The day purposefully started off late with Pam making yet another executive decision the night before to let the girls sleep in before we headed off to the Hoover Dam our way back to Phoenix. Originally we were going to go on the Hoover Dam tour. After realizing that taking two first time goers to Vegas and showing them the sights smooth wore our arses out, Pam declared that she didn't give a damn about the dam tour and walking over it would have to suffice!
We loaded up and packed the car yet again for another adventure. After a quick stop to grab some breakfast, it was apparent that Delano was representing a tired protest and a hard push to win the Grumpiest Kid of the T,rip award.
We hit the dam only to realize that it was a damn long walk down the Arizona side of the mountain and we would have to hike back up again in damn hot heat from hell. So here we were with one kid who's "Give-a-Damn" was broken, another kid who wanted to see the dam and two tired parents who had already seen the damn dam on a previous trip and were just ready to hit the damn road again!
Since Pam decided there would be no dam tour, she put me in charge as the tour guide since I had once saw an episode of the Hoover Dam on the History Chanel ten years prior. AK was eager to learn such misled information such as "lots of people died building the dam, most of them who died got stuck in the concrete, and that it took a damn long time to build the dam." With Delano still protesting, the history lesson over and the heat raising; I grabbed Delano and threw her on my back piggy back style so we could get the hell out of the heat and off the damn dam!
Pam decided that sweet Delano could not win the Grumpiest Kid of the Trip award so she decided to let her ride shotgun and eat sunflower seeds as we rode down the road. The trip to Phoenix was only four hours long, but seemed like a lifetime in the car. We finally made it to our destination with four tired, grumpy family members who were ready to be out of the car and somewhat away from each other.
We decided that we would stay at a Hilton resort for our last night. The decision proved to be a good one as the girls were excited about going to the water park at the resort. Pam and I were equally thrilled to float on the lazy river and drown ourselves in beers.
After several hours of floating we grabbed some pizza and called it a night. The damn Hover Dam, driving four hours and the lazy resort river had given this family all it could handle for one day.
Day 6:
It was determined that we needed to hit the road no later than 8:00 am Phoenix time. This meant that we would have to be up and ready by 7:00 in order to eat the free breakfast from Hilton. I had an email from Hilton earlier in the trip to find out that I have finally reached my highest achievement so far in life. I am now a Gold Member of Hilton!
Delano was still in rare form as nothing looked good and her pleasant demeanor was a breath of sunshine for us all. The whole family was nothing but excited to get back in the car for another long and treacherous drive!
Once again she got to sit in the front seat as we headed 10 and a half hours home! The journey was long and hard. It didn't help that all of the businesses in Van Horn were shut down because the electricity was out. The poor girls had to learn new meaning to the words, "Hold it!"
We finally rolled into Midland at 8:30 pm Texas time. The girls were happy to be home, but not as happy as their puppies were to see them!
The girls did love all the travel and the best quote from the trip award came from AK as she declared this years trip "The best vacation that we have taken yet!"
After traveling to seven cities, seeing the worlds largest hole in the earth, being high centered in a not-so-high river, witnessing breath taking views, hanging out with lumberjacks in Flagstaff, seeing Vegas through the eyes of newbies, losing my superhero status and regaining my superhero status, taking down Vegas by way of the buffet, getting to hang with Michael Jackson, meeting the cardboard version of Rick, not going on the damn dam tour, but getting to see the dam in the damn heat, eating endless burgers, tacos and pizza, several ice cream cones, drinking some well calculated beers, lots of smiles, laughs and even some funny smells coming from the back, Pam made the last executive decision and declared The Desparrois Family Trek Across the Southwest complete after driving 2461.2 miles in the car for a total of forty-one hours, four minutes and 7 seconds. Pam was pleased to get back a few days early to prepare for her big conference and for the much eager awaited arrival of our good friend Rita Reeder!
No comments:
Post a Comment