“Shock”tober, Vegas Style or the Beginning of the End?

“Oh, America. I wish I could tell you that this was still America. But I’ve come to realize that you can’t have a country with out people. And there are no people here.” - Zombieland

Welcome to Las Vegas. At 131 Square Miles and a population of over 500,000 in the city proper (over 1,000,000 in the Metro Area), it’s a close knit town. Well, sorta.

Still, Las Vegas is America’s party town. People come here to do the kinds of things that you can do in just about any major city, but we won’t look down on you for it. Hell, it's how we all make a living. If you like to party, booze it up, get your freak on, or get it on with a freak, LV (America’s Armpit) is the place to go.

While the Strip is the place most folks talk about, it isn’t really my scene. To me, the Strip is like dinner at a fancy restaurant - don’t bother if you aren’t wearing a jacket and don’t like to look down on the little people.

No thanks.

Fremont Street is wear I run. It has the atmosphere of a college keg party, and for pure entertainment value, the Strip doesn’t touch it.

Free concerts almost every night? Yup. Talented entertainers that don’t cost an arm and a leg? Bingo. Booze that’s dirt cheap? Hell yes.

But Halloween is a special time on Fremont Street. Sure, on any given day you can see folks in costume. But nearing the 31st, it becomes a dream for people who love All Hallows Eve.

That’s right folks, we’ve got it all. From zombies (shit tons of them, given a boost by the zombie walk on the strip) to girls  in hot costumes and dudes wearing dresses, there’s a little bit here for everyone. Ninja turtles seemed popular, and for some damn reason I saw a LOT of panda bears. Seriously. WTFs with that?

But what I noticed the most were the couples. While Halloween has traditionally been a holiday for the kids, filled with ghost stories and lots of sweets, it seems to me that it’s become a tradition for people in love.

So many of the costumes went together. Kings had their queens, Lucy had her Ricky (in black n white, of course), and Red Riding Hood had her Big Bad Wolf. Smiles were a plenty and there was lots of kissing and PDA. Can’t fault people in love.

Some highlights of the night were sexy storm troopers  showing bare midriffs and wonderful curves (Lucas, why didn’t you think of this),  the gingerbread man, and an adorable little gal dressed as Belle from Beauty and the Beast (she got her picture taken with some soldiers - seeing little Belle with a huge gun was super cute). Why was this kid out a 00:45? Oh, and the remote control Jigsaw riding the tricycle was pretty damn sweet.

The fun and cuteness just seemed to emphasize something that’s been nagging at me. I don’t belong here. Kids? Cute, but I miss Caleb and hate that I can't get him out here sooner. Couples? Hah. I’m alone here, at least until someone gets off her ass and comes out to me. Costumes? I don't think so, Tim.

And while I don’t feel so great about that, given what I saw here tonight, it may not be a bad thing. Not having someone that I'm attached to here could potentially save my life.

You see, all fun and cuteness aside, it seems that the college atmosphere of Fremont Street may have gotten out of hand tonight. At least, I hope that’s all it was. Because tonight, I may have been witness to the start of one of the greatest fears of my generation - the zombie apocalypse.

We’ve all thought about it. The possibility of some sort of virus that drives people mad and turns vegans into flesh eating psychos is there on the fringes of our minds. But what if it’s not just a fear? What if it isn’t just some silly notion?

Case in point, the gentleman I met tonight. We’ll call him Bryant in order to maintain his anonymity. Hopefully, my respect for his privacy won’t doom us all.

I met Bryant in the bathroom of the Fitzgerald while I was washing my hands. He stumbles in, pain and confusion etched on his face. His hand is covered in blood.

“Holy shit man,” I said. “What happened?”

“This crazy bitch just grabbed my hand and bit me!”

Isn’t that how it always starts in the movies?

Bryant’s story was a bit out of the norm on fair Fremont Street. There are plenty of whorish girls, traipsing about is short skirts looking to get their mouth on something. There are plenty inebriated men and women making out and nibbling each other’s necks. But a full on bite? Near Halloween no less?

Hmmm.

I turned on the water for him and told him to get it cleaned up. It was swollen and a bit purple where she had bit him. Hopefully, all it will do is leave a nasty scar.

“Why the hell she bite you?”

