Slots-A-Fun

When I was a teenager my Grandpa Lacy used to take me and my brother to Las Vegas for a week at a time. We always stayed at Circus Circus. He would play poker all day, my grandma would either shop or watch T.V. in the hotel room, and my brother and I would be turned loose to wander The Strip. I can't imagine doing that with my kids today, but that's what we did back then and it was a fun experience.

At least once a trip, Grandpa would take us to a small casino near Circus Circus called Slots-A-Fun. This was back when Vegas had all the good meal deals. There we would order foot-long hot dogs for $1. There was nothing fancy about them, but they were a good deal. Thinking back on it brings nostalgia.

Since then I have went to Slots-A-Fun with my own kids and have been disappointed to learn that they no longer sell foot-long hot dogs. Instead, there is a Subway. Definitely not as fun!

Now I have found a new Slots-A-Fun. These are found in the canyons of the Colorado Plateau and have been carved by Mother Nature over millions of years. Some of these draw thousands of visitors, while others are seldom known. They are beautiful to the eye, but lethal if caught in them at the wrong time.

These photos are of a recent hike with my daughter. They are in a "secret" canyon that is unfortunately known to way too many people. ♠

 

First Impressions of Cancún

View from our hotel balcony.

Our first experience with Cancún was bizarre, but should have been expected considering we were in Mexico. 

As soon as we got off our plane and went through immigration and entered the outer rooms of the airport, there were solicitors . . . EVERYWHERE! The first ones tried to get us to pay for a taxi or shuttle, then they talked about rentals and tour packages. They tried committing us to round-trip service and it was all exorbitantly expensive considering our hotel was only fifteen minutes away! 

I'll bet there were over 200 people waiting for vulnerable passengers to leave the airport. (We were the first flight of the day.) 

Local man selling trinkets on the beach.

We paid way too much for a taxi to our hotel. Not five minutes after getting settled into our room we got a knock at the door. It was the “concierge,” a young Mexican lady named Zulema, who asked to come in our room. She spent the next thirty minutes trying to commit us to attend a “presentation” so we could get discounts on tours and food. I was tired of it all. I just wanted to nap and then pay for what I wanted. 

That was the Cancún we walked into. Not what we were expecting. But beyond that, Cancún was a paradise. 

Swimming with turtles.  Snorkeling is one of the many activities available in Cancun.

Our hotel was the biggest and best I have ever stayed in. And right on the beach—with turquoise-blue water and fine white sand. 

We stayed in the Hotel Zone, which is a long strip of land that straddles a lagoon and the Caribbean Sea. It is lined with huge hotels, all multiple stories and many shaped like pyramids. 

After getting past the promotions and salesmen, Cancún was wonderful. It wasn't as warm as we expected, but it was December after all. When the sun hid behind a cloud and the wind picked up, it became a bit chilly. 

Sunset in Cancun.

We spent hours relaxing on the beach watching the turquoise water and people walking past. Two storks flew in front of us, circling above in the wind, then plunging in a nose-dive into the water, resurfacing in a split second and casually floating on the water. 

Even though the beach was relaxing, it wasn't without its share of salesmen. Swarthy Mexicans walked back and forth selling handicrafts, cigars and Tequilla. Water sports galore could be found all up and down the coast. Jenelle paid 1,300 pesos to be pulled by a boat and lifted into the air on a parasail. 

Jenelle on her way parasailing.

I took note that almost all exchanges on the coast could be made in U.S. Dollars, or pesos. Almost everyone spoke some level of English. I can speak Spanish, which came in handy once in a while.

Are things expensive? Mostly, yes. But very much on par with American prices. One could eat on a budget if they knew where to go, or picked up food from a grocery store. But a dinner in most of the restaurants could lighten your wallet. 

And she's up in the air!

We spent two days in Cancún, which was only long enough to get a taste. Would I come again? Maybe one more time, but I would prefer to spend my time further away from the tourist-trap resorts. 

Pros: Absolutely beautiful. Great place to get pampered if you have the money. Warm. Fun atmosphere. Clean. 

Cons: Too many pushy salesmen. Too expensive. Too touristy. Lack of authentic culture (which is lost any time a place caters to the demands of tourism). ♠

. . . and now she's way up there!!!

 

Flight Over the Grand Canyon

My beautiful and thoughtful wife arranged for me to go on a scenic flight for my birthday. We usually stay simple with our gifts, so I was surprised with her generosity. 

