Thursday 20 January 2011

It's been a while ......

since I wrote on the blog but as you will see as you scroll down I've been away.   We spent Christmas with my Dad in Pembrokeshire and then flew to the States.

We stayed with some wonderful people - Randall & Mary - in Florida where we met up with Andy & Naomi and Naomi's family.   Then Andy & Naomi, Roger and I flew to Phoenix where we picked up a car and drove to the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas.

Before we went I had made a scrapbook for Naomi and one for me.  I used the Teresa Collins Travel Ledger kit for each one and put in a couple of extra pages from other designers.   I also took with us, glue sticks, scissors, journaling pens and lots of bits to stick on.

This is the first time I've made the book before I travelled and the idea was to journal and stick things in at the end of each evening, although that didn't happen much.


Day One: We flew from Orlando to Phoenix and picked up the car.   Naomi and Roger shared the driving.  We drove to Williams stopping off at Montezuma's Castle on the way.



Day Two: We drove up to the Grand Canyon for the day.   For Christmas my Dad had given each of the four of us the money to treat ourselves to a helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon.   Although the temperature was only around freezing, the sun shone and the sky was a brilliant blue so we had the most fantastic views of the Canyon.



Day Three: We drove from Williams to the Hoover Dam and then on to Las Vegas.   We had hoped to visit the West Rim of the Grand Canyon but it involved a 120 mile journey on unpaved roads and as the hire car wasn't a 4x4 it was decided to give it a miss.   We took the power plant tour at the dam and then drove on to Las Vegas.




We checked into the Luxor and then walked along The Strip to find somewhere for dinner.   Andy & Naomi had been recommended PF Chang's so we ate there.   Then we walked to the Venetian Hotel and had a gondola ride.   On the way back to the hotel Roger & I stopped to watch the fountains at the Bellagio.


Day Four:  After breakfast with Andy & Naomi, Roger and I walked along The Strip visiting various of the hotels.  Each one has its own theme.  I particularly wanted to see the glass ceiling at the Bellagio.  We went up the Eiffel Tower and looked at Las Vegas spread out around us and then the desert and the mountains.



In the evening we had an early dinner at an Italian restaurant in the Mandalay Bay Hotel and then saw The Lion King at the theatre in the same hotel.   Fortunately for our feet the Mandalay Bay adjoined the Luxor so it wasn't far to go home.



Day Five: The four of us took the bus along the full length of The Strip to Freemont Street.  On our way back down The Strip we called at the Stratosphere but decided not to go to the top of the tower.  Then we called in at the Sahara Hotel and the Trump Hotel.


We had our last meal together in a Mexican restaurant and headed back to the Luxor.  We parted company - Andy & Naomi heading for the airport and eventually Sydney whilst Roger and I drove out to Boulder City via the Premium Outlets so I could buy some shoes from Aerosoles.



Day Six started with breakfast at the Boulder Dam Hotel.  I can thoroughly recommend staying there - it was great.   Then we walked the sculpture tour round the historical downtown and visited the museum which is in the hotel.  We enjoyed this museum more than the visitor centre at the dam itself.


Then we drove through Nevada parallel to the Colorado River to Lake Havasu City.

Day Seven:  The last day of our road trip.   We drove across London Bridge - yes, the real one that was moved from the River Thames in London to the middle of the Arizona desert.   We walked along the side of the Bridgwater Canal and then drove down the Arizona side of the Colorado River and then to Phoenix.


We flew from Phoenix to Houston where Roger went to work for three days and I relaxed.   I went shopping with Carmen and Vera and worked on this scrapbook in between.   All I had to do when I got home was get some photos printed and add one or two comments.  We had a fantastic holiday and I loved doing the scrapbook.  I can't wait to see what Naomi has done with hers.