12/1/07 - Iit is hard to believe it is Christmas in three weeks. The gloom and the rain of the Pacific Northwest announces its coming. In Las Vegas an inch of rain has the newscasters warning everyone to stay home if possible. They do not do storm drains around here -- yes they do flash flood drains -- but not storm drains. So when it rains it just pools up in every dip in the road. People do not have a clue how to drive in it.
12/4/07 - Started to get ready for the trip up to Seattle/Tacoma. We already have a pretty full schedule. Trying to catch family and friends. We are very fortunate in the Nellis AFB RV park. They have a storage area that we can put our motorhome and vehicle in that is in plain view of the office. And, it only costs $2 a day.
12/6/07 - Took the motorhome down to have some warranty work done. I like having to move once in a while. We have the process down to about 30 minutes. We have a check list that we go over before we leave -- no more hanging out the window to see if the steps are up or finding the first place to stop so we can put the antenna down. We have things so they are buttoned up so tight even a real fast stop does not shake them loose. Yes, we have had experience with that too!
Then when we set back up it is like having a new fresh new home. Any clutter has been cleaned up and stowed before you left.
This lifestyle does agree with us. We get plenty of rest, exercise and good food. We bought an Entertainment book for Las Vegas. It really pays for itself it no time.
12/8/07 - The RV park is starting to look like Christmas. Many of the rvs have lights and trees all over them. The office is really covered with lights. In spite of the constant sunshine -- I'm not complaining -- it is feeling a lot like Christmas...

(We have not quite figured out the night photograph yet!)



12/10/07 - Talked with my sons today. We are planning a family dinner on the 16th. Kevin has volunteered his home and everyone is bring something. This is really different for us to have them doing practically everything -- I am really looking forward to seeing everyone.
Also, Friday, the 14th, we are getting together with Lance's family at Marie Callendar's. Fun, fun, fun.

12/11/07 - For those of you we cannot see while we are up in your area, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We will get to spend Christmas Day with my brother, Jeff and his wife, Elaine and their "children" Adonis and Eros, the most beautiful dogs alive. What a rare treat. I cannot remember the last time we were with Jeff & Elaine for the holidays.



12/11/07 - We took a Power Point class at the office/meeting room today. The Air Force has instructors that come over and teach all kinds of computer classes. We have wanted to learn a little more about Power Point in the hopes we could put together a Golf Caddy presentation Lance could use.
Desert Eagle RV Park has breakfasts, BBQs, Ice Cream Socials with games, bingo, cards even live music. Just ask and they know how to help you. When we decided to not park our car at the airport (they say on their website there is not much room), we found out a number of people earn a little extra by taking people to the airport. The price is right and you do not have to worry about getting someone on the base. I must say they have raised the bar for what to expect from an RV park.
The gremlin lurks again. Lance said he had another item for warranty work. The fan in the hallway was not working. So we took another look at it. There was a switch on it that said, "In/Out". I suggested switching it to "In". Lance switched it to "In" and it worked. Now tell me a gremlin did not do that!!! Then -- a week or so ago our notebook crashed. We got the original boot disks from Dell and restored it. I put the Microsoft Office back on it -- Outlook, Word, Excel, etc. Now for the life of us, we cannot find that disk. Even packing up to move and coming back did not shake it loose.


12/12/07 - We flew out of Las Vegas to Home today. We stayed at our usual - The Evergreen Inn on McChord AFB. The price is really right and they are very comfortable.
We had put our motorhome and car in the storage area of where we are staying in Las Vegas -- It cost us a whole $2 a day!! The flight was easy with no glitches. We made it without feeling too tired. It was a good thing because our week was going to be non-stop.
Washington really felt like home because it was raining. The grey and gloom and rain put us right into the Christmas spirit. Las Vegas is great, however, all that sunshine was confusing us about Christmas being just around the corner.

When you have webbed feet, that rain feels good.


12/13/07 - The highlight of this day was dinner with Dr. Don & Deb Smith - They took us out to Falls Terrace in Olympia -- my old stomping grounds. We had a great visit and a fabulous dinner. We really enjoyed ourselves.


12/14/07 - Friday was the Kulman party at Marie Callendar's in Federal Way. They did a wonderful job accommodating us and the food was great too! We even had the annual "white elephant" gift exchange. There was a little competition this year for a few of the gifts. Never know what will be the hot item.
Lance's son Dan was there with his girlfriend, Kimberly. His other son Jason was also there with his wife, Danielle and children, Parker, Carson and Delaney. Lance's sister, Teresa and hubby, Marty and children, Tyler and Chelsea joined the festivities also. A "adopted" couple of the Kulman clan, Jim and Candace Philp, joined us for the third year.