I've flown several times commercially over the years, but I believe the last time I flew non-commercially was in 1991 when I was 17 years old! Our wrestling team mixed up the dates of the State Tournament and when the officials called our principal to ask why we weren't there yet, he immediately recruited two pilots with planes to fly us ! Well, that's another story . . . 

This morning—in 2021—we met Eric at the Cedar City Regional Airport at seven in the morning. Eric's wife is a friend of Jenelle and he owns his own plane. 

1967 Piper Cherokee 180.

I will admit that I was a bit nervous when I saw the plane. It was much smaller than I thought it would be. The single-engine Cherokee 180 was built in 1967. It looked like a gnat compared to some of the other planes. Any bit of turbulence, I thought, would toss it around like a paper airplane! 

We stepped onto the right-side wing and through the only door. Jenelle sat in the back of the four-seat aircraft. She had almost no leg room. Eric and I sat in front with the controls, I on the left. 

A panel of gauges and buttons sat before us, with control yokes and brakes on each side. Laying on the dash was a headset for each of us. Soon we were ready to go. The thought crossed my mind that if I were to break down in my 1997 Chevy Silverado, then I would be stuck on the side of the road. On the other hand, if I were to break down in a 1967 Cherokee 180 while thousands of feet in the air, well then . . .

But there was no need to worry. Eric was an experienced pilot with several hours flying this very plane. Within five minutes the propeller was fired up and we were gliding above the houses and hills of Cedar City. 

Northern rim of the Grand Canyon.

I am blessed to live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. The mountains, canyons and desert all come together to create a dazzling landscape. 

At our maximum elevation we reached 10,500 feet and traveled 120 knots (or about 140 mph). I am amazed at the aerophysics that can keep a plane of any weight up in the air. 

The Dome.

We traveled directly south, first paralleling I-15 and then cutting across Apple Valley and Colorado City. I will admit that it was harder to see than I thought it would be. The control panel came up high in front and the view out the window was partially blocked by the wing. The sun that rose in the east cast a shadow on much of the landscape on my side of the window. 

Even though I spend a lot of time on Google Maps, it is a whole different game watching the ground from an airplane. For one thing, everything is three-dimensional, especially with the morning sun casting shadows on every little contour. I noticed mesas, lakes, valleys and ranches that I never knew existed.

Road on the southern rim of Grand Canyon.

We continued south, flying over the Arizona Strip and approached Tuckup Canyon. This is where the Grand Canyon begins. This is part of the Tuckup Corridor, which is one of a few alleyways where you are allowed to fly over the Grand Canyon. Large swaths of the canyon are forbidden to aircraft. 

The Grand Canyon is gigantic! I have been hiking in it nearly half a dozen times, yet have barely scratched the surface. Most of the space within the canyon is so rugged that it has scarcely seen a human foot. 

A rare glimpse of the Colorado River.

Mount Sinyella.

At the very bottom of the sheer rocks the Colorado River flows like a ribbon. We caught a few glimpses, but it was so deep, usually blocked by cliffs, and my view was so limited that I didn't get too many looks. 

Our flight over the Grand Canyon reminded me how much more I need to explore. There are a few trails scattered throughout the canyon, but there is so much more that has no access: mesas with no way up and canyons with no way down. 

I saw monoliths I had never seen before. White-water rapids on the river appeared as silky webs. I saw unknown canyons that I yearned to know the name of and hike. 

Kaibab Plateau and Mount Trumball.

After making a couple loops, it was time to head back. The Kaibab Plateau on the north side of the canyon is heavily forested with tall pine trees. In the distance I could see Mount Trumball. Before us again lay the Arizona Strip, not looking nearly as big and long as it does when you're driving it. 

We passed over Zion Canyon and the Kolob region of Zion National Park. It certainly added a different perspective to this land of beauty. I don't know how anyone can look at these towering white and pink cliffs without a feeling of awe. It reminded me that even close to home, there are many places I have yet to traverse. 

Mt. Kinesava (left) and The West Temple in Zion National Park.  Pine Valley Mountain in background.

Timber Top Mountain in Kolob Canyon area.

Once again we found ourselves flying over the I-15 corridor. I watched out the window at the cars moving on the freeway, the dry lake of Quichapa, the Iron Hills west of town, and all the new subdivisions being built. 

In a subtle but sure manner, we descended toward the airport which sat directly to our front. Without having to turn to the right or the left, we set our wheels perfectly and softly on the white dotted lines of the runway. Withing two minutes we had safely stopped and were now on terra firma! ♠