Tuesday, 10 August 2010

Day Sixteen

Headed out to breakfast at 8am as instructed. Just as Niagara, sat with everybody else and had no choice in what to eat. Old American woman started conversation with us by asking if we had been to Tokyo before as my t-shirt had it written on. Said no. She persisted with the conversation efforts. Where are you from? Where are you heading? When we mentioned Las Vegas as one of our future stops it gave her the opportunity to go on endlessly about Cirque du Soleil. Have you seen them before? Are you planning to see them in Las Vegas? Erm no. I said I wanted to go on one of the gondolas in the Venetian Hotel. She said it wasn't the same as Venice. Really? I thought an over the top, freak filled, neon fantasy land was just like a canal based Italian city. All the other guests were French. We left as soon as we had finished eating.

First stop was a gas station not for fuel, but for water and other drinks. Then we headed up to Arches National Park (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Thelma and Louise)(Movie theme now back for next part of trip). Parked up and did a 3 mile round trip walk. We arrived just before 10am hoping it we be not as hot as later on. It was still very hot


Whilst sat in shade relaxing watched an old couple attempt to go around the arch. Took a picture to sell to news companies as I thought the woman was going to fall down the revine. Unfortunately she didn't.

Go on, fall!
Headed back down to car and then embarked on some drive-by tourism, where we drove around some of the other locations in the park, wound down the window, took a picture and sped off.

Headed back to Moab for lunch. Went to Subway. Ann really pleased as they had tuna and not just meat. Saw some people in there who had been in the same restaurant last night. Took sandwiches back to the B & B and sat in the cool dark room. Rested up and then set off heading to Canyonlands NP (Con Air).

Went to the Grand View Point. Two sets of people who were at Arches in the morning were there. How odd that they turned up exactly at the same time.


Decided to do more drive by tourism. Used a toilet at one of the stops. It was a earth closet. It was full of flies. Euurggh. Moved on very quickly.

Having finished our tourism for the day we headed back to the diner style 'Denny's' for dinner. The same people we had seen at Subway and in the restaurant from the night before were just paying their bill. They must think we were following them.  Ordered all you can eat pancakes for $4. Starts with a stack of 3 then they bring extras 2 at a time. Managed a grand total of .........3.

One last stop before home was to look at the Apache Inn, where John Wayne used to stay when filming in the area. Apparently not so good now.

Not A patche on what it used to be.
Got home at 8pm. Decided we would leave in the morning before breakfast and get it elsewhere as we want to be on the road by 8am, not just starting breakfast with a load of French people.