GIRLS WEEKEND IN LAS VEGAS

we left Salt Lake around 1:30 on Friday and arrived in Mesquite at 8:30 p.m. Nevada Time. It was 105 degrees outside and Mesquite was a ghost town for a Friday Night. Many of the casinos have closed because of the economy. Before heading into Mesquite though, we stopped by Genette's friends, Tom and Claudia, and the view from their yard in Virgin, Utah is spectacular. It is the backside of Zion's where you see Kolob Terrace. The red rock, the sun setting, the clouds in the sky make for a softening of such a harsh rugged area.
On Sturday we got up at 9:00 and went swimming (sorry no pix of swim suits folks, I made a promise) and the temperature was at 100--at 9:00 in the morning. We headed into Henderson, Nevada; which was the real reson for our trip. My mother's longest friend--since age 7, was celebrating her and her husband's 50th Wedding Anniversary. It was a very nice time for all of them and we just went and were hanging out. Actually I was the only one that knew Linda. Genette was too young to remember them and KoriAnn went along for the ride.
After the Anniversary Party we headed into Las Vegas. 4:00 in the afternoon and it is 108 degrees. I am sure had I gotten down on my hands and knees and measured the temperature of the asphault, it would have been at least 400 degrees--okay that is a bit of an exaggeration, but have I ever mentioned that I hate the heat. I am sure I have. So therefore, hot is hot!! If it's 108 it may as well be 408! I also do not enjoy being in crowds, so I look up a lot to avoid a bit of agoraphobia!
KoriAnn promised her husband she would go get him something from the Nascar store, which is in the Sahara. We went in, we bought, we left.
Next we headed to Margaritaville for dinner and the place was just packed, so we went a little further down the strip to the Stratosphere and ate at the Roxy Diner where everything is 50's style, except for the prices. It cost four of us $61.00.
Off we go to leave and Genette conned us into playing a slot machine. Although I am not a gambler by any stretch of the imagination, I put a $5.00 bill in the slot and won a little. Then all of a sudden my machine goes off on a little power tangent and I won $75.00. OKAY, I'M DONE!!! I took 200 dollars with me--I came home with $160.00 That wasn't too bad of a weekend in Las Vegas.
On Sunday we headed home and made a stop in St. George to see my aunt who is recuperating in a rehab home after she fell a few months ago and broke both of her legs and is stuck down there by herself. She and my uncle live in Paragonah and he has to work all week and also worksd weekends at his "outdoor office" in Zion's. We got there and couldn't find her and waited hoping she was in church. We ran over to the Temple grounds and shot a few pictures. Oh, and have I mentioned how much I hate the heat! St. George was downright cold compared to Mesquite and Las Vegas. It was 90 degrees when we arrived. I felt like I needed my winter coat. We came back to the Rehab house and---no Sheryl. We left and came home. The picture at the beginning of the post is of the control they had over the New Harmony fire--which has been burning for over a month. The winds kicked up on Sunday and by the time we returned, it was a blazing mess.
On this trip I managed to break my sister's camera at the St. George Temple and also almost broke the back window due to the horrible winds by throwing the car keys back to her. They were sailing along just fine--right into her hands, when a big gust of wind picked them up and then proceeded in dying down and they landed on the window of her car. It was definitely time to come home. It was a fun trip, but it should have been at least a day and a half longer. It is just too far to drive for just a 2and 1/2days when most of that is driving.