Our New Favorite Bar and Grill

We had originally planned on heading north to Sedona Thursday morning. However, we didn’t. Our Jeep is still in the shop getting fixed. Once the work is completed we need to have our loaner car returned within a 24 hour period. We thought it might be best just to wait it out close to where the work is being done before we start heading north. We all know that plans are written in chalk so that they can be erased.

Brant and Kerry, the country duo

Tuesday night the big shindig was at Famous Dave’s in Tempe. This get together was to celebrate the end of the winter season. As the weather is warming up in Arizona, the snowbirds are preparing to head north.

If Sandie thought Our New Favorite Bar and Grill was a good title for a blog about Superstition Skies in Apache Junction, I figured I should use it too. We were invited to check this place out on Wednesday evening and are certainly glad we did. Brant and Kerry play and sing country music and they are absolutely fantastic. I don’t believe I’ve been anywhere and had better entertainment. We weren’t the only ones enjoying the music as the place was hopping with snowbirds. Our guess is that the place is probably hopping every night in the winter as different groups are regulars during the week. It’s just that Wednesday night is the night that Brant and Kerry entertain.

Sandie first read about Superstition Skies in a blog entitled, More Fun in AJ written by Diana. She was so impressed by her first visit that she invited others to join her this time. We showed up along with cousin, Shelley. Everyone agreed this place is certainly worth visiting. Not only was the entertainment great but the service couldn’t be beat. We’ll be back!

Day Trip to Sedona

Sunday was an interesting day. We had decided we would make a day trip to Sedona. My cousin, Shelley, was tickled to go along for the ride. Even though she was currently living in Arizona, she had never been to Sedona. The weather was beautiful and the drive beautiful.

The Thousand Trails park has done some renovations since we were there before. We drove through the area to check it out. We were thinking we might end up moving to Sedona in a few days … maybe. Temperatures in the Phoenix area are expected to climb into the 90’s. We don’t consider the 90’s to be perfect weather. Remember we’re the folks who want everything to be perfect.

Sedona is a gorgeous little town. On the weekends it is packed with tourists. The traffic through town backs up. The town bustles and the restaurants are full. There are several tour companies that offer jeep tours on the back roads through the red canyons. The ones we saw were full with eager participants.

When we’re out for day trips we are always prepared for a little tailgating. We have our own little table and chairs that we carry with us … just in case we stop to eat. On this day we stopped at the Panda Express and had our own outside café in their parking lot. Since Shelley was taking the drive with us, we did remember to pack that third chair.

On Monday we decided to take a trip to Camping World and try to return a defective propane tank we had bought at another Camping World. We had problems with it from day one. It was used once, we couldn’t refill it or use it on our barbecue. The manger wasn’t really receptive but she did give us store credit which is exactly what we wanted. Camping World has always treated us right whether it's been with their products or with their work. At least you know you can always get satisfaction even if you're several thousand miles away.

We have had our eye on a table Camping World carries since we left Portland almost six months ago. The only thing is we didn’t want to buy the chairs with the table. However, that’s the only way to get it. They have other tables but the others aren’t as sturdy. So, with the credit we received from the propane tank, we decided to go ahead and get the table along with the chairs. We considered the chairs a freebie so now we have two extra folding chairs in the car we need to pass along to someone else.

And, we finally have the table at our place! We have learned that if we don’t get what we want in the first place, we end up regretting it. It costs more money to buy something you don't want only to throw it away and then buy what you really did want. We have learned this lesson way too many times.

We also stopped by the ranger station and paid for a couple extra nights here. It's such a beautiful place but we can't stay forever. It is going to get HOT and besides there is no weekly rate. It's all on a day to day fee.

RVers and Food Go Together

Some people think that all RVers do is congregate over food? Well, it’s not just RVers. It’s everybody. Socializing is so much more fun when food is involved. And, that’s just what I was doing prior to being attacked at the red light by the Class C. I was on my way back from a barbecue with my cousin Wally’s other cousins. It was definitely all about food and a lot of socializing. What fun these get togethers are.

Appetizer, anyone?

Next, we moved on to the Phoenix area and the same thing happened. We were forced to socialize over food again. First, it was with another cousin, Shelley. Then, it was Jim and Sandie and then, Jim and Sandie again plus a couple of her friends. The food never stops coming when RVers are around. With more outings planned for this next week, I’m sure none of us will go away either hungry or without a lot of good conversation.

