Zion - to be explored today!

Monday July 11, 2005 Zion temp: 107

The cabin was warmer last night than the first night, and I didn’t even turn the heater on until the morning. We all froze the first night!

We packed up camp for good and left by 8:30, thinking we were going to be late for the kids program, but it turns out they are doing things a little different for the summer because the area they normally use for that is under renovation. So we were able to instead sign the kids up for the 11:00 Jr. Ranger program to take place at the Zion Lodge. Parking at the museum, Mike took the shuttle to the Grotto stop to climb to Angel's Landing. The trail guide said it should take 4 hours, but Mike figured he could do it in 3. The kids and I stayed at the museum to watch the Movie about Zion, which was really amazing. Austin and I even got teary-eyed at the beauty of it. After that we took the shuttle up to the lodge, where we had a little time to kill, so I got a coffee and a pretzel for the kids, and we worked on their Jr. Ranger workbooks.

Checkerboard Mesa, East of Zion

Camp started out in the theater of the Zion Lodge, and ended up outside. The topic was “Who Wants to be a Park Ranger”. It was a very interesting talk about the history of the Rangers, the different kinds of Rangers, and the jobs they do. Outside they did a little obstacle course and mini-water brigade, which they both said was their favorite part (probably because they got to dump the water over their heads when they were done!)

Mike met us at the lodge before the kids were even done with their camp, and it only took him 3 hours to do the hike. He said it was amazing, the highlight of the park, and the best hike he’s ever done (even better than Mt. Marcy). The cliffs were amazing, and he said at one point on the camelback, the sheer dropped 1,000 feet on one side and 200 on the other. He spent about 20 minutes at the top, and he said you could see everything. He videotaped his descent, so I’m looking forward to seeing that. I’m so glad that he got the chance to do that. I think I may have been too scared, but I would’ve tried it anyway.

We ate a very nutritious lunch consisting of a burger, chicken fingers, chili dog, fries and onion rings in the lobby of the lodge – it was too hot to eat on the café since all the tables were in the sun, and the grass was wet from the sprinklers. In the gift shop, Emma got the Ranger outfit, complete with hat, glasses, and binoculars. She looked so stinkin’ cute, and decided to wear it then and there, no matter how hot it got. We hopped the shuttle to one stop to the Court of the Patriarchs and took in the view there before heading back to the museum to pick up the car. At the museum we picked up a souvenir Parks Passport book, where you collect stamps from the parks and stickers. The kids had their Jr. Ranger books checked and signed, and then recited the official Jr. Ranger of Zion Park oath to receive their official Zion Jr. Ranger badges.

Finally on our way out of the park, we stopped on the east side to check out a little slot canyon, and for Austin and I to walk up to the point where a couple of formations have managed to survive. We were probably gone for 45 minutes while Mike and Emma waited in the car, but we were really glad we did it. It was magical up there, and I think I got some really good pix.

Our Impressions of Zion:
A lot of cliffs, mountains, interesting to see how many years of rock had built up and washed away – Austin’s first impressions. Austin and Emma liked the lower falls and pool the best on the Emerald Pools trail. Emma liked getting her hair wet, and Austin noticed how the mineral patterns looked like the pattern of a snake.

Last full day in Vegas!

We spent the day running around Vegas catching up on all the shows and attractions that we hadn’t yet made it to. Austin wanted to ride the coaster at NY, NY, and since Mike is now battling a cold, I rode it with him. Needless to say, I’ve decided I’m too old for bumpy coasters anymore. Austin was thrilled, and this was the only thing he wanted to do while here, and with his new found bravery, vowed to try the Superman at Darien this summer.

Emma had wanted to check out the “castle”, and so we hoofed it over the footbridge to the Excalibur. There wasn’t much there that caught our fancy, so after a quick picture with the hotel dragon and a jaunt into the girlie princess store for a pixie dust necklace, we were off and running again.

I had wanted to check out the RIO, where the World Series of Poker tourney is currently being played. There was word in a mag that Ben would be participating, but we couldn’t find any confirmation on that anywhere. Scott called this morning to let us know about the tourney, and if we went could we get him some WSOP stuff. That, and the fact that the RIO is supposed to have a pretty good free show was all we needed to get us over there. Not to mention that maybe I could spot Ben, if he happened to be there.

