Alamo Lake State Park/Clear Creek

November 10-12, 2010
We had heard about Alamo Lake State Park, 37 miles north of Wenden and decided to go explore. On the way to Wenden, we passed fields of melons owned by Dole. As we came though the blink-of-an-eye town, we stopped at a roadside stand and for $2, we bought 3 tomatoes, a red pepper, 2 bananas and a melon. What a deal! It is 63 degrees today and not a cloud in the sky. Arriving in the early afternoon, we found plenty of available sites in the campground. We settled into B13 that had a great view of the Lake from our big window.



 According to our neighbors Grant and Jim from Mesa, the fishing is outstanding on the lake. They caught 8 large mouth bass today, in addition to some crappie and talapia. We rode to the Alamo Dam and the Look-out, followed by a stop to the store to get some wood.



When we got back to our site, we cooked some chili outside in the afternoon sun, enjoying the lovely view. Apparently, there are wild burros that come down to the lake at night to drink, but we did not spot any. After sunset, we sat around our campfire appreciating the peace and quiet. The only sounds were the coyotes singing to the moon.

 On our way out of the park the next morning, a coyote ran in front of our truck, turning to give us a curious glance before he was on his way. It was only 10:30 am and we were on the road to Clear Creek Campground near Camp Verde. On the way, we stopped in Prescott for lunch at Bill and Kay's Tastebuds. You never know what to expect when you randomly pick a restaurant and we were pleasantly surprised how good the pizza was.

Clear Creek Campground is in the Coconino National Forest, south east of Camp Verde.





The campground is a grassy, flat area surrounded by huge cottonwoods and has a relaxed atmosphere. The sites are large and are quite a bargain at $8 a night. We went for a 2 mile hike along Clear Creek ending up at a popular swimming hole. The evening was cool but we kept warm by the campfire.



Friday morning was sunny and a good day to drive to Fossil Creek, one of only two, wild scenic rivers in Arizona. It was a 7 mile trip on a dirt road that was narrow and one lane wide with switchbacks descending 3000 feet. On many of the turns, I winced at the huge drop-offs into the canyon.



 I would not trust my life to anyone else but Bob on that road. Several times on the way down, he said, “this is really stupid”, but there were not many places to turn around. We parked at the Irving Flume Trail Head and hiked to the Fossil Creek Bridge.







 We did see one person meditating down by the river and 3 kayakers that looked like they were having fun shooting some rapids.








We had a picnic lunch and were entertained by colony of ants who found a dropped Doritos chip and managed to move it about 10'' and worked on getting it down their hole. It does not take much to keep us amused when we are out in the wild.



 Our ascent for me was not as scary since the passenger side of our truck was hugging the inside of the road.


 We were glad that we did not meet any oncoming vehicles. On our way back, we did a little shopping in Camp Verde before going back to Clear Creek.
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Pirate's Cove/Lake Havasu

November 6-9, 2010

The Pirate's Cove Resort and Marina is nestled on the California side of the beautiful Colorado River at the end of the historic Route 66.



We were disappointed to see that they were closed for the season. However, next door was the Moabi Regional Park and we found a site close to the Colorado River Inlet. After checking out the campground, we settled in and cooked dinner.



The next morning, Ernie and Cathy met us for breakfast at our site. After one of Bob's delicious pancakes and bacon breakfasts, we drove down to the campsites that are on a peninsula, right on the Colorado River with their own beach; we will keep these sites in mind for our next trip. It was time to hook up and move on to Lake Havasu, only 47 miles down the road. We parked our truck and 5th wheel in a mall parking lot and hopped in with Ernie and Cathy to go to the flea market. The guys went looking for tools and Cathy and I checked out all of the booths. We came across one booth with unique jewelry made from antique silver spoons and different gem stones. As I started looking at the jewelry, the owner of the booth asked me, “do you have a boat?”. A little surprised, I said no, that I had an airplane. He then asked, “are you married?”. I laughed and said yes, for 40 years to the same wonderful man. At that time Cathy came up and he asked her the same questions. He then proceeded to tell us that he was looking for a woman that had a boat and money. Then he gave us a big toothless smile and said, “but she would probably make me get new teeth”. We wished him good luck with his quest and moved on, never really getting a thorough look at the jewelry, saving both our husband's some money.