Wild salmon

Sunday was to be a little different. We took a day trip to Sedona. The drive was about 100 miles from the Phoenix area but it was worth it. The little town of Sedona was bustling with tourists. What a beautiful little town it is! Stay tuned.

RVing is so much fun!

Campground Gems Around Phoenix

Remember the days when you used to actually go camping? We certainly do. We didn’t always have electricity or water and certainly not a generator either. As time moved along we ended up with all the conveniences of home. Our little camping trailer eventually was one with a kitchen and even a bathroom. In those days we never thought about an RV resort. We wanted to get away from it all so we went out of the city and went camping. We didn’t feel like we were on top of another camper either. We felt like we had plenty room. Perhaps, it’s because no one had slides and tried to get 40’ units in 30’ foot sites.

It seems rare anymore to have a large RV site unless you’re boondocking someplace or at a COE park. You certainly can’t find many of those large sites in RV parks. Some RV resorts and parks today really pack in the units. We were tired of the city parks and decided to check out a few little gems around the Phoenix area. These gems are part of the Maricopa Regional Park System. They offer huge RV sites away from the city but not too far away.

Estrella Mountain Regional Park is west of Phoenix and close to the Goodyear area. It would be prefect if coming in from the west or so we thought and a very active golf course sits across the road. There are a few RV sites by the golf course and the rest are by the horse stables. The park itself is beautiful but we weren’t very impressed with the campsites.

Our new RV site.

Lake Pleasant and Cave Creek Regional Parks are both just north of Phoenix. Both of these parks are absolutely gorgeous. We were just about ready to move to the Cave Creek park when we decided to check out one more. North of Mesa is Usery Mountain Regional Park. It’s close to everything but yet you can hardly see your neighbor through the vegetation. Obviously, other folks thought this park was a real gem too. We paid for one of the last spots and then headed off to get the motorhome. When we returned even the overflow was full.

This is where we were. What a difference!

Even though we had one more day left at the Elks, we were ready to go! After setting up in our gorgeous new botanical garden setting, we took a short drive to Apache Junction and met Jim and Sandie for dinner! It was two weeks ago that they left us in Las Vegas. Now here we are again.

After dinner the four of us surprised Eric and Karla at their Tiki Bar. Eric and Karla have been workamping at an RV resort in the Mesa area. It seems everyone's time in this area will soon come to an end and it’ll be time to head north again. We have a couple more get togethers planned this week to celebrate the end of winter.

The Jeep is in the shop getting taken care of but we won’t get it back until about April 5th. We have no choice but to hang around this area at least until then.

Good-bye Las Vegas -- Hello Tempe Elks

We arrived in the Phoenix area just as work traffic was starting to move at a snail’s pace. Our timing was bad. When we pulled out of Las Vegas we weren’t really sure whether we would drive the full 300 miles that day or stop along the road. The more distance we covered, the more distance we wanted to cover.

The road from Las Vegas is a very good road most of the way. The only problem with it the day we chose to use it was the amount of traffic and the flagmen stopping traffic along the way. For such a main road between the two cities you would have thought more than two lanes would have been put in long ago. Drivers were impatient and road rage in some cases was obvious. As you might guess, no one wanted to be behind an RV of any kind. We were thankful when we finally pulled into our site at the Tempe Elks and hung up the keys for the night. We were exhausted.

Most of the Elks lodges we have stayed at are super, super friendly. They’re happy to see you and will even bend over backwards to assist you. Many times our favorites have nothing to do with the park but with the people. We always recommend that RVers should join the Elks.

Our timing wasn't just bad with traffic coming in on the freeway. It was also bad at arriving at the Tempe Elks Lodge. We have been to this lodge several times. It is not our favorite place by any means but it’s not the location. The location is perfect.

As many lodges as we have presented our Elks card to and stayed at in just the last year alone, the bartender here fined Terry $5 for not signing the back of his card. Now we have been here twice in the last few months. Nothing was said then or at the many other parks we have visited since this card was issued. There were lots of sites available but she even chastised him for not calling ahead. I called 200 miles out to check availability. She felt we should have called again prior to arriving. Just signing up for a site to pull into while we got our Jeep fixed required a confrontation with the bartender! Like I said, it’s not the friendliest of places we’ve visited but heck, maybe she was just having a bad day. Everyone is entitled to a bad day every once in a while but .... wait! She was having a bad day last time we were here too.

