Seeing The South West in Style (Page Two)

We go with them vicariously...   

Southwest US Here We Come (Page Two)!

We needed a second day in Sedona so we stayed courtesy of the Elks!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
We woke up and the mountains were still there...
So, it was NOT a dream!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
The bridge reveals a small stream below

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Sandy get an "up front and personal look"

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
You can take a walk to the bottom of the formation...
What... No bungee jumping??

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
"Shall we?"

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Sandy decided no hiking today!  Maybe we will take the bicycles down!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Back on the road discovering the beauty of the area

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Who wrapped the deer in tin foil??

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Simply beautiful

Did You Know? - Big Park is a census-designated place (CDP) in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. The population was 5,245 at the 2000 census.

Big Park is more commonly known as the Village of Oak Creek (VOC), and is a bedroom community for Sedona, Arizona, just 7 miles away. Tourism and service to retirees and second-home owners are the basis for the local economy.

Big Park, the pioneers' name for the large open area that became the Village of Oak Creek in the early 1960s, is set among scenic red-rock buttes and canyons. The Bell Rock scenic area adjoins the north end of VOC, and the town is surrounded by the Coconino National Forest. A Forest Service Visitor Center is located at the south end of VOC.

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Hidden away just miles from Sedona!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
"I am getting hungry"... Translation...
Stop at the first place you see!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
...and they happen to have a dining room!

Did You Know? - The Butterfly Garden Inn, formerly known as Don Hoel's Cabins, is the perfect destination for individuals, families, and retreat groups who want to relax, unwind, and find refuge from the stress and distraction of everyday life. Situated 10 miles north of Sedona, and nestled in the heart of Oak Creek Canyon, our tranquil inn provides an opportunity for our guests to experience the mystery, healing, and restorative powers of nature. For nearly a century, guests have traveled far and wide to enjoy the natural beauty and quiet serenity of the canyon.

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Time to dine!  Click to see their menu!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
We are off again!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Eclectic? Yes, so is the artwork!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Oh oh... The calorie monsters has attacked Bob!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Just like a painting!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Oops! Not dangerous.... Sandy! Come on out of the tree!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Someone was very patient piling those rocks there for such a long time!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Back to the Elks after a day of seeing the sights

April 19th And Williams Is In Our Sites

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
The cherries in this area are amazing so says Sandy and Bob!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Goodbye Sedona... See you later!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Down the road we go!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Snow? Interesting in April!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Williams was wide open and we settled in!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Sandy had some "sight-seeing fluid" and is ready to go!

Did You Know? - Williams (Havasupai: Wii Gvʼul) is a city in Coconino County, Arizona, west of Flagstaff. Its population was 3,023 at the 2010 census. It lies on the route of Historic Route 66, Interstate 40, and the Southwest Chief Amtrak train route. It is also the southern terminus of the Grand Canyon Railway, which takes visitors to Grand Canyon Village. There are numerous inns, motels, restaurants and gas stations that cater to the large influx of tourists rather than local residents, especially during the summer and holiday seasons.

Williams is named after William "Old Bill" Williams, a mountain man and trader who often trapped in the area.[citation needed]

Franklin D. Roosevelt (seated, center) at Greenway Ranch in Williams on September 26, 1932, during that year's presidential campaign. He is accompanied by U.S. Senator from Arizona Carl Hayden standing far right, along with—among others—three Democrats from the U.S. Senate (seated): Pittman, Walsh, and Cohen.

Williams was the last town to have its section of Route 66 bypassed, due to lawsuits that kept the last section of Interstate 40 in Arizona from being built around the town. After settlements called for the state to build three Williams exits, the suits were dropped and I-40 was completed. On October 13, 1984, Interstate 40 was opened around the town and newspapers the next day reported the essential end of US 66. The following year, Route 66 was decommissioned.

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
There goes the Amtrak... Zooming along at 70 miles per hour

April 20th Williams And Onward...

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Time to explore!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
The weather was perfect... Made to order!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Time to dine at the Route 66 Diner

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Located right on Route 66

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Miss Boop greets you!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Definitely a 50's diner!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
The "Mother Road"

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Just Bob's new size!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
134 Chino Street Seligman, AZ 86337

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
A work of art!

Did You Know? - The Seligman was on the original U.S. Route 66 from 1926 through 1978, when Interstate 40 bypassed it a couple miles south. Seligman experienced its real heyday after World War II, when returning veterans and other motorists hit the road and made the Southwest a popular tourist destination. The Seligman Commercial Historic District protects the historical central area's early 20th century commercial buildings along Historic Route 66, a revived popular tourist destination.