Bryant took a moment to answer. “I don’t know,” he finally said. “I was drinking my beer and she went to grab it. I pulled my hand away. Then she just grabbed my wrist and bit down!”

I’m hoping that this ghoul was just a very drunk chica. However, I would question the likelyhood of a person chomping down on a guys hand because he didn’t give her his beer. I wonder if somehow, she caught the virus and that it was starting to get to her.

Sorry for the poor image quality and total lack of blood. It didn't occur to me to get a picture until after it took the picture. That big purple blotch on his hand is the bite, right by his vein, and it was f'ing deep. There was a lot of blood and I apologize for my lack of foresight.

That being said, Las Vegas is not a physically large town. Like sardines is the way we’re packed in this little valley. If there is going to be an outbreak, what a great place for it to start. Awful convenient, I’d say.


So, if you find that a great, unmentionable disaster afflicts the 702 over the next few days, you heard it here first. If Sin City is placed under quarantine for an unknown reason, you’ll know why.

Hopefully, this is just an isolated incident. Hopefully, nothing will come of it. Hopefully, all of you who love Halloween will get to come out here and experience it for yourselves. I can promise you, there isn’t anything like it in the USA.

Then again...we may not be here next year. If the mystery girl who chowed on Bryant’s hand is patient zero, well, hopefully the slogan will be right. Hopefully, what happens in Vegas will stay in Vegas.

Happy Halloween everyone.

Fish Bowls

*NOTE: This post was originally posted on whenthemusesspeak.blogspot.com which is where I write pretty much whatever comes to mind. It's alright there, but it seems to be more fitting here. I suppose.

I went to Towne Square to buy some Oolong Tea from a shop
called Teavana. It's an excellent shop, with a great selection and
knowledgeable employees. Not only did I get a tasty beverage, but I got
enough oolong to last me a few weeks.

The benefits of oolong tea are interesting. According to Chinese folks, it
makes you thin. The people at Teavana tell me that it helps you process
carbs. This isn't true.

In actuality, oolong tea inhibits your body from absorbing fat and
cholesterol. It also produces an interesting side effect. Your body, when
burning energy, will go after your fat stores rather than a more readily
available source - your muscle.

I'll admit, the employees explanation is more marketable. It's a lot easier
to say that something helps you process carbs than all the information I
just gave. So I can't fault them.

But I digress. After receiving my tea, in both drinkable and brewable form,
I sat down with a book and relaxed a bit.

I enjoyed the travel writings of Paul Theroux. I sat tensed, ready to spring as a
small child (maybe 1 or so) nearly walked into the street as her preoccupied
mother chatted with a friend. I breathed a sigh of relief when the mother
grabbed her, the car heading toward her hit its brakes, and a very bad thing
was averted.

Would I have been quick enough if the mother had not been? I don;t know. I'm
not as fast or limber as I used to be. I'm just happy it didn't have to be
tested.

Again, I digress and turn my attention to people watching.

Las Vegas, when you get right down to it, is little more than a barren
desert. We get our water from somewhere else, and the trees we enjoy in Sin
City are usually of the palm variety, which means it's actually a type of
grass (look it up if you don't believe me).

But real grass in this dust bowl is at a premium and many places substitute
AstroTurf. Neighborhoods have this cheap, green fabric, and so does Towne
Square. And the local couples flock to it; it's one of the things I find
interesting in this otherwise cesspool of a town.

Las Vegas, to me and many others, is a place to go to create some sort of a
memory. And while our marketing geniuses will tell you that what happens
here stays here, it  makes me wonder about the people who call the town home. What kind of place is this to live if you're young (or old, for that matter) and in love?

What is there to do? Where is there to go? What kind of memories can you
make?

You can go to Mt Charleston for real green, but the average tourist won't be
doing that. You can visit Lake Meade for your water fix, but even that is
man made. So does that mean that all of our potential memories are false?

No. And I debated this with myself for awhile, but the only answer I can
give is no. The memories you'll take back from Vegas, while built on fake
grass or quick drying concrete, are not fake. We are a town of masks; nothing truly fake, but you never really see what's real.

Towne Square has the quaint, pretty little setting. There are light strung up and a small gazebo. Plenty of tables and benches are there for you to relax on. Or you can just lay on the "grass" near the water.

