Our travels started around 4 p.m. April 5 when we headed to Regina where we stayed with our friend, Doris. All the way there we heard bad weather was on its way but never got any. The next morning we awoke to snow falling but none on the ground. We headed to O'Sage where we visited with son Barry, and grandson Geo. From there we headed to Weyburn and the border crossing into North Dakota. We travelled in rain and through construction detours in North Dakota to reach Deadwood.
We checked into the Celebrity Hotel for the evening. The Celebrity Hotel was originally established as a gambling hall and variety theatre over 100 years ago. This beautifully restored building is ideally located downtown in the centre of Deadwood's famous restaurants, gaming and nightlife. In this hotel you can find guitars signed by famous artists such as Guns and Roses, Rod Stewart, Phil Collins, Alan Jackson and more. Glass cages contain clothing worn by Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley and many other stars.
The next few evenings were spent at the Bullock Hotel. It is said that the original owner of the hotel, Seth Bullock, died on the premises Sept. 23, 1919 in room 211. We weren't told until later and can't remember the room we were in but hope it wasn't 211. It is possible that his demise at the hotel propagated reports of Mr. Bullock's ghost being seen at the hotel, continuing to this day, by guests, workers and tourists.
Many people who have supposedly had contact with Bullock's ghost say they were never harmed, but merely touched. Employees say the ghost merely continues to "play host" and often makes sure "his" employees are working hard, because many employees have said, when they were taking breaks, they felt the paranormal presence and got back to work immediately. A week after we left there was a ghost hunting group staying at the hotel.
Also in Deadwood is the casino owned by Kevin Costner called The Midnight Star. This casino is loaded with Kevin Costner memorabilia - a must to see. Our weather was great all the time we were in Deadwood.
Time to get on our way. We had a great highway, hardly any traffic, to Denver, Colo., where we spent the evening. The next morning we headed out and thankfully we did because later that day there was a tornado that touched down.
We travelled through Durango and into the Mesa Verde National Park. What a site. When we arrived it was raining, but Mel said the higher we got the rain would go away and so it did. Mesa Verde is famous for the astonishing cliff dwellings built into its rocky outcroppings by the Anasazi people. Mesa Verde National Park is a spectacular monument to the area's history. The dwellings, left behind nearly 1,000 years ago by the Anasazi when they migrated to what are now New Mexico and Arizona, are painstakingly constructed and preserved, accessible to visitors by guided tours. Along with ancient dams, pueblos and towers, the dwellings provide a view into the rich archaeology of the park. Elevation ranges in the park from 6,000 to 8,572 feet, with the highest at Park Point.
We also travelled to Four Corners, a place in the United States consisting of the southwestern corner of Colorado, northwestern corner of New Mexico, northeastern corner of Arizona and southeastern corner of Utah. The Four Corners area is named after the quadripoint where the boundaries of the four states meet and the Four Corners Monument is located. The majority of the region is part of semi-autonomous indigenous American Indian nations, the largest being the Navajo Nation, followed by Hopi, Ute and Zuni Indian Nations.
The Four Corners region is also part of a larger region known as the Colorado Plateau and is mostly rural, rugged and arid. In addition to the monument, commonly visited areas within Four Corners include Monument Valley, Mesa Verde National Park and Canyon de Chelly National Monument. The most populous city of the Four Corners region is Farmington, N.M., followed by Durango, Colo.
We stayed the night in Holbrook, Ariz. and were heading to Laughlin, Nev. but got stormed in and stayed at Flagstaff, Ariz. for the night. We stayed in Laughlin for four days which we enjoyed. The weather was beautiful and the casino wasn't really busy. We were entertained by a gentleman named Patty O'Brien, so talented. He was a one-man band but that was all he needed. What a variety of music he could play.
Then off to Las Vegas. Well I know I have told people this was my favourite place to go but I think that was my last trip to Las Vegas unless there's another big show like Garth Brooks (not). Where do I start? For my 65th birthday, we booked tickets in December as we didn't want his show to be sold out; he was only going to be there April 20 and 21.
So April 21, we arrived at the Wynn, a fairly new hotel and casino, and headed into the auditorium. Mel smelled popcorn. I told him he better not as the tickets cost over $500 for the two of us, but yes, he was right. Popcorn and pop, $13.
When we walked into the auditorium, I couldn't believe my eyes. The singer walked onto a bare stage, wearing a ball hat, blue jean shirt, jeans and hiking boots. What happened to the cowboy attire? He plugged in, tuned up and adjusted the sound levels, all in front of the audience. Then he paced the lip of the stage with his acoustic guitar, never using the single stool for anything but a place to set his bottled water as he led a 90-minute tour through his own life, featuring his own songs and those which influenced him. The only songs he sang of his own were maybe five or so and those he didn't sing all the way through.
Garth did bring out his wife Trisha Yearwood, to sing her two signature hits, She's in Love With the Boy and Walkaway Joe. One thing I can say is that Garth is a terrific guitar player.
We visited the Gold Nugget Casino where we saw the largest gold nugget currently in existence. Colleen Soule, if you're reading this, guess what I got in Vegas. You'll know now it's your turn.
We stayed three days in Vegas, then headed to Cour de'Lane where we stayed the night. We travelled through Salt Lake City on a Sunday afternoon and the traffic was unreal, even on Sunday. We didn't want to get stuck travelling through there on a Monday morning.
From there we headed to Fairmont where we enjoyed the company of Mel's brother, Darwin, and his wife and son.
The next day we headed home and we were ready. We travelled over 7,000 kilometres. We did stop in Calgary to see my aunt who we hadn't seen in about 10 years, so that was nice. But here we are home again and glad to be. Three weeks is way too long to be in a vehicle most of the time. Thank you, Mel, for the wonderful holiday. Sorry you got sick and hopefully when you asked me to drive on the Interstate and in the mountains I didn't add to your illness.