Inside the convention center at the RIO they had all of these booths set up for freebies. Kids under 21 weren’t allowed in, so Mike and I had to take turns going in. He never found the playing floor, as he didn’t go in far enough. I went in and got some freebies, and took a picture of some famous card player (he was signing autographs, but I have no idea who he is… Bubba will know!) Venturing further than Mike, I found the gaming floor and was very glad because it’s really cool to see this huge room of tables set up and everyone playing cards. As soon as you walk in you hear the clickety clack of all the poker chips, combined with an eerie silence. I walked around to where it looked like the bigger crowds were gathering, just in case there was a Ben sighting, but the parties of interest weren’t anyone I recognized.

We made our purchases in the WSOP shop, and headed back to the casino for the show.

A Day at the Flamingo

The kids spent a few hours checking out the waterslides, waterfalls and pools at the Flamingo Hotel before heading back to get dressed for the wedding.

Jo & Kelly Get Hitched!

Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Cornelius

Jo and Kelly got hitched in the chapel at the Flamingo Hotel. She looked beautiful with her hair swept up, with tendrils down and pearl accents throughout her hair. She wore a strapless white sheath gown, with a beaded bodice and just enough beading on the small train. Jo looked smashing in his black tux. The ceremony was very nice, and Jo even got choked up at one point!

We had a little time to kill between the wedding and dinner, so we checked out some of the shops in the hotel. Austin and Emma joined us for the evening, at the insistance of the bride and groom, and so we had a very enjoyable evening together. Dinner was at an Italian restaurant Buca di Beppo, which had a lot of character! The food was family style, and included garlic bread served like a pizza, amazing chicken and artichokes fettuccini over penne pasta, baked cheese raviolis with chunky tomatos, lemon green beans, and amazing cheese cake for dessert. Our table had a bottle of the most amazing red wine by the Coppola estates; I don't remember the name of it, but I'll find out because it was really yummy! It has a mix of 3 different grapes. The evening wrapped up around 11 pm.

Family Night in Vegas

After chillin' at the ES happy hour, we headed out to NY, NY to check out the roller coaster - which costs $12.50 each to ride. Emma is too short to ride, so while the boys decided if they were going to ride, we checked out the arcade games. On the way through the casino, Mike popped over to a slot, put in $5.00 for a slot he thought was .25, and ended up winning $100.00! Now that $12.50 didn't seem so expensive! The boys decided to wait until Sat. to ride, as we had to move along to other things. The kids really liked NY, as "it feels like your outside!", but without all the heat! I told them wait till they see the Venetian! They'll feel like they're in Italy!

We walked over to the MGM Grand and checked out the tiger habitat. The girls were in there pacing, and then the 2 guys in the pen fed them and we didn't see them again. This is the best picture I could get before they ran off to eat. No big males there, that we could see.



Now it was off to the M&M store, which is 4 floors of M&M peraphenalia. We found the ever-elusive Dark Vader Chocolate M&M's, for which we could take home for a mere $10.00 a pound. We ended up at the Wall of Chocolate, where all the M's are separated by color, so you can make your own mix. The kids got a small mix each, and we were on our way.

Austin posed with the M's dressed as Star Wars characters. Emma's favorite is Chewbacca.

It's now 8:30 pm and time for dinner, so Mike leaves us at the Coke store to retrieve the car and we head out to Terribles. Mike is salivating at the thought of All-you-can-eat seafood, but alas, the buffet ends at 9pm and it's now 9:09! Bummer, so we end up across the street at Bahama Breeze, which was Emma's choice as soon as she saw it on the way to Terribles. We all order and try to eat, but the kids basically fall asleep at the table.

It's late and the kids are tired, so we decide to skip the Mirage volcano show and the Treasure Island show, figuring we can catch them Sat. night instead. We can catch the Bellagio water fountains tonight or tomorrow too.

Tonight is the wedding of Jo and Kelly at the Flamingo, so we will fill you in on all the details tomorrow. Today we're going to hang with them at their hotel pool, and maybe check out Paris and the Venetian.

We're In Vegas, Baby!

We're here, after a very good flight to Chicago and an hour layover, our flight arrived in Vegas 20 minutes early, making it a 3 hr and 10 min flight from Chicago. Not Bad! We saw the movie Miss Congeniality 2, and it was pretty cute. The movie takes place in Vegas, so it was fun to see where we were going to end up, and to get the kids excited about the sites.

