago. Our good friend Julie has reminded me that I didn’t actually tell you what we ate!

Well, we both started with Maryland Blue Crab Cakes followed by an 8oz Dry Aged Ribeye Steak for Si and although Prime Fillet Mignon was available and would usually be my first choice, I had Cheese Ravioli instead. I’m saving the steak for Saturday night when we dine at Bavette’s Steakhouse. For dessert, I had the Spiked Lemon and Si the Vairhona Dark Chocolate Souffle. Fabulous food in a fabulous location.

The Spiked Lemon is interesting. It’s all edible. That’s flecks of gold on top and in side are layers of yuzu cream, chiffon cake and citrus mousse. When it’s delivered to the table, the waiter dramatically cuts it in half. Vegas theatre.

I’m posting these photos as thumbnails because Si is not looking his best and didn’t want me to put them on at all!!! 🤣

The Crab Cakes

The Ribeye

The Ravioli

The Spiked Lemon

The Spiked Lemon cut in half

The Souffle

Today we decided to visit some of the other hotels. In particular we went to the hotel and casino, Park MGM, the site of our big win in 2023, as our good friend Ann has entrusted us with $12 she found at the back of her underwear drawer, left over from her visit to the U.S. last year. She wanted us to gamble it on the same machine we used in 2023! Guess what happened? Once again, on a first spin, we won her $89.00! 👏Here’s the video of the event! 🤣 Apologies for any bad language you may hear! 👂

After the win we went for a quick lunch in Eataly (everything Italian) at Park MGM.

Si at Eataly

A refreshing drink

Our lunch

This is my view as I’m writing the blog today, the Las Vegas strip.

The Las Vegas Strip

This evening we dined at Jasmine here in Bellagio. The food was excellent. When we booked they asked if it was a celebration so we said it was. It’s 59 years since we first met so we thought that was worth celebrating! They gave us the best table, it was a large one and raised up for a good view of the fountains and a special dessert.

Our view from our table

The fountains through the window

Si started with sliced BBQ pork and then we both shared the Peking duck that they carved at the table. Another ‘first’ for us as we’ve never seen that before. They took the rest of the duck away and bought back the remainder mixed and in a lettuce leaf and then we finished with the special dessert.

The beautiful napkins

The chop sticks and yes, we did use them!

Si with his BBQ Pork

Carving the Peking Duck.

The rest of the duck

The special dessert

When we had finished we went and had a ‘flutter’ or two with some wins and some losses. Besides the Dragon Link machines, another one we have fun with is called Mo Mo Mummy, it’s hilarious. He doesn’t really talk but grumbles and makes weird noises. This is what he does when you win.

The weather forecast was right, it’s been a lovely sunny day and the temperature got up to 93ºF (34ºC). Tomorrow it’s going to climb even hotter! 🌞Thank goodness for the air-conditioning!

Thanks for keeping up with us. More tomorrow! 😊

5th June 2025

First of all, I must apologise for this Post being so late! We are eight hours behind here so some of our followers will be part-way through their day (Friday) before they see this! 😔

The reason for my tardiness is that we went to dinner at Spago here in the Bellagio,    where we are staying. We had patio seating so were able to have a close-up view of the famous Bellagio fountains every 15 minutes. We have eaten there on previous visits and they welcomed us back. As always, the food was fabulous.

Sand and Si at Spago – part of the fountains in the background

After dinner we decided to try our hand at a little gambling and managed to turn $300 into $1000 so I’d call that a successful evening all round! We won it on a Dragon Link machine (the same type of machine we had our big win on in 2023) but this was called Genghis Khan. 💵😊👏

The win!

So, back to earlier today. It was another driving day but much shorter than the other ones we have done, just 3.5 hours.

We left Williams after breakfast and a quick visit to town to check out the old Route 66 and of course, the shops!

Don’t think that fence would stop a buffalo!

On old Route 66

I don’t think I’ve mentioned it before, but one the reasons we changed our plans (apart from the bad reports of the Grand Canyon North Rim) and came to Williams was because I saw a programme on television with Nick Knowles called Escaping the Grand Canyon. He came to Williams and travelled on the Grand Canyon Railway and it inspired us to do the same.

