Leaving Las Vegas

This year for Christmas, we left the Vegas lights for a road trip to Tucson. It was a blast! I fell down Mt. Lemmon, got thrown out of a cave, and ruined a perfectly innocent apple pie.

We drove and of course road trips are cool in their own right. In Tucson, we visited some of the parks outside of town. First, we went to Colossal Cave. It's guided tours only but we busted in and explored on our own all over places no one is allowed. It was cool - Berto was the brave one who climbed and explored while Mari and I took pics and dared him. It didn't last too long, though before we were kindly escorted out. We ran into a tour group on the path who was so shocked we went in without a paid guide, which is not allowed. Oh well, we kinda knew but didn't care. It was Christmas and they need better signs to keep Mexicans out. She made us follow her group out which we did. Funniest thing is A.) Berto had just landed back on the trail from going climbing up the caves where you're nowhere near allowed. It was right after he returned to the trail that we got caught and I am grateful we didn't get busted when he was missing - we would have probably had to keep hiding in there until the tour passed. That would've sucked lots. B.) On our way out, the second group coming in had to lean against the cave to let our group out. As our group tailed out, they commented "well that's a large group". Their guide went on to complain as our guide had already informed him about us "Well that's because they found 4 people roaming around in there on their own who weren't supposed to be in here". We laughed but were looked at with shame by our group who knew we had just free loaded. It was so much more fun without a guide!

Later we left the park and drove to Mt. Lemmon, which is very similar to Mt. Charleston near Vegas. (You can live in the desert but a short drive up a mountain and you're in beautiful, green land with snow in the winter and tall trees year round). We had a blast playing in the snow. Berto abused Wanda, my car, with a snowball. I fell down the hill after landing on my ass and sliding down in embarrassment. But it was beautiful driving up and back down. The sunset over Tucson is amazing from up there.

Thanks to Mari and Cesar for inviting us down for Christmas. We had a blast!!!