Nice to leave Las Vegas...

I guess it just wasn't for me. So many things about that place really turned me off. I don't know if it was the over-the-top buildings, thinking about the ridiculous amount of resources to run all those damn lights, the gold Donald Trump tower, the 8.5 month old pregnant immigrant passing out porn cards which ultimately wind up littering the streets- literally thousands of these things. Perhaps the kids of irresponsible adults who get dragged down into this mess and have no choice but to be surrounded by this trash. I guess Vegas is something everyone should do once- if only to make yourself appreciate being able to see the stars at night, which once I got out of the perma-glow of the city, it was incredible how dark and clear the night was. I much prefer to glow of the crescent moon as opposed to the half-naked women on the gigantic big screen trying to entice me to come into the casino to throw my money away- and to get drunk in the process in hopes of not remembering just how much money was spent the night before. It was interesting for sure. Being told to go back to BYU (a Mormon university which clearly doesn't support consuming alcohol), perhaps because I wasn't carrying a drink so large that it required a neck supporting strap, was amusing. Maybe under different circumstances I would have enjoyed it more. I was told by many people that I would have a blast. Fun was had, certainly, but I much prefer having a beer or two on the coast of somewhere beautiful as opposed to being surrounded by man-made monstrosities and littered streets. Anyways, enough ranting- maybe I'm just pissed off my bike got stolen! Sunday night I dropped Rachel off at the airport, so I am on my own now. Leaving Vegas, I made it to Seligman, AZ, birthplace of Route 66. It was a quaint little town, about 100 miles south of the Grand Canyon. This place was littered with crickets. Hundreds scattered as I rolled out of my car the next morning. Saw em jump about 3 feet high, and some of them were flying. I was glad to get out of there. Lots of trains in this part of the country too. The gentleman working there (which, by the way, 3 people said good morning to me that morning, which had not happened to me anywhere along the west coast, so that was pleasant) said about 80 trains pass through there a day, all hours of the day. It made it somewhat interesting to sleep as the tent area was as close to the track as anything else. One woke me up just in time to see the sun rising up out of the ground. The skies here are quite large- can see the stars at night at eye level, and it has been super clear each night. It was nice to spend some time wandering around that little town before my drive to the Grand Canyon. It took a couple hours to get there. I really took my time and was amazed by the number of people whizzing by me, only for me to catch up with them at the gate as we all waiting to pay up 25 bucks to get in. I guess they thought it was going to disappear if they didn't get there quick. The Grand Canyon was incredible, and I hung around until sunset, which was nice. My destination was as far past Flagstaff as I could go before I got tired. I made it here to Holbrook, AZ. I am not far from the New Mexico border and hope to make it to Taos, NM or even further if my eyes will let me. That means that tomorrow I will be in Pueblo, CO- finally getting to see Kelly, Amanda, and Ella at long last. It will be really nice to catch up with them and be able to give up driving for a few days. Sorry this is such a long post, but I had been falling behind. Adios.