Hey, something new to write about, Kim and I went on a short vacation with Buck and Libby this last week. We got off to a rocky start on Sunday morning. I had awakened the previous Saturday at 4:00 am to attend a fire training session in Susanville for the day, and Kim had picked up Lucy from the airport on her return from her European spring break. Not sure Maggie or Viola has posted about the visit, but overall, it was a great experience for them all. However, after the early Saturday start for me, and just getting my daughter home after two weeks abroad, it was tough to get going and out of the house on Sunday. So we were "tardy" as usual getting to the Barkley residence in South Lake Tahoe. So what's an hour and a half among friends? We parked our car, packed up Buck and Libby's car, and "headed out on the highway.....lookin' for adventure....and whatever comes our way!".
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| The old Goldfield Highschool |
It was a very nice drive. Nice car, and great company. We spent the approximately eight hours of desert driving catching up with each other. The little Nevada towns along US 95 are very interesting. Hawthorne, Mina, Tonopah, and Goldfield to name a few of the better known. Tonopah and Hawthorne still seem like busy little towns, but are also just shadows of their former selves. Goldfield was incredible. I would say it is just one or two notches above a ghost town, with many incredibly ornate and beautiful old buildings in serious disrepair.
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| Settling into our resort home!! |
We finally arrived at our beautiful resort right on Lake Las Vegas in Henderson. It was a very cool setting, like an Italian oasis in the desert! Apparently the poor economy is wreaking havoc with the development, and business is pretty skimpy. However, it looks like they are hanging in there. I hope they make it through the tough times still to come. The weather was really perfect while we were there. Our warmest day was about 78 degrees! We sat on the balcony eating cheese and drinking wine late into the night.
Monday we got out to go tour Hoover Dam. However, the traffic was horrendous! So, we decided to hit it first thing Tuesday morning. We did have lunch at a little "hole in the wall" cafe in Boulder City. It was the same place (different name) that Kim and Buck used to eat at when their family made the annual spring trip to Lake Mead. It was a nice lunch and fun to listen to Kim and her brother talk about all the great times they had as kids on their vacations there.
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| New bridge opened last October as viewed from the dam |
Tuesday morning, the traffic was light, and we got into one of the first dam tours. What an incredible and enjoyable activity. So much to take in, and such an incredible feat of engineering, and human effort. Construction took only 5 years (1931-1936) and cost less than 50 million. The new concrete arch bridge, completed last year just downstream from the dam cost well over 200 million! It is the longest concrete arch bridge in the western hemisphere. A very cool sight. We walked out to the Nevada Arizona state line at near mid span. What a great view!
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| Hoover Dam from the Bridge |
OK, so the big event for me was renting a Harley Tuesday afternoon, and riding with Buck until returning to the Hotel about 7:30. Next day we took off in the morning, and rode until we had to return the bikes at 3:00. Harley's are kind of an American icon to say the least. Legendary among bikers, even riders of other brands. I bought my Kawasaki because it looked like a Harley (sort of!). So this was a much anticipated event for Buck and I.
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| Checked out and ready to rumble! |
After a quick check out on the bikes, we sent the girls to the outlet stores, and took off for a place called Red Rock Canyon just north east of Las Vegas. It wasn't far, in fact it was just right to get the feel of these new and wondrous machines. We took the scenic loop through the park at 25 to 35 miles per hour. Lots of curves, both horizontal and vertical. What an enjoyable ride! Then we headed out on the highway to the town of Pahrump. Yes, that's what I said... Pahrump! Supposedly that is derived from the Shoshone word for "water rock" named for all the artesian wells in the area. Well, for Buck and I, with a name like Pahrump, we had to investigate. Of course we also needed some place to ride to! We went over the mountains, and down into a very large valley. Then the road straightened out. Seventy miles an hour on a straight road, without a windshield, is not the best biker experience. However, we finally made it into town, and were surprised by how large it was. We bought a cold soft drink, Buck bought some foam ear plugs. I guess seventy mile per hour wind, and Harley screamin' are a little tough on the ear bones! We were a little apprehensive about going through Las Vegas on the freeways to return to our Henderson hideout, but things went smoothly and we arrived back just as the sun was settling below the western horizon. No wind, warm night breezes, a glass of bourbon on the rocks set a relaxing scene as we recounted our day's adventures (and the girl's shopping) on the balcony.
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| Red Rock Canyon |
Wednesday, we got back on the bikes, and headed through Lake Mead National Recreation Area toward the little town of Overton. It was National Park week, so we contributed a few bucks more to the National debt by entering the park free. The road was fantastic. It must have been laid out and designed by motorcycle enthusiasts. We wove through the sagebrush, mesquite, and cactus in tight formation. We took every side road available and explored campgrounds and marinas on Lake Mead as we worked our way northeast.
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| Blooming cactus on the road to Overton |
When we got to Overton, we ate lunch at a very cool local cafe and sports bar called "Sugar's". The walls and ceilings were covered with sports memorabilia. Major league baseball, pro football, golf, you name it. After a burger and a roast beef sandwich, we gassed up the Harleys and headed back for our second helping of that righteous roadway! We decided that it had been way too much fun to risk going back on another desert freeway, straight as an arrow at 70 mph plus into Las Vegas. We made it back to the bike shop after topping off our tanks with 10 minutes to spare. Kim and Libby arrived shortly after to pick us up. It was a great experience, and Buck and I continued to process it for the remainder of our time there together.
Our final night together we ate out at a very nice restaurant there at the resort. Kim had the seafood plate, and I had steak. Which really means we both had "Surf and Turf"! The next morning we packed up and hit the road for home. One stop in Tonopah for fuel and food, then home by 6:00. Actually, back to South Lake Tahoe by 6:00. Another hour and 45 minutes and we were back in our Sierra Valley paradise with Lucy, Lumina, Delta, Remmy, and Hobo. It felt good to be home, and I guess that is the way it should be. We had a great time, but I think the time away was just right. It left us wanting more when we returned, and that is a good thing.
That's All!
