Aug 8^th

After leaving San Francisco, we drove down Rt 1 to St. Luis Obispo. What a gorgeous drive, right along the Pacific Ocean, pretty winding and steep as we went along the coast. We saw sea lions and seals along the way, sunning themselves on the cliffs. St. Luis Obispo is a beautiful town, filled with incredible, colorful flowers and Spanish-style houses. We visited the mission bearing the same name as the town and caught the last few minutes of the catholic mass being held in the mission’s church. The grounds of the mission were simple, but very pretty with a large outdoor kitchen, an arbor with grape vines and a rose garden. After leaving, we headed down route 58 for Las Vegas. We got into the city fairly late and decided to make a late night of it and hit the strips after we set up camp. We walked through several of the casinos, including Caesar’s Palace, The Venetian and Treasure Island. The venetian was hands down the coolest, with the indoor canal and gondolas, the ceiling painted to look like a sunny blue Italian sky and the storefronts mimicking the shops and cafes in Venice. All in all, we found the whole city to be a little overwhelming to the senses, lots of lights, sounds and soooo many things to look at. We’re glad to be heading on to the natural wonders offered by the Grand Canyon.