The water is designed to be a like a small brook, complete with a sort of little island. There is a little bridge that goes over it and the rocks are all fake (or at least covered by some kind of sprayed on concrete, which lends them the look). In all, watching the happy couples laying in each others arms, it give a true sense of serenity.

And it reminds me of a fish bowl. Fake plants, rocks and cheap decorations make the fish feel safe and at home. This is what Towne Square is like as well. In fact, much of Vegas is like this.

Think about it. Caesar's Palace is designed to look like something out of Roman history. The Luxor harkens back to ancient Egypt. And the Venetian is meant to whisk you off with its romantic vision of Venice (it fails because the water is much cleaner than the real thing).

And while all of these things are false, it doesn't make the memories you can make here any less real. In our little fishbowl, in the middle of the desert, you can enjoy sites and sounds from around the world.

Here, we have the Eiffel Tower, castles and pirate ships. And while none of these can compare to the real thing, it's a lot cheaper and the pictures are just as lovely.

So back to my point. What does this mean for the people who call Las Vegas home? It's simple.

We have the world at our finger tips. And people from all walks of life, from all over come here just to see what we've managed to carve out. It's a paradise in a wasteland. It's a fishbowl in the bedroom of America.

Plus, we got tons of hookers.

WTF (what's this for)?

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, wondering to myself why it is that I do some of the things that I do. Why I feel this need to be outdoors or this near unbearable urge to be away and in situations where I am alone or in some sort of danger.

Am I an adrenaline junky? Do I need to feel alive? No, that isn't it. Do I hate people and being around them? No. I rather like people.

So what is it? Why do I do the things that I do, and what's the point of it?

I'm starting to realize that no matter who says that they love me, or how many friends claim to "get me", they never really will. Because my answer makes it difficult for people to accept me.

The point of the things that I do is fairly simple. I do them to do them. Why? I don't really know, and it doesn't really matter.

Oh, it matters to everyone else. But I do things because something in me says it needs to be done. The question "why" makes me feel childlike because the only response I can come up with is "because".

I have met some amazing people in my life and shared time with some amazing, lovely women. But I don't honestly believe that there is a woman, or even a friend of any gender really, that could accept this about me. It doesn't make a lot of sense and I'm aware of that.

Do I think I'll grow old and die alone. Actually, no, I don't. But I think that marriage will be an adventure for another time. Perhaps if I meet a gal who is willing to hike the Appalachian Trail with me I'll have found the one.

Oh, and I'm not talking about walking on part of the trail. I'm talking about the whole damn thing. Over 2000 miles. At typical speed, you're talking about 6 months. Why would I even want to do that?

Because it's there. Hell, my question would be, why not?

The things that I do, and at a more basic level the things I seem to want(I guess, though it could be the other way around) make sense to me only because they "FEEL" right. I'm not necessarily talking about emotions, either. It's tough to explain.

I guess it's like finding someone you know you want to spend the rest of your life with(you know, until you realize that he has no definable direction and only answers your questions with "because" or "I don't know"). That initial feeling of, "this is right". That's how it feels for me. It just feels right.

And it's one of the only things in my life that has felt right without wavering. It has its share of stresses involved (like thinking you might plummet to your death or getting lots of cuts and bruises from stumbling into those DAMN thorn bushes that seem to be all over out here), but when all is done, I feel right.

That's what matters to me. Feeling right. With my world and myself. Try it. You might like it.

RE: It's Over

Howdy folks. Today's post isn't the usual "hey look what I did today" post. Oh, I have been out exploring. A few weeks ago I took a hike near Lake Meade and went over to the Hoover Dam. I walk the old rail road route, going through the tunnels and got some great pictures. I might put some up eventually, but my internet connect here isn't the best, so it might be awhile.

I also went climbing out at Red Rock Canyon last week. It was beautiful out and once again, I got some great pictures. I know, it feels like I'm dangling a treat in front of you, and I will get the pics up as soon as I can.

While on my climb, I zoned out, climbed and climbed, then realized, "Oh crap, I have no idea how I got up here and can't seem to get down." It was embarrassing, but I had to call search and rescue and got picked up by a helicopter. It was pretty cool and while I don't have pictures of the chopper, I do have a few of my view. Some of them are blurry, but you can kind of see the park ranger's vehicles in the distance.

