6/16/12 - Day 15: The first half of our last full day and night on the road was about 50/50. The morning was breathtaking. Well, I guess the evening was too, but not in the way one would think. I woke up early (while Cari continued to sleep) and drove up to Glacier Point, which is an unbelievable overlook that gives great views of the entire valley, multiple waterfalls, and Half Dome (pictured above). The early morning sun made things a little hazy, but the rubbery feeling in my legs while looking out over the cliffs and vast expanse of the valley made the drive and the time well worth the lack of sleep. Once I got back, Cari was ready to go, so we had breakfast at the dining hall across the street again and hit the road.
We backtracked a little, heading west before changing direction northeast through the park. We drove through the Toloume Meadows section, and we took a few pictures on the way out. We escaped the mountain passes unscathed and were back on flat desert nothingness on the way to Las Vegas. We stopped for lunch at a random roadside cafe on the way once we arrived in Nevada where I had a roast beef with green chile and Cari had some fruit and a cheeseburger. It was definitely "roadside cafe"-type food, but we managed, as we've been doing for most of the trip. We made it to HOT, sunny Las Vegas in the late afternoon, found our hotel (the Tropicana), checked in, parked, and changed in our pretty nice room on the 20th floor.
We had been to Vegas last fall for a night, and we decided to go to same place where we ate last time, which was a little Mexican restaurant inside the Venetian near the man-made canal. We took a cab there, found the restaurant, and had a burrito/fajitas and a couple of margaritas. After dinner, we decided to walk down the strip back to the hotel, which ended up being a lot further than we thought. We stopped at the Bellagio for the fountain show and didn't stop again until we got back.
I have to say a few things about Vegas. I know a lot of people like the city, but I also know a lot of people don't read this blog. Or...maybe 2 people have ever read this blog. Regardless, Vegas makes us sad. It's truly unbelievable to me that sex, alcohol, and gambling attract so many people to one place. I certainly understand the appeal to go once and experience it, and I know the food is good and the shows are entertaining, but I believe the majority of people that go are not there for the food. We've walked the strip twice now, and the amount of nudity, drunkenness, and yes, even child exploitation is appalling. There is desperation in the eyes of almost everyone in that city. Cari and I have decided that if we do go back, it will only be to sit by the pool, enjoy some good food, and see a few shows; but I think we could probably get that at a number of places. Anyways, that's my venting session, and it's also my encouragement to pray for the people who truly enjoy those things. I'm not perfect, but being in Vegas really makes me run towards the Lord more than I do on an average day.
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