New Mexico
In an attempt to stay cool a little while longer, we have been hanging out in New Mexico. For the most part, cooler is a relative statement. Yes, we have needed to run the AC, but not much until noon. Here in Ruidoso this morning going outside felt much better in a sweat shirt and long pants. This afternoon is comfortably warm, the sweats are put away until at least tomorrow morning.
About wind. We could have ridden the winds east from Taos to Lake Chochiti to Corrizozo to Ruidoso, only hitting the gas to veer south or uphill. Camping in Corrizozo on a cliff overlooking the lava beds, Malipais to locals, yielded beautiful sunsets. But even the gusty winds could not keep the gnats from taking over a glass of wine. Russell quipped, "We have returned to fly country." The second night there, we watched sunset from the window as the winds were much worse. The same winds prevented us from having a charcoal fire anywhere in the state. The winds pretty well hindered our efforts to have a propane fire as well. We rose to the challenge of finding a wind block that would allow significant time to char a steak or two.
However, winds rock us to sleep-literally-and keep the temperatures down. The winds create music in the pines that is also restful. The winds of time have carved many of the dramatic vistas that New Mexico has to offer as well. They certainly have been at work at Chochiti Lake to create the "tent rocks" and slot canyon of Kasha-Katuwe. We waved to people who climbed to the top and related to the other geezers who turned around just past mid-way.
We spent yesterday afternoon at the horse races of Ruidoso Downs. Many of those horses were riding the wind, and then there were the ones we bet on. No, we did pick a few winners, but it seems we have a knack for picking the 4th horse to cross the line. Watching the horses as they are guided to the paddock and then on the track is a treat. Trying to bet on the best looking horse is a very tough call.
Tomorrow we head in to Texas for the next month. Our route is I-10 from El Paso to just east of San Antonio before veering north to East Texas. We will be staying at the Escapees Park near Livingston. We have been members of this group since 2008 and never visited before. They handle our mail and we talk to someone there most every week. It will be nice to see where we have officially lived for the last 3 years. After that we head back to central Texas for stops in Waco and Dallas.
Tentative plans have us cruising north to Chicago, Niagara Falls, Vermont, DC and then South Carolina, some of the places we had planned to see last summer. However, as with last summer, sometimes events occur to curtail the best laid plans. We can only plan and hope that all of this will really take place and know that if we are suppose to be some place else, then it is fortunate that we have the flexibility to do that.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Taos, NM
We were back in Taos last week. We had done a day-trip last fall and had another brief visit many years ago. This time, we stayed 8 days and didn't see even half of what is available in this busy town. We had a different focus.
Kyle is a sponsor for the youth group at his church. They spend a week each summer working for Habitat for Humanity either in Taos, NM or Jonestown, MS. Last June we were in Memphis and drove down to Jonestown for a day-trip to lunch with Kyle. This year we were able to spend the whole week in Taos while the group was there.
We really enjoyed hanging out with the 22 high school kids and 4 sponsors. They worked on a foundation for a new house, landscaped at First Presbyterian, and worked the stock at Habitat's re-sale store in Taos. Russell manned a rake to help lay concrete, I manned a camera and held a chair in place. I did have a brief stint as "hose master" keeping the concrete wet and tools clean. Other than that, we visited and enjoyed.
It was wonderful to be with Kyle and see him at work. Of all the accomplishments Russell and I have achieved together, Kyle is by far the very best.
We did a little bit on our own in Taos. Russell dipped a line in the Red River and a small mountain lake before we drove to Albertson's for whole trout. We walked the plaza, farmer's market in Taos, a car rally in Red River, and the ice cream shop in Arroyo Seco. We drove the back roads and enjoyed our RV park. We both had hoped to do more, but the fire haze from eastern Arizona had us feeling sluggish.
We have been to Alpine several times visiting the Rutherford's. I hate to think about those beautiful aspen and ponderosa pine gone for the near future. The poor people who are displaced and possibly homeless have a very long time before their lives are back to normal. How many animals, wild and domestic, have been caught by this 400,000 acre blaze? All of this caused by someone leaving a campfire without checking that it was out. We have done that, but without the disastrous results, fortunately. We have been burned out by someones deliberate actions. Fire touches all of us, usually for the good, but it seems to be a very fine line.
