We Have Arrived in California

We left Pahrump, Nevada yesterday around 10:30 a.m headed to Beaumont, California.  Our trip took about five hours.

It actually rained about the last hour of our drive and all evening.  It’s been a while since we experienced any rain.

We are spending four nights at Cherry Valley Lakes RV Resort which is part of Colorado River Adventures.  The lady we co-hosted with in Wisconsin is a member and gave us a coupon for four free nights of camping if we take the tour.

I am extremely underwhelmed by this place.  The sites are super close together.  As you can see from the picture, our bedroom slide is inches from our neighbor.  On the other side is a motor home.  Their picnic table is right outside our door (with the red cooler on it).  There is another table, but it is at the very back of our site and pretty useless to us. 

If that wasn’t enough, the place is right next to the interstate.  The road noise is LOUD!  The roads are paved, but full of bumps and holes.  The electric is only 30 amp, and the wi-fi only works at the clubhouse.  There is no cable TV.

There is a nice pool and hot tub and two nice ponds next to the clubhouse.  There is also a laundry room, but the prices are high. 

I’m actually looking forward to the presentation because I really want to hear how they sell this place.  In my opinion, free is the only good thing we have experienced.  I wouldn’t be willing to pay anything for this place.

We finally had to call DirecTV to change our local channels.  We were able to access Salt Lake channels our entire stay in Utah and Nevada.  It was painless making the switch this time as far as our TV with the DVR goes.  It worked great.  When we tried to access local channels on our bedroom TV, they wouldn’t work.  So Kevin had to spend time on the phone with tech support to reset that TV.  We have yet to experience any encounter with DirecTV that was smooth.

Tomorrow we plan to do some exploring in the area. 

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

A Winery in Nevada

Who would have guessed that there would be a winery in the Mojave Desert in Nevada.  Yesterday we discovered the Pahrump Valley Winery.  It is a very nice building with beautiful grounds at the end of a road near the mountains.

They had a free tour and wine tasting.  They grow a couple of different type of grapes and import other grapes from California and Oregon.  All wine is made on the premises. 

We found a blush that we both liked so we purchased two bottles.  One for Christmas dinner with the boys, and one for New Years Eve. 

We rode our bikes for an hour yesterday.  We haven’t done much riding this year because we were either in very hilly areas or high traffic places.  We found some nice paved roads with little traffic near the campground.  There are so many unpaved roads in the west.  We are used to the Midwest where almost all roads are paved. 

We checked out the Pahrump Valley Museum while in town.  Good thing it was free because it really wasn’t much of a museum.  There were a bunch of display cases with old stuff in them.  Things were not very well organized, and many of the items didn’t relate to this area.  I think they just take anything old someone will donate :)

The most interesting part of the museum was the elderly gentleman who greeted us as we came in.  He was very knowledgeable about the area.  He explained how the town really didn’t have much population until the 1990s.  At that time the housing market was booming all over Nevada.  According to him, people in Pahrump were too dumb to figure this out and were selling land and homes at a very cheap price.  Many retirees purchased property at that time. 

He also told us how there are many developments planned, but everything came to a halt with the poor economy.  There are for sale signs everywhere.  We also noticed what look like whole subdivisions of roads, but not a single house in them.

I’m not too impressed with Pahrump.  To me the town appears rather dirty and rundown.  The landscape is brown, brown and more brown with some mountains in the distance.  I think I’m just missing green grass :)

Today we did a major stock-up on groceries.  We found a store called Smith’s with very good prices.  Since we’ve heard California is expensive, we figured we’d fill our cupboards.  I think we’ve got a month’s worth of food.  We shouldn’t have to shop much until the boys come.  Then it will be time to stock up on snacks :)

We also bought a 4 foot pre-lit Christmas tree at Walgreens today along with some ornaments.  Since we’re leaving tomorrow morning, I won’t set it up until we arrive at the next stop.  I have some special ornaments I saved, but I left them in a storage bin in our son’s basement.  I’ll bring them next year for sure.

We’ve rented a movie at Redbox each night for the last three nights.  We watched Robin Hood, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and have Eclipse for tonight.  I love Redbox.  Kevin’s out getting pizza from Papa John’s for supper. 

Although we enjoyed last month in the desert, we did miss being closer to civilization.  We’ve made up for it this week :)

The good thing about last month was our budget.  Since there weren’t many places to go to or shop at, we had our best month so far.  It’s a good thing since I’m sure we’ll be blowing the budget this month in California.

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

Haircuts and Dairy Queen

We hadn’t gotten haircuts since we left Wisconsin in September.  We both go to the same stylist in West Bend, and we really like her.  Getting a haircut on the road was going to be a crap shoot.

