New Year Wishes!

Levi and I and Little Brewy too....wish you and yours....

A Very Adventurous New Year!!!! Happy 2013!!!!

Back So Soon...

Well, Levi and I arrived back home last night from our Valley of Fire Weekend.  We were pretty exhausted after unpacking items from the trailer and cleaning up around the house, but our adventures were fresh in our minds!

It was pretty much non-stop Friday thru Sunday so I wasn't able to get any blogging in, but we both took loads of pictures to share! Here's a glimpse of our trip.

Friday 

Levi and I took the day off of work to load the trailer, get it prepped for take off (fill up water tank and generator), and take one last walk through the house for anything we may have forgotten (which we did and found out once we got to the park).  Around noon we were off to Overton, Nevada (Destination: Valley of Fire). Brewy, our loyal pooch, came as well.  

Our timing was pretty good and we made it to the west entrance of the park at around 1:30ish. Traffic was smooth sailing the whole way.  The entrance fee is typically $10 a day but we got a $2 discount since we live in Nevada.  

The park ranger at the entrance booth handed us a park brochure and a flyer of events that would be happening that weekend (bonus!) Events for the weekend included a "Campfire/ Marshmallow Roast" and two guided trail tours.

Less than two miles into the park and we were at our campsite, Ataltl Rock.  There are two campsites located next to each other on the south west corner of the park, Ataltl Rock and Arch Rock.  Ataltl Rock accommodates RVs with water and electrical hook-ups ($20 a night).  The general campgrounds are $10 a night. There are two dump stations located just outside of the campgrounds.  All campsites came with a patio set, firepits/grills, and easy access to a water faucet.

The pricing was a bit confusing for us.  The campgrounds are self pay.  Besides paying the nightly charge, if you plan to stay additional nights, you must add the entrance fee for the park each additional night.  If you are a Nevada residence, though, don't forget your daily $2 discount.....ugh! 

We were confused and ended up over paying but when we realized our mistake we had already deposited our money in the locked pay box. After finding and consulting with the camp host, we simply wrote a note to the park ranger (who collects the fees each day, as opposed to the camp host) explaining our overpaying mistake.  A park ranger, sure enough, came to our camp site the next day and refunded our money:) 

Anyways, I digress.  Levi and I were very impressed by the campground (both actually)!  They were nestled in a small group of sandstone mountains.  Each campsite was extremely spacious....40 foot RVs could easily fit in each slot.  I believe there were about 15-20 RV sites out of 72 total camp sites. Privacy between sites was either by a natural formation (rocks), some type of plant, or empty space, but there was at least five or more yards in between. 

It took us a little over an hour to get the trailer leveled, outside furniture and supplies near the campfire ring, and everything set up inside the trailer.  We had about an hour before the marshmallow roast started so we hopped in the truck and headed to the Visitor's Center up the road after lunch.

The Visitor's Center had all sorts of exhibits on the geology, flora/fauna life, and wildlife, native tribes that populated the area.  It was a school field trip all over again!  They had a little gift shop where we bought cactus candy and a more detailed map of the park.

Back at camp, we gathered around the fire with other campers making s'mores.  Levi and I got to talking to other RVers about traveling and our pets.  Everyone wanted to pet Brewy.  Poor girl was scared out of her mind.  She has anxiety around other people and animals and will hide behind Levi or me or just look away as others pet her coat.  

The park ranger who was hosting the campfire talk spoke a bit about the park and told us a story about one particular trail known as Mouse's Tank.  It was named after a renegade native who in the 1890s hid out in the trail area while law enforcement searched for and eventually killed because he had murdered several of his own tribesmen and other settlers of the area.  

Levi and I thought the fireside talk was a great activity; so did the other campers.  We said good night and headed back to the campsite where we started a fire and made some quesadillas. The temperature dropped from the mid 50s to the upper 30s so the warmth of the fire felt good! We went back in the trailer a few hours later and fell asleep watching a movie on the labtop.

Saturday

Saturday was non-stop exploring!  We got up and ate some egg tacos before heading out to our first hike, the Fire Wave Hike.  This hike was one of the tours hosted by the park for the weekend.  To get to this hike, you need to travel up towards and past the Visitor's Center.  You'll travel through a gorgeous gauntlet of sandstone rock formations and a couple of trail heads before making it to Parking Lot #3.

