Jun 23 – Jun 29, Mon – Sun ... Monday, while still in Pahrump, we had to make a supply run to the local Walmart. While Dixie shopped, Mike had the oil changed in the car. We decided to leave this park a day early, mainly due to the 100+ heat days along with the fact the refrigerator wasn’t working too well. We were on the road Tuesday morning by 7:00 a.m. heading West to the town of Bass Lake where the temps were in the low 80’s. We decided to break up the trip by stopping in the town of Boron, CA after driving for about four hours. Boron is a small town between Barstow and Bakersfield. The rv park is just ok. The shore power is weak and we’re behind some big trees so no satellite TV tonight.
We decided to see the museums of the area so our first stop was the Vernon P. Saxon Aerospace Museum. This museum focuses on the flight history of the areas “Aerospace Valley” located near Edwards Air Force Base. The museum shows achievements in flight that have taken place in the area including the first breaking of the sound barrier and the first landing of the Space Shuttle. Mike spent quite a bit of time talking with one of the museum “old timers” listening to his many stories of aviation history.
Our next stop was the Twenty Mule Team Museum that honors the days of the mule-drawn carts that hauled more than 20 million pounds of borax out of Death Valley between 1883 and 1889.
Next was the Borax Visitors Center that sits atop one of the richest deposits of borax in the world and is California’s largest open mine pit. The gentleman that gave us a tour had been with the company for 55 years. He shared many details of the mine and the mining process.
Tomorrow, Wednesday, we plan to again get an early start continuing our trip to Bass Lake.
The drive to the Bass Lake Resort went well even though the last few miles were very mountainous. Unfortunately, the entrance sign was not good and we missed it ... had to drive about a mile or more down a narrow road before finding a wide enough spot to turn in and un-hook the car. Mike got the motorhome turned around and Dixie drove the car back to the entrance of Bass Lake Resort. No harm done; just a few frayed nerves. The park is older but well kept and very much “in the trees”. However we were lucky enough to find a site where there was a satellite signal for our TV. Yeah!
Thursday, we decided to drive into the Yosemite National Park. Unfortunately, because of a California wild fire near the park, the visibility (and air quality) was poor. Even with that, the park is still an awesome site to say the least. We watched a movie that pointed out many of the wonderful things to see and do while in the park. We were able to drive through most of it making several stops along the way. At one point, we were at an altitude of almost 9,000 feet. While in the Yosemite Valley, through binoculars, we watched rock climbers on the side of El Capitan Mountain approximately 2 – 3 thousand ft. up the side of the sheer cliff. Talk about nerve. On the drive back, one part of the road was diverted over a temporary bridge over the Merced River because a rock slide had covered the road.
Friday evening we walked down to “The Pines Resort” on Bass Lake and listened to some live Jazz music.
Saturday, we drove about twenty miles to an Escapees RV park that we’ll be moving to when we have to leave the one we’re currently in on Thursday next week. We put in a little pool time Saturday afternoon. There’s an exercise room at this park and we’ve used it a couple of times. Sunday was spent around the park as well. We also took a walk in the neighborhood of homes surrounding Bass Lake.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
A side trip to North Carolina (via airplane)!
Jun 16 – Jun 22, Mon-Sun ... Most of Monday was used in packing for our trip to Fayetteville, NC to visit Brandon and his family. Just last week he returned safely home from his fourth one year tour of duty in Iraq.
Tuesday morning, we left the rv park around 8:00a.m. for the 55 mile drive to the Las Vegas airport. There we boarded a Continental Airlines flight to Houston where we made a connection to a Continental Express jet to Charlotte, NC. Unfortunately, there was weather in the Houston area and the flight to Charlotte was delayed for almost three hours (2.25 hrs on the aircraft). Of course the flight arrived too late (1130p) for our planned connecting flight on U.S. Air to Fayetteville so the only option was to find a hotel near the airport and travel on Wednesday morning. We finally arrived Fayetteville where Katherine and the boys met us.
