Las Vegas to Flagstaff

The luxe of the Luxor

Nick is ready for Egypt

That famous Manhattan-on-the-Strip skyline

The view from above

Always a winner...even at Walgreens!

Hoover Dam is truly colossal

Hanging at the Hoov

The view from the Bridge

What time is it today?

Michigan militia culture has nothing on this desert rest stop in NW Arizona

Whatever it takes to get you to stop

A return to saner territory? Dinner in Flagstaff

We got up late on Tuesday morning after an exciting experience the night before at the Treasure Island Hotel buffet and Mystere show.

After some shopping and lunch, we headed to the Hoover Dam. For some reason, the words "colossal" "grand" and "majestic" continue to run through my brain as we drive up to, in, around and down mountain peaks of all shapes and sizes. The sheer vastness of the vistas of the American west, where we can see for miles in every direction, continues to impress.

We rolled into Flagstaff last night around 7:30 and found a restaurant called Altitudes, that has a very cool ski and snowboard theme. Northern Arizona is mountainous and full of outdoor enthusiasts.

Today we are off to the place that gave us the impetus to take this trip in the first place, one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World - the Grand Canyon.

Salt Lake City to Las Vegas

We woke up at the crack of dawn in Salt Lake City and welcomed the sun as it peeked over the mountains.

We made our way to Bryce Canyon National Park in southern Utah.

The hoodoos and red rocks defy explanation.

We all felt very small.

Zack was very excited to experience this grandeur!

The sun was bright.

It was a truly perfect experience.

A beautiful blend of family and nature

We were certainly up high!

No finer group of kids to travel with

Nature's cathedrals

Love at 8,300 feet

A nice lady from Lebanon took this picture of the six of us.

Chris has this thing about dangling his feet over the edge of precipices

The grottos behind Zack are remarkable

All smiles!

More smiles

We are fam-i-ly!

This is just outside Bryce Canyon at Red Rocks Valley

We then flew to Cairo and went to Luxor, Egypt...or our hotel in Vegas

No sleep 'til Brooklyn?

Two legends...Zack and the Bellagio

West Yellowstone to Salt Lake CityThe Tetons

From the mountains to the city, our adventure continues!

The Tetons from the Idaho side as seen from our van

Chris is Grand Teton National Park

Nick barely being bear-alert

Hey, it's the Rockies after all

On the way to dinner in Salt Lake City

Grace's place 

Where we ate dinner

The iconic Mormon temple

Rapid City to West Yellowstone

The drive across Wyoming and Montana was long, but this is a L-O-N-G trip with a colossal amount of driving. It all looks crazy on paper and sometimes feels crazier when we're moving down endless miles of pavement. It was worth it, though, when we saw the snow-covered rocky mountains looming in the distance from the red pavement of I-90.

It felt even more worth it when we entered the forest around Yellowstone and saw the mountain streams and breathed the Rocky Mountain air for the first time. There is a giddiness that sets in, a joy that must be the Rocky Mountain High. (Click here and start singing along!)

The sheer grandeur of the mountains, trees, and rivers is magnificent. We were all just happy to be out of the van and moving around.

When we heard from a passing motorist that there were bison up the road on the way to West Yellowstone, we were on high alert. We were not disappointed. We were all kind of dumbstruck when we found ourselves 50 feet from a 2,000 pound male bison on the side of the road. Continuing down the road, we happened upon five more bison about 100 yards off the road. two of them were play fighting, butting heads. They seemed to not notice us creeping up on them, or just not care.

In case you thought bison and buffalo were the same animal - as I did - check out this explanation. We have only bison in the USA.

We were not able to enter the park itself from the west entrance as it is closed until April 17. The only entrance that is open was one we had passed two hours behind us. There is still so much to see and appreciate just being in the mountains. It is impossible to represent this experience in words or pictures. We are extraordinarily blessed to be able to live this!

Today, off to Grand Teton and Salt Lake City.

I-90 westbound in Wyoming

Rocky Mountain selfie

 The timeless blend of nature and technology...

Watch your step, Grace!

Pictures only try to capture these moments

Zack's best scary bear face

Rocky Mountain High!

Hello, Mr. Bison!

100 feet off the road

Tussling Bison