The drive was uneventful, apart from a 16 minute hold up due to road works and there’s not much to photograph along the way either.

Here are a few photos of our drive.

Welcome to Nevada

We think our roads are bad back home because of the pot-holes. Well, the roads we’ve travelled on here are far worse, if that’s possible!

We had to take the car back today so decided to drop our bags off first at the Bellagio and then return it to Hertz Car Rental. At least this car behaved itself better than last year! Although we did have an alert that the oil needed changing as soon as possible! 🤷‍♀️

We drove a total of 2,804 miles and during that time we only had one incident with Margaret on Google Maps and that was when we had a choice of three roads to take and she didn’t bother to tell us which one we should be on and so, of course, we chose the wrong one and had to turn around. We gave her a stern telling off and after that she behaved! 😂

We were a little dismayed on arrival in Vegas to discover it was raining and lightening,!! ⛈️ But that cleared up quickly and the sun came out. 🌞 It was 90ºF (32ºC).

Another hot day is forecast for today (Friday), it should reach at least 92ºF (33ºC) so it’s hats and suntan lotion all round me thinks!! 🥵🧢 😉

Thanks for reading. Back tomorrow (well today actually)! 😉

4th June 2025

Well, we have had the most fantastic day riding the Grand Canyon Railway to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. 👏

We arrived yesterday in Williams, Arizona, after a very long drive and checked into the Grand Canyon Railway and Hotel.

After settling in to our lovely room, we had a delicious dinner and even managed a visit to the gift shop! 😉

Miniature train running around the restaurant

We were a little worried when we checked the weather last night as it forecast rain and lightening for our visit to the Canyon today and even gave a Flash Flood warning! 🌧️⛈ 😱

The Grand Canyon Railway started carrying passengers to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon on 17th September 1901 and since that time, notable passengers to ride the Grand Canyon Railway include Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, William Howard Taft, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Clark Gable, Jimmy Durante, Doris Day, Warren Buffet, and Bill Gates.

It’s estimated to carry more than 225,000 passengers every year, resulting in around 50,000 fewer cars entering the park.

Thankfully, overnight the weather forecast changed to only a slight chance of rain. After a lovely breakfast we wondered over to the train station to take photographs and then it was time to board the train.

This engine from the Pikes Peak railway was of interest as a couple of years ago we drove to the top of Pikes Peak instead of going by train.

A train engine from the Pikes Peak railway

At the station

Sand at the station

Sand hanging off a carriage!

Which way?

While checking out the railway station, we suddenly heard a train whistle and a freight train appeared. We were rather surprised to see it had five engines and wondered why! We found out soon enough when it took three and a half minutes to pass through the station. It was pulling 202 containers (yes, I counted them!) The driver waved and blew his whistle for us as he passed by.

Before we boarded, we were serenaded by a group of cowboys and then were treated to a cowboy gunfight by the Cataract Creek Gang (we were going to see them later in the afternoon!) and Marshall Tucker. They are a group of performers known for their Old West-themed gun fights and robberies. They were very funny.

After that boarding commenced.

The train consisted of 13 carriages and appeared as though every one of them would be full. Our train carriage was called ‘Fred Harvey’ and had a glass domed ceiling. Everyone in our carriage were just fantastic and friendly. Our hostess was called Noel and she made the day. She was so funny and could she talk! 😂🗣️

The ‘Fred Harvey’

Fred Harvey had a strong connection to Grand Canyon hotels because he and the Santa Fe Railway formed a partnership to create a chain of Harvey Houses along their train routes. Harvey recognized the need for better accommodations for travellers and worked with the railroad to build hotels and restaurants, including those at the Grand Canyon. 

The journey to the Grand Canyon was just 65 miles and the train travels at about 35 miles per hour so took us approximately 2.5 hours. We had a buffet and plenty of drink to keep us occupied during the trip.

This is our train. Sorry for the poor video!

As well as watching the scenery, which was mostly flat countryside, we were on the look out for wildlife and saw cows, elk and Pronghorn antelope. Fact: Did you know Pronghorn antelope are related to giraffes?! No, we didn’t either. 🤷‍♀️Another fact given to us by Noel.