But anyway, the title of this post actually refers to a post I made awhile back. It was a post about running the Las Vegas marathon.

I've given this a lot of thought and something occurred to me. I've been doing things for pretty much my whole life that I didn't really want to do, just so I could get some kind of recognition.

Recognition is great, but shouldn't be from something special to me? I hate running. Why the hell would I even suggest that as an option? Because I thought "Oh look at me. Look how great I am. I'm going to run for charity or something. Blah blah blah."

**************NOTE*********************
PARENTS, PUT THE KIDS TO BED FOR THIS ONE. THIS RANT CONTAINS FOUL LANGUAGE FROM THIS POINT ON. I REALIZE THAT IT'S A DEVIATION FROM MY STANDARD POST, BUT IT NEEDS TO COME OUT.

YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.
**************END NOTE****************

Fuck. That. I am sick of doing things just to get some kind of attention from everyone else. If you don't like me for who I am, I understand. I didn't either. But I'm working on that.

If the only thing that makes you say "Wow, what great guy" is the various bullshit that I come up with to make myself look good, fuck you.

From now on, I'm going to do the things I want to do. If I want to "Fuck this job" I'm going to do it and I'm going to leave. If I want to say "Fuck you and your bullshit, media marketed American Dream" I'm going to say it (just did). If you think that I'm not a "complete person" just because I don't think it's right to waste my life doing the same dumb shit everyone else does, fuuuuuuck you!

I'm going to walk to my own beat from now on. I'm going to follow my own heart and thought process. Your idea of the American Dream is nothing but a waste of time and money. You pacify yourself with the latest gadgets and gizmos. You suck on the nipple of commerce. I love capitalism, but it's been so twisted by the propaganda machine that most people think that they aren't patriotic unless they go out and blow half a paycheck at the local Wal-Mart.

Fuck that.

This blog is here to show you some of the things that I'm doing with my life and where my sense of adventure takes me. But why are you reading this when you could be out there doing the same things I do? Stop making excuses! If you think money is an issue, stop spending your money on pointless shit just so you can look good for everyone else!

If your issue is time, make the damn time. Get off your ass. Stop blowing half your day watching some bullshit tv show that really isn't anything more than clever advertising. Stop wasting your time exploring in a virtual world and go out and explore the real one.

TV, videogames, movies, the internet.....they're all entertaining. I know. But you can't waste your short life living vicariously through these mediums. If you find yourself staring at pictures of the ocean, mountains or trees, get outside. Your body craves. It needs it.

I imbibe in all of the above. I enjoy movies, games, and the net (obviously). But not everyday. I spend more time outside than I do inside daydreaming about adventure. And you know what, real adventure is everywhere. You have NO excuse not to go have one.

Gas? Nope. Fucking walk. Money? It doesn't cost anything to go for a hike, and you can find a bicycle on craiglist for next to nothing. And don't give me any shit about not having the latest and greatest. You don't NEED it. You've only been told that you do.

Want inexpensive travel around the country (or the world)? You don't need an expensive hotel. Do you want to go to Paris, or Ireland, or England, or Thailand just to spend your trip in the hotel? Hell no. Then why waste the money. For true adventure, all you need is a place to sleep at night and maybe recharge your camera (if you have one). And hell, if you're in the right place, you can just sleep out under the sky.

You WILL die someday, and you have no idea when. You might not even make it through the day or even through this post (though I hope you make it through the post). So go live a little. Please.

Because I won't live forever, and you can't always tag along with me. One slip while I'm hiking the trail, one crumbling hand hold that I can't regain while I'm climbing, or just tripping when I get out of bed in the morning - any of this could do it for me.

Don't live in a world of media and useless knick-knacks. Go out and live in the world. It's much more exciting and it'll cost you a lot less money. You have no excuses. And neither do I.

Fuck that marathon. If I'm going to run it'll be because I need to jump over a gap in the canyons. If I'm going to run it'll be from being chased by a bear or a pissed off biker (free, but if you get caught there is the doctor's bill to think about). I'm not running for recognition from anyone, and I don't really have much of a desire to do it. So I won't.

