Day 43-Tues, 10 Feb 09-Las Vegas, Nevada to Surprise, Arizona

It was cold last night…and I mean COLD! While it didn’t go down to freezing, it was darn close. We packed up the LuvMasheen and were on the road by 9 am, which is pretty good for us. At least the sun was shining so from inside the van, with the heater going, we could convince ourselves it was balmy in Las Vegas…until we looked at the mountains surrounding the city, which are covered in snow.
We headed out on Hwy 93 East and made it 19 miles down the road. We saw a sign at the Railroad Pass Casino & Hotel which said…”Breakfast $1.50” and that automatically required a U-Turn back. From the photos in the restaurant, this hotel/casino has been here for at least 40 years, in one iteration or another. In comparison to the big flashy spots on the strip, this one is dark and musty but a boom for truckers as it’s far enough out of town that there’s lots of parking for big rigs and a way for them to break the boredom I guess. The funniest part of the whole escapade was that we sat down and ordered the special…which was indeed $1.50. That included eggs, bacon, hash browns and toast. Of course I ordered coffee and Wayne had a large orange juice and when the bill came it was $8.08. The damn coffee was $1.75 and the juice was $2.75. So much for the ‘special’.
Once back on the highway, we immediately found ourselves in the mountain/desert terrain that I love so much. I’m not sure if it’s the vastness of it or the subtle colours but I know that it’s the part of Arizona, and Texas, that appeals to me the most.
I’d woofed down breakfast pretty fast and my stomach was a bit upset (although it could have been the cost of the beverages that did it!) and kind of drifted off a bit. When I came to, I thought I was having a nightmare where everywhere I looked there was snow..but NO, it was real! As we got closer to Kingman, the amount of snow that was on the ground increased and although the sun was still shining, it wasn’t melting too darn fast. I guess all the rain we’d had in Las Vegas came down as snow in the higher elevation.
We turned off just after Kingman and I swear, it was like someone had drawn a line in the sand…within ½ mile there was not a speck of snow to be seen. I would have loved to have been in a helicopter to see what it really looked like. I’ve mentioned that ‘invisible line’ so many times but this was quite startling.
We soon realized we were going to cross Hoover Dam, which was a nice surprise. When we were here last year, they were in the throws of building a new highway and bridge over the abyss as the amount of traffic that goes over the dam every year is taking it’s toll. Given the size of the canyon, building a bridge is no mean feat. While the highway is progressing nicely, the bridge is going to be quite an undertaking. We could see the progress that has been made but I don’t expect that it will be completed for a couple of years yet. In the end we really enjoyed the revisit..it’s like going to the Rockies every year…it’s familiar but still so exciting to be there.
As we drove further, we hit another ‘invisible line’ where the giant Saguaro cactus starting to show up. These things amaze me…they are like Zebras…no two are the same. I’ve taken a few photos in the past but never really had the opportunity to wander and pick and choose. We pulled off the highway at one point and walked about ½ mile to one of the big hills that had hundreds of them so it was fun to get up close and personal with them. They are protected in Arizona and it’s interesting to see construction sites (housing or highway) that have gone to great expense to move them (not an easy job) or build around them. We also found ourselves on the Joshua Tree Forest Parkway so had a nice drive through that part of the highway again.
It was certainly warmer, however still only in the low 60’s by the time we reached Sun City and the RV Resort at Surprise, Arizona. We’d stayed here last year and while it is another large resort, it is laid out so much nicer and doesn’t have that over-crowded feeling. When we were here before, there was a huge bulletin board filled with park model homes for rent so we’ll peruse that and see if we can find something for a longer stay. As I said before, I love the van, really love it, but with the weather being kind of cool, it’s hard for me to stay cooped up in it for so long. Once we hit the warmer weather and I can sit out or go off and do something, I’ll be fine.
We are both well and have no aches or pains, which is nice. Wayne’s knee seems to have gotten better on it’s own and I’m amazed that my back is so good. I’m a bit stiff in the morning but as long as I remember to stretch a bit I can walk a couple of hours before having to sit and take a break. Now Jennifer…you just have to remind me not to turn into the Garden Nazi when I get home!
Hope everyone is fine and we are missing you all. I’m physically missing Ty…I’m just needing that hug and kiss medicine he gives me but it won’t be much longer until we see him..and all of you. Until next time, love and hugs to all. xx