A Trip to the Desert (Boulder City, NV)

 

Yesterday we took a trip Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.  It is part of the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) so we could use our Golden Age Pass.  We bought the Golden Age Pass a few years ago for $10 at the Roosevelt Presidential Library National Historic site.  It is the best investment we made.  It is good for Life.  It will let me and anyone in my car into any Federal National park.  So getting into Red Rock Canyon did not cost us anything.

The first stop was the Visitor’s Center.  As usual, as with most National Parks, it was very well done and extremely interesting.

The views from the visitor’s center were breathtaking. 

We then drove the 13 mile Scenic Loop through the park. The pictures do not do the scenes we were looking at justice.

After taking the scenic loop tour we drove south to the Spring Mountain Ranch State Park.  The park is working cattle ranch first build in the 1930’s.  One of the last owners was Howard Hughes, although he never came to the ranch.  It is now a State park.

I guess that’s all for now.  We plan to leave and head north on Tuesday after the Memorial Day Holiday.

Life is great on the Roan Road…

Hoover Dam–Part 2 (Bolder City–NV)

 

The temperature is down to normal for this time of the year in Bolder City.  85s during the day 70s during the night.  Just right for us.

If you remember from the last time we went to Bolder Dam the elevator for the Dam Tour was broken so we decided to go back another time.  They gave us a phone number to call to check if the elevator was working.  We called and called, it rang and rang. No answer.  On Friday we decided just to take our chance and show up early for the tour.  As it worked out, it was working and we were on the first tour.

We took the elevator 500 feet down.

 

This is on of  water tunnels that feed the turbines.

Walking through the Maintenance Tunnel to the Generator room.

Generator room on the Nevada side.  There is another just like this on the Arizona side.

These are the steps leading all the way down and all the way up.  They are used if the elevator breaks down.

This is one of many Earthquake sensors through out the Dam.  The Dam is built on a earthquake fault.  According to our guide the Dam is built to withstand earthquakes.  We will see someday.

We are staying in Bolder City until after Memorial Day.  We do not like to be on the road during big holiday weekends.  Then start heading north to Wyoming.

Yes, I know there is lots to see in this area, but there is lots to see everywhere and we will be back in Nevada.

Stay tuned, more adventures to come. 

Life is great on the Roan Road…

But it is a Dry Heat, YEAH RIGHT !! (Bolder City, NV–103F)

 

Temp rising. 

 

That’s the outside temperature of the truck

We are staying in the Elks Lodge in Bolder City.  We joined the Elks Lodge two years ago when we were in Gillette for the Escapees Escapade.  BTW we are going back there this year at the end of June.  We really like it here in Bolder City.  Great neighbors and a nice little campground.  It is close to Las Vegas and the Hoover Dam. 

At the urging of Brad and Jane, neighbors of my brother Vic, we decided to do the full tour of the dam.  We got up early to make it to the visitors center early.  After going through a truck security check point where they asked me to open the bed of the truck.

The first parking area, which is a covered area and changes $7 we passed up because I wasn’t sure I would clear the roof of the truck.  This area was next to the visitor’s center.  We proceeded over the Dam to the RV parking.  This meant walking back over the Dam to get to the Visitor’s center to buy the tickets. 

Temp rising. 

We walked back over the dam to get to the visitor’s center.  All the time I was taking pictures.  When I tried to get into the visitor’s center there was anther security check.  This time it was like going to the airport.  I had a Leatherman tool which had among other things a 1.5 in knife, that Heidi gave to me.  You guessed it, you cannot bring such a lethal  weapon into  this secure place.   So I would have to leave it in the car. This meant waking back across the Dam again!

Temp rising,

I told Ann to get the tickets and I would walk back to the truck to leave my lethal weapon in the truck.  When I got out side it was HOT and I was HOT.  Ann called me, “don’t rush, the elevators are broken and there are no extended tours today.”  OK, on to plan “B”.  That what is so great with our life style, we are flexible. Ann got the number to call to know when the elevator was working and the inside info on getting to the visitor's center early to get the tickets. The trouble was, after calling many times.  No one ever picked up the phone.

