A new trip to.the south west US

Time to restart my blog! We are in the southwestern U.S. on a tour of the national parks and having such a wide range of experiences that I'll forget it all if I don't write it down. I'm touring with Ian and Kathleen (with whom we stayed in New York before flying out here -- more on NY later). Five days into the tour and we have run out of adjectives.  We have only travelled across the bottom edge of one state so far (Utah) but the sense of space, of immensity, and of our infinitesimal place in nature, is very strong. Space -- and time -- because this is a region where you come face to face with the workings of the earth over geological timescales, with layer upon layer of sediments deposited miles deep, but here exposed to view.  But enough waffle! On to 

DAY ONE

We flew out of JFK to Las Vegas, which we dashed through like a nun in a brothel, our aim being to see the wonders of nature, not the excesses of Mammon.

We did cruise the Strip, which nowadays seems more Disneyland than ever.  Soon though we were out on the interstate across the Arizona desert, heading for our first night stop, just across the border into Utah, at St George.

A very pleasant little clapboard housed, picket fenced place, dominated by its whited sepulchre of a Mormon church, all under an immense red sandstone cliff.  Temperatures were tropical after New York and there was time for a dip in the hotel pool.  We found a surprisingly good restaurant with a panoramic view of the cliffs and watched as the sun set, shadows moving across the cliff, then the light twinkling on in the town below.  We were also introduced to the delights of Utah's microbreweries: it turns out they produce some fine IPAs and porters.  Come to Utah for craft beer -- who knew?  The omens seemed good for our trip.