Now we are at a CORPS lake. Cochiti Lake is on pueblo land southwest of Santa Fe. Beautiful and remote. The Cochiti have been here for over 700 years for good reason, it is at the base of the Jemez Mountains along the Rio Grande. The dammed river creates the reservoir and recreation area. The winds here keep the temperature down and create a great place for sail boats and wind surfers. The fire haze is present here as well. Charcoal fires are not allowed at all, quite disappointing since they have really nice grills and picnic areas. We finally broke down and bought a small propane grill. It is a poor substitute. One of the park rangers asked, "Isn't there enough smoke in the air for you?" He does have a point.
And throughout the whole north central New Mexico trek there have been the MAVERICKS! They have just kept on winning in the finals. We were elated last night to take home the championship! I've texted and facebooked Dallas friends through the entire drama. This has been fun. Russell is of the belief that a game 7 would have been even more fun, but I have to disagree with him on that one. GO MAVS!!! It was a great victory for a deserving team.
Kyle is a sponsor for the youth group at his church. They spend a week each summer working for Habitat for Humanity either in Taos, NM or Jonestown, MS. Last June we were in Memphis and drove down to Jonestown for a day-trip to lunch with Kyle. This year we were able to spend the whole week in Taos while the group was there.
We really enjoyed hanging out with the 22 high school kids and 4 sponsors. They worked on a foundation for a new house, landscaped at First Presbyterian, and worked the stock at Habitat's re-sale store in Taos. Russell manned a rake to help lay concrete, I manned a camera and held a chair in place. I did have a brief stint as "hose master" keeping the concrete wet and tools clean. Other than that, we visited and enjoyed.
It was wonderful to be with Kyle and see him at work. Of all the accomplishments Russell and I have achieved together, Kyle is by far the very best.
We did a little bit on our own in Taos. Russell dipped a line in the Red River and a small mountain lake before we drove to Albertson's for whole trout. We walked the plaza, farmer's market in Taos, a car rally in Red River, and the ice cream shop in Arroyo Seco. We drove the back roads and enjoyed our RV park. We both had hoped to do more, but the fire haze from eastern Arizona had us feeling sluggish.
We have been to Alpine several times visiting the Rutherford's. I hate to think about those beautiful aspen and ponderosa pine gone for the near future. The poor people who are displaced and possibly homeless have a very long time before their lives are back to normal. How many animals, wild and domestic, have been caught by this 400,000 acre blaze? All of this caused by someone leaving a campfire without checking that it was out. We have done that, but without the disastrous results, fortunately. We have been burned out by someones deliberate actions. Fire touches all of us, usually for the good, but it seems to be a very fine line.
Now we are at a CORPS lake. Cochiti Lake is on pueblo land southwest of Santa Fe. Beautiful and remote. The Cochiti have been here for over 700 years for good reason, it is at the base of the Jemez Mountains along the Rio Grande. The dammed river creates the reservoir and recreation area. The winds here keep the temperature down and create a great place for sail boats and wind surfers. The fire haze is present here as well. Charcoal fires are not allowed at all, quite disappointing since they have really nice grills and picnic areas. We finally broke down and bought a small propane grill. It is a poor substitute. One of the park rangers asked, "Isn't there enough smoke in the air for you?" He does have a point.
And throughout the whole north central New Mexico trek there have been the MAVERICKS! They have just kept on winning in the finals. We were elated last night to take home the championship! I've texted and facebooked Dallas friends through the entire drama. This has been fun. Russell is of the belief that a game 7 would have been even more fun, but I have to disagree with him on that one. GO MAVS!!! It was a great victory for a deserving team.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Santa Fe, NM
The winds in the southwest have just been amazing, 20mph is a good thing, it gets worse. This keeps the heat down, but makes moving a large vehicle somewhat dicey. Since the velocity tends to pick up as the day gets warmer. So we started our 6 hour drive at 4:30 this am. The increased ease of driving made that early alarm well worth it.
We are back and really enjoying Santa Fe, again. We are even staying at the same park, we liked it so well. Today we arrived in time for lunch, showers and a trip downtown. And what a great trip it was!