Kevin found a barber for $10, and he has a nice new cut.

Being outside more combined with humidity and wind was not conducive to my short cut.  Styling wasn’t going to last very long so I decided to grow my hair long enough to put into a ponytail.  It’s been a pain, but it’s finally getting long enough to look halfway decent.

I tried out the Wal-Mart salon and was pleasantly surprised.  The cost was $15.95 and the lady gave me a nice trim.  So mission accomplished for both of us.

On our way back we stopped at Dairy Queen for blizzards.  We used to treat ourselves every few weeks, but we haven’t seen a Dairy Queen in over a month.  It was soooo good.

On a walk around the campground, I spotted this hummingbird in a tree.  I couldn’t believe how long he just sat there.  I’ve never seen one stay put for longer than a few seconds.  I tried to research what kind it was, but didn’t have any luck.  Maybe one of you can identity it.

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

That’s What I’m Talking About

We took our time getting ready to leave this morning since we were only traveling 30 miles to Nevada Treasure RV Resort in Pahrump, Nevada.  So far, this is the shortest distance we have traveled to a new campground.

The campground in Pahrump is a Passport America park.  We were looking for someplace to stay for a few days before we head into California.  They have a four night limit for the reduced rate which is $20 a night.  This place is the nicest campground we have ever been to other than Fort Wilderness in Disney World.

I get such a kick out of campgrounds calling themselves resorts because they never are. This place actually is a resort.  All sites are paved with concrete pads for the trailer and asphalt for your vehicle. 

Behind the truck is a concrete area for chairs and a table.  The only negative I can say is that the sites are rather close together.  The concrete pad next to our truck is the next site over.  If someone pulls in there, they will be right next to us.  It’s pretty tight.

Some of the sites have little tiki huts with bamboo tables and chairs.  Others have gazebos with a table and chairs.  Still others have gas barbeque grills.  We are in an area without these extras, but they are still very nice sites. 

The views on all sides are these mountains.

The pool area is fantastic.  There are three different pools and a hot tub.  One of the pools has a rock wall with waterfalls.  The pool water is quite cold, and I don’t plan on doing any swimming.  The hot tub is very nice and warm.  I’m thinking we may be checking it out.

There is a fitness center with all kinds of equipment.  I’m not even sure what all of it is for :)  They have a cafe and small mini-mart.  There is a putting green, shuffle board courts and horseshoes.  There is also a bowling alley although we didn’t get a chance to see that yet.

I hadn’t done laundry in a little over two weeks.  The laundry here is the nicest I have seen at a campground.  It was $1 each to wash and dry.  The best part is that the dryers actually dried the first time through, and I had some big loads.

Today was a beautiful day with highs near 60.  The forecast for the rest of the week is fantastic.  I’m looking forward to our stay here.

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

Rose Bowl Dreams

First of all, I’ve been remiss in not welcoming my new readers and followers.  I’m always tickled pink when someone signs on as a follower.  I never thought anyone other than family and friends would be reading my blog.

We’ve been pretty laid back since we returned from Vegas.  Kevin has been watching all the Thanksgiving weekend football. 

The Wisconsin Badgers won their last game of the season yesterday and are tied for the lead in the Big 10.  There is a good chance they will be chosen to play in the Rose Bowl this year in Pasadena.  It just so happens we’ll be about 100 miles from Pasadena.

I checked out ticket prices on Stub Hub just in case.  Wow!  The cheapest nose bleed seats were $265 and the best seats were over $1,400.  That’s too rich for our blood.  It sure would be exciting to go, though.  We’ll have to see if prices come down.  That’s probably wishful thinking.

It’s been pretty cold the last few days.  It got down to 21 degrees the other night.  Kevin disconnected the hose to avoid freezing.  And the wind is back.  I can’t wait until Wednesday to get out of here.  It was a very nice place to stay, but the wind was a deal breaker for me.  I doubt we’ll be back.

I’m not complaining about the cold, however.  This picture is from our yard in Wisconsin after any icy rain in January. 

I haven’t even been outside since Friday.  While in Vegas, I managed to get blisters on the bottom of both of my little toes.  I have weird feet, and it’s not the first time this has happened.  I was wearing my Avia tennis shoes which have been the best shoes for my feet for years. 

Last year I bought their Avi-motion exercise shoes which are equivalent to Sketcher’s Shape-ups.  I didn’t really believe the advertising saying that you will lose weight by using these shoes, but I wanted to try them out.  I must say they are the most comfortable walking shoes I have ever had.  My feet and back don’t hurt! Your center of balance does change a bit, so they take some getting used to. 

