Day 13 Recap

Date: 7/17/10

Starting place: Los Angeles, CA

Ending Place/Hotel Location: SpringHill Suites, Fresno CA (15,000 points used)

Miles Driven: 189

Sites Seen: None, driving day

Breakfast: Ate at hotel

Lunch: Had turkey sandwiches in the hotel room

Dinner: Frozen dinners for EVERYONE

Favorite part of the day:

• Andy: Swimming in 2 different hotel pools
  
• Jared: Playing my PSP as we drove
  
• Luke: Swimming at the hotel
  
• Jacob: Playing my DS
  
• Michele: Watching Luke swim...he's now crossed the line of drowning vs. swimming!
  
• Les: Making turkey sandwiches at the hotel….I love turkey sandwiches!

Day 12 Recap

Date: 7/16/10

Starting place: Los Angeles, CA

Ending Place/Hotel Location: Los Angeles, CA….same hotel

Miles Driven: 57

Sites Seen: Hollywood, walk of stars, Chinese Theater with the hand and footprints in cement, Hollywood sign, swimming in the ocean at Santa Monika beach, Beverly Hills, watching the kids run through the fountains at the Kodak theater, Rodeo Drive and a Mercedes SLR McLaren, 3 Ferrari's and a bunch of other cool cars.

Breakfast: Ate at the hotel

Lunch: Ate at The Dip in Hollywood

Dinner: Kids had frozen dinners; Michele and Les went out to a local Italian restaurant, Lido (I am starting to see a theme here…)

Favorite part of the day:

• Andy: Walking Hollywood Blvd
  
• Jared: Seeing the Hollywood sign.
  
• Luke: getting wet in the fountains and swimming in the ocean
  
• Jacob: Playing in the fountains in Hollywood
  
• Michele: Finding a cute little Italian restaurant and having dinner with my husband
  
• Les: Swimming in the Ocean, watching the kids run through the fountains and seeing Mann's Chinese Theater….oh, and having dinner with Michele!

Day 11 Recap

Date: 7/15/10

Starting place: Las Vegas

Ending Place/Hotel Location: SpringHill Suites LAX/Manhatten Beach (30,000 points used for 2 nights)

Miles Driven: 271

Sites Seen: None, driving day and Jacob's birthday

Breakfast: Ate at Hotel

Lunch: ate at a outlet mall somewhere between Las Vegas and LA

Dinner: Kids had frozen dinners; Michele and Les went to Claim Jumper

Favorite part of the day:

• Andy: Watching Toy Story 3
  
• Jared: Watching Toy Story 3
  
• Luke: Watching Jacob get a DS and Toy Story 3
  
• Jacob: Getting a DS Lite, watching Toy Story 3 and going swimming
  
• Michele: Watching Toy Story 3 and eating Mozz sticks at Claim Jumper
  
• Les: Date with Michele at the Claim Jumper and Toy Story 3….
  

 

Jacob asked Dad: "Do Darth Maul and Darth Vader live in Darth City?"

The Color of Money

So, we're at the Vegas buffet with the kids....we had to walk through the casino to get there....the kids are in amazement as they have never been in a casino before. Trying to explain to them that the games are for adults and not kids.....anyway...

So, we are at dinner and I am trying to explain gambling to Luke, our 7-year old. After several minutes of discussing how betting works and if you lose they take your money and if you win you get your money + more money back, Luke ponders this for a few moments. He then makes a very profound statement....(now understand, Luke is very money oriented)....."Dad, let's say I go play a game and I am really good at the game but I pretend I am not, do you think I could trick people into getting their money?" He quickly went from novice to hustler in about 3 minutes.

So I taught him how to count cards and we made millions.....

Day 10 Recap

Date: 7/14/10

Starting place: Las Vegas, NV

Ending Place/Hotel Location: Las Vegas, NV…same place/hotel

Miles Driven: 63

Sites Seen: Red Rock Canyon, Ferrari gift shop in the Wynn Hotel, the strip.

Breakfast: ate at hotel

Lunch: Packed PBJ's to eat on our hiking trip

Dinner: kids had frozen dinners (for some reason, they like them…); Les and Michele had Claim Jumper…love that place.

Favorite part of the day:

• Andy: Hiking in Red Rock Canyon
  
• Jared: Hiking in Red Rock Canyon…probably my favorite part of the entire trip!!!
  
• Luke: Swimming
  
• Jacob: Swimming at the hotel after we went hiking
  
• Michele: Breakfast at the Wynn….all-time favorite…Maine Lobster benedict
  
• Les: Hiking and the Ferrari gift shop….one of these days, I'll be able to afford something out of that place!
  

 

Jacob funny sayings…

This is Michele...
Jacob taking a birthday phone call from his 4-year old cousin...
Jacob speaking into the phone: "I don't know. Just a minute."
Jacob: "Dad, where are we?"
Les: "Las Vegas"
Jacob speaking into the phone: "We're in Las Vegas" (pause) "No, were not lost, that's just what they call it--Lost Vegas--it doesn't mean we're lost, that's just it's name."

116 degrees in the Mojave desert'

Grand Canyon and other Canyons 4

Just because.....

