Sunday, December 15, 2024

How Stupid Do You Have to Be to Pack a Wheel Chair......

 and leave the foot pedals at home??? 

My three children and I left here on Dec. 7th, for a trip out west, to Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon and Zion National Park.  They know they have to push me, at least part of the time, in the wheel chair. It seems to me that at least one of us ought to have noticed that the foot pedals were not in place! I now have rock hard thighs from holding my legs up all the time....lol.

We arrived late Friday night in Las vegas, and I hate to have to tell you that it took us almost as long to get our rental car as it did to fly there! The lines, at 11pm, were horrendous. I  think there were at least 150+ people waiting!

On Saturday, we drove onto the Strip and parked ($50 at the Bellagio!!) and walked through their lobby, and the Conservatory, which was decorated for Christmas. If I ever figure out how to get back to posting photos on the blog - you'll be the first to know.  

 We went through the casino, and as I can never deny the call of a slot machine...we stopped...and I promptly lost $20. That was my limit, so we proceeded to walk down the strip and see other hotels and whatever sights presented to us.  It is an interesting place, to say the least.  I was told by a family member that it was somewhat tamer than she had noticed in the past - maybe due to the influence of Christmas and cooler weather.

On Saturday night, we had tickets to see The Eagles at The Sphere. It was a fabulous show and I recommend it wholeheartedly! The facility is magnificent of itself, and when the show starts....you are totally amazed.  Someone who planned it all is a technical wizard!! If you ever have an opportunity to so to the Sphere, don't pass it up! There are no bad seats, that I could see, although I would not want to sit on the floor, as your neck would be craned up and back throughout the show.  Check it out on utube.  

On Sunday morning, after a leisurely breakfast, we headed out to the Grand Canyon. Two of us had seen it before, but I would never turn down the opportunity to see it again! We got there about 5 minutes after sundown. So we decided to cancel our hotel at the next stop, and stay in Grand Canyon Village, so we could get up early and see the canyon at sunrise! We  recommend it, and I really wish I could show you my pics.  Luckily, we found a hotel with a room available, and free breakfast to boot! We ate dinner at a Mexican restaurant (I can't remember the name, but it was really good!)  The next morning when we set out to see the canyon, it was 21*, and windy. Soooooo cold! We saw it from several different vantage points, and then we left for our next stop....Page, AZ....where Antelope Canyon is, on Navajo lands. 

Antelope Canyon is a "slot canyon"....google it to see pics.....and very narrow in some places. The floor of it is sandy, and that sand is the consistency of baking powder....very fine. I am a bit wobbly and lose my balance easily, and it is especially true on such surfaces as that.  I had a cane, but it didn't help me at the time. 

The Indian Guide....named Arlee....was excellent, but she kept "herding" us. We were through the canyon, and I wanted to get a picture of the end of the trail (so to speak). She beckoned me to come closer to her, and when I did, I lost my footing and fell onto my left side (yet again), breaking my new glasses and losing my left hearing aid (although I didn't realize it at the time). I was bleeding like the proverbial stuck pig, and that was topmost on my mind.  My son lifted me to my feet, and they could see that I had not lost consciousness. Even though I hit my head on a rock, it apparently didn't affect my brain; not too much, at least.  The kids took me to an Urgent Care, where a P.A. named Joel stitched me up and bandaged me.  Joel gets a gold star, as it looks as though I will not have a scar!

We made it to our next hotel, a Spring Hill Suites in Springdale, UT, just outside of Zion National Park. It was a lovely place, surrounded by steep rocks, and reminiscent of  our time in the Canadian Rockies, back in May. They had a great breakfast, too. We set out early enough to catch the sunrise in Zion, and it was a great idea, as the sights were beautiful as the sun came up.  


After driving through Zion for a bit, we started the drive back to Las Vegas, to catch our plane back home.  It was a wonderful trip, full of interesting things to see, and lots of people watching (which I love), but the best thing for me was being with my three children all at once for an expended period. I see them individually fairly often, but only on holidays are we all together.....so this was a very special treat for me.  But, thanks to my being wobbly, there was never a dull moment! I know how lucky I am, and believe, me, I am most grateful!!

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