We were also treated to entertainment in the form of Brian, who sang and played the guitar. He was great and we even sang along to a couple of John Denver numbers.

At the back of our carriage was an open-air platform so we took advantage of that as we had never stood in the open-air on the back of a train before. Another ‘first’ for us.That was fun!

On the back of the train – another ‘first’ for us

We reached the Grand Canyon in lovely warm sunshine and were, once again, overawed at the amazing sight before us. No matter how many times you gaze upon it, it always takes your breath away. We took loads of photographs. Here are just a few. No photograph will ever be as good as seeing it in person.

While we were there, we were surprised to see this elk having his lunch and the squirrel waiting for his! 😂

Elk having his lunch

Squirrel hoping he gets lucky!

Sand and Si at the Canyon

Si on ‘top of the world’

I’m not going back any further!

Then it clouded over and started to rain. Luckily, we had booked to have lunch in the El Tovar, the South Rim’s hotel, so managed to miss getting wet. 🌧️ The rain passed quickly and there was no thunder or lightening.

Sand with her elk bolognese and Amaretto Sour

Si with his lobster ‘roll’

We boarded the train for our return journey and again, were treated to a buffet and drinks, although we couldn’t manage much after having such a delicious lunch.

Once again there was entertainment, this time with Singing Sam who sang rock and roll and played guitar. Then suddenly, the train stopped and was boarded by the Cataract Creek Gang, who were wearing masks and carrying guns (not real ones!) They tore through the train robbing as many people as possible! In hot pursuit behind them was Marshall Tucker who eventually caught up with them as they had run out of train and marched them off to jail. It was hilarious! 🤣

Marshall Tucker!

We learnt a couple of things on the way back to Williams. Noel was telling us it snows in Arizona, we did not know that, and has 600 volcanic mountains!! Who knew? 🤷‍♀️

Sand and Noel

Tomorrow we leave Williams for the relatively short drive to our last ‘port of call’ on this holiday, Las Vegas.

Please join us for tales of gambling, fine food, fine wine and if the weather forecast is correct, very, very, high temperatures!! ☀️

Thanks, as always, for joining us on our adventures.

3rd June 2025

Before I begin, I would like to give a shout out to good friend Dot who noticed a mistake in last night’s blog. I had posted a photo with the wrong caption! Ten points and a gold star to dearest Dot!! ⭐️

Today has been a long day!

We left Capitol Reef Resort at 8.30 a.m. for the long drive to Williams, Arizona, calling into Monument Valley , home to the Navajo along the way. In the end the total drive was about 7.30 hours.

We had a lovely surprise today when we discovered Glen Canyon, another first for us. We had heard of it but never visited and my, my had we missed out on something grand. It was magnificent.

Sand above Glen Canyon

Sand in Glen Canyon

Glen Canyon

The landscapes from Capitol Reef to Williams have been so different it’s hard to imagine they are in the same country. From canyons and towering monoliths to flat ranges. From red rocks to white and grey.

At one point we had a cows being herded by wranglers on the open ranges.

Just before we reached Monument Valley we passed the famous Mexican Hat. The nearby town called Mexican Hat is named after the rock formation that resembles the sombrero, or a Mexican Hat.

Mexican Hat just outside Monument Valley

We visited Monument Valley (Navajo Nation’s Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park) about halfway into our journey. The views were as magnificent as ever but the passage of time has changed things!

Monument Valley

Sand in front of ‘Right Mitten’ in Monument Valley

Si at Monument Valley

One point of excitement was when we reached U.S. Route 163 near Monument Valley. This road is commonly referred to as “Forrest Gump Point“. In the film, Forrest Gump, as he runs up the road he comments that he has run for three years, two months, 14 days and 16 hours and then says “I’m pretty tired … I think I’ll go home now” and then “and just like that my running days was over”. 

Ever since then when you reach that part of the highway, there are cars and people everywhere just trying to recreate that same shot.

Sand and Si on the Forrest Gump Road!

