June 8, 2017

Today we left Las Vegas, sad to leave Liz and Mike but happy to get out of the heat.  I forgot to tell one unusual thing about Hoover Dam.  Everyone, naturally, had to go through security to get into the Visitor’s Center but none of us expected to have to throw out our granola bars.  Evidently they have a terrible mouse problem there, so they have to be sure no one will drop any crumbs inside.

As we left Las Vegas and Nevada, we crossed the new bridge above Hoover Dam.  We had been looking forward to one last view, but the barriers were too high to see over.  I’m guessing they built it that way on purpose so there would be no accidents due to distracted driving.  Disappointing, but a good idea.

Halfway over the bridge we crossed the state line into Arizona.  We arrived in Williams, AZ, the gateway to the Grand Canyon, about 5 hours later.  We went straight to the KOA RV Park on the way to the Canyon.  We parked quickly as we had a 4:30 appointment at Williams Veterinary Clinic for Baby.  She has been coughing since the 29^th and it wasn’t getting any better.  I was sure it was a result of the bath I gave her that day.  We had taken her to our regular vet the day that we left and he couldn’t find anything but gave her an antibiotic shot just in case.  I was a wreck by yesterday, worrying about her but also from lack of sleep as the coughing continued whenever she awoke.

When we took her to the vet in Oregon City, Baby did not cough even once.  Figures.  I was hoping she would cough for this doctor and she did.  He did a thorough exam and then gave her some x-rays.  They showed that she had no pneumonia or heart trouble, good news.  She does have a collapsing trachea which is common in Maltese dogs and no fun.  The doc wanted me to give her antibiotic pills and steroid liquid.  I told him I couldn’t and he said I had to try, and if I really couldn’t get her to take them, they would give her some injections tomorrow.  I told him he had to show me how, knowing what would happen.  She bit me, the vet and two nurses.  He gave her the shots.

Williams is part of the famous Route 66 system.  The town caters to the many visitors to the Grand Canyon by capitalizing on this identity.  We had dinner at Cruiser’s on Route 66, which is a BBQ restaurant with a nice patio and live music.

This KOA is nice enough for a park on the desert.  The dogs don’t like walking on all the gravel and I don’t like the dust, but the facilities are nice and it is on the way to the Canyon.