I'd rather be hiking.

COMING SOON....or not

Well, you may have noticed that it's now Wednesday and that post I mentioned the other day never came about. Yeah...Martin and I didn't get together for the coolness that we had planned. Instead of making a big deal about, if/when it happens, I'll just post it. Sorry about that.

COMING SOON

Tonight I met a fella named Martin (pronounced Mar'teen). Martin is a nice Latino gentleman who is very proud of his daughter for getting into UNLV with a 25k scholarship. What father wouldn't be proud?

Martin and I talked for about 4 hours tonight. His English isn't the best, but his heart is in the right place and his mannerisms speak volumes. He is a good man.

At any rate, Martin has 4 horses. No, they're not the ones for the Apocalypse, but he claims that one of them dances. I've never seen a dancing horse, to which he replied "BULL SHIT".


But seriously, I've never seen one.

If you've never seen one either, you'll see one on Sunday. Because on Sunday I'm going over to his place and checking out this alleged "dancing horse". If it turns out that his horse dances, I'll eat my hat (HA bitch. I don't wear hats!).

Seriously though, a couple of latino dudes that were sitting near us said it's bad ass, so I'll get it on film and let you folks see. If you haven't seen it, you will. If you have...why the F didn't you invite me!?

later gators.

It's Over

Hey all. Been awhile since my last post on TGA. This leg of the journey has been over for more than a few weeks now and I'm starting to feel a bit lost.

I should begin working in the next week or so, so that isn't the problem. The problem is that I'm not sure exactly what to do next. Work isn't an adventure, so I need to come up with something, some goal that I can reach for. I don't want to stagnate again, ya know?

I was thinking about maybe doing the Las Vegas Marathon (or the Half-Marathon) in a few months. Not a lot of time to get ready for it (it starts on 12/4), but an idiot like me can push through any physical pain and relearn to kick ass again, right?

So what's to stop me? Well, there is that whole smoking thing to begin with. But that's not the tough part. I figure the easiest way to quit smoking is to not light one up. So we got that knocked out.

The second hurdle is my health. I haven't run in a good 9 or 10 years. Well, I figure I can fix that pretty easily to. Start running, duh!

I think the hardest thing for me to get past will be mental, as it's always been. So what I need are some good motivators. I have a few things in mind that are good reasons for doing this, the first of which is to just plain finish something.

I want to be able to look myself in the mirror and tell myself that I didn't give up on SOMETHING. But more than that, I want to do something that will be a gateway to doing something bigger than myself.

The way I see it, in a marathon, I'll just be one runner out of many. We'll all have our individual reasons for doing it, but in the end, I think that finishing will be at the top on every one of our lists.

So what do you folks think? What are some other good reasons for doing something that to most people would seem pointless. Why the hell would anyone want to run 26.2 miles anyway? Should I do it to try raising more money for the St Baldrick's Foundation? It's an idea, for sure. Hell, if I can happily get my lovely locks removed, I should be able to take a few aches and pains, right?

If you read this post, please comment. Give me some motivation or just some encouragement. Also, if you find any good websites for the beginning marathoner, feel free to let me know.

I have to do something, because right now, I'm completely insane. I'm doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. This needs to change, and it needs to change now.

Thanks for reading the rambling.

Job Interview, Nature at its Finest and Great Company

Now, after my last post (you know, the one where I rambled a LOT - and don't any of you say "which one") I promised that this next one would be short, but picture filled. Well, this will be the first one where I have video, because you absolutely MUST see where I went hiking today. The video won't do it justice (do they ever?) but if any of you have been thinking of coming out here to go hiking with me, this might just help solidify those thoughts.

Before I show you those pictures though, I'm gonna show you where I went on Tuesday. It was pretty darn cool, but not nearly as cool as today's hike.

But I digress. First of all, today I had my first interview. Hopefully, it will be one of a few. I say "a few" because I want to land a good job, and soon! The interview went well and I very much hope for a call back.

Next, Andrew, Liz and I (along with the doggies) went for an wonderful hike. As much as I love writing, I can not put into words the beauty that I saw today. I'll post the pictures and video at the end of this post so you can get a sample of what's in store for those of you who come out and visit.