Since it was a hot day, the guys called us from the VFW to join them for a cold beer. From there, they showed us around Lake Havasu including the State Park where we decided to stay for a few days. On the way in, we saw a huge snake in the road that sent shivers up our spines. After saying good-bye to Ernie and Cathy, we went back and checked in at the Park. It is a favorite launching place for boats to cruise the lake and the several of the campsites are right on the lake.





We enjoyed the 1.5 mile Mohave Trail that winds through the lowland desert, along the shoreline, and ends up at an overlook with a scenic view of Lake Havasu. It passes through the Arroyo-Camino Interpretive Garden showing the diverse plant life in the park.





We were told by the ranger that there was a 650lb. wild boar, sow and two piglets roaming the park at night. On our first hike through the park, we saw many signs of their presence on the trail. At first we thought that it was horse manure but realized the droppings were from the wild pigs.



 After we watched the sunset and hiked back to our site it was getting dark and I was hoping that they only came out in the middle of the night. Running into them on a narrow trail would be quite an experience, one that I could do without.



The next morning, we hiked over to the London Bridge...the same London Bridge that was constructed over the River Thames in England in 1825-31.



This 5 arch bridge made of granite was “falling down” by 1962 and started sinking into the River Thames. In 1968, the founder of Lake Havasu, Robert McCulloch, purchased the Bridge for 2.5 million and moved it the 10,000 miles to Arizona. He spent another $7 million to re-construct, including a one mile channel that was dredged under the bridge with water diverted from the lake through the Bridgewater Channel.





The evenings were lovely and we loved sitting outside looking at the lake by the fire.

Our only complaint was a noisy ferry that ran 24 hours a day from Lake Havasu to a casino on the California side of the lake and back. We are used to ferries on Lake Champlain, but they are quiet compared to these. On our last morning, we overheard our neighbor tell the ranger that when he came out of his tent during the night, he saw the wild pigs down by the lake and trail, just a few yards from our site. Time to move on!
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Bullhead City, AZ

November 4-5, 2010

In the early afternoon on Thursday, we arrived at Ernie and Cathy Henderson's house in Bullhead City, NV, across from Laughlin. Ernie and Cathy are also snowbirds; they live in Alaska in the summer and Nevada in the winter.

 After a tour of their lovely home, we sat out on their patio by the pool and visited before enjoying a scrumptious chicken dinner. The next morning, we took a walk up into the canyon above their house. When we got back, we jumped into the pool for a refreshing swim and lounged on the air mattresses for an hour. We agreed that “this is living”. We tried to talk Ernie into adopting us for the winter but he thought we were kidding.



 They took us to lunch at Earl's at the Castle and showed us around Bullhead City and Laughlin. Later in the evening, we went to the Avi Casino and a CornFest. None of us were impressed with the food, especially the corn or the music so we called it a night. On Saturday, Bob and I  went for another long walk toward the canyon. As we were walking on one side of the road, I heard a loud buzzing sound and before it fully registered, a large swarm of bees passed us, only a few feet a way. Geez, we were already watching for snakes, tarantulas, scorpions, and now we have to add killer bees to our list! I think that I would rather worry about bears in Alaska. Of course, we had to jump in the pool again when we got back and it was only 10 am. After packing up, we stopped at Sam's Club before taking Ernie's suggestion to stop for a night at the Pirate's Cove on the Colorado River before we went to Lake Havasu. Thanks Ernie and Cathy for your wonderful hospitality and the smoked salmon. We had a great time!


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Lake Mead Recreation Area

November 1-3, 2010

On Monday morning, we were more than ready to get out of Las Vegas. We had met some people on a hike that recommended the Lake Mead RV Village in Boulder City, NV. It is part of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, one and a half million acres, including the Mohave Desert and Lake Mead. We drove the 21 miles and found a site with a view of the water. It was a lovely, warm morning and it was forecasted to get hot (by our standards!) We decided to go for a walk over to the Boulder Beach Campground, a National Park Service campground.
We found some great sites with a great view of the lake, one-half mile away. The next time that we come, we will definitely stay here. It is quite a deal at $5 a night with our Access Pass, but we were glad to have hook-ups for a couple days to watch the election results. We could not believe how far the lake had receded. In the picture below, you can see our RV park and where the lake used to come up to the edge of it.

