Proverbs 16:6 By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.
The notification from American Airlines has arrived, letting me know that in 24 hours, I will be swapping out the desert ๐ heat ๐ฅต for the Pacific Northwest. It will be the final stop โ๏ธon the 2026 Family and Friends tour, and we have five or six folks to break bread ๐ with !
Howard Mayo and his Motovational Nugget for the Day will appear here shortly.
Three faces from the crowd that made me smile yesterday !
Young Washington was an incredibly well told story that makes someone from the Commonwealth proud !
Messi plays Soccer โฝ๏ธ on another level and my favorite female singer of All-Time turned 80.
Tracy and Ash are both safely back in Missouri now. The next group of folks will include my Bride ๐ฐโโ, one daughter, one grandson, one pick-six member โ๏ธ a Father & Son duo that fall under the category of extended family !
ย Lin will be leaving Missouri for the first time in over 100 days, and meeting her again will be different.
24 hours left in the Desert ๐, what are you going to do with it ???????
Bonus points earned for anyone who can correctly identify the five(seven) young ladies pictured above that went on to play softball for the Lady Cavaliers !
Driving experience, gift shop, and taking a tour of the Nascar facility are amongst your fun options here !
Much more 2 follow !
Exit 64 – Great Basin National Park
Exit #93
#118, 120 & 122 – Mesquite
It’s time to play a little catch-up now that the mental tour bus has parked at Casablanca Resort in Mesquite, Nevada!
TV ๐บ Screen the size of a house ๐ for the World ๐ Cup Soccer game between Argentina ๐ฆ๐ท and England ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟGame Time โฒ๏ธ !!!
Mesquite is a fun filled border town on I-15 just before the Arizona border. The time moves from Pacific to Mountain time.
Mesquite sits at 1,600 feet and has a population of 25,000. Three casinos ๐ฐ and a handful of top shelf golf โณ๏ธ courses combine to make it a fun stop โ๏ธ.
The Casablanca is a throwback type of casino, much like the ones that are being replaced back in Las Vegas. It has an awesome swimming pool , first rate spa, and a multitude of restaurants to choose from.
Virgin River is its sister casino across the interstate, and Eureka is the rare employee owned facility. Parks and trails ๐ฃ are throughout the city. Mesquite might not be a stand-alone destination point, but it’s a great layover to escape the heat or, as is the case today, watching the World Cup on a 20 foot x 20 foot screen !
Welcome ๐ to Mesquite !
12:25 PDT – Hydration Break, still 0-0.
Going backward now, the Valley of Fire ๐ฅ lives up to its name. The State Park sits south of the interstate and is massive in size. Hence, you can get to it by exits 75 and 93. While the drive ๐ thru version is worthwhile, the next level beauty is found on the hiking trails.
But it’s worth noting ๐ that if it’s your plan to hike, it needs to be either early in the morning or late in the day. 17 slow ๐ miles to the West entrance (Exit 75).
33rd minute – England ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ just wide on a free kick! Still 0-0.
12:49 – Halftime, 0-0.
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Great Basin National Park – the ginormous venue sits on the Nevada side of the Nevada – Utah Border. It can be reached from Las Vegas or St. George, but if you choose to visit this particular Natty, I suggest that you do your research ahead of time because it is somewhat isolated. My hike up there was very memorable, but the altitude might not be enough for everyone.
Lake Mead National Recreation Area is another humongous place that can be easily accessed on your southwest trip because of its proximity to Hoover Dam & the West and South Rims of the Grand Canyon. Buying a ticket ๐ on the Riverboat there made for a fun day !
When you leave Mesquite heading North, you are in for a treat. The corner of Arizona you cut across is only 30+ miles, but the last 20 is AMAZING. The best way to describe it is comparing it to driving through the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
Next up will be the Welcome to Utah sign, and the Bee Hive state grabs your attention immediately !
Time โฒ๏ธ for the second half !
What a 47th minute for Argentina ๐ฆ๐ท, still 0-0
55th minute : England ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ๐ฌ๐ง leads 1-0. Kane started it, Rogers to Gordon…
England, with the defensive play of the tournament !
69th minute – Messi with a great feed for a header, but WOW, what a save !
2nd Half water ๐งbreak
76th minute – another point saves (2) by the England ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ๐ฌ๐ง keeper ! Still, 1-0
77th – just wide for Argentina ๐ฆ๐ท
85th minute – Messi to #24, Fernandez….
Goooooooooooooooooooooal
Breaking News : This Messi kid has chops !
92nd minute – Messi to #22, Martinez…2-1
What a Match !!!!
Fun, Fun watch !!!!
Argentina ๐ฆ๐ท versus Spain ๐ช๐ธ on Sunday!
2:03 pm – PST
Now, back to the tour..
Pool area at Casablanca!
It’s worth noting ๐ that during the summer โ๏ธ months, the Virgin River offers clean hotel ๐จ rooms for as little as $45.00+ tax. They have more than 1 pool for swimming ๐โโ๏ธ and a bowling ๐ณ alley. Whether it’s for an extended break or overnight in your way to Utah…..
Check out the mountains โฐ๏ธ in the background because in 20 minutes, you will see ๐ them in a different light.
Mile marker 13 to the Utah state line (MM30) is a mixture of water ๐ง, desert ๐ and mountains โฐ๏ธ. The trouble is that it is very hard to drive ๐ and attempt to capture the rugged beauty at the same time.
Still only 2 hours of driving ๐ from the Strip and you have reached our Home ๐ก away from Home ๐ก, St.George !
There are 10 solid options from here, but begin with the city of St. George and places like Dixie Rock ๐ชจ.
Morning ๐ BrewTravis Osborne and his Bible Verse of the Day :
Proverbs 15:15 All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.
Howard Mayo and his Motovational Nugget of the Day :
The latest guest star on the 2026 Family and Friends Tour is set to exit, Stage Left as sister-in-law, Tracy Mellis flies back to Missouri here in a bit.
Tracy is a kind soul who spends every spare minute of her life taking care of her now 88 year old Mother ๐ฉ in O’Fallon.
There are five more guests left to see ๐ when the tour makes it final stop โ๏ธup in the Pacific Northwest.
Another gem ๐ on the list of day trips for Las Vegas is a visit to Mount Charleston. The prestigious cliff is located within 60 minutes of the airport ๐ซ and offers hiking, sightseeing ๐and a significant temperature ๐ก drop !