Maybe tomorrow will be better. We can hope but we know there can be a thorn in every bundle of roses. We just plan on staying away from the lodge. Actually, the visiting Elks pay for the RV parks and add extra revenue to the local clubs through food and drink purchases as well as RV park fees. I certainly wouldn't think any lodge would want to lose that revenue. Most of them invite you to frequent the lodge while you're signing up to stay in their park. It's convenient and most of the time we enjoy doing so.

Wednesday we drove the short distance to drop off the Jeep at the repair facility. We should hear on Thursday all the details about the repair job and when to expect it back. We were totally zonked most of that day especially after the drive and after the bartender from the day before. It was catch-up time.

Rear-ended by a Class C

It was almost one year ago to the day that I posted a similar topic. However, at that time it was the motorhome that got clipped by a Canadian RVer rushing to cross the border from the US before his allotted time in the US ran out. This time it wasn’t the motorhome that got clipped. It was the Jeep. Using the word clipped isn’t even the right word. A more descriptive term might actually be crashed.

I was returning from a gathering which included cousins of cousins. The light was red and I stopped. The vehicle which was some distance behind tried to stop but couldn’t quite get the brakes to hold. It wasn’t that the 34-year old Class C was on my tail or going fast. It wasn’t. The brakes just didn’t stop it until it connected with the back of my jeep. No one was hurt and driver was cited for faulty equipment.

I eventually found the registration and an expired insurance card. It wasn’t that my insurance was expired. It was just that the current one never made it in the Jeep. It took forever for the cop to get there. Jerry and Janice showed up and stood on the corner with me while I was pacing. We also had to wait for a Spanish interpreter to arrive since occupant in the other vehicle didn't have a good grasp on the English language. The officer seemed to take forever to finish all he had to do. It probably just seemed that way but it did take way too long.

Aterward, Jerry and Janice took off and purchased some tape and plastic to tape up my back window so none of the expected rain that evening would get inside. Notice the colorful tape they bought!! It matched the shirt I was wearing. I think they wanted my colors to be coordinated! Aren’t friends GREAT! Thank you .. thank you.

Insurance cards have been updated now in both the Jeep and the motorhome. We’re off to Phoenix today for an appointment with the adjusters and repair company on Thursday. Sure, we could have stayed in Las Vegas but we’re tired of Las Vegas. The one thing we do know is that there isn’t any snow in Phoenix. Hopefully, everything will be easy getting the Jeep fixed. I hate hassles. It sounds easy. I just hope it stays that way.

Internet on the Road - Wi-Fi

Most full-timers or part-timers on the road enjoy being hooked up to the internet. Some are content in loading up their laptops and walking to the office or clubhouse in order to connect to the RV park’s Wi-Fi. Actually, you usually see quite a few sitting around browsing the internet whenever free Wi-Fi is offered at RV parks. Some parks even provide on-site access. You can just sit in your own RV and connect to their internet router. Some times this is free and other times the park will really gouge you for that service. Have you ever connected to Tengo? We have. Well, I can’t say we actually connected. We paid for it and should have been able to connect but the service was so bad, we couldn’t even get on. You can’t complain to the park because they are just the in-between. We tried and it didn’t work for us. For some, this is still the way to go and still what they do. We do have the external antenna and equipment for reaching a little farther for this service but it certainly doesn’t work often enough.

However, for many more it seems, folks want their our own internet and want it available 24/7. That’s what we want too. We don’t want to lug our computers anywhere to get access. We don’t want to be subject to poor signal from a park’s system. The good thing is we can have it when we want and where we want most of the time. Many of us have already made the biggest decision by choosing our service provider and equipment. There are those, of course, who opted right in the beginning to install satellite internet antennas and connect via that satellite. That was never an option for me. I wanted that little aircard that I could take with me wherever I went. I can take it to a picnic table, a shopping mall, a roadside rest area and even an airport. It’s portable and can travel wherever I go. I can’t take the Wilson antenna along or the amplifier but usually the aircard is enough to get me online. Of course, I could just browse the internet on my iPhone but the screen is quite a bit smaller and not as simple as using a laptop. Isn’t technology wonderful? (Okay, Linda, I could get an iPad like you but you have to convince me first I need one. Doesn’t the little netbook we have serve the same purpose?)