When we asked about it at the RV office, we were told very emphatically that it was because Nevada was selling water to California. On our walk back, we saw our first road runner. And yes, they do move fast; too fast for me to get a picture. As we were sitting at our campsite relaxing and cooling off from our walk, we noticed a covey of  Gambel's Quail walking by and making quite a racket.

We woke to another warm morning and decided to get our hike in early. We hiked 6.5 miles on an old Railroad Trail, through 5 tunnels ending up at the maintenance yard for the Hoover Dam.





Completed in 1936 taming the wild Colorado River and transforming it into the still waters of Lake Mead. Built over a 5 year period between the steep walls of Back Canyon, the Dam held enough concrete to pave a 16 foot wide road from New York City to San Francisco. We walked for a while toward the Dam but not knowing how far away it was, we headed back. We stopped at a bench looking out at the lake and spotted 5 Big Horn Sheep making their way down to the water, a red-tailed hawk and a covey of quail.



 The afternoon was spent at what we do best...relaxing!  It was a gorgeous night so we cooked outside and watched the election results. Fortunately, our TV turns in order for us to watch it through the door.

On Wednesday, we drove across the new Mike O'Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, a  project that spans the Hoover Dam. We were disappointed that a view of the Dam was obstructed by concrete barricades. We opted to drive to the Monument Plaza, walking the mile to the center of the bridge. The bridge was quite a feat and not without controversy. It is the first concrete-steel composite arch bridge built in the United States, it includes the longest concrete arch in the Western Hemisphere. The bridge is believed to be the second-highest in the nation, at 840 feet above the Colorado River. Built as part of the Hoover Dam Bypass Project at a cost of $240 million, the bridge portion cost $114 million alone.







After, we did a little shopping in Boulder City and had great lunch at the South West Cafe. Although, it was 92 degrees when we got back, we packed up the camp chairs, the umbrella, our books, some cold drinks and set out for the beach. Of course, when I think of the beach, I immediately think sand and water. Oh, there was plenty of water but it is surrounded by rocks and muck. If you have never been to Lake Mead, let us warn you that if you are looking for serenity, this is not the place for you. There are plenty of large power boats with inboard V-8 engines without mufflers roaring around the lake. You often can hear them but not always see them. We agreed that there are worse places that we could be freezing our butts off so we made a pact not to whine. It was another fantastic night to sit outside between doing loads of laundry. We can't play all of the time!
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Mesquite/ Las Vegas, NV

October 26-31, 2010

It was a short jaunt from Valley of Fire to Mesquite where we spent two days at Marnie's resting up and re-stocking our 5th wheel with groceries. Unfortunately, Marnie and Chuck were in Seattle for their granddaughter's christening. We loved the warm nights and enjoyed our 4 mile walks in the evening. On Friday morning before we drove the 79 miles to Sam's Town RV Park in Las Vegas, we had a little scare. Marnie had warned us that her cat, Tara would try to escape if she could when the door opens. Needless to say, we were extremely careful when we went out. After we loaded the 5th wheel, we did a last minute inspection and noticed that Tara was nowhere to be found. I searched high and low, opened closets, checked under the beds, and every nook and cranny. In a panic, I was ready to call Marnie and see if there were any other hiding spots where she might be. When I checked the bedroom one more time, I noticed the bedspread was a little rumpled and suddenly it moved. When I lifted the spread, there was Tara stretching and looking irritated that I was bothering her morning slumber. Relieved, we were finally able to get on the road.

It was a sunny afternoon and we had a couple of hours to relax before heading to the Palazzo on the “Strip” to see Jersey Boys, a 2006 Tony Award Winner for Best Musical.

Jersey Boys takes you behind the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. It is a rags to riches story of 4 blue-collar kids from the streets of New Jersey working their way up to the big time.



You might remember some of their hits: “Sherry”, “Big Girls Don't Cry”, “Can't Take My Eyes Off You” and “Oh, What A Night”. It was a fantastic show. Our only regret is that John Lloyd Young, who played the role of Frankie Valli in the original show on Broadway and sang lead vocals on the Grammy Award winning album, was not in the cast. He grew up in Plattsburgh, NY where we used to live.

