Las Vegas Nevada

 Never thought it would happen but I (Mark) became a real reality show groupie. This is the Pawn shop of the television show Pawn Stars. Rick, Chumlee, the Old Man, and Corey, were not there, however I did buy a mug from the store.

The main entry to the store. We waited about twenty minutes to get into the store.

A large selection of articles in the shop, but you better bring a lot of cash if you are going to purchase anything. Some of the articles were seen on the show.

The motorcycle outfit in the glass case was one of the articles seen on the t.v. program

Next stop, Rick's Restorations. This shop was a really great stop. We met Kelly and Rick, as well as some of the crew. They were all really great down to earth people. They showed their appreciation to all the visitors in the shop.

Rick and Kelly signing autographs on posters people bought.

Donna and myself with Kelly. She is a really friendly person.

Rick signing an autograph for me on a tee-shirt I bought.

Rick with Donna and myself. Rick is a really good guy to meet. He makes you feel real welcome.

Well again I hate to admit it but I think I really have become a Reality t.v. groupie, better then gambling in Las Vegas though!!

Zion National Park

This Park is named after the City of David in the Old Testament, Zion.

This park reminded us of the Bible verse:

Psalm 48:1-2 A Song and Psalm for the sons of Korah. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.
Psalm 48:2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

 



Spectacular views from the moment you enter the park

 

These three mountains were named after the Biblical characters Abraham, Issac and Jacob. A Methodist preacher by the name Frederick Vining Fisher in the late 1800"s gave them their names 

 

I took a picture of the information placard with the heights and names of each peak

According to the guide on our shuttle these sandstone cliffs are the highest sandstone cliffs in the world. When you stand at the foot of these cliffs you can see they are really high.

Every park we have gone through has shown us the magnificence of God's great artwork. Many artists try to capture this beauty on canvas and photographers also try to recreate these images on film, however there is absolutely nothing like the real thing. God spoke and it came into being.

Donna getting her feet wet in the cold waters of the Virgin River which runs through the Park

The Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel
Construction of the 1.1 mile Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel began in the late 1920's and was completed in 1930. At the time that the tunnel was dedicated, on July 4, 1930, it was the longest tunnel of it's type in the United States. The purpose of the building the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel (and the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway) was to create direct access to Bryce Canyon and Grand Canyon from Zion National Park. (Zion National Park web site) I think we needed this crew for the Big Dig in Boston!!
The men used pick axes and shovels and worked on an incline in the building of this tunnel

A view of the tunnel as we exited it on our return trip.

The sun setting over Zion

 A magnificent end to a magnificent Journey through a magnificent Park. Praise God for His beauty in creation. His works are wondrous and cause those who believe to stand in awe! 
  Psalm 33:8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.

              

The Hoover Dam

We were able to drive over the Hoover Dam

A great feat of human engineering

 

Water flowing from the Dam

It's a long way down

A memorial to the builders of the Dam 

The Flag Memorial

A view of the new Bridge

The Lake Mead side

Death Valley and Red Rock Conservation Area

One of the hottest places we have been

 

 

One very HOT day
Picture taken at the Visitors Center at the lowest point in the USA

Barren Land as far as you can see

Interesting Plateau

A very pretty place to take a leisurely trip through

Some of the wildlife in the area

Some of the mountains in the Conservation area

This is why it is called Red Rock

Big Sur and the Pacific Coast Hwy

Guests in our motel parking lot

    Another lighthouse on the
     Pacific Coast of California

Elephant seals sunbathing

 

The entrance to Hearst Castle

 

The Castle

Monterey and the Start of Route 1

America the Beautiful   Words by Katharine Lee Bates,Melody by Samuel Ward O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed his grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea!           The Pacific Ocean so large and so blue    A very calm day   The Lone Cypress on seventeen mile drive Such beautiful sights Overlook from the roadway Pigeon Point Light Station

San Franciso & Golden Gate Bridge

          The famous
       Fishermans Wharf

 

 Fancy Sourdough breads
    in San Francisco

 Can You guess what bridge this is 

 

Street performers

 

Alcatraz