Taylor Guitar Factory

We went to the Taylor Guitar Factory for a tour to see where Derek's new baby, the baritone acoustic came from. As a non-guitar player the tour was still very interesting. Seeing the craftsmanship and care that goes into each guitar was very impressive.

(This is a pile of Koa wood from Hawaii to be cut for guitars. There was a about 10 times the amount you see here)


(Necks-the wood before cutting)


(wood cut for backs)


(fronts cut and ready for inlays around the sound hole-the inlay pieces are all selected and put in by hand)



(Guitars ready to be lacquered)


(Necks with their ebony fingerboards-this is where I put my disclaimer that I really don't know what I'm talking about so these term may be incorrect)


(Bracing under the guitar top. This provides support and creates the tone)










(A colorful array of electric guitars)

Note to self

Note to self: Check the GPS settings before traveling.
Make sure your GPS is set to allow you to take major highways/routes. If not you will end up driving through the desert for 2 hours extra with miles and miles of this:

Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas

I arrived in Las Vegas on Thursday night. After a long flight I felt like eating, so we went for an in-n-out burger...not the best idea, but oh well. With the busyness of the days that we were there, and the fact that you can't take pictures during the shows we went to, it was the 3rd day before I remembered to start taking photos. Day 1 and 2 consisted of shopping, touring around the hotels and going to Cirque du Soleil.

Cirque du Soleil...ahhh...what amazing performances. We went to see KA on Friday night and it was really good. The stage rotated side to side and up and down until, at one point, the stage was fully vertical and the artists were swinging from post to post that were sticking out of the stage. Day 2 saw us at 'O'. This is by far the best cirque du soleil show we have seen. With a stage that moves up and down, divers, water, acrobats, and clowns, it was truly amazing and I would recommend it as a 'must see' when in Vegas.

Day 3-I finally started taking pictures. We drove down to Hoover Dam. Now, it is supposed to be a 45-minute drive, and I'm not sure if it was just the day we went, but it took us a few hours to get there. There was a line-up for miles. Once we got to Hoover Dam though, it was amazing. It had started to rain so we walked briskly, taking a few pics and then hopped back in the truck for a much shorter drive back to Las Vegas.




We had decided to stay this day as an extra day, so we went to Penn and Teller that evening. We didn't really know what to expect, but the show was really great. From guessing which joke 3 people had chosen from random joke books to sawing a lady in half, twice, it was very entertaining. Afterwards, we checked out the Freemont Street Experience. With a giant overhead video screen coordinated to music, it was a fun place to be after dark.


(excuse the look on my face, I was happy to be there, but worried about the crazy lady holding my camera)
On Monday, we packed up (after a bit of shopping), took a picture in front of the Las Vegas sign and left for San Diego.