This past July, we took our first "vacation" in over 5 years to celebrate our 30th Anniversary. Okay, let's qualify that: though we've been nomadic for the past 5 years, we haven't technically been "tourists." More akin to "temporary locals," learning about living in various areas of the country. So, to mark our three decades of marriage, we decided to do something different: a two-week road trip from Las Vegas, NV, back to Elgin, IL, with a whole bunch of sightseeing stops in between. So many that we decided to make this post a photo blog!
To start the trip off in style, we visited Venice ~ well, technically the Venetian in Las Vegas! :) With temps in Vegas hovering over 100 degrees, we really enjoyed walking the indoor canals and being entertained by the singing gondoliers. We made a point of seeing some shows in Vegas, including The Wizard of Oz at The Sphere... Fantastic! We've never experienced such a sensational theatre, complete with wind, falling leaves, and real fake apples! Plus, we saw an outdoor musical, 1776, with our niece - also amazing, and so well done (Jer felt he was in a time machine, and recalled watching that same musical on a grade school field trip!).
Next stop, Hoover Dam ~ what a miracle of mankind's engineering! Hoover Dam is as tall as a 60-story building. It was the world's tallest dam when it was completed in 1935. Its base is as thick as two football fields.
From there, we were off to Phoenix to check off a couple of Frank Lloyd Wright's famous architectural masterpieces. First was Taliesin West, the property that served as his legendary winter home, desert laboratory, and architectural school in Scottsdale. Next, we made our way to the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix, famous for its inspired architecture, Hollywood history, and luxury desert setting. Both were bucket list items we've wanted to check off for years.
Heading north, we spent some special time with Phyl's sister and our niece and nephew at the Grand Canyon. It was particularly reminiscent for Phyl and Barb, as they both worked at the Canyon decades ago! The Canyon is our Happiest Place on the Planet ~ and that's on top of it being one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World!
Then, another national park: Mesa Verde in Colorado, which protects over 4,800 remarkably preserved archaeological sites, including North America's largest and most famous ancient cliff dwellings built by the Ancestral Puebloans. This was on Jer's bucket list since reading about it in fifth grade!
Our travels back east brought us to Broken Bow, Nebraska. We were invited to a BBQ that was a unique experience for us... Bacon-wrapped alligator on the smoker, along with a Cowboy Cream Can Dinner (which consists of layers of sausage, potatoes, corn, and vegetables steamed together inside a thoroughly cleaned 10-gallon metal dairy can) - Delish! We also stayed at our first "Bed & Beer" at Kinkaider's Brewery. The room came complete with a full-size shuffleboard and a mini-fridge in the shower with a complimentary six-pack!
Making our way across Nebraska, we stopped in Omaha to dine at Warren Buffett's favorite steakhouse for our road trip's capstone anniversary meal. Founded in 1944, Gorat's has operated as a traditional Italian-American steakhouse for over 80 years.
And what road trip is complete without a visit to the Iowa 88, the world's largest truck stop! If you go, be sure to tour their massive, informative truck museum!
It's truly been a Grand Adventure for us these past five years, and this road trip highlighted how comfortable we are now in nomadic mode, moving through so many local cultures and ways of living. What a ride!
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