Day 12: California from Cactus to Pine

...or not!

I have to hand it to Vegas for some very convincing replicate architecture-- not pictured: the Eiffel Tower, L'Arc de Triomphe and a French street at Paris Las Vegas.

See that little sign on the right? We made it!

Flash flood! We're almost positive our car was hit by lightning.

Funny.

"Dios"

Nastiest gas station I've ever been to, but the old signage doesn't hurt.

After 12 days practically living in the passenger seat, you find ways to work with the space.

Seemingly endless desert.

It was crazy to go from the nothingness of the desert, up the mountain to this:

Fawnskin, California on Big Bear lake is a summer and ski vacation town with a bite to the air and cute mountain architectural bits. No traces of desert here.

Sharon and Paul's summer cabin:

Some moments can't be captured in film: our first night in California was everything: guitar-playing on the water, compelling conversation and great company. Thanks Sharon and Paul, and Stephanie for bringing us to such a special spot.

Day 11: American Dreams in Vegas

Waking up to an obscene level of heat! Someone's renovating their yard...

Raul's friend, Raúl, who worked with him in Havana.

You don't have to go to the casinos to gamble in Las Vegas-- but you can't buy the lottery.

A fish tank full of rice.

Raúl and (believe it or not)Alex chilling poolside. I never expected to hear the name Fidel Castro so many times on a 4th of July.

Rauly in his element.

The most gorgeous sunset.

We heard fireworks and, later, thunder. It even down-poured for a hot second, which is rare in Las Vegas.

A very large beetle. We saw way too many cockroaches for my taste scurrying throughout the city.

 Such a sweet familia! Gracias por todo.

Out on the town, and this is the wall in the parking lot stairwell of some casino. Not just on this floor, on EVERY floor. Huh?

 Casino life...

Although I saw more than my fair share of over-intoxicated individuals and gambling addicts, I would return to Vegas to explore that underground magic and entertainment scene.

Liberace's Rolls Royce, of course. 

The Bellagio was so over-the-top and tacky that I couldn't help but love it. It was like someone tripped on hallucinogens and got a glass-blower to create everything imaginable.

Late night Mexican fast food, if five-pound burritos is your kind of thing at 3AM.

Day 10: Friendly Grand Canyon Squirrels

Good morning from the sunny South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

 

Hiking down Bright Angel Trail, which is about a seven mile hike down to the bottom of the canyon. (What sounds worse is the seven mile hike up, which needless to say, we did not venture).

These tourist-loving squirrels were super-friendly (come on, you have to pet one).

He's a natural.

How funny are these elk!? A park ranger eventually told us to move away because some have attacked if you're too close to the babies.

Touring Pink Grand Canyon hummer.

The South Rim and its crowds.

It's really the feeling of endless space that makes the views at the Grand Canyon inexplicable.

Taxidermy, once again. This gift shop did have a lot of desirable goods (turquoise rings and pocket knives, Native American flutes, suede cowboy hats), but it didn't seem right to buy it here and not at a Navajo-run establishment.

Producto de Cuba.

It's finally time for Route 66-- we actually bought the postcard leaving Flagstaff to find the mother road.

Can't get enough of these signs...

Raul was ecstatic to see the "real" cast of Cars in Seligman, Arizona.

Delicious chicken fried steak at Westside Lilo's Cafe.

I had to drive Route 66 at least for a little while. Raul took the following shots...

One hundred and six!

Beautiful shots by Raul. I was so jealous of this landscape (chose the wrong time to drive!)

We realized (thanks to the Route 66 postcard) that the Hoover Dam wasn't too far away, so we swung by. The tours had ended for the day, but we could walk over a bridge to get a better look. Cops stopped us on the way up to check our overhead luggage.

Welcome to Las Vegas.... the rest of the photos "stayed there".