Day 32 – May 5

We achieved our goal of wheels rolling by 8:30. After a brief stop for fuel we headed for Zion National Park. Arriving at the park entrance the BRT was exposed to the humiliation of having its butt measured to make sure it would fit through the ‘small’ tunnels ahead. A surcharge of $15 is levied on oversize vehicles that require one lane traffic management at the tunnels. Luckily she came in at a svelte 93″, a full inch under the cut off size – so long as we pulled the Dumbo mirrors in. It must be all the mountain climbing that is keeping her so trim. However as we proceeded down the road we were meeting some vehicles the size of small states that clearly had made it through the tunnel as there did not appear to be any parts sheared off – long term readers will understand the particular expertise I have in that matter.

As we approached the first tunnel Diane had no problem negotiating the passage. Granted there were no oncoming cars but the warning seemed strange. However we soon encountered another considerably smaller tunnel and joined a line of other visitors who were awaiting passage. Traffic was being managed as one lane only in the tunnel, with vehicles being stopped on the other side until a group had passed, which is what the posted $15 surcharge would have covered, which begs the question why did they even stop to measure us. With only a single lane of traffic the tunnel could have handled a tanker truck.

Zion National Park, like the Grand Canyon and Bryce was created due to the natural beauty of it’s canyon setting. Once again it is difficult to put in words the experience of being in one of these settings. We opted to take one of the frequent shuttle busses from the visitors centre that does an 80 minute loop of the park stopping frequently at vantage points and trail heads. There is a taped interpretation of the park that is perfectly synched to the sights so we got a great explanation of the history and specific features of the park as we rode to the halfway point where we got off the shuttle and walked the River Trail, which is held out not only as one of the most scenic, but being a wheelchair accessible trail also one of the most easily walked.

Although lacking the magnitude of the Grand Canyon and the unique colour and shapes of Bryce, Zion offered many breathtaking sites, including a chance to see some of the ascent of some mountain climbers who, according to our driver, had spent the night suspended in little hammocks hung from the face of the cliff. All could think of was you really would need to keep track of where you were if you woke up in the middle of the night and had to have a pee – watch out for that first step.

Zion

Some of the natural beauties of the site

It was after noon by the time we scarfed down a quick lunch and headed off towards Vegas. Carla’s sister, Karen and brother-in-law, Cam had gifted Carla two nights stay for her birthday. Very generously they had booked a double suite to accommodate our full contingent and we were all looking forward to some down time. However we had booked tickets to Carlos Santana (families #2 and 3 and David Copperfield family # 1 and didn’t want to be late so as we all had the address we opted to head out as quickly as possible along the I-15 with Sean and Carla taking the lead in their swifter vehicle.

Starting off, the drive was uneventful, passing for the most part through unremarkable desert landscape. The very high winds blew tumble weeds across the roads and buffeted our vehicles around. The passing traffic, especially the transport trucks, travelling at or beyond the posted 75 mph speed limit also required some frequent steering corrections. One difference I did note in the landscape from other desert routes we have travelled was the proliferation of power lines and towers through the desert heading towards Vegas. A steady line of hi deeds of towers marched their way across the desert, an indication of the mass of the city we were approaching.

As I crested a hill I saw a sea of red tails lights ahead and a sinking feeling came over me. We were now in a two lane parking lot that stretched to the horizon. Having read about the scale of some of the accidents that happen on these high speed interstates I knew that we could be here for hours. Our on board toilet provided some comfort if we were in for a protracted stay but we did not have a lot of time to spare in getting to our 7:00 show. Even with the one hour time shift that we had picked up at the Nevada Border we couldn’t afford any long stops.

Jane and Ike were right behind us but we knew that Sean and Carla were ahead and as improbable as it was, at the back of all of our minds was the concern of not knowing where they were. The walking talkies that we have been using to stay in touch on the road had very limited range so would be of no use is checking on their location.

As vehicles came to a halt at the Interstate parking lot, drivers and passengers flung open doors like a well practiced team and immediately headed for nearby vantage points to try and see what lay ahead. It was easy to see that this was not an uncommon experience. As we turned off the engine we were approached by two couples who were noting our Nova Scotia licence plates. They said that they had been to Nova Scotia and in fact were from Regina. What are the odds of being so far from home and ending up two car lengths away from some fellow Canadians. As it turned out it was one of the many happy instances where circumstances throw people together and within seconds you find some common ground. Pictures were taken of all the Canucks sitting on the Nevada guardrail. Not a common sight I’m sure.

At least we were ahead of them

As I was considering taking my bicycle off the back of the BRT and exploring, the line far off began to move. We crept along for what seemed hours but in reality from start to finish was less than an hour, eventually passing the accident scene which involved a bus, a motorcycle with a trailer and the jersey barrier. Mercifully the site was clean as we passed and resumed our trip but based on the condition of the motorcycle I fear for the driver.

Not much further down the road a wrecking truck was pulling a completed burned wreck from the roadside ditch. These both served as a sobering reminder to stay alert and a reinforcement of our normal policy to avoid these routes. Again, although not spoken, we breathed a sigh of relief as we passed these vehicles that we didn’t recognize them.

Jane and Ike took the lead as Ike’s GPS seemed to be offering a faster route than mine. As we approached Vegas, traffic intensified, exits proliferated and the associated rapid lane changes and impatience of seasoned interstate drivers increased. The chatter between Jane and Diane as navigators increased as they confirmed upcoming exits and signalled upcoming lane changes. Frequently when travelling in together in dense traffic the trailing vehicle will change lanes first, running defence for the lead vehicle who has the greater responsibility for watching the road ahead.

Ike and Jane did a great job of getting us close to our destination and as we chattered back and forth looking for the address were were joined by Sean’s welcomed voice over the walkie talkies as he told us to take the next turn. As we later found out, they had been very close behind the accident and also were delayed in the traffic so only had arrived about a half hour before us.

Sean helped us up to our rooms and we quickly cleaned, changed and headed out to our shows.