Update 3

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Saturday - took shuttle up Zion canyon - brilliant day did several trails (all those that didn't have ridiculous ascents. Weather sunny is it ever anythin else). Fantastic autumn colours - red maples, yellow cottonwoods + poplars, , oaks, birch plus numerous evergreens, junipers + pines, still lots of wildflowers. More mule eared deer, wild turkeys drinking from river and various exotic butterflies. Incredible rock formations - 1000 ft cliffs, and huge pillars all with biblical names ( the guy who mapped it was a methodist preacher - colours awesome reds, pinks, and near yellows all in brilliant sunshine.

Early bed as Utah is run by mormons and therefore no bars!!

Sun. Drove up to Bryce canyon en route passed through typical mid west America, small ranches with cattle and horses grazing by the creeks,

Bryce was a bit like landing on an alien planet, grotesque rock formations again in various colours, Snow on ground as we were at 9000 ft. WHole covered by numerous pines mostly deformed like large bonsai. Included bristle cone pines some of which are more than 1600 years old. After driving to end of canyon we tooki one of the trails down into the canyon - really weird walking through these huge rock spires and pinacles many over a hundred feet. Will try and post photographs ar some point but check Google.
On way back stopped in roadside diner - like something out of old 50's movie huge portions (I charmed waitress into giving me a huge slice of banana creanm pie to take away).

ANother early night still no bars.

Mon. Drove to Vegas - more desert with Interstate cutting through it. Signs offering plots for development (develop a desert?). New settlements are being built alongside Interstate.

Vegas just completely over the top from empty desert to what seems like millions of people and cars, Dropped car off found someplace to stay then took a walk down " the Strip". Bit of a culture shock - but mind blowing in itself the sheer size of the casinos thousands of slot machines, hundreds of blackjack and poker tables. If you ever do get to Vegas I would recommend Bellagio's casino a touch of class amuidst the mostly tat, the main atrium had a halloween themed display made up over 40,000 plants. They also serve the best ice cream sundae I've ever tasted.

More later

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