Most of the roads we travelled today were single lane and at one point we had to travel on a gravel one down the side of a mountain for some distance. It was quite terrifying as on my side it was a sheer drop. That was the famous Moki Dugway!

The Moki Dugway is a dramatic, unpaved switchback road carved into the face of Cedar Mesa in southeastern Utah, forming part of Utah Route 261. It’s known for its stunning views and challenging drive, especially for vehicles with trailers. The 3-mile stretch climbs 1,200 feet with an 11% grade, offering a unique experience of the American Southwest. 

This video makes it look as though we were flying along but we weren’t!!

At one point the sky became very dark and down came the rain. At least it gave the dirty car a clean! 🧼🧽

Here comes the rain!

We have arrived at the Grand Canyon Railway and Hotel but will save all the details to incorporate into the blog tomorrow when we have completed our trip to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Very excited! 👏🚂

As always, thanks for following our adventures.

2nd June 2025

Well, what do I know? 🤨

I said yesterday that we would not be hiking today and of course we did! 🤷‍♀️

But, first of all, the most important news of the morning is that Si has had one of his photos go into Explore on Flickr.! 👏 Flickr is an online site for photographers to show their pictures.

The photographers among you may know this already, but everyday, Flickr choose 500 of the best photos from the millions they receive on a daily basis and put them into Explore, so it’s very special. This is the photo taken when we were in the Grand Tetons and is called ‘Teton Sunset’.

Sunset at Snake River Overlook now on Flickr Explore 1st June 2025

It was originally our intention today to do another ‘first’ and drive two hours to the Temples of the Sun and the Moon, two iconic sandstone monoliths located in the Cathedral Valley here in Capitol Reef but we were warned by a Ranger not to attempt it as rain was expected and the roads would become impassable due to the sand turning to mud and we could become stuck! 😔

So, instead of a ‘first’ for both of us we decided to do a ‘first’ for me and a ‘second’ for Si. We drove to Goosenecks Point Overlook and Sunset Point, they were a ‘first’ for me as the last time we were here I caught Covid so Si hiked up alone whilst I sat in the Car, hence a ‘second’ visit for him.

Goosenecks Point

Goosenecks Point

Sunset Point

After that we decided to hike to Hickman Bridge. We both did that the last time we were here and before I realised I had Covid.

River at Trail Head

Hickman Bridge Trail

Cactus Flower on the trail

Sand at Hickman Bridge

Si at Hickman Bridge

The hike was a two mile round trip, classed as ‘moderate’ with an elevation gain of 400 feet. It seemed much longer and after yesterday’s hike to Cassidy Arch, our legs were not happy! 😂

It has been overcast all day and this evening we’ve had some rain. The temperature this morning was 62ºF (17ºC) and the highest it rose to was 73ºF (23ºC).

We had our last dinner here in Capitol Reef Resort at the Pioneer Kitchen again. The food is excellent and the staff lovely and very attentive.

Sand with her chicken pot pie!

Si and his burger!

Sand and Si at the Pioneer Kitchen

Tomorrow is a driving day, a long 6.5 hours to Williams in northern Arizona. It is known as a gateway to Grand Canyon National Park via the Grand Canyon Railway and is situated on the Historic Route 66.

Route 66, also known as “The Mother Road,” is a historic U.S. highway established in 1926 that ran from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California covering 2,448 miles.

Williams was the last town on Historic Route 66 to be bypassed by Interstate 40. The community, bypassed on 13 October 1984, continues to thrive on tourism.

We shall be passing by Monument Valley en-route so we intend to stop and take some photographs there too. It is said to be one of the most photographed places in the world.

The Valley’s landscape has been a backdrop to many Hollywood movies and television shows, beginning with several John Wayne films including “Stagecoach” in 1939 and “Forrest Gump” in 1994.

Well, they say things happen for a reason!  We were originally going to stay on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in the Grand Canyon Lodge cabins after leaving Capitol Reef National Park, but Si saw a report that things were not as they should be with accommodation and food so we cancelled our stay and decided to go and stay in Williams and travel by train to the Canyon instead.