Needless to say, we had a wonderful visit with them for the next four days. We played board games; we went out to eat; we played 36 holes of miniature golf; we took a walk in the woods; visited a war memorial museum on Ft. Bragg; went to a “going away” party given by their friends and kept the boys (ages 12 & 9) while their parents went to a Toby Keith concert in Raleigh.
On Sunday, we had to start our trip back home on an 11:30 a.m. flight to Charlotte. Once in Charlotte, while standing by for either a Houston or a Cleveland flight, it was five flights before being able to board a Cleveland flight. It was scheduled to leave at 6:00 p.m. but more inclement weather in the area delayed this flight as well and we were concerned about making our 9:00 p.m. flight to Las Vegas once we got to Cleveland. We dashed off the plane and literally ran to the gate which, of course, was in another wing of the terminal. When we got there, we were pleasantly surprised to find the flight delayed for over an hour. We were able to board that flight and finally touched down in Las Vegas at about 11:30 p.m. pacific time. After the 55 mile drive to our motorhome in Pahrump, we arrived at 1:30 a.m. It made for a long travel day but it was well worth it after the wonderful visit with the family. We will leave Pahrump on Tues. and head for the Yosemite area.
Tuesday morning, we left the rv park around 8:00a.m. for the 55 mile drive to the Las Vegas airport. There we boarded a Continental Airlines flight to Houston where we made a connection to a Continental Express jet to Charlotte, NC. Unfortunately, there was weather in the Houston area and the flight to Charlotte was delayed for almost three hours (2.25 hrs on the aircraft). Of course the flight arrived too late (1130p) for our planned connecting flight on U.S. Air to Fayetteville so the only option was to find a hotel near the airport and travel on Wednesday morning. We finally arrived Fayetteville where Katherine and the boys met us.
Needless to say, we had a wonderful visit with them for the next four days. We played board games; we went out to eat; we played 36 holes of miniature golf; we took a walk in the woods; visited a war memorial museum on Ft. Bragg; went to a “going away” party given by their friends and kept the boys (ages 12 & 9) while their parents went to a Toby Keith concert in Raleigh.
On Sunday, we had to start our trip back home on an 11:30 a.m. flight to Charlotte. Once in Charlotte, while standing by for either a Houston or a Cleveland flight, it was five flights before being able to board a Cleveland flight. It was scheduled to leave at 6:00 p.m. but more inclement weather in the area delayed this flight as well and we were concerned about making our 9:00 p.m. flight to Las Vegas once we got to Cleveland. We dashed off the plane and literally ran to the gate which, of course, was in another wing of the terminal. When we got there, we were pleasantly surprised to find the flight delayed for over an hour. We were able to board that flight and finally touched down in Las Vegas at about 11:30 p.m. pacific time. After the 55 mile drive to our motorhome in Pahrump, we arrived at 1:30 a.m. It made for a long travel day but it was well worth it after the wonderful visit with the family. We will leave Pahrump on Tues. and head for the Yosemite area.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Happy Father's Day from Pahrump, NV
Jun 9 – Jun 15, Mon-Sun ... Monday morning, Dixie had a Dr. appointment with the Chiropractor. Monday evening we visited the Saddle West Casino for their highly recommended 2 for 1 dinner buffet. It was Italian fare and was good. On Tuesday we spent the morning completing a mortgage loan application in hopes of purchasing a condo or home when we get to Great Falls, MT this summer. Wednesday was spent mostly around the rv park. Dixie goes to a water aerobics class in the morning and Mike either walks the park or goes for a swim after the aerobics class. Thursday afternoon, we decided to try our luck at Bingo at the Nugget Casino. It was fun but no, we didn’t win any money. It was tough to keep up with the “Bingo caller” because they called numbers so quickly, every 10 seconds or so. We complicated the issue by playing multiple games at a time and using a “dabber” to mark the cards. Also, we didn’t know the rules of many of the games but thankfully, the people playing at our table assisted us when they could. Next time, for two bucks, we’ll rent one of the mini computers that does all the work for you and lets you know when you bingo. Also on Thursday, Mike spoke to Brandon who, just this morning, returned home from Iraq after yet another one year deployment. Needless to say, he was glad to be back with his family in the good ole U. S. of A. Our plan is to fly to Fayetteville, NC next week to see him and his family.