Russell saw some commotion on the plaza, so we checked it out. "Odd Thomas" is being filmed and we got to watch part of the movie. Willem Defoe walked into a restaurant. That was it, twice. We talked to the film crew and jockeyed for a good place for pictures. Russell got a really good one after they finished shooting. We followed Willem off the set and down the street for a bit then got on with our own walk. He seemed very personable. Not so much so that he came over and shook hands with us, though. DRAT!
While standing on the plaza craning our necks, I met Ray. What a nice man. We visited about the movie and then he gave me a tip, "the best Santa Fe tip there is." He told us about Tia Sofia, a wonderful breakfast/lunch restaurant that is a favorite with locals. On our way to find it, we happened into a fossil and rock store, Russell's favorite. We visited with the owner who is also a collector. he told us history of a piece and really make it come alive.
A return trip is planned for tomorrow! Can't wait.
We are back and really enjoying Santa Fe, again. We are even staying at the same park, we liked it so well. Today we arrived in time for lunch, showers and a trip downtown. And what a great trip it was!
Russell saw some commotion on the plaza, so we checked it out. "Odd Thomas" is being filmed and we got to watch part of the movie. Willem Defoe walked into a restaurant. That was it, twice. We talked to the film crew and jockeyed for a good place for pictures. Russell got a really good one after they finished shooting. We followed Willem off the set and down the street for a bit then got on with our own walk. He seemed very personable. Not so much so that he came over and shook hands with us, though. DRAT!
While standing on the plaza craning our necks, I met Ray. What a nice man. We visited about the movie and then he gave me a tip, "the best Santa Fe tip there is." He told us about Tia Sofia, a wonderful breakfast/lunch restaurant that is a favorite with locals. On our way to find it, we happened into a fossil and rock store, Russell's favorite. We visited with the owner who is also a collector. he told us history of a piece and really make it come alive.
A return trip is planned for tomorrow! Can't wait.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Winslow & Meteor Crater
After years of driving I-40, really Kyle's first trek was at the age of 5 and we had made several laps by then, we finally stopped at Meteor Crater. This natural landmark is a mere 6m south of the freeway; we should have solved this mystery years ago.
Yesterday we headed over to Winslow to see the town made famous by the Eagles in the 1970's. Turns out that Winslow was the largest town in northern Arizona when the Sante Fe Railroad built a depot and hotel in the 1930's. The hacienda style mansion was designed and built by Mary Colter, a rare female architect at that time. She took every detail to heart and despite a butchering in the 1960's, the labor of love is still impressive. Stars of the Golden Age of film flocked to this locale to rest, play and tour on day trips.
We really did enjoy seeing the restoration of La Posada. The atmosphere is restful and a showcase for local artists. The new owner has taken great pride in showing off the old photos and the new efforts to bring back the glory. Open windows and doors provided a breezy cool on a early June day with a high of 86. The hotel reviews that I read were not great, but it is definitely a work in progress.
We then spent a quick 5 minutes to pay homage to rock music by visiting a corner of old Route 66 that now boasts a guitar playing guy permanently enshrined across from the Standing On the Corner tourist trap. We walked and then drove around to find a cafe in town. From what we saw, La Posada was the only option, we didn't even find a McDonald's. Street construction did not help our efforts to see the town or the town's efforts to keep tourists from leaving.
This morning we visited the meteor crater, a family owned landmark, museum, theater and gift shop. Daniel M. Barringer, a New York mining engineer, bought the land with the belief that it was caused by a meteor and that he could mine the out-of-this-world ore. Did he ever realize that he was only half right? His descendants were persuaded to join forces with a local family to open it to the public. They have been mining the tourist dollar since the 1940's.
The compound is well done and informative. A guide gave a really good presentation and fielded every question. A short movie also helps to explain the event, which happened about 50,000 years ago. This hole in the ground, about a mile wide and 550 feet deep, was caused by a rock about 50 yards in diameter. It dove deep into the ground, hit the water table and exploded to the tune of ten times the magnitude of Hiroshima. It created a debris perimeter of 7 miles. The largest known rock is on display. It is about the size of a doll house and weighs slightly less than a small car. No one knows how much asteroid liter has walked away from here over the years. Most of the remaining debris is dirt sized or smaller.
Scientists and astronauts use and explore this crater. Tourists don't. You can see it from a large window in the museum or brave the winds and walk the sidewalks to several decks. There is a person statue in the bottom that is visible with the telescope, but not unaided. It is a shock to be told that it is there after looking down at it for several minutes completely unaware.
