A Swing Through Lost Wages and Points Northwest

The view coming in on Hwy 93

      We stopped in Las Vegas for 5 days to visit my cousin Bobby and his wife who recently retired and moved west from New Jersey.  We had planned to set up camp at Nellis AFB Fam Camp, but they were full so we sashayed on down to Sam's Club RV Park on the south side of the strip.  Much pricier than we like to spend at $51 per night, but Barb could use the welcome amenities after 11 days off the grid.  Very nice sites, but only about 8 feet between units with sliders out.  We stayed a week.  We would also fit in some RV repair as our "RV Super Lite" model broke a couple of window latches.  Looked really good duct taped till we got here.  I also hoped to pick up a some more 'Freedom Fries' as LV has several very good stores for this.  On a brighter note, Barb was in Sam's Town Casino an hour after we arrived; marital therapy.

Sam's Town RV Park Las Vegas

Sam's Town RV Park Las Vegas

      If you've not been to Las Vegas recently it's so very hard to imagine how much it has grown.  The entire valley grows exponentially each year.  What was once a gaming destination has become a mega metropolitan area with all that it entails.  My cousin Bobby dedicated his life to over 20 years in the US Air Force both enlisted and commissioned and then another entire career with FAA and Raytheon.  Like many of us, after retirement they made the decision to move to a more dry, less snowy western climate.  It has been many years since we saw each other.  A good man.  He also turned me on to a really dependable RV mobile repairman that got us all fixed up.   I also spent a day out near Boulder City hiking trails looking for Desert Bighorn Sheep.  The operative word here is looking; I found only a good night's sleep later on.  

Cousin Bobby and Marjorie

Cousins Rich & Bobby

      I prepared Venison Quesadillas, Hidden Valley Ranch Crockpot Pork Steaks,, Squid w/Linguine, the very last of our Reindeer Steaks, and Rockfish during this stop on our trip.

Linguine w/Calamari, Italian Sausage & Vodka Sauce 

Venison Quesadillas

Hidden Valley Ranch Crockpot Pork Steaks

Reindeer Paronkaristys

       We had a good visit here.  It had been several years since our last foray to Sin City.  Barb finished down a bit at the One Armed Banking Units, and I got the RV fixed for some more long road miles.  I was able to find 3 boxes of the 'Freedom Fries' I wanted.  We stayed through the Super Bowl and then headed north.  1250 miles in a little over week.  Not a bad trip, but when towing we take our time with days off in between sometimes if we like the area or just need a break from the road. We made stops in Bakersfield, Stockton, Weed, and finally Salem, OR.  We would have loved to go thru Reno, but this is February and Mother Nature offers no quarter when it comes to the mountains. The first day was slow, but sure with terrible winds that not only kicked up plenty of dust, but moved us around a bit as well.  Once we reached Bakersfield it was just another long ass, boring drive on I-5.  We did stay at RV Parks as California Wal Marts DO NOT allow overnight boondocking. Day 2 included more plains and the San Fernando Valley agriculture scene.  Day 3 finished off the valley and we began our trip through the Sierras.  We spent Day 3 in Weed, CA with a wonderful view of Mt. Shasta.  We took a day off here.  Did some laundry and finished up the insurance/tax paperwork for the Texas property.  Hope to close next week while at my sister's in Oregon.  Diesel was always well over $3.50 a gallon, including $4.59 in Barstow, CA.  We average 13.3 for the 1250 miles.

Hwy 58 in the Mojave Desert enroute to Bakersfield
5 hours across the Mojave our first day out, including $4.59 diesel! 

Day 2 Stockton, CA

Weed, CA with view of Mt. Shasta in the background

     We finished up our northward sojourn at Polk County Fairgrounds in Salem, OR.  We stayed here last summer.  A nice open fairgrounds type camping area with full hookups for $25.  We'll be here about a week to visit Mom and hopefully closing on our Texas property before once again stalking the Wild Pacific Razor Clam in Washington.  

"The next best thing to being clever is being able to quote someone who is" 

Mary Pettibone Poole

WiFi courtesy of Good Sam RV Park Las Vegas and Friendly RV Park Weed CA