which we did. The Service Manager, Gilles Gagne, told us it would be a couple of hours to do the full diagnosis, then repair would depend on whether or not they had the parts. If it was a thermostat, no problem. If it was the fan clutch, then the part would have to be shipped in overnight from Memphis. Wouldn't you know - it was the fan clutch.Gilles said the part would arrive between 10 and 12 on Friday and would take 4 hours to install. So, after filling the car with gas, and the coach with diesel, we headed back to the Las Vegas Motorcoach Resort for an additional night, and called our next two destinations to delay our arrival by a day.
Friday, we took the coach in at 9:30 and Gilles said he would start dismantling the fan right away so we could get on our way as soon as possible. 'With that we headed to a shopping mall in Summerlin to pick up a few things. Then the fun started! I was waiting outside the WalMart sitting on a bench with Dixie. The bench was expanded metal with many small holes. Dixie decided to jump off, two of her rear toenails got caught in one of the holes and we were off to the vet. Three and a half hours later and $405 poorer, Dixie was coming out of the anesthetic with a bandaged left rear leg and a load of medication.
No broken bones, but an ugly pair of toenails.We headed back to Freightliner at 2:00 and were greeted by a finished job. I have to say, the Las Vegas Freightliner Oasis dealership, and particularly Gilles Gagne, are to be commended for a job well and quickly done. By 3:00 we were on the road to Glendale, Utah with a somewhat intoxicated Dixie (she slept the whole trip).
Our route out of Las Vegas followed US 15 North, which passes through high desert,
surrounded by mountains. 
It also has some long grades that tested our new fan clutch - success, no overheating! US 15 North passes through a chunk of Arizona and into Utah through the spectacular Virgin River gorge, 
the narrowest gorge I have ever seen. (Find the gorge in the picture) Putting a highway through this piece of rock was a work of engineering genius! The walls of the gorge are almost vertical and the grade quite steep. 
Exiting the gorge, 
one arrives at St. George, Utah, 
a very attractive town surrounded by red sandstone and rock.We then proceeded East on Utah 9 to Hurricane. From here, we chose not to go directly through Zion National Park on highway 9, but rather to head South into Arizona on Utah 59/ Arizona 389 to Fredonia, then North on US 89 to Glendale. The route was longer, but much faster and with less severe hills. The route also parallels gorgeous red mountains
for nearly its full length to US 89.
The sun was setting as we headed up the last 20 miles or so into Glendale and Bauers Canyon Ranch RV Park (elevation 5800 feet). We arrived at what we thought was 6:30, but because we had gone back into Mountain Time, it was really 7:30 and almost dark. We got set up, had a quick dinner and called it a day - what a day - especially for Dixie!
This morning we are taking care of odds-and-ends then we will head into Zion National Park. As you can see in the window of the coach, Suzanne is happy to be here.
I will have photos and commentary later. Until then, Cheers!John, Suz and Dixie the (wounded) Wonderdog
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