Originally I thought this hike was a part of the White Domes trail, but it is actually a separate trail located across the street from the trailhead of White Domes.  This trail was created because of a unique rock formation discovered by a German photographer. The rock formation includes a combination of segmented sandstone and silica (white sandy mineral).  The picture below shows this unique formation.  It is located at the end of the trail.  

Levi, Brewy, and I sat atop this eating some snacks.  It was so beautiful with all the vibrant colors!  We've never seen anything like this. We headed back, taking more pictures along the way.

We stopped by the trailer to get some warm cothes and eat a small lunch before heading out again.  We stopped by a number of places in the park.  These are some of our discoveries:)

Ataltl Rock: this site has a number of petroglyphs visible at the top of the staircase.  All of the park rangers said the same thing: if someone says they know what a drawing means, they are lying because no one knows.

Petrified (fossilized) wood is found in the park, specifically two locations designated in the park.  One trail was located across the street from our campground.  This trail is only 1/2 a mile long and features about 5 large, caged petrified logs.It is amazing how detailed these fossils appear.

These cabins were built in the 1930s and served as inns for people to stay in as they visited the park.

We were unable to visit the Silica Domes (where part of the Star Trek: Next Generation movie was filmed).  The trail was under construction, along with Fire Canyon.  Instead, we read from our map we purchased at the gift shop that the scene where Captain Kirk was killed  after falling from the bridge was located in the new Arrowhead Trail.  The bridge is almost halfway down this 1.2 mile trail.  The bridge is shown below. No sign of Captain Kirk's remains.

After passing the bridge, we came across this cool rock formation entitled: Elephant Rock.

We saw more of these formations driving back to camp, more specifically in around Arch Rock campground.

This one is called Natural Arch.

This formation is known as the piano.

This is one of a few rock formations called the beehive.

It was quite amazing to see what years of weathering caused these structures to form into.  Brewy wasn't the only one tuckered out by the time we made it back to the trailer to make some fajitas and rice.  And boy was the food GOOD!! We also got to use the showers at the campsite.  The water was hot and each shower was it's own room as opposed to several stalls in one space.  

Sunday

We ended up taking off Sunday, but not before taking one final guided tour. This one was Mouse's Tank.  The trail winds through a canyon and includes several areas of petroglyphs.  The hike comes to an end at the famous water tanks where Mouse, the Paiute Native spent months hiding from the authorities.  

We packed and headed out the eastern entrance toward Lake Mead.  We took the long, scenic route alongside the lake, hoping to find other marinas we could dine at for lunch.  No such luck at Echo Bay Marina and Callville Bay Marina.  There were no restaurants at Echo Bay and the one restaurant at Callville didn't have outside eating for Brewy.  We ended up at our favorite place....Las Vegas Marina.  We dined outside overlooking the lake and boats and talked about someday owning a houseboat:) 

We had a restful, eye-opening weekend and we can't wait for our next road trip!!!

Side Story

The weekend before this, Levi and I headed out to Searchlight to take a tour of the Eldorado Mines.  This is another hidden gem around Vegas.  We didn't take the trailer.  We just took a little road trip down to this location to see what we could see.  Turns out a family purchased 40+ acres of land close to the Colorado River and discovered they were living (literally) on top of a gold mine, the largest and oldest gold mine in Nevada to be exact.  We took a guided tour of the mine and explored the property. 

The owners of the land rent kayaks and host parties besides the mine tour.  Scenes from movies have been filmed on the property and the site is a haven for photographers with the many antique buildings and vehicles, besides the great desert landscape. Pricing for events and activities is very reasonable.  The tour was only $12.50 per person.  The staff is extremely friendly and very knowledgeable about the property and its history. 

Levi wanted to explore more of the mine than what was allotted in the tour.  I was impressed by the hard work and determination the family had to fix up a rundown piece of land and make it into a booming business!  Below is the main building where people check-in before tours and other activities. The very bottom picture is the inside of the mine.  

Preparations for Valley of Fire

Tomorrow, Levi and I will take Brewy for a much awaited vacation in the Little Nomad! Our destination is just about an hour's drive from our home, Valley of Fire.  Levi and I have lived in Vegas for almost a decade and we still have not visited this park.  Now is a good time as any.

