Showing Some Flexibility

I had originally planned on camping on both sides of the Grand Canyon, but with the forest fire in Flagstaff, I started mulling over plans for what to do if the roads were closed. Las Vegas started to look like a good option. As it turned out, I was able to go to the Grand Canyon. It did not have the same grip on me that Sedona did. Maybe I preferred Sedona because the rocks were above me, or because so much of it was individual discovery by myself in my car or on little trails. Like the Eagles song, Sedona gave me a "peaceful, easy feeling." :) So I decided to skip the two nights of camping at the Grand Canyon and head off to Vegas. Taking a break in Williams, Arizona, a man pointed to my license plate and asked if the black Honda was mine. Then he pointed to the NC State plate on his car. He was class of '78. We talked for a bit. Nice guy. Drove over the Hoover Dam. That took quite a while because of security and an accident. The desert and mountains around Las Vegas are beautiful. The first night there, I had Macy, so I walked her on the strip and drove around exploring. The next morning I took her to a kennel so I could properly experience Las Vegas. I picked $3.00 blackjack at Hooters. I had never been to a casino before or played blackjack with anyone for money. Luckily it was slow, and the dealer could explain everything to me. I made $50 last a while and then disappear. In the night gambling session I actually walked out with $25 in winnings. I went to Mandalay Bay to see the Lion King. That was my first musical. I thought it was very well-done. Everything was so precise - music, costumes, puppets and their mannerisms, and the kid who played Simba was amazing. I can't imagine being ten years old and acting so well in front of such a huge crowd. Maybe the best thing about going to Las Vegas was going to the pawn shop where the TV show Pawn Stars is filmed. I got to say hello to Chumlee. They had some interesting items in the store, and there must have been a hundred people milling around in there. I'm really glad I got to experience Las Vegas, and I feel like there is so much more that I could have gotten into there. I would love to go back sometime.
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