Episode I: The Journey

Well hello. I find it altogether fitting and appropriate to begin the first installation with a brief survey of my 35 hour trip from Brea, CA to Lawrence KS (total distance traveled: 1,647 miles)

The first item of interest (besides a burning car) was: the largest thermometer in the world? (Baker, CA)

I stopped for a while in Vegas with exactly 2 and 1/2 objectives:

(1) To swim in the pool at the Hard Rock Hotel in which they pump music through the water so you can listen while you swim (Norris kids know what I'm talking about here). I failed in this objective.

(2) To visit the Bellagio, which holds some kind of record for most expensive building ever built. I succeeded in this objective, with evidence below.

(2 and 1/2) To see the lions at the MGM Grand. Unfortunately the lions were gone due to cage cleaning or something important like that.

So here is the Bellagio. They have a huge inner courtyard with like 10 pools with various fountains and things coming out of them, in addition to a famous atrium with fantastic hand-made models of buildings and trains, and arches of water that you can walk under. Perhaps the most unique part is the large choreographed water show that plays every half hour.



I also happened to encounter New York and a magic shop where a guy was making things levitate and spin around, then offering to sell the trick (I didn't buy it).

Here is a gas station selling 85 octane gasoline (available in Utah and Colorad, as I recall). I used it and noticed a marked decrease in gas mileage.




I stopped in Burlington, CO for church- you may recognize these books- and they also had the most cushiony pews I have ever seen.



The Old Town Museum in Burlington contains original buildings from the pioneer era, complete with authentic furnishings. It was quite interesting. Also included was a wagon ride to an antique carousel, complete with original hand-painted animals and 100 year old oil paintings.