Leaving the Silver State of Nevada we headed south to Arizona. The weather on a daily basis has been sunny with blue skies, averaging temperatures of 20-23 degrees celsius by mid afternoon. We quickly discovered that many Canadian snowbirds and folks from the northern States make the yearly winter pilgrimage to Arizona looking to escape the cold clutches of Mother Nature. Many people travel in RV's and some come to their winter homes to enjoy all that the state has to offer besides just great weather.
Beautiful Lake Havasu!
One such place is Lake Havasu City! This was our first stop after leaving the Las Vegas area. Just a 2 1/2 hour drive on the I-95 South and there we were; surrounded by tranquil waters, rugged mountains and barren desert. This was truly a playground as everywhere we looked people were boating, fishing, camping and off roading. We were also surprised to learn that Lake Havasu City was home to the original London Bridge that had once spanned the River Thames from 1831 until 1967 at which time the City of London began searching for a potential buyer. The bridge had begun sinking and became overburdened by the traffic flow of London but Lake Havasu City's founder did indeed see the value of having a little piece of Europe in the United States and successfully won the bid that saw each of the 10 276 granite blocks disassembled and reassembled in Lake Havasu City. Today London Bridge, complete with iconic lamp posts, is the second largest tourist draw in Arizona after the Grand Canyon. We enjoyed our hike over from the State Park that we were staying in and visiting the touristy shops that have a very British feel.
Each granite block was numbered before the bridge was disassembled!
The original lamp posts are said to be made from the melted down cannon balls of Napolean's Battle of Waterloo.
Another 2 hours south and we stopped at Quartzsite, Arizona. This quirky little town of approximately 3600 people may very well be the boondocking capital of
the world!!! When we approached the boundaries of the town there were RVs EVERYWHERE! Some were parked in RV parks but most were just pitched in the desert. Though it's really not a very pretty place the population swells from January to March with RV Shows and vendors peddling everything from rocks, gems, and beads to clothing and expired groceries. Many people come and boondock to visit the flea markets and big tent events. One night was enough for us and we decided to move on!
Located in southwestern Arizona is the town of Yuma or as I have heard it said, "the sunniest place on earth", boasting over 4000 hours of sunshine each year. Yuma certainly did not disappoint us on our 2 day visit! It's close proximity to the Mexican border enticed us to do what all the other thousands of Americans do every day; park for $6 in a large lot operated by the Quechan Indian Nation and then walk down the ramp and across the border to Los Algodones, Mexico. Just like that we were in Mexico and in the midst of street vendors and markets selling cheap sunglasses, purses, wallets, clothing and lawn decorations.
A delicious taco salad!
Medical tourism is huge for this small Mexican town and we were constantly harassed by Mexicans offering us cheap dental work, optical supplies and prescription medication. Our conversations with many Americans who do visit for medical reasons tell us that the medical service is good and much much cheaper than what they can get in their home state. We each enjoyed a margarita and some lunch and then decided to get in the lineup to cross back into the United States. I forgot how much I loathe the haggling you must endure when visiting Mexico and so we were happy enough to leave and head back to the camper.
Mexican vendors selling their wares to the line of people crossing back over the border
A colleague of mine would always say that the worst thing about travelling is “the comin’s and the goin’s” and boy was she right! Our trip back to Vegas to restart our vacation was uneventful….a smooth plane ride with no delays, good service and friendly people…you know, the typical Air Canada or Westjet television commercial. What they DON’T show you is that for 8 1/2 hours you must endure that cattle car feeling because you are stuffed into an overheated and cramped row of seats, jockeying for elbow space with a complete stranger who is clearly too big for his seat. And to top it all off, even though you aren’t hungry but eating helps pass the time AND is a good distraction, you are forced to purchase overpriced food and add unwanted pounds to your already bulging Christmas waistline. Let’s just say that the 12 degree temperatures when we arrived 11:00 at night and the obvious lack of 10 foot high snow drifts was all worth the torture! We had traded those nasty snow days for glorious sun rays!
Upon our arrival,we had arranged for a cheap hotel room downtown close to the “Fremont Street Experience”! Though we had had the pleasure of
experiencing this feast for the senses back in November, the need to get out and breathe some oxygen and move our bodies was just too great and so we headed down for another visit. Our Uber driver had explained that the city had installed a new overhead HD canopy back in December and that “the experience” was even better and, I have to say, it was pretty impressive.
