Tag Archives: Nevada

Snowbirding 2020 Postcards: At the Colorado River Overlook

Posted on by
Comment

I stop at an overlook for a look at the river.

I left Vegas on Thursday morning and started the final leg of the drive to my first destination: Wickenburg, AZ. This meant a lengthy drive down US 93, including a segment that I used to think was the longest, straightest piece of road in the world. (I’ve since driven on longer, straighter pieces of road, including just the day before.) I wasn’t in any big hurry, so when I got to the Colorado River overlook just before the turnoff to Willow Creek, I pulled in for a look.

Colorado River from Overlook
It was a beautiful day and the view down into the gorge to the river was clear.

I remembered all the times I’d flown up the river on my way to Vegas. This stretch had always been my favorite: the canyon narrowing down after the oh-so-boring Lake Mohave basin. The twisting turns, the nearly bare rock walls, the sudden appearance of the Hoover Dam. Things are different now with the bridge appearing before the dam. I remember the first time I overflew it while it was still under construction. My thought was WTF? I didn’t even know the bridge had been planned.

Penny at Viewpoint
Penny reluctantly posed for a photo on the short wall between the parking area and the view beyond.

There were only two other groups there when I arrived. One was a guy in a compact car who was apparently videoing the view with his phone (in portrait mode, of course 🙄). The other was a huge truck bearing two airplane wings and support vehicles for its wide load. The drivers were gathered to chat. Perhaps they were waiting for the rest of the plane? Or taking a break before the long, boring drive ahead?

Got Wings?
Got wings?

Of course, I also took the obligatory shot of my rig parked beside the big truck. I’m really happy with the way it’s working out. The trailer tows like it’s nothing and really helps me keep my living space under control. I think I might add a little air to the truck’s rear air bags the next time I load it up. It’s riding a tiny bit low in the back.

My Rig
Truck, house, and garage. Living small and mobile for the winter.

Snowbirding 2020 Postcards: “Camping” in Las Vegas

Posted on by
Comment

I make my last on-the-grid stop count.

I spent my second night on the road at the Sam’s Town KOA Kampground in Las Vegas. This has become a bit of a tradition for me. Since this is usually the last night I have an opportunity to plug in, get water, and dump my tanks before spending two more more weeks camped out in the desert with friends, I always opt for a full hookup campsite. This particular campground is convenient and usually — but not on this trip — cheap. This time, they hit me up for a very long drive-thru campsite that was a lot bigger than I needed, claiming shorter sites weren’t available. That turned out to be bullshit so I’ll probably look for a different destination on future trips south. $60 is a bit rich for an overnight stop.

I should say up front that I hate KOA-style “camping.” It’s not camping at all. It’s parking with a connection to water, electricity, cable television, and a sewer hookup. The sites are so close together I don’t know why they even bother with the narrow island of dirt and trees between sites that face each other. People who claim to be “camping” at a KOA are deluding themselves.

KOA
Here’s my rig parked between two others at the KOA. My space was over 70 feet long; all I needed was about 40.

But my site was about what I expected and it met my needs. I arrived long before sunset and got a chance to glimpse the sky’s changing colors through the field of RVs around me.

Sunset
As you can see in this photo, the weather cleared that afternoon and evening in Las Vegas. It was nice to see blue sky for the first time since my departure from home.

After taking Penny for a walk — her first since departing Glenns Ferry that morning — I hooked up power, sewer, and water and went in for the night. My nose had begun running earlier in the day and it was becoming apparent that I’d caught a cold. Although I did toy with the idea of going into Sam’s to look at their Holiday light show and maybe get some dinner, I recalled how sick I’d gotten after the last meal I had in their steakhouse. I decided to stay in for the night and was dead asleep before 8 AM.

In the morning, I felt rested but no better. I made and ate breakfast, walked Penny, took a hot shower in the otherwise empty shower building, put on clean clothes, and took my time about packing up. By 8:30 AM, with waste tanks empty and fresh water tank filled, I was ready to hit the road again for the last day of my drive.

Snowbirding 2020 Postcards: A Foggy Drive

Posted on by
2

Can’t enjoy the scenery when you can’t see it.

Although it was an outstandingly beautiful morning in Twin Falls, ID, 15 minutes south on US 93 put me in thick fog. Visibility, at times, dropped to far less than 1/4 mile as the road rose and then fell through the fog layers.

Fog
There wasn’t much to see because of the thick fog and I had to keep focused on what was in front of me anyway. Photo includes a meat and cheese snack on the dashboard, which I bought in Starbucks to eat along the way.

Miraculously, I was able to stick to the speed limit — 70 mph — for most of my drive. The road is painfully straight in most places and there was very little other traffic.

The fog came and went pretty much all day long, finally lifting as I descended on the final stretch of US 93 before it intersects with I-15. By that time, I’d driven through rain and snow and had been stuck behind a semi with broken brake lights (and apparently broken cruise control) for about 100 miles. I was a very happy camper when I finally got around him.