The Antithesis: Las Vegas to Zion

A Fremont Diner breakfast with my better half and incredible friends brought us to a mildly salty goodbye.  Breaking way from Napa with full bellies Clark and I quickly got our rhythm on the road as I took over the helm for the first stretch. Driving into Las Vegas is mind-boggling. In the middle of nowhere Sin City perches itself smack dab in the desert. Draught and poverty seem to be a growing concern for the population 200 towns dotting the interstate leading up to the big lights. The majority of the homes were abandoned or run down with graffiti are joined by large handmade signs cursing the government for its exploitation of their water supply. Just miles away Vegas drinks on. Bouchon, Robuchon, Mesa Grill; the big names have all helped to make this surreal experience. But, for one night in Vegas we lived it up. After my one-dollar of gambling magically turned to twenty-five cents I called it quits. Getting more than my share of second-hand smoke, I wonder why people can't smoke hickory or applewood cigarettes. My hair could smell like delicious pork rather than a soggy ashtray. 

Three hours from Las Vegas lay Zion National Park. This morning I took the driver's seat as we crossed state lines. Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and back to Arizona; the cold deserts lifted with canyons as we cracked through sides of rock, paving our way to Zion. Getting to the park at 3PM, there was a peaceful silence. Hundreds of deer fed off the vegetation that flourishes on the riverbanks. Layers of centuries identified themselves in the rock, showing their struggles from drought to extinction. The Pueblo tribe was the first settler of the Canyon to be haunted with drought. But its spirit was present. From the Canyon's walls to the river rocks, everything breathed together. Zion, so fitting a name for such a fulfilling place. Clark and I crept through Zion, snapping photos as the sun sank and the moon took stage. The distant snow that topped the cliffs grew closer as we climbed the road through Zion. The moonlit road led us all the way to Page, AZ. Cozying up with chicken and beer, we have tread our miles for the day. Tomorrow we head south to Albuquerque after getting our first glimpse of the Grand Canyon.