We are very glad that we finally made this stop, anticlimactic after so many years of "we'll go see that one day." Well, this was the day and we can check it off the list.
Yesterday we headed over to Winslow to see the town made famous by the Eagles in the 1970's. Turns out that Winslow was the largest town in northern Arizona when the Sante Fe Railroad built a depot and hotel in the 1930's. The hacienda style mansion was designed and built by Mary Colter, a rare female architect at that time. She took every detail to heart and despite a butchering in the 1960's, the labor of love is still impressive. Stars of the Golden Age of film flocked to this locale to rest, play and tour on day trips.
We really did enjoy seeing the restoration of La Posada. The atmosphere is restful and a showcase for local artists. The new owner has taken great pride in showing off the old photos and the new efforts to bring back the glory. Open windows and doors provided a breezy cool on a early June day with a high of 86. The hotel reviews that I read were not great, but it is definitely a work in progress.
We then spent a quick 5 minutes to pay homage to rock music by visiting a corner of old Route 66 that now boasts a guitar playing guy permanently enshrined across from the Standing On the Corner tourist trap. We walked and then drove around to find a cafe in town. From what we saw, La Posada was the only option, we didn't even find a McDonald's. Street construction did not help our efforts to see the town or the town's efforts to keep tourists from leaving.
This morning we visited the meteor crater, a family owned landmark, museum, theater and gift shop. Daniel M. Barringer, a New York mining engineer, bought the land with the belief that it was caused by a meteor and that he could mine the out-of-this-world ore. Did he ever realize that he was only half right? His descendants were persuaded to join forces with a local family to open it to the public. They have been mining the tourist dollar since the 1940's.
The compound is well done and informative. A guide gave a really good presentation and fielded every question. A short movie also helps to explain the event, which happened about 50,000 years ago. This hole in the ground, about a mile wide and 550 feet deep, was caused by a rock about 50 yards in diameter. It dove deep into the ground, hit the water table and exploded to the tune of ten times the magnitude of Hiroshima. It created a debris perimeter of 7 miles. The largest known rock is on display. It is about the size of a doll house and weighs slightly less than a small car. No one knows how much asteroid liter has walked away from here over the years. Most of the remaining debris is dirt sized or smaller.
Scientists and astronauts use and explore this crater. Tourists don't. You can see it from a large window in the museum or brave the winds and walk the sidewalks to several decks. There is a person statue in the bottom that is visible with the telescope, but not unaided. It is a shock to be told that it is there after looking down at it for several minutes completely unaware.
We are very glad that we finally made this stop, anticlimactic after so many years of "we'll go see that one day." Well, this was the day and we can check it off the list.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Turning 60!
Russell really did all that was possible to make sure I had a gentle landing at 60 this week. We shopped, watched movies, swam, and visited 2 canyon parks in the Las Vegas vicinity. Both were wonderful and we had great hikes.
On Friday morning, the last day of being in my 50's, Russell wished me an early Happy Birthday and told me that the place he had selected for dinner was best on Friday. OK, when and what do I wear?
We arrived at McCormick & Schmick's a little early, so a martini at the bar sounded good, and it was. We were taken to the table and presented with menus that said, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TERRIE!!!" Very Cool! Russell suggested an appetizer, another treat! This evening is going very nicely. But he kept hemming and hawing over the menu, just couldn't decide what to order. The waiter appeared a couple of times just to check on us. Nice.
A masculine hand rested on my back (this waiter is really getting chummy) when I saw Karyn and heard Kyle, "Happy Birthday, Mom." I totally lost all composure! Later Kyle commented that I was trying so hard not to cry and be loud that I resembled the whale mating call. He claimed that lobsters awaiting their diners were looking for me. The three of them completely surprised me. Russell was about to run out of ideas to stall for his son who was again running late. The only non-surprise of the evening!
During our delicious dinner, I learned that K&K had tickets for Barenaked Ladies at the Red Rock Casino that night. I love this very-definitely-clothed-guy band from the 90's. It was a very fun SRO concert outdoors poolside.
Back to the dinner, more was to come. Russell had gotten 4 tickets for the Gladys Knight concert for Saturday. More whale/lobster calling. I had tried to get tickets on line only to find that none were available, so was really shocked by this latest revelation. What a great birthday and it was still a day early.
