Day #1 Atkins Go West 2.0 –Adventure of a Lifetime Continued…(May the Forest Be With You!)

June 9, 2017 – Knoxville to Vegas to Zion National Park (Hurricane)

Atkins Go West 2.0 –Adventure of a Lifetime Continued…(May the Forest Be With You!)

Weirdest thing we saw:  A restless man on the plane kept complaining that he was hot.  He would ask for a cup of ice and would slowly melt the ice in a systematic pattern on the little paper napkins and then would rub his shaved head with the cold napkin.  He did that no less than 1,230 times!  I couldn’t look away.  It was so stinking weird.  Also, I saw a cigarette machine in the restaurant...so weird because I hadn't seen one in years!!!

Funniest thing we heard: “They won’t take me alive!”  -Benjamin

“Now I know what the phrase up above the world so high means!” –Joe-Nicholas

Kids spontaneously humming the X-files theme song when we saw really unusual formations in the mountain side in Arizona.

Most memorable moment of the day:  Driving in the Nevada desert at sunset.  The colors of the sky were unbelievable.  It turned the most beautiful color of lavender.

Captain’s Log:  After a looonnnggg morning packing (and random trips to Lowes, Chick fil a, the bank,  and Walmart), we left the house on our way to the airport.  Nana graciously rode with us so that we didn’t have to leave a car at the airport.   

On the way, the boys were getting more and more anxious and excited about flying on a plane.  Their first obstacle was getting through security!  They were both crazy nervous about making the “machine” beep and being asked to step aside…they watch way too much TV.  Benjamin declared that if the buzzer went off on him, “They won’t take me alive!”  He was totally cracking us up. 

The airport went smoothly and the plane ride was amazing.  

We kept track of what states we were flying over with an app on Chris’s phone.  

The kids were amazed with seeing the Grand Canyon from the plane.  

It really is a beautiful sight.  As we landed, we held our arms up in the air as if riding the Wild Eagle!  It was our way of taking the fear of landing off the boys and it seemed to work!  The boys got the special treat of seeing the cockpit because it was their first flight!

After FINALLY getting our baggage and rental car, we ate at a local pub and diner, Winchell’s.  

The manager looked as if he had been part of the cast in an old casino movie.  The kids were so amazed that Las Vegas allows smoking in the restaurants.  Vegas allows a lot of stuff that we just don’t see in Tennessee!

We drove down the Vegas Strip on our way to Hurricane, UT to spend our first night.  The kids LOVED all the buildings and signs and sights.

The Utah and Nevada desert were beautiful.  

We drove about 2 ½ hours north of Las Vegas to Hurricane, UT to spend the night in a super nice Wingate hotel that just opened this year.  The kids quickly crashed and we have a lot of adventures to look forward to tomorrow!