Jared

Jacob got jelly on his finger. Jared, for some reason, thinks it's funny.......

Grand Canyon pictures 3.

Jared and Les, Grand Canyon


Jacob and Les, Grand Canyon.

Luke and Les, Grand Canyon

Andy and Les, Grand Canyon

Les climbing out of the canyon after Michele pushed him in....

Grand Canyon Pictures 2.

Jared, Grand Canyon.


Luke, Grand Canyon.

Andy, Grand Canyon.

Les, Grand Canyon

Boys, Grand Canyon.

Grand Canyon 1.

Family at the Grand Canyon.


Jacob at the Grand Canyon

Luke at the Grand Canyon


Jared at the Grand Canyon

Andy at the Grand Canyon

Zion National Park Pictures

Little ice cream break at Zion National Park.


They boys at Zion.

Luke in the middle of the river at Zion.

Jared (after he fell in) at Zion.

The boys at Zion.

Zion National Park

Day 8....Zion National Park....I remember it back in '87. We decided to take a trail up to the lower falls (and "easy" trail) as we thought the kids would be OK with it...after a half mile, we got to the falls and instead of turning around and going back the way we came, we chose to go back on a "moderate" trail. The description of the trail was "not for people scared of heights". I myself, am not the greatest when it comes to heights....but this trail made my feet sweat! Poor Jacob, I had to let Michele hold his hand half way around as I had left hand print marks on his wrist I was gripping him so tight....and for my benefit, not his! When the path is 3-4 ft across with no guardrail and a straight drop of 100+ ft on one side and you are passing people going the other way, there is not much room for error! Everyone seemed to like it, including me, but man was I a little nervous as we started to decend from the canyon....trying to hold on to a 4yr old as we go down the trail on loose gravel with a deadly fall just awaiting a wrong move....whew. You will not find me rock climbing on Mt. Everest anytime soon.

Day 9 Recap

Date: 7/13/10

Starting place: Las Vegas, NV

Ending Place/Hotel Location: Las Vegas, NV…same place/hotel

Miles Driven: 74

Sites Seen: Hoover Dam, Las Vegas Strip, Treasure Island Pirate show

Breakfast: Ate at the Hotel

Lunch: Went to Wal-Mart and bought frozen dinners

Dinner: Ports O'Call Buffet (in the Gold Coast casino)

Favorite part of the day:

• Andy: Eating at the buffet
  
• Jared: Seeing the power generators at the Hover Dam
  
• Luke: Swimming and driving around and looking out the window
  
• Jacob: All of it…pirate show, Hoover Dam, buffet, swimming, driving, etc.
  
• Michele: having the ability to treadmill this morning.
  
• Les: many…sharing the Dam with the boys, eating at a Vegas buffet, but probably most of all, cruising down the strip in a mini van with a car topper….

Day 8 Recap

Date: 7/12/10

Starting place: St. George, UT

Ending Place/Hotel Location: SpringHill Suites, Las Vegas, NV (45,000 points used…3 nights, 15,000/night)

Miles Driven: 207

Sites Seen: Zion National Park; hiked trails and saw the canyon

Breakfast: Ate at hotel

Lunch: Packed PBJ's

Dinner: In-n-Out Burger (we were all so hungry after hiking….we each ate a burger and fry and a pop)

Favorite part of the day:

• Andy: Hiking through the park on the trails
  
• Jared: Hiking
  
• Luke: Eating ice cream and hiking
  
• Jacob: Hiking in the park and riding the bus
  
• Michele: Hiking and driving through several canyons between Zion National Park and Las Vegas
  
• Les: Hiking in Zion National Park (freaked me out how high we were and how close the trails were to the edge….)

Day 7 Recap

Date: 7/11/10

Starting place: Flagstaff, AZ

Ending Place/Hotel Location: TownPlace Suites, St. George, UT (20,000 points used)

Miles Driven: 361

Sites Seen: Grand Canyon

Breakfast: At Hotel

Lunch: Packed PBJ's

Dinner: PBJ as we could not find a restaurant after the Grand Canyon

Favorite part of the day:

• Andy: Seeing the Grand Canyon
  
• Jared: Grand Canyon
  
• Luke: Grand Canyon
  
• Jacob: Seeing the Grand Canyon and all the beautiful things
  
• Michele: Grand Canyon
  
• Les: Grand Canyon….sharing the vastness and beauty with my family

This is Michele:
Luke: "Mom, how many atmospheres can I get?"
Michele: "What do you mean, Luke?
Luke: "What are those things Dad bought us?"
Michele: "You mean souveniers?"
Luke: "Yeah, that's it! Souveniers!"

Pictures 2

Petrified wood...


Andy over-looking the Painted desert.



Jacob in amazement of the vibrant colors in the Painted Desert.

Family walking through the trails in the park.

Family Photo in front of the largest petrified tree in the park, named Old Faithful.

Pictures 1

Andy and Jared swimming in Michelle's pool. She was a great hostess!


Luke hanging out at the pool. He forgot to take his watch off.



Luke listening intently to the walkie talkie "cave talks". It was a self guided tour with information playing at certain spots along the trail you could listen to.