We had a relaxing day with K&K on Saturday, Russell cooked a wonderful steak dinner here at home and then went to a fabulous Gladys Knight evening. She was amazing! Old songs and new, gospel and rock, torch songs and dancing. Gladys introduced her brother Bubba, a Pip, literally. This 69 year old man sang and danced with an energy I don't think I ever possessed. All 4 of us enjoyed it equally. It was Gladys' 67th birthday. So her band played the usual. Our table sang to me! I don't think Gladys was offended.
We ended our weekend with a Sunday Brunch at Green Valley Ranch Casino before taking Kyle and Karyn to the airport. They were just wonderful to give their weekend to come play with us. Russell outdid himself on this one. The gift of yourself and your time to do things just because another person wants to is really the most loving one possible. I'm still grinning!
Today was laundry and groceries. Tomorrow we are headed east. So life is back to normal. But I really had a very gentle introduction to the 60's. I guess the 6th decade will be just fine!
On Friday morning, the last day of being in my 50's, Russell wished me an early Happy Birthday and told me that the place he had selected for dinner was best on Friday. OK, when and what do I wear?
We arrived at McCormick & Schmick's a little early, so a martini at the bar sounded good, and it was. We were taken to the table and presented with menus that said, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TERRIE!!!" Very Cool! Russell suggested an appetizer, another treat! This evening is going very nicely. But he kept hemming and hawing over the menu, just couldn't decide what to order. The waiter appeared a couple of times just to check on us. Nice.
A masculine hand rested on my back (this waiter is really getting chummy) when I saw Karyn and heard Kyle, "Happy Birthday, Mom." I totally lost all composure! Later Kyle commented that I was trying so hard not to cry and be loud that I resembled the whale mating call. He claimed that lobsters awaiting their diners were looking for me. The three of them completely surprised me. Russell was about to run out of ideas to stall for his son who was again running late. The only non-surprise of the evening!
During our delicious dinner, I learned that K&K had tickets for Barenaked Ladies at the Red Rock Casino that night. I love this very-definitely-clothed-guy band from the 90's. It was a very fun SRO concert outdoors poolside.
Back to the dinner, more was to come. Russell had gotten 4 tickets for the Gladys Knight concert for Saturday. More whale/lobster calling. I had tried to get tickets on line only to find that none were available, so was really shocked by this latest revelation. What a great birthday and it was still a day early.
We had a relaxing day with K&K on Saturday, Russell cooked a wonderful steak dinner here at home and then went to a fabulous Gladys Knight evening. She was amazing! Old songs and new, gospel and rock, torch songs and dancing. Gladys introduced her brother Bubba, a Pip, literally. This 69 year old man sang and danced with an energy I don't think I ever possessed. All 4 of us enjoyed it equally. It was Gladys' 67th birthday. So her band played the usual. Our table sang to me! I don't think Gladys was offended.
We ended our weekend with a Sunday Brunch at Green Valley Ranch Casino before taking Kyle and Karyn to the airport. They were just wonderful to give their weekend to come play with us. Russell outdid himself on this one. The gift of yourself and your time to do things just because another person wants to is really the most loving one possible. I'm still grinning!
Today was laundry and groceries. Tomorrow we are headed east. So life is back to normal. But I really had a very gentle introduction to the 60's. I guess the 6th decade will be just fine!
Monday, May 23, 2011
Valley of Fire State Park
I have read about this terrific park since we were in Vegas last year and really wanted to make the 50m trek to see it this go-round. We had had enough of the urban and made the drive on Sunday afternoon.
Deserts are all different! Seems odd to say, but we had driven northwest a few weeks ago and this drive northeast was way different. You leave town sooner, for one thing. Nellis AFB may be somewhat responsible for that because they occupy most of the area. It is much drier as evidenced by scant, puny vegetation. The surrounding mountains are grassy at best, mostly rock. Not even a Joshua Tree or yucca breaks the landscape. This range is called the Muddy Mountains. I can't imagine how long ago they were ever wet, but the color certainly captures the right image.