The next day we went to the storage facility in neighbouring Henderson to retrieve our motorhome and discovered it had been broken into. Somehow the would-be bandits had popped open a back compartment that held storage containers of our clothes. They had rifled through our things but nothing seemed to be missing. They had also jimmied the other compartment locks and the main door but luckily didn’t gain access. So much for paid and secure storage. We jumped aboard the RV, started her up and she purred like a kitten. It was so nice to be on the road again!
We decided to go back to Sam’s Town KOA Park for a couple of nights. The park had great facilities, was clean and safe and the jet lag was killing us! Not to mention,there were still a few things on our Vegas bucket list of places to see that we hadn’t gotten to on our previous visit. Our first night back at the park we went to bed at 6pm!! We were so exhausted! Steve was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Me, on the other hand, I tossed and turned for a bit and was just beginning to doze off when our trailer began swaying back and forth. This went on for a few minutes! I thought I was hallucinating or something but came to find out the next morning that the rocking we had felt was a 4.6 magnitude earthquake that had occurred in Barstow, California just two hours south of us. Wow! That was the first time I had ever been in an earthquake!!
That day we took the motorcycle out for a drive through the Valley of Fire and then headed back down on the street to visit Pawn Stars. Steve is a big fan of
this History Channel reality show and it was nice to be able to see where everything was shot. Of course, the stars of the show, Rick and Chumlee, weren’t there. We went next door to Rick’s Tavern for a bite to eat in hopes that he might make an appearance but no such luck so after a couple of hours we jumped back on the bike and headed back to Sam’s Town. Tomorrow we are leaving Sin City and heading South!
Las Vegas, Nevada was our last destination before going home for a rest. We decided to stay in Vegas for a week to give ourselves an opportunity to plant our roots for a while and to take in all the sights and sounds that Vegas has to offer. We camped in nearby Henderson and stayed at a lovely KOA Campground where we had the good fortune to meet another pair of wonderful snowbirds from Wisconsin, USA. Hats off to Jim and Elaine for their kindness and generosity. They gave us lots of great Vegas tips, coupons and suggestions for future travel.
Of course no Vegas trip would be complete without taking
in a show. We saw Cirque de Soleil "O" as well as Cirque de Soleil One - The Michael Jackson Show. Both were equally impressive artistically but the music of Michael Jackson was amazing! We felt as if we were attending a live concert especially during the song "Man In The Mirror" when a hologram of Michael appeared on the stage. We also visited Counts Kustoms where the Counting Cars Show on the History Channel is taped and went to Nellis Airforce Base for Aviation Nation, an award winning airshow by the United
States Air Force. On our last night in Vegas we decided to hang out on Fremont Street. I think I'll let the pictures do the talking on that visit. After a great week in Las Vegas, it was time to
put the motorhome in storage and head home to Newfoundland, Canada for a visit with family and friends and to celebrate Christmas.
It was so nice to be home and we were reminded of how beautiful our home province is. We did not miss, however, all of the snow and gray skies. In fact while we were home we experienced the "storm of the century" which placed the capital city of St. John's, and surrounding regions, into a State of Emergency for 6 days. Below is a video taken from our front window during the height of the blizzard. Almost 100 cm. of snow fell over three days, shutting down schools, government offices and city facilities for a week and necessitating the need to call in the military for assistance.
What was left of our family (2 of our kids are away working), pulled together and we got everything cleaned out.
Shovelling out the dining room window and vents
Oh boy!!!
Though this storm was brutal, and we are still waiting for things to return to normal we are reminded of how Newfoundlanders pull together during times of crisis and do what needs to be done. This was eloquently demonstrated through An Ode to the Newfoundland Storm by local comedian Mark Critch.
A quick trip to Cupids, NL to check on our summer home also reminded us of why we love this place so much.
There was no damage and everything seemed to be in working order but it's time to head back now and leave all this snow behind. We are looking forward to sun and warmer temperatures....two things you DON'T have to shovel! So, here's our journey so far! I wonder where we will go next?!
I once read that Death Valley was a land of extremes; extreme heat, extreme dryness and the lowest point in North America! Death Valley, located in Eastern California, is certainly all of these things but one thing for sure, it has mesmerizing harshly beautiful landscapes unlike anything we have ever seen. When we first discussed going to Death Valley, my immediate thought was that we were going to a desert. I expected to see a lot of cactus and miles upon miles of sand dunes. My senses were completely unprepared for the mountains that towered above the dry lake beds, the dark night skies, and the huge craters and rugged terrain that also define Death Valley. The long stretches of lonely roads that wound their way through huge expanses of Mars-like land often made us feel like space explorers on a brand new expedition. Talking about space, our first stop was at Rainbow Canyon nicknamed Star Wars
Canyon located at the western border of the park. Commonly used by the United States Air Force and Navy for fighter jet training and for filming movie
scenes like some of those found in the Star Wars movies, we were treated to some pretty spectacular scenery. Sitting atop Father Crowley overlook we joined other onlookers and photographers who had come to not only see the canyon but also to take in the flight training exercises.