Mifi - router and aircard in one

Technology continues to improve. It has improved so much that many more folks have purchased smartphones of one brand or other. They are also out there surfing the net with their phones, their laptops and competing for the same bandwidth. In the meantime more cell towers have gone up, newer devices available and the competition between the cell phone providers and the manufacturers of equipment increased. Competition usually brings lower prices.

I don’t know about you but when we first signed up for an aircard in 2007, we had to sign a two year contract. At that time the monthly fee was $59 per month (plus all the taxes and fees) for unlimited data service. The two years have long passed but we’ve continued paying each month and continued being able to connect. Even though we had the unlimited data plan we still only used about 2.5GB a month. However, last fall we were notified by our provider that our usage was being limited to 5GB since they were doing away with the unlimited data plan on their contracts. We had actually been expecting this since we had heard others complain about being notified of the same change.

Not only has technology changed pricing but it has also provided other options as well. There have been some big changes too. One change is in the equipment. First we started with a PC card. Every laptop had a PC slot. Didn’t they? Eventually, the computers stopped putting PC slots in and started adding slots for Express cards. The aircards were changed to fit. Shortly after the aircards were made with USB connectors. Technology certainly has moved on. When the aircards were first available it was only available for one laptop. Eventually, routers came out strictly for the aircards, then the aircards also became a router in the form of a Mifi. Today some computers have built in aircards. I’m sure I missed a lot but that’s what I’m familiar with so what’s next?

Another change is the ability to have this same mobile broadband internet service on a pay-as-you-go plan without a contract of any kind. This is a huge advantage for RVers who just plan on being on the road for a few months each year. You just pay for it that month if you plan on using it that month. Under the contract plan, you have to pay each and every month whether you use the service or not. Actually, this advantage is not just for part-time RVers, it can also benefit full-time RVers.

Another big change is in how this service is priced. The other day I picked up a few brochures on the various monthly pay-as-you-go internet services. Guess what? If I’m reading it right, it just might be better to cancel our present plan altogether and start using one of the month-to-month plans. For that same 5GB data limit, you can now hook up with Verizon, AT&T or Virgin for $50 per month instead of the $59 we are currently paying. Right now there is also a promotional plan offered at $35 for 3GB of monthly data by one of the providers. Any overage is billed at $10 per additional gigabyte. Depending on your provider, any overage in the past was very, very costly. So, what am I missing here? Wouldn’t it be better to cancel our current plan and pick up a new one that does not require any type of contract?

Virgin Mobile uses the Sprint cells towers. Weren’t they the leaders in this pay-as-you-go internet service until Verizon and AT&T along with others got into the game? Virgin Mobile came out with the $40 monthly fee for unlimited data but according to their website that fee is now $50. For a while they were the only ones offering this service. Now others want a piece of the action too. Virgin Mobile is the only one still offering unlimited data usage as far as I know. The downside might be the coverage area but that again depends entirely where one might travel. We have Canadian friends who use Virgin Mobile and they have been extremely satisfied as they have traveled the US.

Verizon offers a 10 GB plan for $80 a month and their faster 4G network. We all know 4G isn’t every place yet though. AT&T also also offers a similar 4G service. There are other providers of mobile broadband. However, these are the only ones I checked on.

Verizon’s coverage map for prepaid data service

If your cell phone bill looks like my cell phone bill, then you also have atrocious taxes and fees added to it. So, is this $50 per month fee a flat all-inclusive fee or is it in addition to additional charges? If it’s an all-inclusive price, then it’s even a better deal yet. One thing for sure, we’re going to look into it a little more and might just make the change. First, we need to find out if there are other restrictions on the pay-as-you-go plan that are not on the contract plan. So many changes and so much to learn!

GPS - Magellan, Garmin, TomTom ??

The other day I mentioned that we would probably need to start looking for a new GPS. Our Magellan Maestro was screeching at us. Matter of fact, it screeched so loud numerous times on our trip back from Valley of Fire that it about blew out our ear drums. Then, the very next day … hardly a sound and it worked perfectly …. well, other than the fact, it was still running a 2007 map. We have no idea what was going on with it. Perhaps, it was an interference or maybe it was a warning of things yet to come. The pressure may have been off to replace it since the noise went away but we still thought it best to get another one … just in case. We really knew we needed to update the map but we didn’t want to do that, if it was getting ready to shut down.

