Utah 2019: Day 14, Final Thoughts

May 14th, 2019
​Las Vegas, Nevada

Day 14

Our last day of the trip took us from Kanab, Utah to the Luxor hotel in Las Vegas so that we could take in a show before returning to Richmond. The show we selected was Love by Cirque du Soleil. Alison was keen on seeing something by Cirque du Soleil and of the seven Cirque shows available in Las Vegas, the Beatles-themed option seemed the most interesting to me.

Now, admittedly, I grumbled a fair amount about the price tag: $130/person for a pair of the least expensive seats available. But, I will say here and now that it was worth every single penny. The choreography, both acrobatic and on the ground, was both innovative and breathtaking. And the music, well, it's the Beatles. People of my generation know every word to every song. 

If you ever have a chance to see Love, do so. You won't be disappointed.

Final thoughts

Having been to a variety of national parks during our two-week vacation, here are our takeaways:

Arches National Park — Skip it

There are arches to see in pretty much every single national park in Utah. The only thing that's unique about Arches National Park is the density; it's got the most arches in one concentrated area. On the downside, it's also got an enormous number of tourists in that same area. Keep in mind, however, that an arch is an arch. You've seen one, well, you get the idea.

​Canyonlands National Park — Don't miss it

Unlike Arches National Park, this national park is large and expansive and offers much of the same geologic wonders as the better-known parks. It's even got an arch as its iconic image.

Capitol Reef National Park — Take it or leave it

Like Canyonlands, this national park draws far fewer visitors than the bigger names, e.g. Arches. The scenery looks a lot like Canyonlands, and so if you're heading in the right direction and have the time, then stop and see it. But, don't make a special trip just to see Capitol Reef.

Bryce Canyon National Park — Don't miss it

This park is quite popular and deservedly so. Whereas most of the other parks offer substantially the same geologic formations (canyons, mesas, buttes), Bryce Canyon offers something unique with their hoodoo amphitheaters. 

Zion National Park — Don't miss it

Even more so than Bryce Canyon, this park is very popular given its proximity to Las Vegas — two hours from downtown Las Vegas to Zion —​ and its extraordinary beauty. You will definitely run into crowds during the high season, like we did, but it is worth putting up with those crowds. The park introduced a mandatory shuttle service 20 years ago that provides access to the major sites in the park. For those of you who have the stamina, make sure to hike Angel's Landing. For those of us with a little less oomph, hit Weeping Rock instead. The latter offered my favorite vista of the entire vacation.

​Grand Canyon West — Skip it

The west rim of the canyon isn't part of the national park. Even though we knew that going in, we were disappointed with what the Hualapai Tribe had to offer. Also skip the south rim of the national park. We didn't go there, but that's because we were lucky enough to be warned ahead of time. The north rim is the place to be.

Photos

​Here are some of the photos we took on our last day of vacation.

Tidbit

Today is my 54th birthday. Did you know that 54 is the international calling code for Argentina? Or that a Rubik's Cube has 54 colored squares?

Mathematically, did you know that 54 is a 19-gonal number, a Leyland number, and a Harshad number? 

​All of this is true. I swear.