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Wide open spaces

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
We had no neighbors... Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
The sun sets... So does the town!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
The Seligman night life was a little risque

April 21st Means Lost Wages Is Soon To Be Visited

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
The park came to life fairly early

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Bob wanted a ride but we were afraid if he got in, he would never get out!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Moving down the highway!
Must cross the mighty Colorado River

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Brand new bypass down river from the Hoover Dam...

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
The story behind the bridge!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Wow... An amazing sight spanning the Colorado!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Plenty of parking!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
The neon lights were awaiting us!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Over we go!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
"Hey Bob! Was this designed for RV's?"

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Loads of materials

Did You Know? - The bridge has a length of 1,900 feet (579 m) and a 1,060 ft (320 m) span. The roadway is 900 ft (270 m) above the Colorado River and four lanes wide. This is the first concrete-and-steel composite arch bridge built in the United States. It includes the widest concrete arch in the Western Hemisphere and is also the second highest bridge in the nation, with the arch 840 ft (260 m) above the river. The twin arch ribs are connected by steel struts.

The composite design, using concrete for the arch and columns with steel construction for the roadway deck, was selected for schedule and cost control while being aesthetically compatible with the Hoover Dam. Sean Holstege in The Arizona Republic has called the bridge "an American triumph". USA Today called it "America's Newest Wonder" on October 18, 2010.

Pedestrian access is provided over the bridge to tourists who wish to take in a different view of the nearby dam and river below, but the dam is not visible for those driving across it. A parking area is provided near the bridge on the Nevada side at what was a staging area during construction. A set of stairs and disabled access ramps lead to the sidewalk across the bridge.

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Hoover Dam looks small as viewed from the new bridge!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
The little two lane road is now used by tourists only!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
A nice clean design!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Heading to Lost Wages Nevada

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
We made it....

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Hooked up and ready to go!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
A high rise view

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
"Here's to ya!"
(P-s-s-s-s-t It's the same beer from last three days, she sips slow!)

April 23rd

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
The awning was a nice feature

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
A coincidence? No, just time to go shopping

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Flowers for my lady?

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
The RV park has a great pool area!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Time for a nap!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Again, we asked for great weather and got it!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Bob is dressed for the occasion!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Now we are talking!  Dinner in s case!

April 23rd... Time To Visit Other Friends

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Look! A table for four!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
All smiles!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Visiting is always fun!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
See you later... We are going into town!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
In the sky! It's a bird, it's a plane, no! It's super building!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Right out in the center of the desert!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Harrah's and McDonald's... Interesting combination!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
They even have bright signs in the middle of the day!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
The sign painting was quick!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Is it coming or going?  Sounds like Bob wants to do another trade!

The 24th Of April

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Still hooked up... They will not let us go!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Wow... Adjacent to Las Vegas!

Did You Know? - They are located in the heart of the premiere southwest Las Vegas valley, just minutes away from the famous Las Vegas Strip. Some of yjeir many amenities include a 16-screen Century Theatre movie complex, 64-lane bowling center and a handful of restaurants that cater to all appetites and tastes.

The casino features a large selection of table games and the latest slot and video poker machines. Our distinctive hotel features spacious rooms and suites with 42-inch LED televisions, Point Plush mattresses and Wireless Fidelity throughout.

A unique feature to this property is its Equestrian Center, which is the finest horse facility in the country. South Point also has a fabulous 400-seat showroom that features headliner entertainment and dancing to live bands on weekends.

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Plenty of parking!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
We came to get some of the give-away!

  Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Perhaps ninature golf might be easier! Silly, it's lawn bowling!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Where is the club?

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
"FORE!!!"

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
...and away it goes!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Bon and Sandy were not exactly in the proper attire... We will forgive them!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
What is the score?

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Dusk falls on the desert!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
The neon's light up the sky!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
We are in Paris!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Sensory overload anyone???

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
The place was loaded with people!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016

April 25th Heading Home Via Hesperia

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016 Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016 Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
We kept driving...

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Death Valley.... M-m-m-m-m-m-m

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Oh dear... Here comes the wind!

              Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
Interesting!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
We might as well pull up and see what is going on!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
No neighbors again... Is it us? We will stay for a while and rest before the final push

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016
All quiet!

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016

Bon and Sandy tour the great southwest April 2016