None of this prepares you for the splash of reds that break loose once you approach the park. It is reminiscent of Bryce Canyon, Red Rock Canyon or Sedona, but some of the formations are unique. Our first stop was the Beehives, swirly rocks with wild wind/sand-made hash marks that dot the flatter landscape. Past the visitor center you climb into huge red and orange boulders that are streaked in white and broad canvases of black oxidation. A sandy floor with small shrubs and grasses separates formations. We were fortunate that many are still in bloom!
We stopped for a short hike to the Mouse's Tank, named for a Piute Indian infamous to the area. I was excited because this is the trail that boasts the most petroglyphs of the area. We entered with our usual "Get some exercise" approach to a hike no matter where we are. We spotted the first drawings on one of those black surfaces of a rock at about eye level. Wonderful, crude etchings that communicate to us from hundreds of years ago. We began to see more as our eyes got trained. Russell got really good at spotting lone pictures and some that were fading as the black top layer wears away. He really worked to help me see things that were perfectly obvious to him.
We got to the tank, a little bit of water and turned to make our way back to the car. The more we walked, the more these pictoglyphs popped out at us. They were EVERYWHERE! The very best were right at the trailhead. Just goes to show that you have to slow down sometimes.
Our trip was further enhanced by Phillip, Nicholas and their parents. Their Dad had a high-powered zoom and was able to point us to some of the higher art that we would not have seen otherwise. We had to wonder how did those guys get up there? Phillip is 6 and somewhat vocal about the "long" walk of half a mile. But really, walking in sand is way different than a hard top. We enjoyed seeing the walk from his angle.
Our next stop was cut short by the late time and waning energy. We did get to see the wonderful shades of red, purple, yellow, and much more along the Rainbow Trail. We got to see less than half of the 1.75m trek. Next trip! There are about 20 scenic stops on the park map and additional trails. We only got to 3 of them, there will be a next trip!
Pictures to follow, that is another story!
Deserts are all different! Seems odd to say, but we had driven northwest a few weeks ago and this drive northeast was way different. You leave town sooner, for one thing. Nellis AFB may be somewhat responsible for that because they occupy most of the area. It is much drier as evidenced by scant, puny vegetation. The surrounding mountains are grassy at best, mostly rock. Not even a Joshua Tree or yucca breaks the landscape. This range is called the Muddy Mountains. I can't imagine how long ago they were ever wet, but the color certainly captures the right image.
None of this prepares you for the splash of reds that break loose once you approach the park. It is reminiscent of Bryce Canyon, Red Rock Canyon or Sedona, but some of the formations are unique. Our first stop was the Beehives, swirly rocks with wild wind/sand-made hash marks that dot the flatter landscape. Past the visitor center you climb into huge red and orange boulders that are streaked in white and broad canvases of black oxidation. A sandy floor with small shrubs and grasses separates formations. We were fortunate that many are still in bloom!
We stopped for a short hike to the Mouse's Tank, named for a Piute Indian infamous to the area. I was excited because this is the trail that boasts the most petroglyphs of the area. We entered with our usual "Get some exercise" approach to a hike no matter where we are. We spotted the first drawings on one of those black surfaces of a rock at about eye level. Wonderful, crude etchings that communicate to us from hundreds of years ago. We began to see more as our eyes got trained. Russell got really good at spotting lone pictures and some that were fading as the black top layer wears away. He really worked to help me see things that were perfectly obvious to him.
We got to the tank, a little bit of water and turned to make our way back to the car. The more we walked, the more these pictoglyphs popped out at us. They were EVERYWHERE! The very best were right at the trailhead. Just goes to show that you have to slow down sometimes.
Our trip was further enhanced by Phillip, Nicholas and their parents. Their Dad had a high-powered zoom and was able to point us to some of the higher art that we would not have seen otherwise. We had to wonder how did those guys get up there? Phillip is 6 and somewhat vocal about the "long" walk of half a mile. But really, walking in sand is way different than a hard top. We enjoyed seeing the walk from his angle.
Our next stop was cut short by the late time and waning energy. We did get to see the wonderful shades of red, purple, yellow, and much more along the Rainbow Trail. We got to see less than half of the 1.75m trek. Next trip! There are about 20 scenic stops on the park map and additional trails. We only got to 3 of them, there will be a next trip!
Pictures to follow, that is another story!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Las Vegas, NV
Random Thoughts in May
We arrived in gale force winds and chilly temps, April 29. "Hope it warms up soon!"
