Pismo Beach and Solvang, California

Terry and Andy decide to take a quick trip out of town during the week. 


They choose to visit the California Central Coast - Pismo Beach, and the Danish village of Solvang. 


They had a nice time traveling down some back roads they had never been on before. 


During this "off season" time there were few crowds to spoil their fun. 


Here are some photos to share with you:

Paul Anka II

It's been almost a year since Andy and Terry saw Paul Anka in concert at Buffalo Bill's Resort in Nevada. 


Terry liked the performance so much that she decided she had to go again. So when Andy saw that Paul Anka was returning to Buffalo Bill's he made the reservations right away. 


On Friday they set out for the Nevada state line. The freeway had to be shut down because of a brush fire. Luckily Terry and Andy passed by the area a few hours before the fire began.


On Saturday, September 3, they enjoyed another Paul Anka show and it was very enjoyable. They headed home early on Sunday morning to avoid the heavy Labor Day traffic returning from Las Vegas.

Seeing Neil and Chuck

Andy and Terry have gone off again to Buffalo Bill's in Nevada. 


They have a chance to see Neil Sedaka in concert, and Terry has a chance to play with the slot machines. 


They get a very nice renovated room in the Primm Valley Hotel with a new, comfortable bed and a new flat screen TV.


Terry makes a nice profit on the slot machines... until the last night when she gives most of it back.


The concert was a lot of fun. Neil Sedaka's voice is as good as it was way back in the 60's.


A few hours before the concert, Andy took Terry to the Taco Bell/KFC restaurant outside the Primm Outlet Mall for a little snack. 


As they ate, Terry says that the tall guy at the next table looks familiar. 


She figures out that he is Chuck Finley, the former star pitcher for the Anaheim Angels. 

Andy makes her wait until Chuck has finished eating, and then Terry stops him and asks for his autograph. They all have a nice little chat. 


Chuck says he's a Neil Sedaka fan, too. 


Terry is pretty good at spotting celebrities.

Mt. Rushmore? Not Exactly... Change of Plans

Andy and Terry want to go on a road trip to see some new scenery. Terry says Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota is a great place to see, and they have not been there for many years. 

So off they go toward Mt. Rushmore to see the presidents' heads carved in the mountain.

Their first night is spent in St. George, Utah where Andy watches the Weather Channel on TV.

It seems there is very bad weather in the Dakotas where they intend to go. Severe thunderstorm warnings and flood warnings are the prediction for the Mt. Rushmore area.

This bad news necessitates a change in plans. Andy decides to go elsewhere, some place where the weather is more stable.

So Plan B is to drive east through Utah and Colorado, though Indian country.

Their first stop is one of their favorite places, nearby Zion Park, where they camp out and see a little of the scenery along the Virgin RIver.

 

From Zion they continue on to Kanab, Utah and through Page, Arizona, home of the Glen Canyon Dam.

Further down the road is Monument Valley where many western films have been shot.

The following day they are in Colorado to see Mesa Verde National Park.

They drive on to Durango, Colorado and they turn north to follow the tracks of the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad through the mountains to Silverton, Colorado.

Finally it's time to turn toward home. They make a detour to follow the Colorado River to Moab, in the red rock country of Utah.

Their final stop is to visit Arches National Park where they hike to one of the huge arches.

Well, they never made it to Mt. Rushmore, but after one week on the road they did manage to stay safe and dry, away from most of the storms. Terry hasn't given up. She says, "Next time" for Mt. Rushmore.

Planet Hollywood and Valley of Fire, Nevada

Andy and Terry have driven to Las Vegas where they have a very nice room on the 37th floor of Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino. 

Planet Hollywood is in the old Aladdin Hotel building right next to the Paris Hotel and casino. 

You get a pretty good view of south Las Vegas from up on the 37th floor. You can see the Luxor, the Excaliber, and the MGM Grand out there. This is a nice hotel right in the middle of the "Strip."

Paris is right next door.

Andy gets tired of casinos quickly, so he takes Terry one hour north of town to visit Valley of Fire State Park.


It's full of red rock mountains. 


They take a little hike to search for Native American petroglyphs, and they find a lot of them among the rocks.

Later, back in Las Vegas, after Terry has had a chance to win a little money at the casinos, they head for home.

Flowers

Andy and Terry have returned from their trips to Arizona and Las Vegas.


Unfortunately Andy neglected to take pictures while they were on the road.


They visited Terry's family in Tucson, and a week later they drove over to Buffalo Bill's Resort to see the famous Four Tops who were very popular in the 60's.




With no travel photos to show, Andy feels guilty so he has decided to share with you some photos from his own garden. It's spring time and the plant life is beginning to look very attractive now.

Ronald Reagan Library

Yesterday Andy took Terry for a drive to visit the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library way out in Simi Valley. 


They have been waiting for some nice sunny weather to make the trip.


This is a very beautiful setting in the rolling hills of Simi Valley. Terry and Andy have never driven through this area before.


The library is a very nice place with lots to see. 


Andy and Terry walked through the exhibits for about two hours before they began to tire. By that time the place was very full of visitors and all of the parking lots were full. 


They were thankful they arrived early and didn't have to park down the hill and walk up to the exhibits.


One of the highlights was seeing the huge presidential jetliner that was used by Reagan and other presidents.

Here are some photos of their day at the presidential library.

As the weather warms up a little, Terry and Andy are thinking about where they will go next.




Near the end of March they plan to return to Tucson, Arizona to meet up again with some of Terry's relatives, and on April Fool's Day they will probably drive back to Buffalo Bill's at the Nevada state line to see The Four Tops perform there.


Check back in a few weeks to see some photos of these trips.