Magellan Maestro

I really liked the one we were using for the most part. We originally bought the Magellan because of using the NeverLost in the Hertz rental cars. They were made by the same company so we figured they would be easier to learn. The Maestro just had a few more bells and whistles than their Roadmate model. Our mistake in the purchase was in buying an open box store display. It meant that we didn’t get the computer disk with the software for uploading POIs (points of interest) to the GPS. Matter of fact, I didn’t know one was available until a couple days ago when I was reading all the specs. Oh well, we missed out on that. I would have opted for a new Magellan if I had known we could have uploaded POIs.

First we looked at the Garmin 465T. Others had commented on it so this is where we started. The Garmin 465T is the trucker’s version and can be programmed with the height, width and weight of your RV. I played with the trucker version available at Fry’s but wasn't so sure that was something we would really need or ever use. Besides, if we ever decided we did want it, we could always add that option later by loading the CoPilot software.

Garmin Nuvi

The search is no longer on. What a task it was! I’d rather buy new toys and not replacement ones. We settled on Garmin Nuvi 2360LMT. The Garmin's have so many different models and each one had different features and specifications. The TomToms had many different models too. It was just a little bit more difficult to figure out all the specifications and options.

After using this one for a couple days I was actually ready to eat the 15% restocking fee and buy another Magellan Maestro but we didn’t. At first I thought the Magellan performed faster and better. However, only time will tell on that. Perhaps, it’s just a learning curve. There are definitely quite a few new features I do like. There are others I'm not so fond of. I do like receiving unlimited map and traffic updates as a starter. I like knowing the speed limit and the lane assist feature. I like being able to find my parked car in a lot and I like the pedestrian option.

I especially enjoy being able to transfer my own POIs (points of interest) onto the GPS. I now have 4gbs of these converted and loaded from favorite places to shop (Fry’s Electronics and Costco) to other attractions .…. then, of course, I shared these with the Jerry and Janice who are still parked behind us. I figure I’ll probably add just as many more within the next week or so.

In addition to the normal WalMart, Casinos and such, these are just a few other POIs I’ve added to the new GPS.

* Factory Tours

* Offbeat Tourist Attractions

* Haunted Houses

* Diners, Drive Ins and Dives

* Passport America

* Throwdown

* Waterfalls USA

* National Parks

Wynn, Mirage, Palazzo and more in Las Vegas

It is amazing how many rooms the hotels must be able to fill and how many slot machines they need to keep it in business. Las Vegas certainly pulls in the crowds regardless of the economy. Each hotel / casino is a resort within itself and each has their own theme. All of them are competing for the dollars vacationers bring to their town. The people just keep coming and the hotels just keep being built. The old ones go down and just as fast a new one pops up. It is absolutely amazing!

Monday I took Terry to the airport for his flight to Phoenix for the dentist and then on to Portland for his doctor appointment. Then, Tuesday the Hyders came knocking at the door. We were going to check out a few more fancy resorts on The Strip.

If you’re looking for a resort with waterfalls, high-end stores, inside and outside gardens as well as an 18-hole golf course, the Wynn is where you want to stay .... if you can afford it. It certainly took the prize in my book for glitz. We had fun checking out the menus too. Rather, we had fun looking at the prices on some of the menus where every item was priced separately. This wasn't a place to find a cheap meal deal.

We still haven’t seen all of the casinos. We're certainly trying but I really don’t believe we ever will even make a dent in all the casinos around Las Vegas. Here are just a few we sampled on Tuesday.

The glitzy Wynn and a few of the shops

Rolling out the red carpet at the Wynn Casino.

The very elegant Palazzo

Inside Caesar’s Palace

The Mirage

A sculpture of Siegfried & Roy at the Mirage hotel

Inside the Venetian - care for a gondola ride?

Isn't Denney’s just about everywhere?

Other lower cost food choices include McDonald’s and Panda Express. Aren't they absolutely everywhere too?

New York, New York Roller Coaster

There are a few thrill rides in the Las Vegas area. Some places you can even find things for kids … big kids that is. The New York, New York in Las Vegas is definitely a hotel for those kids. The roller coaster is just one of the thrills they offer. On the second floor of the resort hotel is Coney Island. New York actually has a Coney Island so this resort had to have it too. Coney Island is loaded with games and many, many quarter-suckers. I’m sure they have them all.