By the time we got to the Embassy Suites, it was 1:00 am Vegas time. The hotel is very nice, with a big atrium entryway, with a (small) waterfall and 2 swans. The pool is beautiful, and very big. We will take advantage of the 2 hot tubs in the evening hours.

Turned on the news this morning before heading down to breakfast, to hear the sad news about the bombings in London. Now they're saying that there were 2 more bombs found that didn't detonate. It leaves you speachless.

We were up and down to the breakfast by 8:30, and what a breakfast they have! Made to order everything, with all the trimmings. Lots of stuff to bring up to the in room fridge for snacks.

Off to the strip by 10 am, and our first stop was Eckerds, of all places, for water. Emma wanted to check out Circus Circus, since she saw an advert for it on tv. So we stayed parked at Eckerd and walked to CC. I wasn't real impressed with the place - I imagined the Big Top as being bigger than it was. But it was a fun place for the kids, as they got to play a bunch of midway games for cheap. Austin and Mike won a small "Champ" Care Bear for Emma, and Austin won a Homer Simpson doll for Mike. All is good in the B family. Mike hit the slots coming in and out and won a whopping $5.75! Hey, it paid for the games!

After leaving CC, we headed back to Eckerd for pop, and Mike headed for some booze. We made our way back to ES to go swimming, and that's where we spent most of the afternoon. The sun felt great, and really considering it was 101 or higher, didn't feel too hot (after all, it is a dry heat!)

Right now we're in the atrium enjoying the free cocktails and snacks, while I do this blogging! Later we're heading to NY, NY for the roller coaster and to check out the shops, the M & M store (eat those babies fast, it's 86 degrees at midnight here!) the volcano show at Mirage and the Treasure Island pirate show. We may even catch the water show in front of the Bellagio on the way back down the strip. Sometime in there, Mike wants to dinner at Terribles, as they have an all-you-can-stuff seafood buffet, and he has a buy 1 get 1 free coupon.

I'm excited, because Ben may be in town! I read that he is playing in the Texas Hold 'Em tourney, now underway at the RIO for the World Series Of Poker Championship...It's destiny!!

We made it to Vegas, Baby! Here is Mike using the biggest slot machine ever! (He didn't win!)

Our weather is beautiful! We spent some time at Circus Circus, and decided to come back and use the pool. Check out the waterfall! The temp hit 101, but it's a dry heat!

Here are Austin and Emma in the Lobby of our hotel, Embassy Suites. There are 2 swans that live in the fountain! (and a bunch of big goldfish!)

Sue and me having dinner - Happy Mother's Day Sue!

Winding Down, Winding Up

Time flies - there are only 13 days of school left for the kids, and 15 days of work left for me. Between work committments and volunteer duties, the time is going to fly even faster. I really hope I can keep my wits about me, and I can tell you that I'm really going to appreciate this summer more than ever.

Great News! Austin was chosen by his music teacher to play the Star Spangled Banner solo for the Flag Day ceremonies at school on June 14. I'm so proud and excited for him! It's been hard to get him to practice. With all of the nice weather finally, he naturally wants to be outside with his friends. My dilemma is trying to finagle my way over to school that morning; I wouldn't miss his solo for anything. Which brings me to one of the things I hate about working again - that is, trying to figure out how to fit in all the things that really matter.

This has been an interesting year for me, trying to adjust to working after always having the freedom to participate in anything that my kids do. I love my job and I certainly have a wonderful schedule, but it still gets in the way sometimes. Even the little things, like making a homemade treat for the kids to take to school or for a volunteer meeting, have been replaced by a last minute dash to Walmart or Wegmans for something suitable. I realize more than ever that making something from scratch really isn't such a "little thing" after all, as it has been hard for me to let go of that part of myself. It just goes to show that time is a luxury that we all take for granted in one way or another.

Mike and I are busily planning our trip out west. We have made reservations for our 3 nights in Moab, but need to work on the other 14 nights of our trip. Before you know it we'll be leaving for Las Vegas! I still have to find a dress for Kelly and Jo's wedding! I've been internet searching and mapping the route, and we have the itinerary pretty much settled. We're flying back home out of San Francisco, which I'm excited to see. Mike wants the kids to see the ocean, and I think more likely, wants to give them thier first surfing lesson! We are all looking forward to a fun family time.

A Spring Vacation

We finally made it to the Outer Banks (OBX). Mike has been wanting to check it out for years. We thought about going over the Thanksgiving break, but I nixed that one because I was concerned about having cold, lousy weather in a place where all there really is to do, is go to the beach.