On Friday, Mike watched a lot of the U.S. Open Golf tournament on tv while Dixie worked on the computer printing pages of this blog journal.
Regular unleaded gas is $4.23 a gallon and diesel is $4.65. We plan to “top off” both the car and the motorhome before we leave Nevada and enter the land of “fruits and nuts” a.k.a. California as fuel is much more expensive there.
Saturday was another day watching the exciting U.S. Open golf tournament. In the evening we took in a Christian concert on the grounds of the rv park/winery. The temp got to 100 degrees again today and will for the next several days.
Sunday, Fathers Day, we decided to treat ourselves to some fine dining at the Symphony Restaurant that is part of the Pahrump Valley Winery here at our rv park. The food and ambiance was outstanding. Mike had Chicken Tuscany and Dixie had Chicken Limone. Both were very good.
On Friday, Mike watched a lot of the U.S. Open Golf tournament on tv while Dixie worked on the computer printing pages of this blog journal.
Regular unleaded gas is $4.23 a gallon and diesel is $4.65. We plan to “top off” both the car and the motorhome before we leave Nevada and enter the land of “fruits and nuts” a.k.a. California as fuel is much more expensive there.
Saturday was another day watching the exciting U.S. Open golf tournament. In the evening we took in a Christian concert on the grounds of the rv park/winery. The temp got to 100 degrees again today and will for the next several days.
Sunday, Fathers Day, we decided to treat ourselves to some fine dining at the Symphony Restaurant that is part of the Pahrump Valley Winery here at our rv park. The food and ambiance was outstanding. Mike had Chicken Tuscany and Dixie had Chicken Limone. Both were very good.
Monday, June 09, 2008
Death Valley and a move in Pahrump!
Jun 2 – Jun 8, Mon-Sun ... Monday, we drove the 60 miles to Death Valley National Park. It was a sunny, hot day with temps approaching 103 degrees. We had taken our lunch with hopes of eating outside in the park. It was too hot for that so we ate in the car with the engine going and the air condition running. The gift shop at the little town of Furnace Creek is an interesting place, especially with so many people from foreign, mostly European, countries visiting. That afternoon we drive 13 more miles to Dante’s View, an overlook in the park that’s 5,500 feet up. The temp was about 20 degrees cooler and the view of Death Valley, which is 283 below sea level, is hard to describe. Much of the floor is white in color looking like its snow covered but it’s the minerals (mostly salt) that flows down from the mountains. Although the sky was a bit hazy, we could see for miles. It was a truly awesome sight to behold and made the trip well worthwhile.
Tuesday and Wednesday was spent running to the grocery store, going to the pool and going to the fitness center in our rv park. As I stated before, we were very impressed the Preferred RV Resort in Pahrump, NV.
Thursday was move day; this time just 3.5 miles to the Charleston Peak RV Resort. While the park is only about a third full, it too is a well kept park and even has a winery and restaurant attached to it. We plan to visit both during our almost three week stay here.
The rest of the week was spent doing things around the mh such as clean window screens and calking on the roof. We also went to the very nice pool here at the park. It has water misters in the seating area to help keep you cool in the 90+ heat.
Tuesday and Wednesday was spent running to the grocery store, going to the pool and going to the fitness center in our rv park. As I stated before, we were very impressed the Preferred RV Resort in Pahrump, NV.
Thursday was move day; this time just 3.5 miles to the Charleston Peak RV Resort. While the park is only about a third full, it too is a well kept park and even has a winery and restaurant attached to it. We plan to visit both during our almost three week stay here.