We were to meet Jerry & Janice and Sandie & Jim at the entrance to the Roller Coaster at 10:00. According to the website, that’s when the first ride was to begin. However, it really didn’t open until 10:30. It’s not a cheap thrill but there really aren’t very many cheap thrills down on The Strip. Sure, there are some free shows along the streets but that’s mainly to beckon you inside the walls of the casino. Just like the resorts of the Venetian and Paris’ Eiffel Tower, New York New York is laid out with walkways giving the impression that you are actually in that city. Those are the hotels so far I like the best.

Janice, Sandie and I gladly offered to hold the belongings while the three “boys” opted for the thrill ride. This isn’t an ordinary thrill. To begin with the cost of the ride isn’t ordinary either. They lighten your wallet by $14.00 just so you can experience it. The following facts are what they boast about.

• 4777 feet of track
• Height of 203 feet
• Drops at 144 feet
• Speeds up to 67 mph
• Thrilling force of negative g’s.
• Rolls 180 degrees
• Hangs 86 feet in the air

The roller coaster simulates a barrel roll in a fighter as the rider experiences knuckle thrills. All three survived the ride and walked away with a grin on their faces.

Friday night was seafood night at Sam’s Town. It wasn’t cheap but it was certainly good. Just like I said above, not much is cheap around here. Meal deals used to be known for cheap feeds but that certainly isn’t the case anymore. There are a few specials and a few come-ons but not a lot.

There are a few more casinos on The Strip I’d like to check out but we’re actually getting a little casinoed-out. I know that isn’t a word but you get the picture. These huge, huge resorts have humungous casinos, numerous restaurants, many shops and some have properties that take up several city blocks. Getting through them obviously takes a while. If you’re just looking at the casino portion, you could actually say that part of them pretty much all look alike.

Check out the two plates Jerry used to scoop up his food from the seafood buffet line. Yes, there was still room for desert. He also helped himself to three (that was 3) different desserts. Next in the photo above is Terry’s plate but I bet you guessed it since he’s not much of a seafood eater. We all ate his share.

Then, there is my food plate. Actually, it was my first food plate. We all made a pig out of ourselves on the seafood. Jerry was just in the right position at the right time so that I could get his picture.

Excalibur, Luxor and Mandalay Bay

We still haven’t been to all the huge hotels and casinos on the strip. How could anyone cover all of these? Wouldn’t it be interesting to know exactly how many of them there are? All I can say is that there are lots with thousands of guest rooms. On Thursday we did visit a few more. We have learned some things about this place to make it a little easier to get around.

First of all, we worried about where to park. That’s actually about the easiest thing to accomplish. You just pick a hotel and drive to the section for valet parking. The only fee you pay is the tip when you pick up your car. You have a shorter distance to walk and there’s no driving around looking for a spot. We did this at the Excalibur on Thursday.

Excalibur complete with moat.

The Excalibur is a great place to stop on the south end of The Strip. The tram (or monorail) carries you between three of the resorts without a charge. We actually walked from the Excalibur to the Luxor when we first arrived. It looks like a long distance but it’s not. There are three moving walkways between the two making it easy to go back and forth. From the Luxor we rode the tram back to the Excalibur and then on to the Mandalay Bay.

Moving walkway between resorts

Another advantage of parking at the Excalibur is that if after visiting the three casinos connected by trams and moving walkways you decide you want to visit some more, you’re just across the road from New York, New York and MGM. However, the trip on Thursday was only to check out Excalibur, Luxor and Mandalay Bay. The others are reserved for still another day.

Mandalay Bay is known for it’s huge Aquarium and Shark Reef. Now that’s a distance to walk if you arrive by tram. It’s on the absolute opposite end of the property and which is a long, long ways. We walked there but didn’t go inside. Had it been another freebie we might have wandered through but at $16.99 per person, it wasn’t a priority.

Anyone watch Top Chef? Here she is at the Mandalay Bay.

Restaurants were pretty spectacular and very costly.

Afterwards, a trip to Fry’s Electronics which was just down the road to check out the GPS units they had in stock. Then, a stop at the airport since Terry will be flying out for a few days next week. Duchess was happy to see us when we returned and we settled in to watch the American Idol results.

Across the street from Excalibur. Check out the roller coaster.

Tomorrow? Supposedly (unless they chicken out) Terry, Jerry and Jim are going to ride the roller coaster at New York, New York.

Look at this slot machine. It’s an American Idol game!! We found it at Mandalay Bay.