Last night to celebrate my birthday my wife bought me tickets to see Jackson ONE by Cirque du Soleil at the Mandalay Casino. It was right next store. You can see it from my room at the Excalibur Casino. Giving myself plenty of time I thought that I would walk the 2 blocks. Well, Las Vegas is not a walk friendly place, but after 45 minutes of scaling fences and walking through parking garages I arrived with 15 minutes to spare.

My seat was in the 2nd to last row. It was a popular show, and Kim did just get the tickets yesterday. Here is what the stage looks like.

So I was a little apprehensive about being soo very high up in the nose bleed seats. Well I shouldn’t have, and I have to say it was the best performance that I have ever seen in my now 72 years! All I can say is WOW!

If you like loud, and I do mean loud music, bass like I have never heard before, than this I the show to see. I come from a family that have some very fine stereo systems, and they like to play their music very loud, but this was 10 times louder. The lights, oh my, they were something to see, and the special effect were genius.

Best Birthday ever!

You know that they say, “That you don’t take a trip, a trip takes you.” Once you realize that and just lean back and enjoy the ride, The trip will begin to happen, and what a ride it has been.

My goal was to drive one of the prettiest highways in the country Hwy 12 in Utah. Check!

The other one was to visit Capital Reef National Park. I did that twice. Check!

This morning I was one of the first people in the park. I got to walk up a narrow canyon pass all alone for 3 1/2 hours before I saw another human being. What fun, just me and my camera.

Photos to follow.

Then I camped in one of the National Parks free camping areas. Once again it was just me with the closest light being well over a mile away. I got to fly my drone-photos to follow- and then, I got up at 3:30 am to photograph the Milky Way!

Check mate!

I startled my day in a nice comfy warm motel. I left early in the morning because I had heard that there was a white stone arch in the Escalante National Forest. Two glorious hours later I discovered I was on the wrong dirt road. An hour late I was on the right one standing in front of this huge arch. All alone, I fired up the drone. It wasn’t acting right, so I didn’t get the fabulous images I was imagining, but still it was a hell of a lot of fun.

After that I drove to Kodachrome State Park, and wouldn’t you know it they had one campsite left. What an incredible jewel this park is, and it lives up to its name EVERYWHERE you turn there is a photo op.

I was just kicking myself for not reserving another night when this huge very loud family pulled in 2 sites down. I love my headphones and music player.

Later I awoke a 3:30 am to a quiet campground and the Milky Way brilliant overhead. I drove off to a secluded dark spot and spent an hour photographing it. Then I checked off another item on my bucket list.

Photos will follow I promise.

Tomorrow it is down the famous scenic Hwy 12.

It’s only 1 pm so it seems a little early to camp, but can I really pass up a sunny, but snowy FREE campsite?

Yes I can and did pass it up, but then everything was already booked when I was finally ready to made a decision, so I wound up in motel. Still it was a good day, and I probably needed a bath anyway.