Monday, February 17, 2014, Move to Pahrump, NV

Another easy moving day - this time to Pahrump, NV. We had pretty nice secondary roads for most of the 150-mile journey (7,059.2 trip/66,540.3 total). Along the way, there was no shortage of beautiful scenery.  

The color in the mountains was just gorgeous and so unlike anything that can be seen in the eastern United States. It is difficult to comprehend the scale of things - mountains are so high and the air is so clear you can see for many dozens of miles.

We passed the southern end of Spring Mountain Ranch State Park. We watched a program about hiking in the area that specifically highlighted Red Rock Canyon in this park. It is just an easy 30-minute drive from Las Vegas, so maybe we will get there before we leave the area.

Below is the view from the couch at our site in Wine Ridge RV Resort. That is Charleston Peak standing at 11,918 feet elevation. The small amount of snow on top hints at just how dry the winter has been out here.   

Since the resort includes a winery, they named all of the streets after a wine. Ours is called Desert Blush which I thought had a nice ring to it. We are only a few steps away from the pool and spa, the laundry facilities and the clubhouse where we will have waffles every morning - Life is Good!

Friday, February 14, 2014, Hike to Grapevine Canyon Petroglyphs, Laughlin, NV

It has been nearly a week (still in Silver View RV Resort in Bullhead City, AZ) since the last entry which might make you think we have been falling behind on the blog, but not so. What we have done is to become immersed in the snowbird lifestyle. People winter here for the climate (and maybe, the casinos) but little else. Joani has researched extensively all options in the area and we are in a location that has very few natural attractions.  

So, we have followed the locals lead and made the most of our outdoor recliners. We have spent a lot of time enjoying the fresh air and sunshine, reading and waiting for spring. We wave as neighbors walk by or sometimes stop to chat for a few minutes. I don't think this is exactly what we had in mind when we decided to travel, so hopefully, we will find more to do at our next stop.

One of the very few hikes in the area was through Grapevine Canyon. It was about 15 miles from camp and only the last two miles were a gravel road. We were in need of some good exercise and this hike did not disappoint!  

 Just a quarter mile through a wash to the entrance of Grapevine Canyon.

There were a lot of rocks covered with petroglyphs hundreds of years old. I wondered if teenage Indians long ago were marking their territory with gang signs or if maybe it was the equivalent of high school seniors declaring the "Class of 520 AD" to be the best.

A placard tells us, "Grapevine Canyon, located within Spirit Mountain, is one of the earliest and largest petroglyph sites in Southern Nevada."

There was no clearly marked trail and we often found ourselves wondering if we had reached the end. Then we would climb over some big rocky area and find a way to continue on. There were a few places where we followed low paths through thick grapevines for 20 or 30 yards. They seemed more like game trails than hiking trails. It was probably good that the grapes had not leafed out yet or it would have been more like tunneling than hiking.

 Ready to burst into bloom?

 A barrel cactus skeleton. 

A mile or so from the car we sat for a few minutes and enjoyed the absolute silence of the desert. An occasional bird call or the gentle breeze rustling the foliage only added to the tranquility we experienced there. Although there were maybe ten cars in the parking area, no one ventured as far into the valley as we did, so we were utterly alone - it was certainly worth the effort.

 You feel like you are far removed from civilization, and then you see this...

 We saw a splash of red and were intrigued!

We were fooled by a prankster.  Overspray is a dead give away!

Ouch! My knee bumped a cholla cactus, but it could have been worse!

 Back at the entrance, the petroglyphs deserved further examination.

 David spotted this rock high on the hill.

I think this climb at the end of our hike is the reason I was so stiff the next morning!

Saturday, February 8, 2014, Davis Dam on the Colorado River, Laughlin, NV

There were not a lot of hiking options in the Laughlin, NV/Bullhead City, AZ, area (clearly, people visit for the gambling, not the exercise) but Joani found one nice paved walkway that took you to Davis Dam on the Colorado River. I do not know who is responsible for the walkway and grounds, but they obviously have an unlimited budget. I'm sure there were millions tied up in the pedestrian walkway across the highway. All along the trail, there were shaded picnic facilities and at the dam, there was a huge new playground and an outdoor amphitheater. We enjoyed the walk.

Friends, Ron and Beth, met us at the dam and offered us a ride back. They introduced us to "In-N-Out Burger" where we had lunch - mine was the double-double and fries - Mmm! We decided to walk a few more miles along the river on the Riverwalk.  

I tried a night shot of the casinos in Laughlin. I think it pretty well represents the view we have from our campground in Bullhead City, AZ.

Friday, February 7, 2014, Don Laughlin’s Classic Car Museum, Laughlin, NV

Don Laughlin's Riverside Casino in Laughlin, NV, houses the Don Laughlin’s Classic Car Museum. "Over 80 of the world's most distinctive automobiles" are on exhibit from private collections. 

Normally, I would not pay much attention to a motorcycle, but this one had a story. I was not clear if Emilio Scotto started the journey to have something to write about or if he decided to write a book to remember the journey (like our blog). He certainly had a wide array of experiences - some, I'm sure, he enjoyed and some he simply endured.  

I wonder if, back in the day, there might have been some connection between Ford and a certain bus company?  

The Buick, Model 56, 2 door Coupe below takes the prize for the most ostentatious hood ornament, but then I think it was probably my favorite car. There were only 1,321 of these beauties produced in 1933 and each sold for $995. This one included the rumble seat option so the kids could go along for a ride. With an 86 horsepower straight eight, I'm sure this baby would scoot anytime they found smooth pavement.

The 1914 Ford Model T truck below featured "mechanical turn signals." You can see the signal indicating a left turn. For a right turn, the hand pivots so the fingers point up. I think I know why this never caught on - standard hand signals would have been less effort.

Back in the casino, Joani was ahead for a while, but like most people who visit, she played until she lost it all back to the house.

If there was a riverboat the size of the Colorado Belle, I'm sure it would be the world's largest - that place was huge!

The view from high upon our hill at Silver View RV Resort in Bullhead City, AZ, was beautiful. An all-around gorgeous day with warm, early February sun, fluffy clouds and blue skies.

I had hoped to fix a dripping water dispenser, but alas, the sealed unit had to be completely replaced. Joani ordered one she liked online, so it was up to me to install it. The only issue was clearing workspace under the sink - it was a pretty easy installation that took less than an hour (a lot of that was cleaning and re-organizing everything in the cabinet.) I hope that didn't sound like whining and I know retirement has made me soft, but that was probably enough work for a couple of days. 

Old drippy on the left, new shiny on the right