Several blog readers wrote to tell me that driving 445 miles in one day like we did on Tuesday was insane and that we need to slow down. So I took their advice and only drove 435 miles yesterday.
We left the Fernley (Nevada) WalMart and drove south on U.S. Highway 95, which was a good two lane road most of the way. The only difficult part was along the shore of Walker Lake, where the road was narrow and curvy, and signs warned of falling rocks.
Walker Lake is huge by southwestern standards, eighteen miles long and seven miles wide. There were access roads and primitive campsites in several places along the lake’s shore.
At Hawthorne we passed the massive Hawthorne Army Ammunition Depot, where military munitions are stored in over 2,400 bunkers.
Moving further south, the road was long and empty for the most part.
We passed through a couple of small towns and saw a few abandoned buildings along the way.
The scenery was sure different from the thick forests we were seeing in Oregon just two days ago!
Some of those hillsides look like they have been painted!
You know you’re in Nevada when you start seeing signs like this. Prostitution is legal in some counties in Nevada and the brothels are not shy about advertising. Here’s a tip, if you stop at a brothel, think carefully about what souvenirs you purchase.
Besides hookers, the area north of Las Vegas is also well known for space aliens (as opposed to the much more common illegal ones you can find anywhere) and area 51.
About 30 miles north of Las Vegas the wind started kicking up, making driving difficult. We got to town just in time for rush hour and massive traffic jams, due to accidents on both side of the highway.
Finally we made our way through Las Vegas and arrived at the Elks lodge in Boulder City. The lodge has fifteen back in full hookup RV sites for $20 a night, and we got one of the last two left. Even though the wind was blowing hard, it was warm. After so many weeks of cold and dampness in Oregon and Washington, warm is good.
We had not eaten all day, so once we were parked and hooked up to utilities, we drove back to Henderson for dinner at Lindo Michoacan, probably Miss Terry’s favorite restaurant in the country. We discovered this place with Greg and Jan White a couple of years ago and it immediately went into our Favorite Restaurants guide. The food is excellent, the service is fast and friendly, and the restaurant sits on a hill with awesome views of the city lights.
We only have 285 miles to go to the Verde Valley Thousand Trails preserve near Cottonwood, Arizona, where we have reservations starting Friday. As we were coming into Boulder City, signs were warning of high wind on the bypass bridge over Hoover Dam and warning the high profile vehicles could have problems. We thought about staying here an extra day and leaving on Friday, but the wind is supposed to be even worse then. And when I checked in, the camp host was not sure if there would be a site available for a second day. So we’ll play it by ear and see what happens.
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Nick, if you need to spend another nite in Boulder city, there are 2 rv parks down by the lake. The first is a little spendy and open air, the second is cheaper and has trees. Of course if the wind is blowing real hard you might want to be away from trees.
Welcome to my world. Sorry the camp sites at Lake Mead are closed by order of Harry Reed and friends. I told you earlier this week you were bring that wind in with you. LOL LOL
You followed our exact route from Reno to Boulder City. We spent 3 or 4 days there. The weather was warm and no wind. We went on south through Phoenix and Tucson and are now at Willcox, AZ visiting friends and enjoying the Rex Allen Days activities.
Travel safe. Take care.
We are almost on your heels, heading back to Tucson … but not quite. I am figuring that if I jettison my plans for the spots I had planned to see in California on the way back to Tucson, then the nitwits in D.C. will come to some agreement and allow the parks to reopen. I am, in fact, trying to fake them out, see? Don’t spill the beans. At any rate, it is worth a try.
Waving from the downtown Main Street Station RV park as y’all pass through.
happy you made it safe, great picture you could have been in TX with that scenery, just take care and watch the winds. do not snivel to much going over Hoover dam. Stay safe please