Finally, tonight I went and saw the New York Philharmonic Orchestra's revival of "Company". The big names heading the cast were Neil Patrick Harris and Steven Colbert. And, while I've heard that they weren't nearly as good as the last group that did the show, they were phenomenal. If you don't catch it in theaters this week, be sure to check it out on DVD or Blu-Ray.

I went to the movie by myself, which is the first time I've done that since...damn. A LONG time. It was nice. I lost myself in the show, laughed hysterically, cried and did a lot of thinking. I might be reading into this a bit too much, but it's interesting to me that it just happened to be showing when I decided to come out here. And I'm glad I saw it.

Anyway, that's it for this one. Short (er), as promised. Now, enjoy the pictures and vids!

First up, the pictures and videos from Tuesday. I don't know where the hell I was, but it was a good hike. The first video is kinda weird - the sky looks pretty crazy. Rest assured, you are not on acid (though what do I know; maybe you are) - but really, I think my camera was just having some trouble.

Cacti. In the mountains. Nifty.

Of all the videos for this day, please watch the following. It took HOURS to upload for some reason. It's not great, but dammit, this is what made the blog post take so long!

Now for June 16.

Kayla might wanna think about this.

Hmm. She didn't think it through.

I would soon be walking on this. Looking at all the downed trees and debris, you get a good sense of how powerful nature can be.

This guy and I had similar ideas when it came to taking pics of the little waterfall. However, my retard card allowed me to get some better angles, as you'll soon see. :)

So, yeah. If you thought the pictures I took while driving through the Rocky Mountains upped my chances of joining the "Retard Hall of Fame", well, these ones pretty much make me a shoe in. 

I'm not stupid, just a bit reckless. Bit of a drop though, isn't it?

If it's all a dream, I don't wanna wake up (but hopefully I don't roll over - all that green behind me is a good 40 or 50 feet down).

Fremont Street is for Zombies, Mary Jane Falls is Sweet

This weekend was pretty darn good. My buddy Liz and I went out to Fremont St for the Vegas Streets festival. There was food and free bands playing. The atmosphere was one of fun and excitement. In typical Fremont St fashion, it was like one big party.

However, last night, I noticed something that I found interesting. As many of you might know, a good portion of Fremont St is covered by a large canopy that is basically a giant screen. Every hour, the music starts bumping (it was the Doors last night - very cool) and a great show gets put on right above you. Not that the people zip lining down the street isn't a good show in itself.

From a local perspective, surprisingly (to me anyway) this light show is actually kind of annoying. If you've ever seen the movie Land of the Dead, you'll recall that the heroes would set off fireworks to distract the zombies (and if you haven't seen it, WTF?). I imagine that the hourly show on Fremont would work in much the same fashion.

As we were trying to make our way back to the car, the music pumped, the lights came up and damn near EVERYONE just STOPPED. Like the zombies in the movie, they stop and look up at all the pretty lights. Not a problem in itself, except that Fremont is PACKED with people which made it very difficult to get where you want to go.

SO...if you're ever in this neck of the woods and would like to enjoy Fremont St, please, try to stand off to the side or something. The locals, and anyone else who doesn't go completely retarded over pretty lights, will thank you.

I didn't get a lot of pictures while we were there, but we did cut through the Golden Nugget on our way back, which has this.

It's a shark tank. With a water slide that goes through it. Nuff said. There was also a "Super Hero Pub Crawl" last night, which was pretty cool. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of them. Maybe I was distracted by the...nevermind.

ANYWAY, as much fun as THAT was, today was much more fun for me. This morning, we headed out at about 09:00 and drove north. Liz wanted to show me the Mary Jane Falls, and I'm SO glad that she did!

After about 30 or 40 minutes of driving, it's like we were in a completely different world. The mountains loomed all around us. The elevation change made me dizzy. The base of the trail starts at 7840 ft. and the top is 8880 ft. A 1040 ft ascent, no big deal. Add loose stone and steep drops and you have a recipe for fun!

It took me about 15 or 20 minutes to get used to the higher elevation. Once I did, it was no problem, but I was definitely huffing and puffing for awhile. The ironic thing is that I really wanted a cigarette. Yes. Sometimes I'm an idiot.

