Category Archives: Electricity

Repairs and then Twenty Nine Palms

Today I was the bug and not the windshield. There was nothing wrong with the start of the day; it was just that things didn’t go smoothly.  The initial plan was to get up early, get the shocks. Drive and get coffee and then deliver the shocks and coffee to the installation place and by 10:30 AM and  be done.  That was the plan.  The cool hum of the air conditioner lulled us to sleep and kept us there until after eight o’ clock in the morning.  I tried the internet to see what was going on in the world and our access code had expired.  Cell connection isn’t the best at this part of Vegas, so the iPad wasn’t being productive either.mead Continue reading

Touring Vegas

Today was designed as a rest day.  We enjoyed a good breakfast while we watched CNN, television for the first time, well, second, in a month.  Then we were off to get a prescription renewed at a CVS, and we needed some groceries.  There was an Albertsons right next to the CVS so it worked out great.  The help in the store was terrific,as it’s always difficult to shop in a store you’ve never been in.  After shopping, we packed everything into the RV, sliced the chicken breasts we purchased into sizes that we like and butchered up the pork roast into pork chops.  It was just like being at home but not.

You can buy alcohol in the pharmacy and it’s cheaper than back in Jersey, so we bought some. All our shopping was over, so we had lunch with some of the new groceries and then were off to tour the casino section of Las Vegas.  We had driven through Vegas several years ago in a Chevy Astro Van.  An Astro van is much smaller than a Winnebago View, so driving was less of a treat this time, than I anticipated.  Las Vegas has changed.  The buildings are taller, newer, things I remembered are gone, it’s like Las Vegas is in a constant state of flux and you have to visit regularly to stay current with what’s happening now.

After being a traffic problem for all the gamblers rushing to a casino, we were off to the Hoover Dam.  On the way we saw the block sized five(?) story building that Steve Wynn has for his employees to park.  Holy Crow!  The Hoover Dam has changed too.  First of all, no water. Second of all, with the new bridge, named after Pat Tillman and his partner, slightly downstream of the dam, it’s no longer a throughway, it’s been converted into a tourist attraction.  There is a security check where they check your vehicle – look into compartments and take a peek into the interior of the RV.  What they are looking for, and what they would do if there was a half a ton of ampho inside the vehicle, I have no idea, but it employs a bunch of people and it’s very impressive.

After finding a place to park, we walked across the dam, looked at the power plant, and acted like tourists. Gosh! I guess that we are.  Louise took a picture of me with one foot in Nevada and the other in Arizona.  I tried to remember what things look like when we were there last.  The little gift shop has been moved to an upper parking lot and looks like it’s closed permanently.  The swarming striped bass at the elbow of the spillway are gone, along with the water they were swimming in.  It’s a case of having to check the old photos to see what it was like and then look at what it does like.  The change is astounding, and someone is going to be in trouble some day when they turn a faucet.

In a surprise, we found that the dam was really close to the campground so it took no time to get back to the RV Park.  A quick dinner, some relaxation and then to bed in the cool comfort of air conditioning.

Grand Canyon to Las Vegas

meadowWe were out late the night before, and we were in no special rush to leave the campsite.  We had a quick breakfast of cereal and since there wasn’t much to clean up, as we hadn’t leveled or stabilized the RV the night before, it was simple to pack everything up.  We stopped by to say goodbye to the camp host, Tim, and get his contact information.  It’s nice to meet a good person, and it’s even nicer when circumstances allow us to stay in contact.  I hope that that is the case here. Continue reading

Drive to Provo

roadToday was a long day.  We’ve been through some empty places, but the empty places we saw today, after being in the beauty of the Tetons, was too much of a contrast.  On the plus side, the weather at the start of the trip was a little overcast, so driving wasn’t so blinding. Continue reading

Motor Speedway and Campgrounds

It was a great morning, but a little cool. During the night I turned on the heater to warm the place up a bit. Having electricity is nice.  After a quick breakfast of bananas and cereal and coffee and some organization, we were off.  The dumps station was a surprise, as all the hardware there was either broken or leaked. During the process, I discovered that the tube for the dump hose, the new one, had its end sheared off during my exit from the Pittsburgh area.  The hose can’t fall out of the sheared end, so all will be well until it’s replaced when the back is repaired. Continue reading