Leaving Las Vegas

Yesterday we left Las Vegas, and to be fair, it wasn't a great hardship what with the smoke, and polo shirts, and flagrant abuse of fanny packs. While there are a lot of things to see, there are an equal amount of things to avoid.

Things to see include this giant drivable swan that shoots
flames and has a tuck and roll interior.

Our goal for the day was Tempe, AZ, where we visited our friends Pam & Scott, and their family.

Including two giant cats

We stopped in Boulder at a diner for breakfast/lunch, where the waitresses were incredibly friendly, the food shockingly good, and the sign a masterpiece.

I know! Gotta love roadside signage!


The drive took us by the Boulder Hoover dam, so we had to stop and look.

The dam really is a glorious tribute to the WPA. Not only did they build this massive public work, but then they decorate it with bronze statues, inlaid terrazzo depicting major features of the night sky, and a tribute to fallen workers. Local legend hold that if you rub the toes of the statue, it brings good luck.

♫ My shiny toes they sparkle...

Local legend has it if you rub his butt...

Hitting the road again took us through some of the emptiest parts of Arizona. First off, I was shocked at how green it was, in many ways greener than California. Plus, it was stunningly beautiful. Not pretty, but breathtaking. 



Being there during magic hour didn't hurt either. 

The next day we visited the Musical Instrument Museum.

Soooo many wooden drums and rattles. Seriously. 

While much of the museum was devoted to instruments from an ethnographic perspective, there were a few delightful surprises.



Nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide and dreams.

There was also one of three contra basses in existence:

The low notes are so low that they are felt instead of heard.

Impromptu perfomances:

"That's my country your butt is on!"

And the stuff of nightmares:

There is a tongue on the bottom of the foot that goes in and out.
What the hell were they trying to sell?

Mexican for dinner at Barrio Queen, where we spent many hours chatting, reminiscing, plotting, and laughing. I miss the hell out of these people. 

Next it's off to Holbrook, AZ, with a meteor crater along the way!


Location: Tempe, AZ, USA

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