Wednesday, March 11 (continued)
In the last episode of RVSue and her canine crew, Bridget, Reggie, and I are on scenic Northshore Road going to Valley of Fire State Park, northeast of Las Vegas.
We make another stop along the way.
This is, after all, Reggie’s first adventure!
After a brief look around, we’re back on the road . . .
About sixty miles from Las Vegas Bay Campground, we arrive at the entrance to Valley of Fire State Park.
The cloud cover is heavy.
The entry fee is $10.00 per vehicle. The campground fee is $30 with hook-ups/$20 without hook-ups. As I drive through, my interest wanes as does the sunlight. It’s late afternoon. I take some photos which don’t do justice to this unusual and beautiful place. As strange as it may seem, my eyes glaze over from “spectacular scenery overload.”
To do Valley of Fire Park right, one needs to camp either inside the park or near the entrance in order to hike to see such features as petrified wood and 3,000 year-old Indian petroglyphs. And do that on days that aren’t dark.
Valley of Fire cannot be fully appreciated in a quick visit.
You can see why I say that by clicking on this link, Valley of Fire, and scrolling down to look at the slideshow. Rather than force myself to make frequent stops, I cruise through the park and commit to camping here when in the area again.
The sky brightens as we drift homeward.
Northshore Road is the kind of road that is like two different roads, depending upon your direction.
I rate this drive as one of the most enjoyable in almost four years of travel around the West. There are more spectacular drives in the West, but this one charms me.
Bridget and Reggie sleep on the return to camp, waking up hungry!
Thursday, March 12
“Today we’re going to the dam!” Reggie and Bridget jump around excitedly as I leash them up. I toss them into the Perfect Tow Vehicle and we drive out of Las Vegas Bay Campground.
We drive by Lake Mead on Lakeshore Road.
We ought to stop at the visitors’ center. It’s on the way . . .
Bridget immediately becomes restless, whining urgently.
Something about riding in the PTV triggers her bowels!
“Okay, sweetie. Hang on. We’re almost there.”
Visitors’ Center, Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Poop bags in my pocket, I walk the crew around the desert garden.
Soon Bridget is able to enjoy the walk!
“Feel better, Bridge?”
Reggie’s legs pump like pistons as he eagerly pulls us on the walkway.
“Hold up, little guy! Let me take a photo of these flowers.”
Nevada sunshine provides power for the building.
I give the crew a drink and put them into the PTV while I run inside to see the exhibit. Typical visitor center . . . books, hats, tee-shirts, Native American blankets and jewelry, stuffed wildlife, push a button and watch a video, a model of what the lake once was . . . .
Gee, at one time our campground was next to the water . . . (lower left of model)
We’re off to Hoover Dam!
One cannot camp a few miles from Hoover Dam without taking a look!
We approach the security checkpoint. The agent tells me to move out of line and park over to the side. He asks me to step out.
“Would you open up the doors please?”
Bridget and Reggie bark frantically.
“Be careful with the dogs,” the agent says. “Lots of coyotes around here.” Not to mention a gorge right over there that goes to the center of the earth . . .
I open up the side doors behind the driver’s door.
“What do you have in there?” the agent asks, peering into the landfill behind the bench seat.
“Practically everything I own,” I respond, explaining that I live full-time in a small travel trailer.
He looks things over, voicing what he sees.
“Clothes, a table, chair, shovel . . . okay.” Bridget and Reggie yap in our faces.
“I can open up the other doors for you, if you’d like,” I offer.
“No, that’s not necessary. You can go. Enjoy your visit.”
Whew!
I drive over the dam to park on the other side. The walkway on the dam is full of people of different ethnicities. People come from all over the world to see this . . . .
Signs are posted in the parking lot, “Do not leave pets in vehicles.”
It’s a long walk to reach the walkway going across the dam. It’s cool enough that I could go there without the crew becoming uncomfortable. If I leave them, someone will hear Bridget barking and assume she’s having heatstroke and I don’t want to deal with that.
I content myself with photos from the parking lot which offers a good view.
This next photo shows the river upstream from the dam.
I admit I’m not comfortable in high places looking down.
Driving through the gorge and crossing the dam triggered some anxiety. It’s just as well I’m not on the walkway looking down the other side . . .
Typical of me, I’m as much interested in taking photos of plants, water, and rock, than of the massive structure, an architectural and engineering wonder of the world!
Click on this link to read how much water is allotted to each of the seven Western states and Mexico from the Colorado River Basin.
Satisfied with what I’ve seen of Hoover Dam, I join the crew and again we go across the dam.
I relax once we’re on Route 93 again. We take a short detour to buy gas at $2.99 a gallon (owee) and return to camp.
A quick potty run and it’s Pen Time!
I fix myself a chicken salad, pull up the lounger next to the pen, eat lunch and open up my Paperwhite.
rvsue
THANK YOU, RVSUE SHOPPERS!
I appreciate you using the links or search box on my blog to go to Amazon. Here are some of the items purchased recently by readers:
Morninghead Cap – Bed Head Cure
Adjustable Height Aluminum Platform Step
Pet Gear Happy Trails Stroller for Cats and Dogs
AmeriBag Classic Microfiber Healthy Back Bag
Royal Kona – Toasted Coconut – 10% Kona Coffee Blend
Slime Safety Spair 7-Minute Flat Tire Repair System 12-Volt
This boy is ready for a nap.