Reservations cannot be made for campsites and the recently created but few RV sites, so we will hopefully beat the mad Veteran's Day weekend rush and snag a site. For the past week, we have been gathering  necessities for the trip.  Just a few last minute preparations tomorrow morning and we'll be off.
http://parks.nv.gov/parks/valley-of-fire-state-park/

Just a few factoids on the Valley of Fire:
1. It is the oldest state park in Nevada.
2. The park's name is derived from it's unique red sandstone formations which appear to be ablaze in the reflective sunlight.
3.  It is located about 50 miles northeast of the Las Vegas valley.
4. Other special features of the park include the presence of petrified wood and petroglyphs created by the native Anasazi.
5.  There have been a few movies shot in various areas of the park....one of interest to us is Star Trek Generations.  (Yes, we are also Trekkies.) The park, in the movie, sets the stage as the planet Viridian 3. Bad guy Soran is attempting to get to relocate back to Nexxus by any dangerous means necessary. Captain Piccard  and Captain Kirk save the day but at the expense of Captain Kirk's fall to death.  These scenes apparently take place in and around the Silicia Dome. Maybe we'll be able to see this.
http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/s/st_gen.html

Hikes, exploring, good food, and good company, chilly weather.....we have a lot to look forward to!  Can't wait!

Lake Mead: Days 2 and 3

Day Two: 8/11/2012

Levi and a scuba buddy met in the AM to dive around Boulder Beach. They needed to complete a mapping assignment for their DiveMaster course and this weekend was open for both of them.

I stayed in the RV and completed some errands online with our awesome WiFi signal. Brewy and I walked through the park and into the campground. We were about to continue our hike down to the beach but it was already 105 outside.

Levi and John (dive partner) returned back to the RV site just a few hours after they left, assignment complete.

We all drove to Las Vegas Boat Harbor for lunch, just a 5 minute drive from the park).  No dogs are allowed in the restaurant, so we ordered rounds of ice cold drinks and sat outside on the deck.

Back at the park, we waved farwell to John and attempted to cool down from the blistering heat. We spent the better half of the day napping and watching shows online.

The evening brought a much appreciated rain shower and lightening show while we bbqed chicken for tacos! Yummy! Levi tried getting shots of the lightening but wasn't too lucky with the timing.

Day 3: 8/12/2012

Today is check-out day, blah! I never like this part, neither does Levi. The end of trips in the Little Nomad just makes us want to start up our full time RV lifestyle even sooner!

We decided to have breakfast at Lake Mead Marina (right next to Las Vegas Boat Harbor) before completely packing up and checking out. 

Doesn't look like we will have much time in the next coming months to take the Little Nomad out, but you never know...till next time...

Weekend at Lake Mead, Nevada, Day 1: 8/10/2012

Last summer trip in the Little Nomad before school starts!  Despite the weekend temperatures of 110+ (ouch!), Levi and I decided to go to out favorite spot near Vegas, Lake Mead.  This is mainly because it half-way resembles the coast. Lake Mead is about a 45 minute drive from our home.

Just a bit of history: Lake Mead is the largest man-made lake in the U.S., connecting to the Colorado River and home to the Hoover Dam.  It is ranked 16th largest in the world. Africa capitalizes on the largest man made reservoirs.

Day One: 8/10/2012
As usual, Levi and I started preparing for our trip in the Little Nomad a few days before taking off. It was easier to prepare this time around since we simply packet the trailer at its storage spot, our friend's residence, and took off from there. It was already above 100 when we took off around noon.

We arrived at Lake Mead's only RV park, RV Village (situated right next to Lake Mead Campground), and registered.  We recently became Good Sam Club members so we got a nice little discount for our stay. Valerie was working the front desk and she was very helpful with all of our questions.

We have stayed at this RV park in the past.  Once was last December for the Parade of Lights and another was just a few months ago when we made the mistake of boon docking in the summer with little gas for the generator to run the A/C.  We retreated to the RV park with their electric hook-ups for one night then.

Our site this weekend was #828, a back-up site furthest from the lake scene but closest distance to the office and Wi-Fi signal!  There was only one other RV parked in the immediate area...guess we aren't the only insane people out in this heat!

It took a grueling, sweltering 30 minutes to level and position the trailer. The A/C was working it's magic and quickly cooled the inside down! Brewy, I'm sure was grateful for this!

First on our agenda: drive down to Boulder Beach (only a 3 minute drive from the park) and into the water to cool down!  Always prepared and ready-me forgot my bathing suit.  Levi let me wear a pair of his trunks and I pulled a tank top out.  This was my Fashionista creation...

 

 I'm glad the fashion police weren't out because I would have been jailed for LIFE!

Levi was sporting his rash guard and snorkeling gear.  Brewy was set with her life jacket.  We looked like one sad, sad group of misfits!

