The summer has passed and by the colors of the trees fall has announced itself. A high pressure area had settled over the Rockies creating a nervousness and the frequent question "What shall we do?" Having flown up and down the eastern slope of the mountain range the idea emerged to do a short trip through the neighboring states to the West and visit places we normally would just fly over them and register the name on our flight plan as sightseeing opportunities. 
It was October 7 2003 when we packed and filled our tanks.
Then we hopped over the Continental Divide with the dominating peaks and passes. Even for high performance aircraft they can be a challenge in strong wind conditions. Today it was quiet and we enjoyed the starting fall colors.
Then, there were the prominent Winter ski resorts that could not be missed. The ski-runs were carved into the mountain sides, reminding me of rodent trails. Steamboat springs passed under our wings. We had landed there many times and did not want to loose time by descending down into the valley.
Soon the Green River canyon of the Dinosaur National Park came into view, one of the many incredible topographical structures of the Rocky Mountains. Many of the wild waterways are used for river rafting. While from altitude the flow of the water appears like a smooth colored band, up-close, riding a rubber raft or canoe, rapids can be quite a challenge.
Towns being far apart and land of low agricultural value an airport is not a luxury. Whether it is for counting cattle or the Air Ambulance in a time critical situation it is a must. The little town of Dutch John, next to the Flaming Gorge NM, is such a place. Often one just passes overhead. Today, having time we decided to stop. Just a short stop. No fuel is needed but a little pit stop for the body is always convenient.
Relieved we got airborne again, heading west and soon picking up Interstate 80. Avoiding the busy airspace around Salt lake City Airport we passed the big city to the north and headed out over the salty lakes. Compared to today the water level was fairly high. In the west we saw the salt flats with the speedways, a popular site for world records of all sorts of land vehicles.
At the far western end of the salty basin our destination of the day came into view, Wendover. It is a very large complex of runways with a small base facility. The Airport is still in Utah while the gambling town of Wendover is in Nevada. Having travelled in the US you soon learn that accommodation in gambling towns are cheap. The main income is through the games of fortune and you want the visitors stay as long as possible. So we called for a Limo from one of the Casinos and did not mind to wait a little. The time served us well to tie down our aircraft.
In the meantime we also learned that the airfield was a very important base during the end of WW2. It served as the training ground for the Air Force B-17 to practice dropping the atomic bomb. A museum tells the story. Beside that it is said that the field was used during the development of the B-2 Stealth Bomber.
Wendover, actually West Wendover, can not be compared to Las Vegas. Being in the state of Nevada, just like Las Vegas, there is only one larger city nearby that may provide clientele, the greater area of Salt Lake City about 120 miles away along Interstate 80. Follow I 80 West you will find Reno another gambling town, just before you leave Nevada.
We did not expect much. Checking in at the Rainbow Casino and Hotel we got a roll of Nickels with our room key. Some seed money to get started. First we had to freshen up and adjust our attire to the ambiance. Our first impression suggested that we were somewhat in the wrong movie. Most guests were retired couples wasting their Social Security money. When done the husband would pick-up is ladies bag while she grabs the handle of her oxygen cart. Arm in arm looking for the bar.
Our bedroom was large, decorated in red, purple and gold. The most surprising decoration was the large mirror covering the ceiling over the king-size bed. We assumed that watching your own sex above you enhances the joy and satisfaction of staying in town. Going for dinner, we had to cross the slot-machine hall. With the roll of nickel still in our pocket we looked at each other and said, "Why not". To our surprise the exchange rate at one of the one armed bandits was terrific. Soon our cup was almost full with coins, enough for the breakfast the next day.
After a good sleep the weather information and NOTAM, Notice to Airmen, from our computer and off with the limo to the airport. Clear sky greeted us. The destination of the day is along the banks of the Colorado river. The Nevada and Utah airspace is, to a large degree occupied for the Air Force. It has become famous by historical events like speed records, site of the Top Gun training and Area 51 with the Skunk Works building secret aircraft. We used a North-South corridor and landed just for fun in Ely. We seemed to be the only traffic that morning as a sleepy ramp service man greeted us. To give him some business we asked to top off the tanks.
The next leg was south again and then slowly Southeast. Several popular National Parks passed under us such as the colorful Bryce Canyon.. I had a special little airstrip in mind for the stop over night. Marble Canyon, a little tourist stop at the northern side the last bridge across the Colorado River, before the Grand Canyon. It is also a launching point for the rafting trips through the Canyon.
Having done that several years ago we were more interested in the scenic descent along the colorful cliffs to the very modest landing strip. We were the only aircraft to use the crooked runway. After driving some pegs into the ground to secure the plane we grabbed some bags and checked in at the motel nearby. Refreshing ourselves, then we enjoyed a cool drink and admired the colorful sunset.
The morning brought another beautiful day with cool temperatures, perfect for a high performance take off to the top of the cliffs.
The first leg of the day would be short. Using it's full power we climbed out of the canyon and followed the river upstream to the Lake Powel dam. Just next to it was the local airport, our refueling stop. Nothing motivated us to stay. The flight plan was very simple. Low Level sight seeing along the Lake Powell up the Rainbow Bridge and then direct Monument Valley. Lake Powel was created by damming the Colorado River in 1972 and flooding the Glen Canyon. The large lake created a very popular watersports recreation area. Smaller tributary canyons are a magnet for hikers and photographers.