The rest of the week was spent doing things around the mh such as clean window screens and calking on the roof. We also went to the very nice pool here at the park. It has water misters in the seating area to help keep you cool in the 90+ heat.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
The end of Utah Red Rocks! Hello again to NV!
May 26 – Jun 1, Mon-Sun ... We drove back to Zion Natl Park on Memorial Day where we went to an IMAX film on Zion and other southern Utah parks. It was amazing, especially the scenes showing some unbelievable rock climbing. We also went on another hike to the Upper Pools which also included the middle and lower pools as well. It was about three miles in length and the ¼ mile climb to the peak in 80 degree weather was “moderate” in difficulty. The view at the top of a water fall was spectacular.
Wednesday was move day & we had scheduled an appt with a Freightliner repair shop in St. George to have the brakes checked. As our luck would have it, they couldn’t complete the work until the next day. The manager told us we could stay the night in our mh so we did, saving us a night in a hotel. We were able to get on the road Thursday by about 11a.m. and after a Flying J fuel stop that set us back $323.00, ugh, we were on our way to Pahrump, NV, a trip of about 190 miles.
We were in Pahrump in 2005 and this town has not changed very much. There’s a few more businesses (and people) but it’s still a small casino town 55 miles west of Las Vegas and 60 miles from Death Valley, CA. The daytime temps are running in the low to mid 90’s this time of the year. The Preferred RV Resort we’re at is very nice though. It’s obvious that the owners have put a lot of money into it to keep it up-to-date with modern rv living. Thursday was a day of driving around town a bit and, of course, going to Walmart for supplies. We also looked at some “manufactured” homes that were on display in town since we’re thinking along those lines once we get to MT this summer.
On Friday morning we walked for a couple of miles and later visited a casino looking for some info on Bingo. Bingo used to be simple but we could not believe all the different games and betting arrangements involved today. We’re waiting for a training class. That evening, we went back and listened to a male-female group play their brand of country/pop music.
Saturday was a hot one so we went to the pool for awhile.
During our walk Sunday morning, Mike exchanged a fan at Walgreens that he had purchased on Friday. (It was noisy) We later went to an Ace Hardware store and then spent the afternoon around the mh doing some projects and reading. We also got a pleasant phone call from grandkids, Bailey and Nicholas.
Wednesday was move day & we had scheduled an appt with a Freightliner repair shop in St. George to have the brakes checked. As our luck would have it, they couldn’t complete the work until the next day. The manager told us we could stay the night in our mh so we did, saving us a night in a hotel. We were able to get on the road Thursday by about 11a.m. and after a Flying J fuel stop that set us back $323.00, ugh, we were on our way to Pahrump, NV, a trip of about 190 miles.
We were in Pahrump in 2005 and this town has not changed very much. There’s a few more businesses (and people) but it’s still a small casino town 55 miles west of Las Vegas and 60 miles from Death Valley, CA. The daytime temps are running in the low to mid 90’s this time of the year. The Preferred RV Resort we’re at is very nice though. It’s obvious that the owners have put a lot of money into it to keep it up-to-date with modern rv living. Thursday was a day of driving around town a bit and, of course, going to Walmart for supplies. We also looked at some “manufactured” homes that were on display in town since we’re thinking along those lines once we get to MT this summer.
On Friday morning we walked for a couple of miles and later visited a casino looking for some info on Bingo. Bingo used to be simple but we could not believe all the different games and betting arrangements involved today. We’re waiting for a training class. That evening, we went back and listened to a male-female group play their brand of country/pop music.
Saturday was a hot one so we went to the pool for awhile.
During our walk Sunday morning, Mike exchanged a fan at Walgreens that he had purchased on Friday. (It was noisy) We later went to an Ace Hardware store and then spent the afternoon around the mh doing some projects and reading. We also got a pleasant phone call from grandkids, Bailey and Nicholas.
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