DAY 17 Las Vegas to Arizona
David can put some weight on his ankle this morning and he says he can drive. We had an easy breakfast of cereal while packing everything up. Since David had such bad luck, he figured I was bound to have good luck. So I went over to the casino and put $2 in the quarter slot machine. Alas, the theory didn’t hold. I just lost the $2 and went back to the RV. We were about to leave when I checked the reservations we made several weeks ago at the Grand Canyon. Turns out we don’t have reservations there until tomorrow night. We must have gotten our dates mixed up somehow. So instead of having to do 300+ miles to the Grand Canyon today, we will break it up over two days and stay somewhere else.
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Drove over Hoover Dam at Lake Mead late this morning, after stopping in Vegas at Petco and Walmart. Before crossing, U.S. Customs searched the camper. They said they have to, since 9/11. It was kind of dumb, though, because we said we have two dogs in the back, and they just let us leave the bedroom door shut when they came in to look around.
Here are a few Noraisms today: “Mama’s apple. Dada’s apple. Nora apple. Baby Michael. Too little to eat apple.” Also, “We saw lightening. Mama making dinner. Power went out.” This is something from her story about a thunderstorm. It was sunny and hot in the middle of the day when she suddenly recited this page from the book. We haven’t even read that book in a week.
We have a choice of a few places to stay tonight, but I think we are going to end up at the Route 66 KOA. I am sick of giving my money to KOA (they are a little overpriced compared to Passport America) but there are only a few places available and I really need Internet tonight to check on the bank account and the bills before the end of the month. Vegas had Internet, but it was bad. I’m not sure if it’s because so many people were probably tapped in using it, or what, but it was terrible. I couldn’t even send an email.
On our lunch stop, we saw this crazy pink motor home. It looked like something a rock band would have used in the ’60s. Sort of Impala-looking tail lights, a fin on top of the back, and “hoods” on the headlights. No make or model logos anywhere, not even on the grille. It looked sort of like the exterior had been welded together by hand.
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Arrived at this KOA. It is nice in that it has a kiddie playground with stuff Nora can do. But it’s annoying in that you have to pay for Internet, the manager is a little annoying, the pool is too cold to swim in, etc. But it is a good stopover between Vegas and the Grand Canyon. Lots of other people must have thought so, too. The place has really filled up since we got here this afternoon. We did a little laundry and I got Nora a shower. We had tacos for dinner.
I guess David’s ankle is feeling better, since he carried a picnic table over from another site earlier. It still hurts, but hopefully he’ll be able to hike with us at the canyon.