So Happy Together...

For you nonbelievers... it's true... Liam & Tazzy have made peace. Here they are, as cozy as can be. Sometimes we have to pinch ourselves to make sure we're not dreaming.

Valley of Fire

After we got out of Lake Mead we drove up to the Valley of Fire. You can't see it from the highway, but after the 30 minute ride to the entrance it was well worth the trip. This is Nevada's oldest state park. The name is derived from the jagged walls and jutting rocks that appear to be on fire when reflecting the sun's rays. Extensive erosion, winds and shifting of red sandstone and sand dunes over 150 million years ago created the present landscape. Some of the rocks formations have names based on their shapes.

What a spectacular place, as you can see from these pictures, and this is just a few of shots I took.

The dogs enjoyed exploring the park. Liam especially liked climbing around and through the rocks.

Hoover Dam & Temple Bar

Evan had to work today, so Joe & I were on our own. We started off our day with a visit to Hoover Dam; it was magnificent. We got there early, but traffic was already backed up & moving at a snails pace. More then 17,000 vehicles cross the dam each day. The new Hoover Dam Bypass is under construction. Supposedly, this will help alleviate the traffic jams & eliminate the problems of the existing road - hairpin turns, narrow roadways, inadequate shoulders & poor sight distance. This should greatly improve the safety issues for drivers & pedestrians alike.

There were 112 deaths associated with the construction of the dam which was completed in 1936 & was, at the time, the worlds largest producer of hydroelectric generating station - It is now the 38th largest.The dam crosses the border between two time zones - Pacific & Mountain.

After entering the Arizona side of the dam, we made a wrong turn and ended up at the Temple Bar on Lake Mead, one of the two lakes created by the dam. We were surprised by the history of this new found place. Mormon pioneers settled here, but in 1870 they voted to abandon the town, that is, except for the Bonelli family. They stayed behind, raised cattle & agricultural crops, mined salt, operated a ferry, post office, store & a pony express station. Daniel Bonelli thought this structure reminded him of the Mormon Temple. To be continued....

House Hunters & Vegas Strip

Evan is back from his training in Phoenix. We spent the morning with him house hunting. He is now ready to take that first big step toward home ownership. His realtor scheduled 9 home showings; it was an exhausting morning. Nothing rang bells & whistles for any of us, but it gave Evan an idea of what he can afford and features he likes & dislikes. We stopped for a bite to eat before taking Evan back to his place.

The next day (Sunday) Evan took us to Red Rock, one of his favorite climbing spots. The dogs got to run off-lead - They loved it. Afterward, we drove down the Vegas strip. Things have really changed since Joe & I got married here 13 years ago. We had a great time w/Evan; he is a great travel guide and funny to boot.

Paradise

Wow! What a week. Of course the day we pulled out of Casa Grande we hit yet another dust storm just south of Phoenix, but we kept moving onward until we got to Lake Havasu. The drive through the mountains was breathtaking. Occasionally, we could catch glimpses of the sky blue water between the peaks. Unfortunately, the winding 2-lane road through this area was packed with cars & people so I couldn't get any pictures. Once we got to Lake Havasu City we pulled into a space & spent the night. We took the dogs for a walk across the "London Bridge" and along the sandy beach. As you can see by the sign, we were in paradise.

We left early the next morning for Las Vegas; we had reservations waiting for us at the Desert Eagle RV Park. We drove through California & the Mojave Desert before arriving at Nellis AFB. Your probably sick of hearing me say this, but this is yet another beautiful campground. One of the things I enjoy the most about the southwest is relaxing outside in shorts & a T-shirt while taking in the snow capped mountain views. Until next time....