I was lucky to have captured this shot! These guys are fast!
Although the sand dunes are only a small portion of Death Valley, they are quite spectacular! The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes were quite accessible and a fun place to visit. Many people come here to walk over the dunes and feel the soft sand beneath their feet. Not at this location, but we are told that some of the dunes in Death Valley can reach to over 680 feet tall!
The mountains provided a beautiful backdrop for the setting sun!
Some of the best motorcycle riding we have done on this trip has been at Death Valley! The endless open roads with not a car in sight provides us with a wonderful opportunity to get up close and personal with all that the desert has to offer.
Into the mountains we go!
Artist Palette Drive was a beautiful run that took us past beautifully colored rocks created by the oxidation of the metals found in the ground here.
This photo was taken by Blair Radford (www.sharetheexperience.org)
Death Valley also has an interesting history including how it got its name! During the 1849 California Gold Rush, Death Valley received its name from prospectors and pioneers who perished during their winter journey across the valley to the gold fields. The charcoal kilns pictured below are also remnants of the park's history.
Built in 1877 by American Indian, Hispanic and Chinese workers the kilns provided a source of fuel suitable for use in the smelters of the lead-silver mines that once existed. During our October/November visit to Death Valley, the daytime temperatures
often soared to 28 degrees celsius which meant lots of water and needed opportunities to escape the sun. Needless to say it did not surprise us to learn that the hottest air temperature ever recorded in Death Valley was 56.7 degrees celsius! Likewise, Badwater Basin is another example of the extreme harshness of the Death Valley landscape. At almost 300 feet below sea level, this is the lowest point in North America. Water from a spring below is undrinkable because of the salt. In the pictures below the salt flats stretch for miles!
Hiking through Golden Canyon and taking in the view of the Valley from Dante's Peak are also must do activities on any visitors list. After leaving Badwater Basin early in the morning, we went right to Golden Canyon before the temperatures became too hot! As we walked through the canyons we were in awe at the rock formations that towered above us. Red Cathedral reaches into the sky in the background.
Not a great selfie, but we made it!!!! Can you see Steve in the background?
Dante's Peak, an almost 5500 foot viewpoint atop the Black Mountains, was one of the last places we visited during our 4 days in Death Valley! It really was great to be able to take in the entire view of Death Valley below!
Death Valley is certainly a place we will never forget!
Yosemite National Park located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Central California was another amazing spectacle! Up to this point our travels along the coast and through the valleys simply could not prepare us for the geological wonder we were about to experience. Driving from the West on Highway 140, it didn't take long for the Sierra Nevada mountain range to come into view.
Before we knew it we found ourselves slowly ascending the two lane highway along the edge of the mountains. As in previous drives, the climb was slow going and at times nail-biting. There was certainly no room for error when the side of the road gave way to a 1000 foot vertical drop. The following pics will give you some idea of what we had to navigate.
Once reaching the summit, we set up camp for the night in a lovely little campground and prepped for our visit to the National Park the following day. As in previous trips, we would be exploring on motorcycle!
Established as a National Park in 1890, Yosemite is best known for its dramatic scenery within a condensed space. Deep valleys, towering granite mountains, and beautiful waterfalls can all be found wowing the visitors that come to Yosemite.
El Capitan comes into view!
Close up shot of Half Dome
A sunset ride through Yosemite and back to our campsite takes us past more spectacular sights!
The beauty of Bridal Veil Falls
Time for a selfie atop Glacier Viewpoint. Half Dome is in the background.
We were pretty hungry and cold after completing the hours run back to our RV. Who wants to cook after a day like that? We decided to give the Iron Door Saloon in neighbouring Groveland a try. What a fun little place with delicious food and a very interesting history!
The next day we decided to drive back through Yosemite in the RV and exit through the West Entrance via Tioga Road. Again this drive was another completely unique and amazing experience as we passed slabs and slabs of smooth, white granite created from ancient forces 500 million years ago.
Our exit from the park along Tioga Road took us along the highest automobile pass in California and one of the most scenic mountain roads within the National Park Service.
We were absolutely in awe of Yosemite but it was time to move on towards another National Park on our bucket list.........Death Valley! Our night in Lone Pine, California gives us a hint of what is to come!