Since then, we've had very hot afternoons with little or no breeze; rain (yes!); more wind; cool mornings and evenings, a lovely sunshine most days. I'm quite certain that ol' sol will get quite hellish before long, but for now it is nice to have such bright skies, most of the time. One morning this week, I was actually treated to a full rainbow! It made the chilly, dampness all worthwhile.
We have driven back out to the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge. Very strange experience. Coming in, we could see the dam and Lake Mead behind it, breath-taking. Going back in the Saturn, nothing, just concrete sides. We couldn't tell if we had crossed the bridge or not! We had to turn around and go back after traveling a few miles into Arizona. We really do sit higher in the RV! Never realized just how much.
We did enjoy the walk across the bridge. Pedestrians are allowed on the dam side only. I would like to see the river and south view as well, but there is no access on that side. We were all alone to walk the bridge going east. It was so peaceful and lovely. The colors were deeper at that early hour than when we saw it at noon. As we made our way back west, a small crowd had arrived. The last of the group was a man with his bugle. His mournful sound carried over the bridge and into the canyon. Just amazing!
I was very unhappy however, that I couldn't capture all of this on our new camera. I figured it was a dead battery, but it was really broken and getting repaired. I miss having it.
On Mother's Day we took a drive to the ski area an hour to the west. We found a nice campground, lots of snow, a few hikers, and 3 girls wearing jackets, shorts and sandals flying kites. The road ends on top of a cliff that caught the winds perfectly. We walked a short bit on a beautiful trail at 7000 ft through the pines and 40 degrees before descending back to sparse cacti and 80 degrees at 3000 ft.
We followed that with a walk through the historic Sahara Casino which closes its doors on May 16 for the final time. It was opened in 1952 for the glamorous and rich to play. On May 9, 2011 it was skeletal at best. Today's big draw - $1 hot dogs. I wish we could have seen it at its peek instead of just imagining its former glory.
Otherwise, our days are rather mundane. We see the sites of Albertson's, Lowes, and a few buffets. I did win $2 on the penny slots last night, not bad on a $5 investment! The pool calls our names, but so does the laundry room. All things returning to normal.
We arrived in gale force winds and chilly temps, April 29. "Hope it warms up soon!"
Since then, we've had very hot afternoons with little or no breeze; rain (yes!); more wind; cool mornings and evenings, a lovely sunshine most days. I'm quite certain that ol' sol will get quite hellish before long, but for now it is nice to have such bright skies, most of the time. One morning this week, I was actually treated to a full rainbow! It made the chilly, dampness all worthwhile.
We have driven back out to the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge. Very strange experience. Coming in, we could see the dam and Lake Mead behind it, breath-taking. Going back in the Saturn, nothing, just concrete sides. We couldn't tell if we had crossed the bridge or not! We had to turn around and go back after traveling a few miles into Arizona. We really do sit higher in the RV! Never realized just how much.
We did enjoy the walk across the bridge. Pedestrians are allowed on the dam side only. I would like to see the river and south view as well, but there is no access on that side. We were all alone to walk the bridge going east. It was so peaceful and lovely. The colors were deeper at that early hour than when we saw it at noon. As we made our way back west, a small crowd had arrived. The last of the group was a man with his bugle. His mournful sound carried over the bridge and into the canyon. Just amazing!
I was very unhappy however, that I couldn't capture all of this on our new camera. I figured it was a dead battery, but it was really broken and getting repaired. I miss having it.
On Mother's Day we took a drive to the ski area an hour to the west. We found a nice campground, lots of snow, a few hikers, and 3 girls wearing jackets, shorts and sandals flying kites. The road ends on top of a cliff that caught the winds perfectly. We walked a short bit on a beautiful trail at 7000 ft through the pines and 40 degrees before descending back to sparse cacti and 80 degrees at 3000 ft.
We followed that with a walk through the historic Sahara Casino which closes its doors on May 16 for the final time. It was opened in 1952 for the glamorous and rich to play. On May 9, 2011 it was skeletal at best. Today's big draw - $1 hot dogs. I wish we could have seen it at its peek instead of just imagining its former glory.
Otherwise, our days are rather mundane. We see the sites of Albertson's, Lowes, and a few buffets. I did win $2 on the penny slots last night, not bad on a $5 investment! The pool calls our names, but so does the laundry room. All things returning to normal.
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