The scenery was beautiful and the weather was pristine. The trail zig-zags up the mountain for quite some time. The lower parts of the trail, as I mentioned above, are mostly loose gravel. However, once you get past all of the switchbacks, it's mostly sturdy, solid rock. Basically, the hard part is near the bottom of the trail. Go figure.

Once you're at the top, the falls await! The falls are actually the runoff of the snow melting from the tops of the mountains. Regardless of where it comes from, it's definitely a sight to see. Once you're up near the falls, the air is cool and the mist from the falls are very welcome after the long hike up.

That big "white rock" is actually a HUGE pile of snow!

Unfortunately, my pictures simply do not do the falls justice. Sorry, but once again, you'll just have to come out here and see them. I'll be happy to take you (actually, I plan to go there again on Tuesday and take the day to explore). Though from what I hear, the best time to come is mid-May when the thaw is first beginning.

To the West or North West of the falls is a big old cave. Of course, being that I am me and ever curious, I had to go check it out. It isn't very deep, but if were to start raining, it'd be a decent place to be.

Anyway, after hanging about the cave and the falls for a bit, we started making our way back down the trail. On the way, I felt the need to stop for just one more picture.

If you're in the pristine beauty of nature and feel the need to write "E=MC2" on a mountain wall, or write out Pi to a mere 4 decimal points, please take note. You are not clever. You're a pretentious ass and I hope you lose your footing on the way down the trail. Don't be a douche.

Speaking of losing your footing, through out the trail there are numerous shortcuts that skirt the main trail. These shortcuts are quite steep. While I only took one on the way up (to get around some folks and their dog), I took quite a few on the way down.

The experience of getting low and sliding down the side of a mountain is pretty cool, but I am definitely thankful for the large stones that DON'T move when you get to them. More than one of them saved me from tumbling down the face of the mountain (though they did NOT save me bumping my butt a few times). So did a large tree that had fallen. No harm done to me, but if you're going to do it, I suggest having someone else hold your camera and tripod (I almost lost them a few times).

That was it for the weekend. Maybe not quite as cool to some of you as the drive out here, but for me, it was like magic.

Anyway, I got job interviews coming up this week, but if I do get out again on Tuesday, I promise I'll make the next post more show and less tell. I know. I can ramble. :)

The End is the Beginning is...

Last night, I slept in my car again. No big deal, I've done it before. The day had been ridiculously hot, so I slept with a small blanket. I'd forgotten that, while a desert area is super hot during the day, it gets very cold at night. I woke up about 3 or 4, freezing my butt off. I grabbed my sleeping bag, curled up and shivered my way back to sleep.

I only mention this as sort of a warning, in case any of you make your way out to this neck of the woods. Do not be fooled by the harsh heat. Bring something warm for the night!

Anyway, I woke up about 8, and after getting cleaned up I hit the road again. My drive would take me through the rest of Utah. After a brief clip through Arizona, I finally hit Nevada and the last leg of my trip.

But as I mentioned yesterday, I still had one more stop I wanted to make. The Valley of Fire.

I'm not entirely certain why it's named this. However, after spending a good 4 or 5 hours there, I think it was for two reasons. The first being that it's hot. Very hot. The second being that it's surrounded by green and grey mountains, but the valley itself is filled with lots of reds. Either way, it's aptly named.

 

I parked my car at the little visitors area, grabbed my camera and filled my backpack with LOTS of water. I didn't want to mess around when it came to these temperatures. Still, as many of those who know me can attest, I sometimes don't think everything through. But we'll get to that later.

The Valley if full of strange, almost alien rock formations. Being there was almost like being in another world. I jaunted off briskly in search of adventure, when a noise and motion to my left caught my attention.

Look closely. This little guy is the one who first caught my attention.

A small lizard had brushed up against a plant as it made way for my bumbling feet. I'm glad he did, because it made me take stock of where I was and the potential situation I could be facing.

This is a desert. And while they look desolate, there is a lot of life in them. All manner of insects, mammals, birds and reptiles live there. But what occurred to me at that moment was that rattlesnakes live there.

I slowed my pace and started keeping an eye on where I was going. It's a good thing that I did, too. If I hadn't, I would have missed a lot of great photo opportunities.

Eh? I can kind of see the elephant.

