Ron & Deb are traveling again.

[addicted08]

Today we rode up north of Tucson to Oro Valley, Catalina and Marana. In Catalina we saw a sign for Catalina Mountain State Park so we decided to check it out. We paid our $7 fee and got a map then drove on into the park. As we were driving I was checking the map to see where we should go first and that is when I realized that this park is for hiking not for driving through. But we figured what the heck lets go walk through the desert a little bit. 2.5 miles later Ron was asking me how we managed to get ourselves into these kinds of things!

The first thing we got to on our hike was a very long, slightly steep hill. The pic doesn't even tell the story of how long and steep it was but you get the idea.


The view as we walked was amazing!




The path was made of sand so it made it rather difficult to walk. And we had to keep an eye out for large rocks and tree roots as well as horse poo on the trail. We should have ridden horses instead of walking. The path was really neat, this spot looks like we would just be walking right out into the mountains.


When we were climbing up the first hill I told Ron that I bet we would get a hill just like it to go back down on our loop. But I was wrong. Instead we got a long, winding path of steps made from railroad ties to go down.

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The trail was really neat. Twists and turns, up hills and down hills, and several washes to cross that had water in them so we had to hop from rock to rock to get across them.




Here is some more steps we came down. They led right into the water so we used the rocks to the right to get across this wash.


This last pic is me next to a giant cactus along the trail. This was so much fun I want to do it again!

[Boom Boom]

awesome pics Deb really beautiful out west..Boom

[addicted08]

Ron & I decided to ride up to Las Vegas for a couple of days. We had a really nice, scenic drive up to Kingman, AZ














This pic is coming into Kingman, AZ

[addicted08]

We spent the night in Kingman then headed to Las Vegas. Another really nice, scenic drive.

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We stopped at this bridge where you could view the Hoover Dam. Last time we were at the Hoover Dam this bridge wasn't there. It was a really neat view!




They had plenty of parking and ramps and stairs to get people up to the bridge. It was really neat to see how it was all put together.




This is a view of the bridge we were on. And one as we drove under it.




This is another view of the dam.


And Lake Mead.

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Then we arrived in Las Vegas








We rode down to the Pawn Stars Pawn Shop and went in to look around. Man was it packed!


But I managed to snap a pic that didn't have a stranger in it.


Out in there parking lot I think they were taping a segment for the show. The part where they talk to the person out in the parking lot about what ever it is they have brought to pawn or sell.

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We saw a lot of strange things in Vegas...again.








Then there were some fun things, too.

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The next day we wandered around the Vegas Strip some more. Saw the Hard Rock Cafe.


These buildings look like they are going to tip into each other.


These next 2 pics are different views of Las Vegas. You kind of forget that there is more to Vegas than the strip.




Later that evening we went back to the strip and saw this street performer. He looked like a stone statue and held still until someone came up to take a picture with him. Then he would move like a robot but he didn't seem to ever blink or crack a smile. We thought he was the best performer that we had seen.

[addicted08]

We left Las Vegas and took I-15 toward Calfornia and the Mojave Desert. Another nice, scenic ride.