DAY 4

As usual, we woke at 6:30 am and slowly went through our morning routines.  I always make coffee and Walter checks weather and news either on t.v. or if we have wifi, on the internet.  But perhaps Walter had over-revved with driving and was feeling “off” this morning.  We packed up and went to the restaurant for our complimentary breakfast.  He ordered a bowl of oatmeal, hoping the bland food would sit well.  I had cream of wheat porridge and toast and fruit but it was a hearty order!  After fueling up our Jetta Diesel TDI (having only spent about $60 since leaving Regina), I merged onto the Interstate at about 8:30 am. 

I got the easy shift of driving, as the traffic was light and the scenery was amazing.  The road stretched ahead and I felt myself relax and enjoy the morning.  We listened to Neil Diamond for about an hour, singing along and feeling pretty mellow.  Then we switched to Louis L’Amour. 

The freeway began to rise, then curve a bit more.  I was managing okay for a prairie driver.  Soon, I found myself in the middle of mountains, and cliffs, and a few semi-trucks.  I didn’t panic but I gripped the steering wheel tighter and took the cruise control off completely.  Then, the four-lane highway turned into two through some construction and a very twisty, hilly stretch.  The sign had said 11 miles of this type of conditions and I breathed a prayer! 

Walter coaxed and complimented me along and I kept going.  The red, jagged mountains and awesome formations were all around me but I couldn’t appreciate it all like I could if I were riding shotgun!  Finally, we emerged onto desert terrain and with a big exhale, I dared smile and relax. 

The next major stop would be Mesquite (Arizona or Nevada?) and I announced I would need a bathroom stop.  Fortunately, Walter was feeling much better and would be taking over the driving as we were about to arrive in Las Vegas very soon.  Whew!

From the beauty of the mountains to the austerity of the desert terrain, we took in the amazing handiwork of our God.  We noticed some haze ahead smudging the outline of a large city.  A yellow-gray smog hung over Vegas.  We didn’t plan to stop there but managed to find our turn –off from Interstate 15,  highway 93 and Hoover Dam.  It took a lot longer than I thought to drive through Las Vegas and I gawked at the casino signs, billboards and interesting architecture of the homes that whizzed by along the freeway.  And then we saw the sign for “Hoover Dam”.

I was both nervous and excited to see this amazing modern day engineering feat!  Our son, Daniel, had seen this sight on one of the Mission Mexico trips he took when in youth group.  He described his knees feeling like jelly, his heart racing and eyes blurring!  I think he gets his fear of heights from me.  So I wondered how I would respond to the view.

As we wound our way up and around to the dam’s tourist entrance and parking, the sheer rugged cliffs and huge power lines and supports were awe-inspiring.  We paid the $10 for parking.  Then we walked to the paved crossing that runs along the top of the dam.  All that separated me from the hundreds of feet of concrete angling steeply down towards the Colorado River was 2 or 3 feet of cement ledge, about 4 feet high.  I walked on the inside while Walter looked over and took pictures.  I  finally ventured closer and looked over the edge:  Wow!  I backed away, feeling my heart pick up pace and my need to swallow and breathe deeply!  Yup!  Still afraid of heights!

We didn’t bother purchasing any tickets for the exhibits nor buy into the tourist traps. The sight itself was enough.  We strolled along, looking also at the reservoir behind the dam, and noting the time zone clocks for both Nevada and Arizona as we crossed over the line and back again.  

Returning to the parking lot, I looked once more out over the expanse and then realized that spanning it was a bridge with traffic crossing regularly.  Walter figures it had to be 4 or 5 hundred feet above the river.  And sure enough, we would be crossing over it too, once we wound our way back out to the highway- more jelly legs and racing heart!  

I lived to tell about that experience – in fact, when driving across that bridge, there is no way to see over the concrete side rails.  You can only look ahead or above. 

We carried on towards Phoenix, which was about 3 hours away.  It felt like the miles took forever to pass, as we drove by endless scrub brush, the odd mobile home or RV out on the flat.  We stopped for fuel and something to drink with still an hour or so to go.  Then the signs of a bigger metropolis loomed ahead and we pressed on into Phoenix, or the suburbs thereof at about rush hour!  We only had a couple turns to make to arrive at the retreat centre so the growing flow of traffic wasn’t too overwhelming for Walter, the seasoned driver!

Just as the sun was dropping below the mountain range behind us, we pulled in to the Southwest Indian Ministry Centre.  We called Gay, who drove over immediately to the main office to meet us with a key and directions.  She led the way to our suite with her golf cart.  Gladly, we brought our luggage and odds and ends into the suite and plopped them on the floor.  We’d unpack later.  First, we wanted to take a walk and find some food at a nearby Wal-Mart.  The air smelled earthy, the birds were sending out their nighttime calls and the warmth enveloped us.  It was glorious.