Zion

Ok, so now that I'm home I really need to wrap up this reporting of my vacation.  I can't keep living and re-living our trip over and over again, can I?  I really would like to though, as we left sunny 80 deg weather EVERY SINGLE DAY, to come home to rainy, cloudy misery with temps in the 50's.  ugh.  Is spring ever going to arrive???  I seem to be getting less tolerant to the ever-changing Maine weather as I get older. 

Anyhoo--the last part of our trip was visiting Zion National Park and then returning to Las Vegas for my conference and 5K.  Zion was one of the best places I have ever visited.  For sure.  Unbelievable views and the drive there was so pretty.  We stayed right at the Lodge in the park and that was a great decision.  It gave us entry into the park so we didn't have to ride as far on the shuttle bus like everyone else.  We hiked for an afternoon and the next morning.  I really want to come back here again when the kids are older so we can do some of the more challenging hikes.  Here are a few pics of Zion.

Yup--you got it.  The blue shorts again. :)
Here is a photo of the side of a mountain that if you look really, really carefully, there are 5-6 fools brave folks climbing it. 

I put black arrows where the people are, if you click on the picture, you may be able to see it better.  They are crazy.

We walked trails at Temple of Sinawava, Big Bend, Weeping Rock and Lower Emerald Pool. 

Here is the waterfall at Temple of Sinawava.  The little person in this picture is my son running like a wild man cause he is finally off the bus.

Some cool rock towers at Big Bend.

Of course, we had to make our own.  Below is the view from Lower Emerald Pond.

I love Zion!  I love Utah and Arizona!  I want to live here when I grow up.  It is so beautiful.  I suppose I might miss the ocean after awhile.  So maybe keep a home in Maine and get another in Utah/Arizona.  Yeah, that's what I'll do. :)

Vegas was Vegas.  Nothing too exciting to report here.  Busy, crazy, expensive, noisy and people everywhere.  It is very much like a county fair only more dressed up.  The bigger the girl, the shorter and tighter the dress.  Is that a law out there?  I did manage to attend 8 hours of continuing education so that completes the 'tax-deduction' part of my vacation.  Nothing like a tax deductible vacation. :)

Our last day in Vegas was my road race.  The Las Vegas 5K.  There was an elite division where the women should run it in under 19 minutes..... yah, right.  Obviously, I entered into the 'competitive' division.  The polite name for the regular joe runners.  I had no thoughts of placing or anything other than just finishing not last.  There were 400+ people in the race.  I had done no exercise other than hiking since I left Boston 10 days prior and I had to buy new sneakers and running clothes because my luggage was lost.  I was not really expecting a good race. 

Trying to get everyone to UNLV at 7:30 a.m. during vacation was a little difficult.  We didn't really know where it was and my husband left the GPS in the hotel room.  :/  duh.  Thankfully, at 7 a.m. there is not really much traffic in Vegas and we were able to find a policeman to ask directions.  Phew.  Finally got there and found the start line.  Then we were able to get a few pictures before the race.

It was actually a good race for me.  Who knew?  I ran without an ipod or watch and didn't keep my time at all.  I just followed the folks in front of me and tried to keep my pace.  They started the race a little early and some of the elite runners were warming up and missed the gun!  They passed us running the other way to get to the start line and then not too far down the course they went flying by me like nothing.  I'm sure they were pretty pissed.  First prize for elite was $1000!  No matter for me, I wasn't coming in first anyway.  lol  Here I am almost at the finish.

Chicking the dude in blue. :)  Ha!  I love getting photographic evidence of that.  Turns out I finished 3rd in my age group!  25:51  I just assumed everyone in Vegas would be much faster than me.  139 overall out of 450ish people including the elite!  Not too shabby.  I won a skin care package of all natural products.  Nice!  They had a prize for the person who traveled the farthest to race.  I hoped it was me, cause Maine is pretty far away but they gave it to a girl from Australia.  Guess that is a little further away...  It was a helicopter ride over the strip.  I hope she got to enjoy it. 

Grabbing my prize!  Yay me!

Overall, what a great vacation.  I want to go back again.  The weather was superb, the air dry and warm, the people friendly and the views awesome! 

Now it's back to reality and the cold, drizzly weather of Maine.  Back to regular work, workouts, and normal food that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.  I hope you all enjoyed my vacation recap--thanks for reading!