Laura, Daryl and Amanda joined us down there. We rented a 5 bedroom house in Corolla, which is at the far end of the sandbar. You'd need a 4 WD to get any further. We were oceanside, but not oceanfront, which was alright by me, since the weather was windy and not all that warm. We arrived on Saturday to weather in the mid 50's! The waves on the ocean were 5 and 6 deep, and very loud! It started to warm up by Monday, and luckily we had a couple of days that we could spend on the beach and not freeze. Our warmest day was in the mid 70's, but with the breeze, you always had to be prepared to get a chill. I was able to get a tan, however!

Amanda and I spent a day horseback riding in Frisco, which is 88 miles one way from Corolla. Laura and Emma accompanied us, but dropped us off and went to have an ice-cream. Our ride started out in the woods, and slowly meandered toward and out to the beach. It was neat to see the terrain change, and we even trodded through water that almost made it to the bottom of the stirrups. We took a short trot on the beach, then turned back to head back to the stables. Laura and Emma were going to try and catch up with us on the beach, but we didn't make it down the beach far enough.

On the way back to Corolla, we stopped for lunch in a little surfer shack, dedicated to girl surfers! The ride home seemed to take forever, and I was trying hard to stay awake. There is a strip of road that is just so long and boring; it reminded me of driving in the desert with nothing around but sand dunes. Once we finally made it home, after many last minute stops to pick up things and do some shopping, we were treated to a wonderful dinner of clams, crab legs, lobster tails, steak and chicken. Home sweet home.

We all checked out Jockey Ridge state Park - that was a cool place. The largest sand dune in America, or something like that.

A $400.00 Fish!

Daryl, Mike and Austin went deep sea fishing out of Oregon Inlet. After Daryl got the fish on the line, he let Austin finish reeling it in.

Reeling it in...took only 5 minutes after 2 hours of trolling. The swells were 12-14 feet; medicine didn't help, as they all ended up seasick. They were still green when they got home! Austin declared he would never do deep sea fishing again!

Austin baiting up.

The ocean on a calm day. The first two days we were there the waves were huge and very loud. I was actually glad we weren't right on the ocean.

The beach at Corolla Light.

The walkway to our beach. Our house was to the right of the house in the background.

The whole gang on the beach in Corolla the last day the Kelley's were there.

Currituck Light, located right across the street from where we were staying in Corolla Light.

219 (or so) steps to the top.

A view of the Lightkeeper's house from the lighthouse, but you couldn't go in it...a neat view of the sound above it.

A good view of the sound and the Whalehead Club. They were setting up for the annual Spring Fling that night, thus the tent.

Austin and Emma checking things out.

This is the walkway out to the sound side from the lighthouse grounds.

Currituck Light, OBX

We took a long walk through a marshy area on a raised walkway to peer at the sound side.

Here is Austin, trying to fix a leak!

We (the B's minus daddy B) went with Scott, Julianna and baby Alicia to the new pool and aquatic center in Perinton today. The air was a balmy 86 degrees! (Just for comparison, it was 84 degrees in Aruba today; but they have sunshine!) It's a neat place, but too many rules and on the expensive side if you're not a resident. We were there before the water park part opened (bad info from a worker) but it allowed us about 30 minutes of time in the park without having to deal with the crowd that was quickly gathering.

Contraptions!

The three musketeers getting wet!

Miss J enjoying the fountain gysers.

The small slide would have to do for Emma and Julianna.

We spent part of the day getting wet at the aquatic center in Perinton. Austin loved the big slide, but Emma wouldn't try it!

Emma loved it so much we skiied the next day. Ohhhhh my aching back.

We have a 9.85, a 9.9, a 8.0 (darn Russians) and three 10.0's from the US (mommie, daddie and buddy).

How the....What the.....Who the heck but that pile of snow THERE.

Look at me...my skis are straight...but this tall guy next to me still needs to snow plow.

Then came along the strange skiier with four legs.....

Wrong way dad.

This way to the cliff....I mean slope.

I'm supposed to do WHAT????

Small couch under a famous painting by some WEIRD obscure artist.

GG's hutch in the corner.

Chair in corner. Has a built in recliner.

Another angle of large couch

Large couch under front windows

Here is Emma at age 3! She had just learned how to wink. She would later be known for her "thumbs-up, tongue to the side while winking" look.