That pair are getting a bit worn so I took my regular tennis shoes to Vegas.  That was a big mistake considering all the walking we did.  I’m definitely sold on the Avi-motion shoes and will be buying another pair when we get back to civilization. 

So, that’s about it around here.

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

Happy Thanksgiving

We want to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving.  This has been a year of many changes for us, and we are so thankful we were able to begin living our fulltime RVing dream.  We’re also so thankful for the love and support of our family and friends.

We spent the day yesterday wandering up and down the Vegas Strip exploring many of the hotels and casinos.  We had dinner at Flavors Buffet in Harrah’s.  I enjoyed the shrimp, crab legs and desserts.  We don’t eat at buffets often because I always feel too stuffed by the time I’m done.  This time was no exception.  There is just so much food to try.

We attended the Terry Fator show at the Mirage.  I was blown away by his talent.  It really was a great show.  He allows the audience to take pictures and even record some of the show.  He’s an amazing ventriloquist, but he is also a very good singer and comedian.

After the show we went to some of the outdoor evening shows.  The winds had died down from the day before so we saw two showings of the fountains at the Bellagio.  This is my favorite thing to do in Vegas. 

We saw the volcano erupt at the Mirage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And we watched the Sirens battle the Pirates at Treasure Island.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We did a little gambling, but unfortunately weren’t winners.  At least the drinks were free. 

This was our third visit to Vegas, 1996, 2005 and 2010.   It is no longer the cheap vacation spot it used to be.  Our room at the Imperial Palace was very nice and a bargain at $25 a night.  Other than that, everything else has gotten rather pricey.

Food and shows are no longer inexpensive.  I remember the first time we went with friends, we walked up and down the Strip getting freebies or deals at every casino.  We had 99 cent margaritas and shrimp cocktails.  Each casino gave away trinkets like coffee mugs, cards or dice.  And we even saw a free show.

Now, the only freebies are if you go to a time share presentation.  Each casino has their player’s club, but it’s a pain to sign up for them.  The best one we found was $5 in free slot play if you signed up; hardly worth the effort.

I don’t think we’ll be going back anytime soon, if ever.  It’s one of those places that is amazing the first time you see it, but not that much has changed. 

Today we drove back home.  On the way we stopped at Wal-Mart in Pahrump and stocked up on some groceries for our last week in Amargosa Valley.  I’m really tired.  I’m not used to late nights anymore.  Time for bed!

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

Full Service Gas Station

There was another beautiful sunrise yesterday morning with the full moon over the mountains.  I never tire of these moments.

 

 

Remember the days when you went to gas up and there would be an attendant that would fill your tank, wash your windows and check your oil?  You wouldn’t even have to get out of the car.

We stopped at a gas station yesterday in Nevada that had a different kind of full service idea. 

On the left there’s a red light on the roof, a red light above the door, a red door, an intercom to get buzzed in, it’s open 24 hours, and it’s called Cherry Patch Ranch.  I think you can guess the services provided.  Next to there is the Brothel Museum, and then the door on the far right is label Trucker Showers.  Seems they’ve pretty much got all the bases covered.  We’ve seen some really unusual places in our travels so far.

We arrived in Vegas around noon and met Janie and John who write the blog Flamingo on a Stick at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Restaurant in the Flamingo Hotel and Casino.  We had a very enjoyable time with them.  It was so nice to meet them.  We discovered we have a lot in common.  What great people.  I had planned on taking a picture, but we did so much chatting that I completely forgot about the picture.

I ordered the Cheeseburger in Paradise.  It came with fries and a pickle.  I wasn’t all that impressed.  The food was OK, but a bit expensive.  The margarita was good, though :)

We spent the rest of the day and evening wandering up and down the Strip.  We’ve been to Vegas before, but there’s always something new to see.  And the people watching can’t be beat.  We spotted two Elvis’s, one Marilyn Monroe, one Star Wars Storm Trooper, and a few people who were dressed up as something that defies description.  What were they thinking!

My favorite thing to see in Vegas is the fountains at the Bellagio.  I could watch this show over and over and over again.  It was very windy so the evening shows were cancelled.  We did catch a daytime show. 

A new hotel called The Cosmopolitan will open on December 15th.  It looks quite fancy.  Next to it were these two buildings.  Don’t they look like they could fall over any minute.  Very interesting architecture.

The large silver building in the front is a Prada store.  There are so many designer shops in Vegas.  Who shops at all of these places?  Obviously, there are still people with money to burn.  Our big purchases were some candy at the M & M’s store and dollar margaritas.  I love a good deal :)

Kevin spent a few hours in the casino after I went to bed.  He’s not up yet, but he didn’t wake me when he got back to tell me we’re rich, so I’m thinking he didn’t win big.  Maybe tonight :)

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!