But we still had fun in the lukewarm water...well Levi and I did. Brewy is an excellent swimmer but she does not feel safe unless her feet are planted firmly on the ground.  So, despite the life jacket, heat, and Levi and I taking turns cradling her, keeping her front body above the water line, she was happier on the shore.  We are a bit neurotic with our dog, if you haven't noticed yet.

We headed to the trailer a couple hours later and spend time in the coolness snacking, playing games, and watching Netflix shows (We've been watching back-to-back episodes of X-Files. They are simultaneously cheesy and spell-binding. Scully looks like she is constantly suffering from TMJ.  I'm no doctor, but she should really get that checked.) 

One more drive down to Boulder beach at night to take a little walk and pictures before grilling some hotdogs.  We met a family from Rhode Island who were taking a month long trip from coast to coast in a pop-up.  Levi and I informed them that we were in the middle of an excessive heat warning.  The dad didn't look too happy when we said this.  I wish we had packed a fan for them to use but of course I can't even remember to bring my own swim suit. I'm not sure how they fared at night, they left first thing in the morning, the next day.

7-14-2012 Working in the Garage on a Gloomy Day.

Levi and I took a trip to Lowe's today.  We had a little RV project we wanted to get started on. During one of our stays at a campground (the place escapes my mind since it was about a year ago), Levi and I saw a wooden walkway (almost resembling a ladder) trailing to the door of an RV. The walkway was a simple idea: walk across the boards to the door and get any loose gravel off of your shoes before entering the RV....no more tracking in chunks of dirt and debris. It's an issue we deal with quite a bit. The tarp we sit out in front of the trailer doesn't help too much and although we typically leave our shoes outside, it would probably be more advantageous and safe (spider in your shoe anyone?) to keep them inside. We decided to make our own "Portable Walk Ramps" as we have dubbed them.

I was a little camera crazy today and ended up documenting the steps we took to complete a ramp. The supplies were pretty simple to figure out. We fortunately had the tools to use, so no equipment purchases were made in this project. The following were supplies we picked up from Lowe's:

1X2X8 Pine strips

3/8" Vinyl tubing

3/16" Nylon Rope

Other supplies used were: a hand saw, electric drill, 1/4" drill bit, electric sander, sand paper, 2 saw horses, wooden plank to serve as table top on saw horses, measuring tape, heavy duty scissors, pencil, permanent marker, twisty (the kind you use to tie garbage bags), and lighter. (F.Y.I. We fortunately did not get hurt during the making of this project wearing our flip flops. Exercise caution and wear closed toe shoes!)

 Step 1: Measure and mark 16-inch long strips of wood. Cut along this line with your hand saw. Continue until you have 28 strips (each measuring 16 inches...or close to that...LOL.)





Step 2: Turn the strips so that 1" side is facing up.  From each end, measure 4 inches inward (the measuring tape should be extending toward the center) and mark with a dot, making sure to keep the dot centered in between the edges of the 1" side.  There will be two dots for each strip of wood, one for each end. Use your electric drill with 1/4 " drill bit to drill the two holes in each strip. You will be stringing the wood strips and vinyl tubing together here.

 

Step 3: Sand down all sides, ends, and edges of each strip.  The sanding process should be quick.The purpose is to LIGHTLY smooth down any jagged areas.





 

Step 4: Measure and mark 2 inch segments on your vinyl tubing. We used a permanent marker.  Use heavy duty scissors to cut through the tubing.






Step 5:  Levi tried a number of different ways to begin stringing the rope through the strips of wood and vinyl tubing segments.  The best method was to burn the end of the rope before threading and cinching a twisty through the rope just below the burnt area.  The rope used was approximately 17 feet. Start out by lacing the rope through a hole of a strip of wood; then lace a vinyl tube. (Make sure you keep about 5-6 inches of slack at the ends of the rope so they can be tied at the end.) Continue this pattern of wood, tube, wood, tube, etc. until you come across your 28th or last strip.  In a U-turn fashion, after lacing through the final hole of your 28th strip, loop over to the strip's second hole, lace the rope through the hole, and continue the pattern back up the strips (tubing, wood, tubing, wood, etc.). 


 

Step 6: You should end up back at your first wood strip with ample rope hanging out of each hole.   First pull and tighten both  rope ends to get rid of any excess slack.  Tie knots at each rope end, making sure that they are larger than each hole. Use a lighter to burn each knot and secure its position.



 
 Step 7: Admire your handy work!