I stalked around, looking for lizards to take pictures of (after getting one of the little guy that initially made me aware of where I was). I was not disappointed.

I then began looking for other wild things. Many of the various formations would make a great place for a snake to rest while the sun blazed down and I began to look for one. Not just a rattler, but any snake would do.

I climbed and crawled and scuttled, looking for one of our non-legged friends. I looked in dark holes and under rocks. But it wasn't meant to be. I did see a lot more lizards though. The biggest must have been about the size of my arm.

And while some of you would say that my arms aren't particularly huge, a lizard of that size still seem pretty darn big to me. They were mostly just sunning themselves on the rocks. Most paid me no mind and I was glad for that because it made for some great pictures.

After about an hour of exploring, I threw an extra t-shirt over my head to help protect me from the sun a bit more. This was helpful (goofy looking though), but not helpful enough. After a few more hours, while crouching down to take a picture of some very cool, crystalline rocks, I stood up and felt VERY dizzy. I'd love to show you a picture of the rocks, but the camera can't capture it - you'll have to come out and see for yourself.

I knew that it was a sign of heat stroke setting in and thought that it might be a good idea if I slowly made my way back to my car. After staggering around for about an hour, I decided that I didn't wanna fool with this. If I dropped, there was a good chance no one would find me until it was too late.

I kept my eyes open and found a good sized alcove of sorts that offered excellent shade next to a bush. I made my way to it, and after careful inspection for snakes of other critters, I plopped down.

This is where I chilled. Lots of shade and a comfy rock to sit on.

As I gulped on some water, the buzzing in my head seemed so loud. That was when I realized that it wasn't in my head. The bush I was sitting next to was filled with bees! They weren't a problem for me, and I wasn't about to give them any grief so I stayed put and rested. They never bothered me, which is great because I was close enough that I could have reached out and batted at them without leaving my seat.

Not the bees, obviously, but I liked this picture.

I rested for a good 20 minutes or so, and after going through two bottles of water, I eased myself back up and continued on to my car. I felt a lot better at this point but knew that I hadn't given mother nature the respect she deserved on this one. The sun was pounding down and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It occurred to me that I had an umbrella in the car.

If you zoom in on this picture, you can actually see the moon. It was freakin' noon!

If you come out for some desert hiking, it might not be a bad idea to grab that umbrella. Sure, you might look like a tool carrying it around, but the shade it will give you could be a life saver (or at least save you a headache).

When I got back to the car I took off my backpack. The desert heat is dry, so while you're sweating, you don't really notice it. Well, when my pack came off, I noticed how much sweating I'd actually been doing. The entire back of my shirt was drenched!

I hopped into the car and headed off. I had been planning to just continue on, but with all of the various formations, I couldn't resist stopping for more pictures. No rush, and I'm happy that I took my time.

One of the sites I saw was called "Atlatl Rock". The rock (which is HUGE) actually has ancient petroglyphs on them and it was amazing how well preserved they were. And after climbing the long stairway to see them, it amazed me even more that ancient tribes actually got up there and drew the darn things!

Another spot I stopped was called "The Bee Hives". These rock formations were really unique and looked a lot like bee hives. Hence the name.

I spent quite a bit more time at The Valley of Fire. If you ever get a chance to head out there, you owe it to yourself to check it out. It's a beautiful place, filled with sites you won't see anywhere else. Just be sure to bring someone you love with you - or at least someone who knows the signs of heatstroke. Taking the risk that I did is NOT a great idea.

After I left the Valley of Fire, I continued to my destination. About an hour or so of driving, I was in Las Vegas. For the time being, this is home base. A big thank you to Liz and Andrew for putting up with me for a bit while I get back on my feet. As my road trip ends, my job hunt begins.

I have a few different places in mind, and if it comes down to it, I'm only about 10 minutes from the strip. A few of the casinos are hiring, but that isn't really my cup of tea. Still, I'll be keeping my options open.

So, this is the end. Not just of my road trip, but of the old me. I've taken a big step already, and while I was cold last night, I slept well. That's the first time I've done that on my own if months.

I'm looking forward to more restful nights and figuring out what really makes me tick. It may take me the rest of my life to figure out that last part, but I won't give up on me.

I'll keep you posted. Good night.