Are we glad we did, because we’ve just seen a report that as of today there is a power outage on the North Rim and all visitor services are closed until further notice. 😱Grand Canyon Lodge has cancelled reservations for tonight and dining/food services are suspended. People will have to travel outside the park for food and fuel as the Lodge is the only place to eat. Nightmare!

It must have been fate that made Si read that report or we could have found ourselves sleeping in the car!!! 🤣

Thanks, as always, for reading and following us on our adventures.

1st June 2025

It was another ‘first’ today as we decided to hike to Cassidy Arch (named after Butch Cassidy who had a hide out here) in Capitol Reef National Park. This was a ‘first’ and believe me, there is never, ever, going to be a ‘second’! 🙂‍↔️

After we ate a quick breakfast, we set out at 8.00 a.m., it was 73ºF (23ºC) so it was already starting to get warm. 🌞

When we arrived at the trail head the car park nearly full but we managed to get one of the last two spaces and off we went! 🥾

Walk to the Trail Head

Walk to the Trail Head

Si walking the Grand Wash

From the Grand Wash

From the Grand Wash

From the Grand Wash

We walked down into Grand Wash and after about a quarter of a mile we realised, even though we were following AllTrails, that we had missed the sign telling us where the Trail Head was to start the hike to Cassidy Arch. Along with another family who had done the same as us, we retraced our steps and realised a huge bush was covering up the sign! Lesson learned here, always keep your eyes on the AllTrails map on the phone! 😉

That’s the way!

According to AllTrails and Strava, (an internet service for tracking physical exercise which incorporates social network features) the elevation gain is between 685 and 1058 feet and the hike is classed as strenuous. This is the map showing how steep the climb is!

The first half mile is really vertical and to quote a previous hiker “kicks butt!” I was ready to turn around at that point but Si wouldn’t let me so we trudged on to the summit.The trail was very steep and rocky and some of the stone very slick. There was some shade but not a lot but I have to say it was well worth the agony in the end. The views were magnificent. 👏

I told Si it was reckless!!! 😂🤷‍♀️

We joined a lot of other people at the summit with some choosing to walk out and stand in the middle of the arch. It looks very thin but in fact you could probably drive a car over it.

Cassidy Arch

Hooray, we made it! 👏👏👏The summit at last! 😊!

Sand and Si on top of Cassidy Arch with two Abseilers about to descent into the canyon!

Sand and Si on top of Cassidy Arch

As we hiked down there were lots of people hiking up even though it was midday, the temperature extremely hot and dark clouds were starting to gather! If you read the blog yesterday you’ll know about rain and thunderstorms! We had checked the weather forecast before we left and there was no mention of rain, but you never can tell. It changes quickly. 🌞⛈⚡️

At one point, we passed a family hiking up and the father was carrying a small baby! How he was going to manage, scrambling up and over rocks and boulders goodness only knows. People can be so silly at times. 😔

We also met a Volunteer Ranger hiking up, and we told him so that he was aware that a situation could occur, especially if they were not carrying enough water. 💧

Sand on the way down! This photo reminds us of 2013!!

Help, I’m exhausted – and I’m 12 years older now! 😂

The hat I’m wearing says GRITS on the front ……………. but in this case it’s not the kind you eat (Grits are a type of coarsely ground, dried corn that’s a staple in Southern U.S. cuisine). It stands for ‘Girls raised in the South’! That’s right, I was, but not southern USA 🇺🇸but southern UK! 🇬🇧 😉

Help! I’m exhausted – 2013. Yosemite Falls Trail .

It was a great hike but what a relief to get back to the car! We were covered from head to foot in red dust.

The hike took 3 hours 19 minutes and we covered a distance of 4.20 miles.

When we left there were loads of cars trying to find somewhere to park so what do they do? Why, park where it specifically says “No Parking” of course.🤷‍♀️ They don’t give any thought to the fact that if the emergency services need to get down there, there won’t be enough space for them to get passed the parked vehicle!! 😟

I think we deserve a large glass of something 🍹🍺for our efforts today so you can be sure we shall indulge at dinner!

Tomorrow is our last full day here but we haven’t decided yet what we should do. I definitely do not see a hike of any kind on the cards that’s for sure! 😂

Please join us again tomorrow to see what adventures the day brings.