(Authored by Bob) It has been 37 years since Judy and I attended the NHRA Nationals Drag Race. In the winter of 1973, after flying to New York for Christmas, we bought a car and took a road trip to California. While we were there, one of the highlights was going to the Winter Nationals at Pomona. This was the premier event in drag racing. The legendary Don Gartlits went up against Dennis Baca in Top Fuel finals. Gartlits won with a time of 6.51 seconds and 235.60 MPH. I remember how impressed I was with the speed and noise. I have always been a drag racing fan, but living in a Alaska, we don't have a chance to attend many races. In my younger days, I had a '55 Chevy, '63 Falcon Sprint, and a '65 Mustang Fastback that I raced in North Hudson, a drag strip about 50 miles from Keeseville in upstate New York where we lived until we moved to Alaska. Judy and I spent many weekends at that strip and filled up the trophy case.

On Sunday morning,  we were on our way to the Las Vegas Winter Nationals. It was perfect weather and all the big names were there. We arrived at 8am and spent some time looking at all the top competitors' cars and crews working on them.



We had a full day of racing fun. The finals of Top Fuel and Funny Car races were amazing to watch.







Tony Schumacher won Top Fuel with a new World record of 325.61 MPH and 3.794 seconds. The ground shakes as they roar by and it is impossible to comprehend how fast that is unless you are there and see it.



 The legendary John Force won the Funny Car final. At 61 years old, he continues to beat the young guns. It was a great day.




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Valley of Fire, Nevada

October 24-26, 2010

As we drove down from Snow Canyon State Park, we went through a round-about with a fantastic sculpture. Not a great place to stop but I manage to get a few quick shots.





 We continued on  through Mesquite to Valley of Fire State Park, 55 miles from Las Vegas. On the way into the park, we spotted a desert big horn sheep ambling along until he crossed in front of us. He certainly wasn't intimidated by us!





As you can guess Valley of Fire gets its name from the red sandstone formations. The Basket Maker people were some of the first prehistoric users of the Valley followed by the Anasazi Pueblo farmers. Beautiful examples of their rock art are visible throughout the park.





The Atlatl Campground offered 43 large campsites surrounded by interesting rock formations and canyons.



 We were treated to a breathtaking sunset. The Valley did indeed look like it was on fire.



The sunset was followed by a brilliant night sky which surprised us since we were not far from the neon lights of Las Vegas.  We were awed by the beauty and the solitude.

The next morning, we hiked from our campsite to Atlatl Rock to see the petroglyphs including the atlatl.







We continued on to Arch Rock and checked out the primitive and secluded campground.







We had been told at the Visitor Center that there was a 2 mile loop back to our campground. We hiked around to the main road and stopped at what is called the Beehives.



 The 2 mile loop turned out to be 3.75 miles according to our GPS, a pattern that seems consistent most places that we visit. We spent another glorious evening under the stars.

The next day, we stopped at the Visitor Center and saw snakes, scorpions, and tarantulas, all behind glass fortunately. We drove up to Rainbow Vista just as a limo dropped off a wedding party and onto White Domes. After we got back to the campground, we explored some of the surrounding canyons.



We woke early on Wednesday and drove up to Mouses' Tank, named for a renegade Southern Paiute Indian who hid out in this wild canyon in the 1890s. As we hiked in, we passed several prehistoric petroglyphs.
 

 

 
The trail ended at the "tank", a natural basin in the rock where water collects after rainfalls...a perfect hiding place in this arid valley. 
 

 
 From there we went to the 7 Sisters rock formation and to the historic stone cabins built with native sandstone by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s.
 

 

 
 They were used as shelters for passing travelers. We decided to check out Overton Beach but the road was closed because Lake Mead had receded so far from road. We continued on down North Shore Drive which is misleading to say the least to Echo Bay, Lake Mead Marina and a National Park Service Campground. On the way back we drove into Stevens Point to Lake Mead where several campers were boondocking close to the Lake. There was road construction on the way back and we had to stop for 20 minutes- a good time to make some calls and check email. Even though, we do not always have a great connection in the desert and canyons, it is great to have Verizon Mi-fi . When we got back to our site, it was time to sit in the sun and relax after a busy day. We made a fire, cooked fajitas, and went for a moonlight walk. We both agreed that this is a place that we could stay longer than 3 or 4 days.
 


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