Monday morning, we returned to the Grand Canyon. We arrived around 9 AM and went back to the South rim. Yesterday afternoon we had gone to the Eastern side of the South rim and today we went west. It was a beautiful clear day, super breeze and a really comfortable environment. The crowds were far less than I have ever seen in the park before. We saw lots of animal including several elk and mule deer. The size of the Canyon is mind boggling, over two hundred miles long, ten miles wide and a mile deep. The park rangers described the coming of the first Europeans. Evidently the first conquistadors arrived in 1540. After failing to get down the canyon walls, they only made it about one fourth of the way, they declared the canyon as impassable. Interestingly the leader wrote in his diary that the Colorado River was only six feet wide. I think that land surveying was probably not his high suit. The river was ten miles away and another 5,000 feet down. In crystal clear air distances can be deceiving at the point he described the river was in fact 400 feet wide. The ranger said the Spaniards decided that inasmuch as they had found neither gold nor the fountain of youth, they would wrap it up and go home. No other Europeans would see the canyon until more than two hundred years had passed.Leaving the park we took a short excursion along US Route 66. We saw some wonderful old cars and buildings. Most surprising of all, I stopped to buy gas and an attendant came out and pumped the gas and cleaned my windshield. Jeannie insisted on taking a picture of the old fashioned gas pumps and of the guy cleaning our windshield. She remarked that her children had not seen either the pumps or a full service gas station. Strange isn't it, the first self service station I ever saw was in Oklahoma, I was 26 years of age and never had a clue that full service would soon disappear.Las Vegas was a short three and a half hour drive. Along the way, we passed a dry river bed with a sign indicating it was called "Rattlesnake Wash" Jeannie was driving and asked if I had been able to read the sign, I replied that I had read it, but as far as I was concerned those bad boys would have to bathe themselves. Don't like snakes never have. About an hour later I found out Kingman, Arizona is proud of their favorite son, Andy Devine. There is an Andy Devine post office and an Andy Devine avenue. I don't know why it hit me as funny but it did. Every Saturday morning Wild Bill Hickok (played by Guy Madison) and his comical sidekick Jingles (played by Andy Devine) were brought to us by Kellogg’s Sugar Pops. I was about ten years old and was in front of that old black and white Zenith living every hokey adventure right along with them. Yep, back then, Sugar Pops were tops. Jeannie reminded me that some of you reading this were not even born then. Thanks for making me feel even older. Neither was I, but Jeannie has told me about it. This was a joke, I hope you are laughing, Jeannie is not.We arrived in Las Vegas around mid afternoon and checked into the hotel. It is a great room with wonderful facilities. After unloading the car and refreshing ourselves we went to another place recommended by the Food Network's Guy Fieri, the Four Kegs Sports Bar and Grill. When Fieri was a student at UNLV the owner gave him a job and fed him. The owner came to Vegas from Brooklyn 32 years ago. He was an Italian who had served as a chef in several New York restaurants. He opened Four Kegs and offered Stromboli as the specialty of the house. Jeannie and I both ordered the dish and it was everything it was cracked up to be. The secret is the crust; it is made fresh at least twice daily. It is also used in their pizza, I can't speak for the pizza but the Stromboli is great. The filling is comprised of Italian sausage, pepperoni, ham and mozzarella with a marinara dipping sauce, all of it fresh and good. As a result of this trip I continue to be astounded by the impact of the Food Network. The waitress at Four Kegs was typical of the people we have talked with. She said that after appearing on the network their business increased by at least fifty percent. Some places we visited said their sales doubled, three years later the increases have been maintained. As an example, the Four Kegs has a map with pins indicating where their customers come from. The map is covered, and I mean literally covered with pins. Additionally they have had people from over two dozen different foreign countries come into the bar and cite Fieri as the reason they are there. The waitress told us about Nine Japanese tourists who came straight from the airport to the bar. She said they all were clutching Fieri’s book and knew one word of English, "Stromboli". Is that an English word? Probably not. While we were there two different couples came in and took pictures of the large poster of Guy Fieri hanging in the restaurant. One year ago I had never watched the Food Network. I used to ridicule the whole idea of people watching other people cook. That was before I purchased a chef's knife, and had an inkling of what chipotle peppers in an adobe sauce can do for an ordinary cut of meat. I thought that a road trip of over six thousand miles tasting food recommended by a guy who wears flip flops and has spiked, bleached hair would strike people as being unusual…Instead the response has been “oh, you’re doing that too?” I said, you mean others have been in? Invariably they respond, “oh yeah, happens all the time.” Damn, damn, and triple damn I had thought we would be the only ones. Okay, it gives me something to shoot for, next year we have to be more extreme.
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