This project took about two hours to complete and it costs a little over $10 to make. The process was time consuming but we really enjoyed working together...it was relaxing!  Levi and I now understand why woodworking was such a big past time for both of our fathers!  We have extra supplies and think we might make more ramps....a possible items to sell (discretely, of course) at future campsites...

********************** 

Why the gloomy day, as the title of this post mentions? Well, it was overcast all day, but that's not the reason. Right before we took off to Lowe's, Levi got a phone call from his mom. Jade, the family dog (part Chocolate Lab and Chesapeake) of almost 14 years was having trouble breathing and she was going to the vet later today.  The prognosis did not look good at all. If you had to put Jade into words, they would be beautiful, loving, adventurous, motherly, strong-willed, and undoubtedly loyal!  This was pretty upsetting and we stayed close to our phones for any news during the day.

Jade was diagnosed with congenital heart failure.  Her lungs were slowly filling up with fluid and she was having trouble breathing, let along getting around.  She slipped away peacefully, Levi's family later told us, with Levi's mom, dad, and sister all around her. Jade's body will be cremated and her ashes will be put in a river....Jade always loved the outdoors and swimming....I am certain she was a fish in her previous life!  We miss you loads, Jade!  R.I.P. beautiful girl!

7-13-2012: RV Expo at the Orleans Arena

Levi and I took a drive down to the Orleans Arena (located behind the Orleans casino) just off the strip on Tropicana to explore Camping World's big RV Expo.

Levi and I have been going back and forth deciding upon a suitable RV for not only us but our traveling companions: our pooch and cats... 4 cats. ( I know! We are insane, but there are many people that travel with their pets, however few or many. So, essentially, that makes them insane too. It is possible to function in a sanitary manner provided you are consistent and frequent with cleaning routines.) Our intention was not to purchase a new RV ( which we didn't, surprisingly), just find traits about models that would be beneficial for us.

The admission was free! There were rows upon rows of travel trailers, fifth wheels, Class As, Bs, and Cs. We stayed away from the Class As as they were way out if our price range and didn't pay too much attention to the Class Bs ( or oversized vans) since they were too tiny for our feline family.

The fifth wheels on display were a bit overdone. I know they appealed to several spectators there, but we felt like they were too over the top. The fifth wheels were exceptionally nice with giant living rooms, gourmet kitchens, and walk in closets. They felt like your typical suburban house...a feeling we want to get away from when we start this full timing lifestyle. We were pretty surprised with our reaction. Fifth wheels have typically been our top choice in discussions. Maybe this expo just had models we weren't happy with.

Inside the Heartland Pioneer

Inside the Keystone Vintage

We were pretty impressed with the travel trailers, though. The space was just about right...the space was comfortable and provided enough room for our animals to move about and lounge. Plus there were areas (out of the way of the kitchen, bedroom, and living area) where a litter box or two could be put. The Heartland Pioneer caught our eye along with the retro Keystone Vintage that resembles an Airstream but without the weight. The Pioneer felt almost cabin-like and had a separate bunkbed room we figured the cats would like. The Pioneer was lacking an insulated bottom for cold temperatures...sometimes known as an "Arctic Package" or "Four Season Package." The pipes are insulated to prevent them from freezing over. There were other trailers at the expo that had this like the Keystone Cougar (which had a nice floorplan too, now that I think about it). The insulation package does bring the price up, too.   The Vintage was much longer than what we'd like (over 30 feet) but had loads of storage and a nice layout.

Inside the Freedom Elite

We looked at the Class Cs and were pretty impressed with the Freedom Elite model. It was spacious for being only 27 feet. We determined that we would probably have to tow our Toyota Yaris in the back. However, the storage space was impressive and the price, we figured, would be close to how much we'd spend on a truck and trailer together. Also, we liked the fact that our pets would be in an air controlled environment and at arms reach during our travels. (We could purchase a suburban or attach a camper over our truck to remedy that problem when towing a trailer, though.)


We decided to talk about our thoughts over dinner and reviewed the models we liked: travel trailer and Class C. We came to the conclusion that the Pioneer was closer to our preferences. It wasn't too long (27 feet) and was lite weight. The layout was to our liking, especially with the slide out.

Levi and I felt this trip was very beneficial. We learned that we are particle to travel trailers and have chosen specific aspects we want from it! I encourage other RVers and wanna-bes to attend an expo close to their home town AND to visit their local RV dealerships. You don't know what you want until you see and try it out!