Vegas is a city of waste. It’s a city where the rotten nature of humanity is celebrated. It’s a city that appalls me, but that attracts people like mosquitos drawn in by its neon lights. It’s a place where anything can be bought and no one seems to be true. It’s the abyss of western society. It’s a city that I truly loathe from the bottom of my heart.
– Tim-Hendrik Meyer (29.08.2018)
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Our week in bullet points:
- We stayed at Sequoia National Park and took a hike through the Giant Forest. We felt like dwarfs amongst these colossal trees. We obviously made sure to visit General Shermann, the elegidly largest tree on earth!
- We spent a night at Fairview Campground in Sequoia National Forest and were surprised by a fantastic dinner at Johnny McNally’s Lodge, an all American steakhouse located within walking distance of our campsite. Gabriel and I took on “The Logger”, a 40 oz (1.2 kg) monster of a steak. The evening ended in the garden of the lodge with Benni and Alex playing with two older boys for nearly two hours. We let them take their time, knowing that they yearn for other input than the monotonous parental outpourings that we have been providing them with over the last couple of months. The dinner was so good that we actually stopped for brunch at the burger joint attached to the restaurant the next day. What’s better than a couple of burgers at 10 o’clock in the morning to cure a slight hangover caused by an abundance of wine?
- We discovered a hidden gem of a campground in the Eastern Sierra: Tuttle Creek Campground. Awed by the beauty of our surroundings we enjoyed our solitude, played duplo and watched the sunset over a fantastic dinner.
- Leaving early to ensure to avoid the midday heat in Death Valley National Park, we got stopped by a screw that pierced our front left wheel. 04:45 on a Sunday?! No better time to have a flat tire. Despite the early hours I was able to get someone from roadside assistance on the line. Three hours later help arrived and within 15 minutes we were back on our way. Gabriel and I were straight out impressed by the speedy execution. My message to all nails and screws out there: been there done that; no additional flat tire needed! Good news: our tire and wheel insurance policy will reimburse us the entire cost of this little adventure.
- We drove through Death Valley National Park and took a short walk to the rim before descending into the merciless heat of the valley. The landscape almost seemed to be extraterrestrial.
- We spent three days in Vegas. Despite the above rant, we had a great time. I took Gabriel out on an all Vegas experience and made sure that he only vaguely remembers the nightly proceedings. He simply continues to be a light weight drinker. Mieke spent half a day at The Spa at Encore, getting a full pampering that a mother of two deserves from time to time. We went wild at the Tournament of Kings at Excalibur Casino immersing ourselves in fire, song, food and sword craft!
What’s next? Susanne & the Grand Canyon!