Death Valley to Laughlin, Nevada and Still Catching Up (Friends Leave)

(Clicking on the pictures should open them larger in a new window.)

Saturday,  November 16, 2019

Getting up this morning we knew it was time to move on down the road. We have spent 13 wonderful nights and days here and will take a lot of good memories with us. I did not want to miss our last sunrise so I was out the door by 6:20. It was a little chilly but I have a very large shawl I crocheted a couple of years ago with all the bits and pieces of left over yarn from all the afghans, shawls, and hats etc...I have crocheted for grandchildren, family, and friends. It always makes me smile to bundle up in it and look down at all the colors. Tom joined me with our coffee and we enjoyed a cup while we sat in the warmth of the early morning sun.

Top:  We are ready to leave; we were the last ones on the hill.
Middle:  The Stinger "B: makes her way down and out the gate.
Bottom: The chain is across; I have closed the door.

They had closed the area at noon the day before but let us stay our last night. We appreciated the gesture which meant we did not have to move sites for one night.

Top: We started below sea level but quickly reached it.
Middle: One last glance at Zabriskie Point.
Bottom Left: Not sure, looked like some kind of picture shoot?

The bottom right picture is where we saw what was left of a burnt Class C a couple of days before, we could tell by what was left of the frame, and their tow vehicle. The fire was out, we had passed a fire engine going in the opposite direction, and rescue people were there with the people. We, also, passed to flatbed tow trucks heading there after we passed the spot. So sad to see and a grim reminder of how quickly an RV  is gone when a fire does start. I did not take pictures.

Some last views

and good bye.

This was the first time we had actually stayed in a National Park and we thoroughly enjoyed our time here. I am guessing we will be back. As there is a lot more to see. (Though, I still have five more blogs to put together of what we did see.)

Soon we were up to 3000 feet and passed back into Nevada.
First stop the gas station in Amargosa, NV at the Alien Travel Center
 to fill up with diesel. The cost $3.49 versus $5.68 in California.
It is an interesting stop.

Looked like he was hauling an old Army Tank.

Watched those mountains coming closer and closer then we
were going past and a new view was out the front windshield.
Back on  four lanes.

On a highway below us near Las Vegas.
Taken through the screen on my window.

Some nice decorations

along the way.

We have seen these over the years and I wonder why.

Plus, we have seen "evergreen" towers but this is just sad.

Past Las Vegas, still on 95, by the time I got my camera focused 
I had missed World War I & II and the Korean War signs.

On Nevada Highway 163 going over Davis Dam Hill

Christmas Tree Pass, at least I caught the sign.

Coming into Laughlin, Nevada

Crossing over the Colorado River
we are now in Arizona and said goodbye to an hour.

This is where my pictures ended for  the day. From here we continued across the Colorado River to Bullhead City, Arizona where we had reservations at a RV Park that will remain nameless. It was not a bad park by any means and we are sure a lot of RVers would enjoy their stay here. In fact, quite a few are there now as I write this. It was a very tight park, the streets narrow, and by no means flat across. We arrived at the office which, even though the listed hours said it would be open, was closed. There was a slip with our name on it and it said to take a map to find the site. The site was easy to find but we were not real comfortable with turning into it. Before doing so we would need to unhook the Jeep but because of how uneven the street was we could not accomplish this. The only thing to do was go back to the office area and hope we could unhook there. We thought about it and since the exit was closer we took it. (Side note: Back in 2016 we had a similar experience when we still had the 5th wheel and we pulled into a site even though our gut feeling was not to. It resulted in damage to the 5th wheel and the loss of the back window in our truck when we left. We said then we would never repeat that mistake.)

The problem now was the time. With the sun going down and not wanting to be on the road after dark we need to find someplace to park fairly quickly. We drove to the Walmart in Bullhead City and did see other rigs parked there but when I called the store they said as of two weeks ago an ordinance was put in effect that did not allow overnight parking. We had stayed at park in Ft. Mohave in the past but they were full. Then we spotted a Walmart in Ft. Mohave, made a call, and pulled in for the night.


Sunday, November 17, 2019

When we got up this morning Tom made some calls and I went into Walmart to pick up a few groceries and then we moved over to Riverside RV Park in Laughlin, NV. ( We gained back our hour.) Tom pulled us into our site, I sorted wash, he hooked us up to our utilities, and I turned the washer on. After two weeks of dry camping there is definitely a need for clean clothing. With the washer going we started cleaning the inside. There is a lot of dust to be removed. There is still more to be done and we will do it slowly over the next week in between exploring the area. We spent a few days in Ft. Mohave four years ago and visited Oatman but never came across the river. So a new place to check out. Sometimes things really do work out for the best.

Our view during tonight's Happy Hour.
With no one parked across the way 
we have a nice view of the lights.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019 (Catching Up)

All to soon we it was time for Shirley and Ken, Seeing America with Ken and Shirley to be on there way. 

While we were together their grandson, who is at Marine Basic Training, started  what is called the Crucible and these caring grandparents got up at 2 in the morning to light a candle and say a prayer for him as he started this journey.  

With loving grandparents like this it is no surprise
we heard he is now called, Marine!
I stole this from their blog.

The Crucible is a test every recruit must go through to become a Marine. It tests every recruit physically, mentally and morally and is the defining experience of recruit training. The Crucible takes place over 54-hours and includes food and sleep deprivation and over 45 miles of marching. The Crucible event pits teams of recruits against a barrage of day and night events requiring every recruit to work together to solve problems, overcome obstacles, and help each other along the way.

The obstacles they face include long marches, combat assault courses, the leadership reaction course, and the team-building warrior stations.

Each warrior station is named for a Marine hero whose actions epitomize the values the USMC wants recruits to adopt.

The bottom line is this—the Crucible is a rite of passage that, through shared sacrifice, recruits will never forget. With that memory and the core values learned in recruit training, they will be able to face any challenges in their path.

When completed they earn the title, Marine.
(from the internet)

We sat and chatted for a short time this morning.
Then it was time for hugs all around, a couple of times,
then we said our "see you laters" and with a wave
they were on their way.

Tom and I spent the rest of the day not doing a thing. Well we did sit and watch the sun set and there was a Happy Hour but otherwise not a lot was accomplished today. We truly enjoy these type of days.

I missed the sun slipping behind the mountains
but I did capture the color it left off to the north.

We are glad you stopped by!

If you have time to leave a comment we would enjoy hearing from you.