The plan now is to drive around the Dam and take a drive up along Lake Mead and tour “The Valley of Fire” state park.  So now it is 102 F.  It is hot, it is F@#K’n Hot.  Thank you Willis Carrier, the inventor of A/C.

We drove up the Shore Road along Lake Mead.  Lake Mead was created when Hoover Dam was built. 

Next we went to the Nevada’s first State Park,” Valley of Fire”.

Now we are back in our RV, both A/Cs running and it is OK.

Tomorrow, Friday, we will try the Hoover Dam tour again. 

Happy First Anniversary to Heidi and Jay.

On May 23rd we will celebrate 1 year of full time RVing and on May 29th we will celebrate our 47th wedding anniversary.

Life is Great on the Roan Road…

Fast Update (Bolder City, NV)

 

Since I have not posted in a while this is just an update.

The NHOG rally was great.  We met new friends and met a lot of old friends.  Caught up on old times and just had an all around fun week.

 

This is Bob and Sue’s Rig.  They pull it with a Volvo Heavy Duty Truck with a Smart car on the back. Not to shabby rig.

Nice RV park.

On Saturday after the rally we left for Las Vegas or Henderson NV to be exact.  Our plan is to stay in Bolder City, which is 25 miles from Vegas, right by Bolder Dam and Lake Mead.  We will be staying in the Elks Lodge in Bolder City.

It took 3 days to make the trip.  The trip across Texas took about 2 days.  Texas is on BIG state.  The frist night we stayed in Texas. The next night New Mexico and the third Arizona.

These pictures were taken by Ann through the front windshield. So there may be a few squashed bugs in the way.

Happy Anniversary Robin and Tim.

Life is good on the Roan Road…

Just to Recap (Kerrville, TX)

 

While in San Antonio we visited the Witte Museum and the Japanese Tea Garden. 

The Witte Museum is a history of Texas from the time when the Indians roamed the plains to the Oil boom.  While not as big or in depth as the Texas History Museum in Austin.  It is still worth the visit.

Next we visited the Japanese Tea Garden in San Antonio.  It was an abandoned rock quarry.  It was begun in 1899 and completely restored in 2008.  It has a 60ft waterfall and many ponds filled with Koi.

I ordered an new toy.  An Electric Bicycle.  It can be used with full electric power or electric assist.  Electric assist gives you about 50% power while peddling.  So, when going up hill, it makes it easy.

We departed San Antonio for Kerrville last Thursday.  The trip was only 125 miles, so we pulled into Buckhorn RV Park around 2 PM.  This RV park is where the NHOG (New Horizons Owners Group) is holding its rally.  Since Tim and Carolyn are the rally masters and we are on the organizing committee we figured we would arrive early to give them a hand.  Other rigs will start arriving next Saturday.

So stay tuned, same time, same channel, for the next nail biting installment of “Roan on the Road”.

As always, Life is good on the Roan Road…

A Visit with Davy Crockett (San Antonio, TX)

 

The other day my eyeglasses, which I had for about 4 years, broke.  Good thing I have an old pair of glasses as a backup.  We figured that since it would take at least a week to make a new pair,  we would wait until San Antonio, where we planned to stay for at least a week.  As soon as we pitched out tent, so to speak, we headed for Wal-Mart and the vision center.  They said they could not copy the old glasses (it was against the law).  So I had to have an eye exam before they could give me glasses. 

Here we sit until the new pair of glasses are ready.  I did not want to leave right after the glasses were ready because if there was something wrong, then what?  We are staying in San Antonio for an extra week and then we will head out.  Where?  We are not sure.

On Saturday we took the bus downtown to the Alamo and the River Walk.  Big mistake,  wall to wall people.  Never do that again.  From now on we will do our sightseeing during the week.  Crowds aside, the downtown area is very well done. 

