Mountain Madness!

A few Sundays ago, the two of us decided it was time to climb every mountain. But, since we were not feeling as agile as the Mother Superior (that's a "Sound of Music" reference, for those of you who are confused), we just climbed one mountain instead. This mountain is called Exploration Peak, and it is two blocks from our house. We had a great time climbing the poorly made switchbacks (someone didn't understand that a switchback is supposed to make a trail LESS steep) and had a seriously breathtaking view at the top. We were both astounded by the 360 degree view from the peak -- most impressive was the way the view was suddenly all around you as you took your last few steps to the top. It just rose out of nowhere, and in one moment your eyes were taking in Henderson, Arizona, and Mount Charleston, with just a turn of your head. We highly recommend this little hike to those of you who will be visiting us at any time.
When you get to the top, there is this groovy brick patio area with a compass shape in the middle, and a little hut with a picnic table. We had some fun taking pictures from every angle...

Here is the view to the north...

And a thoughtful view to the East...


A straight-up view to the south...



And the beautiful view of clouds (and me!) to the west. Don't worry, I am standing on ground...no extravagant stunts were attempted to get this shot.

More Mountain Madness!

Here are some additional pictures from our walk up the mountain.

This is the Exploration Park -- the playland that is based on Old Western themes isn't open yet, but the picnic areas and benches are.

I can see our house from here! But really, I can. Well, not actually our house, but from this vantage point we could see the gazebo and tot lot and the house next to ours. How exciting!

This Strip view is from the halfway point where we watched the fireworks on New Year's Eve. It was stellar.

The hikers in their natural habitat...connected by the sunglasses!

Jack Rockenroth

Last night, we were fortunate enough to have yet another visitor come through our doors! This time, it was my uncle -- he prefers to be known as Jack Rockenroth -- who was in town for the NADA convention on behalf of his employer (who handles GM's advertising). For Uncle Jack, it was a trip of firsts: his first time in Las Vegas and, since he was staying at Bellagio on the agency's dime, it was his first time in a casino. As of last night, he was up, although, when we left him, he was really hoping to cash in big by winning an iPod in a drawing at the convention.

We had dinner at our favorite out-of-town-guest spot: Mandalay Bay's Burger Bar, which was a big hit all around. (Thank you again, Uncle Jack, for taking us out!) We had lots of fun and even managed to find the time to snap a commemorative photo upstairs in the kitchen.


Thanks for stopping by, Uncle Jack! We hope to see you back in the City of Sin sometime soon!