THE LAST DAY
Early start today: bags at 7.30, bus leaves at 8.30a.m.
Nippy start too, 56 degrees F.
Monkey-Fling Mesa:
As we drove along Paul, our driver, drew our attention to a strange sight.
If you look very closely at the picture below you can just make out 2 white objects at the top.
Apparently they mark the spot where in the 1970s, prior to the Saturn Space Programme, NASA carried out experiments into the use of crash helmets and parachutes by astronauts returning to earth after a space mission. Monkeys were thrown off the top into the valley,and locals nick- named this place Monkey-Fling Mesa.
When we first heard this we thought 'How ridiculous', but then we remembered that, unlike Soviet cosmonauts at that time who soft-landed onto the Russian Steppes, American astronauts, after re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, ejected from their space capsule and parachuted into the sea from where they were picked up by search-and-rescue teams.Mesquite;
Last rest room stop of the tour AND a hot one! By the time we were getting off the bus it was 96F, a whopping increase of 40 degrees in about an hour.
We liked the guide-book description of Mesquite: ' A small accomodation-packed town full of gambling seniors (i.e. pensioners)'
The last 30 minutes of the tour was a slow progress down the Las Vegas Strip as Becky whetted our appetite for what lay ahead for us that weekend.
SEEING IS BELIEVING: BUS TOUR:
Some of the images in the last week that made us laugh....or think.
 |
| The Ponderosa tree........ |
 |
| ......sniff it and it smells of butterscotch. |
 |
| How did these Amish get to Sedona? |
 |
| Perhaps?? |
 |
| Crash helmets not compulsory in US. |
 |
| Burgers as brain food? |
 |
| In view of American portion sizes, 'limited' is relative. |
 |
| How about these 2 on your Christmas tree? |
 |
| 'Ports of Entry': HGVs have to drive over a weighbridge as they cross state boundaries so they can't exploit varying fuel taxes in different states. |
 |
| 'Soliciting' in English means the same as..... |
 |
| ......'Ho' in American. |
Thank you and Goodbye!!
It's been one hell of a week! We've enjoyed every minute, and can't believe it's all over so quickly.
It's been a pleasure to be with such friendly people and to get to know some of them. Particular thanks and good wishes for the future go to:
- Billie and Debbie
- John and Claudia
- Kent and Kestina
- Ann and Barney
- Frank and Brenda.
Paul, our driver.....
......and Becky, our tour guide.
We're in the US until the 28th October and the blog continues!
1 comment:
Brilliant! LOVE the photos. Looks like it was an experience which will be with you forever x
Post a Comment