A long time a'comin'!!

 Like so many other things, COVID-19 really did a number on our 25th anniversary plans!  We had booked our tour, had our airline tickets and were all set to tour the Canadian Rockies and Glacier National Park.  Unfortunately, that was not to be, but we did want to get away in celebration of our anniversary, even if it was just for a few days.  Willie found Riverdance, a former bed and breakfast, now more like an airbnb, and we were fortunate to be able to get a suite for three days. 

The owners, Callie and Dave were very gracious and accommodating, and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay with them (would highly recommend them).  Riverdance itself is beautifully appointed and located in a gorgeous setting.  Be sure and check them out at http://riverdancenc.com.

But before we even got to our home away from home for the next few days, we toured a little of the area, stopping at the only dam on the Nolichuckey River.

(BTW - These are not the best pictures....still getting used to a new camera, but I still love taking photos of our adventures!)

I don't remember seeing these wildflowers before, but they were EVERYWHERE!!

We also took a walk along Big Laurel Creek, and even though it was pretty muddy, we still enjoyed the views.

And sometimes this was our path!

Due to the recent rains, we would occasionally see small waterfalls!

This was a neat little vignette...the spider and its reflection!

There is a lot of water activity in the area, and it was fun to see these two kayakers...especially watching him watch out for her as they made their way down the creek.

Mr. Man in his beloved outdoors....

But, oh, the wildflowers!!  

The flower may not be in focus, but the eye of the grasshopper is!

Then we did a little exploring...going down Stackhouse Road to an access on the French Broad River where they pick up the rafters.  What was interesting was on the drive back up, I noticed what looked like a Barbie on a telephone pole...and it was!  There were several Barbies and Kens nailed to telephone poles...interesting!

And then it was on to our home away from home for the next several days. 

After settling in and enjoying our dinner, we enjoyed the firepit.  

May have taken awhile to get going, but we ended up with a nice fire and a nice evening.  Looking forward to what tomorrow's adventures have in store for us!

Farewell!

This was the last full day of our Western Adventure....and it started with a stroll along the canyon rim on our way to a most delicious breakfast in the dining room at Angel Lodge....again with a view!  After breakfast we took advantage of the time before we had to board the coach to head to Las Vegas to see more beauty (even with the early morning haze).... 

Talk about tenacity...this tree growing out of the middle of this rock...

 I know, I know....this is photo overload, but can we just say GRAND?!!

And as the sun rose higher, the colors seemed to "pop"...

....even the wildflowers perked up.

If we had had more time and little more energy, this trail would have been on our list to investigate, that's for sure...

This looks like sooo much fun!

But we are more than content to soak in the broad expanse of God's beauty...

Goodbye to the Grand Canyon!  But first, we had a little wildlife encounter right outside our lodge when we headed to the coach...

This little prairie dog was busily excavating!

He kept poking his head up as he shoveled dirt out of the tunnel he was making...

And then he was gone!  Maybe he got tired of entertaining all of the tourists? 

Before we headed to Las Vegas, we stopped to pick up those of our group who had taken a helicopter ride over the Canyon...

..and now we are on our way!

But first, a surprise stop at a little town on famous Route 66!  For those of you who love the movie "Cars", this was a portion of that movie was shot.  Maybe you'll recognize some landmarks, or props!

Vegas, here we come!

And we are here!  As we rode through the city, I tried to snap a few photos (through the bus window) of some of the interesting architecture....

It's a shame we won't be here long enough to ride this ferris wheel!

Our destination was the Treasure Island Casino/Resort, and after a delicious and fun goodbye dinner with our tourmates, tour guide, bus driver and new friends, we made our way to our first ever Cirque de Soleil show..."Mystere".   What an awesome show and what a wonderful way to end this adventure!

Thanks for sharing our adventure with us as we looked back on all the fun, friends and the beauty of this country that we experienced on this our "Western Adventure!"

From us to you....hope 2017 is filled with new discoveries and God's grace and love...Happy New Year!!