The Alamo

 

The River Walk

The downtown area has a canal running through the area. It was started in the 1920s and completed by the WPA in the 1930s.  In 1968 the canal was extended to include the area for the World’s Fair.  It is a beautiful place to walk with many, many, many restaurants.   Oh, did I mention that there are many places to eat?  There is a 30 minute boat ride that takes you around the canal.  Of course, we took the senior citizen discount.  Even with the discounted price, it was a rip off.  They pack you in as many as can possibly fit.  You are sitting shoulder to shoulder with the next person and all you can see is one direction.  Sort of like being on the Number 7 subway during rush hour.  The guide tells you to look ahead and see this and that.  It is imposable to turn to see anything and taking pictures is out of the question.  His jokes are stale and corny .  Of course, at the end he expects a tip according to the sign on the boat. 

We did go the River Walk Mall.  Let me tell you.  A mall is a mall, is a mall.  East coast to West coast they are all the same and have the same stores.  Well, we did find a Western Cowboy store and I bought a Cowboy hat!!  Now I am a real Jewish Texas Cowboy!

More to follow, so stay tuned.

Live is really, great, on the Roan Road.

P.S.  We are having so much fun!!

Raindrops Keep Falling on MY Head (Fredericksburg, TX)

 

I am sitting here while the rain pounds the coach.  There is a line of thunderstorms coming through. “Boy, they do things in a big way here in Texas”.  Last night it was even worse.  I watched the line of thunderstorms go through on my smartphone.  Lots of rain, hail, thunder and lightening.  We are nice and warm and dry, so we are good.  I have internet, the only bad thing is the satellite went out for a few minutes because of the heavy rain, a real bummer,  I think part of The Jon Stewart show did not record.  All in all we have had great weather.

To backtrack a little We left Bryan, TX for Austin on the 26th of March  to see the LBJ Library and play tourist in Austin.  

Austin, Texas

LBJ Library – I took pictures of the LBJ Library.  Unfortunately the pictures are lost some ware in cyber space and I cannot find them.  The Library is very well done and tells the story from boyhood to his death. 

Lady Bird Wildlife Center.  A beautiful botanical garden of plants and flowers of the area.  Unfortunately it is a little to early for many flowers to be in bloom.

State Capital Building -  It is a beautiful complex with many fantastic gardens. 

Bullock Texas State History Museum -  Unfortunately I could take pictures of the outside of the burlding and the lobby.  I could not take any pictures of the displays.  The museum is very well done with dioramas, video displays and movies.  It takes you from the beginning when Texas was part of Mexico to present day Texas.

Fredericksburg, Texas – I real surprise.  Nice town, great things to see.

Johnson’s Boyhood Home -  Halfway between Austin and Fredericksburg, along US 290, is Johnson City.  It is not much of a town.  This is where LBJ was born, it is run by the National Park Service.

LBJ ranch (Little Whitehouse)

The LBJ ranch was and still is a working ranch.  As you drive through the ranch, the cows and horse roam free.  LBJ used to take Air Force One to an Air Force Base near San Antonio then take a Gulf Stream, or as he would call it, Air Force 1/2 to the ranch.

The Main house is right on the Pedernales  river.  It is not very big and a very down to earth house   There was at least 4 phones in each and every room.  Except Lady Bird’s bathroom, it had only one. 

 

Then, there was a real, pleasant surprise.  Fredericksburg is the birthplace of Chester Nimitz.  In his honor they placed the National Museum of the Pacific War  here in Fredericksburg.  The museum consists of two parts.  The first part is a centered around the Japan-US conflict.  Starting with the history of Japan, the war with China all the way through the surrender of Japan that ended WWII.  We spent at least 5 hours going through this part. One part of the exhibit is an actual casing from the A bomb.  There were 6 built at the time. Only one was used. 

 

The other bomb that was dropped was a different design. 

The next day we went to the Pacific Combat Zone.  It is a recreation of the battle of Tarawa,  Also on display was a PT boat, and a TBM Avenger.  The staff is knowledgeable and friendly.

(Note:  we have seen some great museums on our trip so far.  However, the ones that we have seen here in Texas are really first rate.  Y’all need to take a trip here and see them for yourselves.) 

Get well wishes to Robert.

All pictures are taken by Ann and Roy

Next stop, San Antonio and the Alamo.

Life is Great on the Roan Road….