12/15/07 - Saturday was a busy day for both of us. Coralee had lunch with her Enumclaw friends at the Red Robin in Auburn. Caught up on everyone's latest family lives. We always have a good time together. We have been friends for 45 years. Yes, 45 years. You couldn't tell it by our looks, could you?


Karen, Donaray, Barb, Joyce, Marilyn & Barb.

Then off to Renton to meet up with her friend, Gretel, at their favorite "mid-way" restaurant - The Keg. And, later a movie -- Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. It was great.


Lance made the finals of their friendly monthly Texas Hold'em poker games. Unfortunately, Lady Luck was not with him this time and did not make the paying places.


12/16/07 - Sunday was the Forler/Simmons/Kulman Party. Kevin hosted our party at his lovely home in Auburn. We ate some really good food -- this time Coralee/Lance did not do the cooking. Thanks to Kevin, Martin, Morgan & Tia & Aaron we had a very festive dinner. Marie Callendar's supplied a great chocolate raspberry cheesecake though.

Martin, Smiling Kevin, Steven & Morgan

Aaron & Tia

12/17/07 - Monday was a day to visit. Coralee was off to Candace's and Lance looked up some of his golfing buddies. Then Jim fixed another one of his gormet dinners for us.

Jim & Candace and Cat Carrie - who loves exploring bags of all kinds

12/18/07 - Tuesday was a day of rest in preparation for heading "home" to our lovely motorhome. We finished our Christmas cards and wrapped up all our business while in town.
12/19/07 - Wednesday we flew back to Las Vegas. It was very, very beautiful seeing Las Vegas at night from the air. The lights were unbelievable. I tried but I could not get that plane to sit still long enough to get some night pictures except a lot of quiggles. Also, got a picture of sunset ABOVE the clouds. Pretty cool.

Sunset above the clouds ----- Las Vegas at night from the air.
It was good to be back in our home. I missed it. Everything was just fine. You do worry about it being their all by itself.
12/20/07 - Las Vegas, Nevada - Got home and had a flurry of activity to get ready to move to Southern California. The refrigerator needed to be restocked, the laundry needed to be done and Lance had one more golf course to photograph.
12/22/07 - On our way to Desert Hot Springs, California - Catalina RV & Spa Resort - Can you believe we parked in this space in the dark???? Later we had to move because this part of the park was older and our sewer connections did not work.


However, their swimming and hot pools were fantastic. They are heated by mineral springs and this rv park allows you to swim 24 hours a day. How great is that!



12/23/07 - Twenty-nine Palms Marine Corp. Military Base - Found some interesting signs on base:





Loved the sunset on the way home.
12/23/07 - Twenty-nine Palms, CA - Took a trip up to Yucca Valley and Twenty-nine Palms. The Josuha National Park is in this area and the Josuha trees are definately huge. The City of Twenty-nine Palms is known for its murals. Here are a few of them.






The landmark of the Palm Springs area are the white wind turbine generators that are increasingly popular as alternative sources of energy. They are a type of windmill that produces electricity by harnessing the wind. Wind turbine generators are much less harmful to the environment than burning fossil fuels, but they do require average wind speeds of at least 21 km/h (13 mph).
The largest of these windmills stands 150 feet tall with blades half the legend of a football field. The compartments at the top containing the generator, hub and gearbox weigh 30,000 to 45,000 pounds. A wind turbine's cost can range upwards to $300,000 and can produce 300 kilowatts an hour - the amount of electricity used by a typical household in a month. Almost all of the currently installed wind electric generation capacity is in California. This wind farm on the San Gorgonio Mountain Pass in the San Bernadino Mountains contains more than 4000 separate windmills and provides enough electricity to power Palm Springs and the entire Coachella Valley.
Coachella Valley includes Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Desert Hot Springs, Catheral City, Thousand Palms, North Palm Springs, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio and a few more beautiful cities. It is definitely desert, however, every once an a while you will see a huge pile of big, round boulders. Lance claims it is alien's doing.




Another type of palm. We thought we had seen all the different types of palms. WRONG! Here is another one to add to the collection.





Coachella Valley Weather -- The Valley boosts just afew days of rain a year. We were there when a storm came in. A big cloud rolled over the mountain to the west.


Then the winds came in.....


... the rain came to the valleyand snow to the mountains (someone even brought some home).


Then we got back to our blessed sun and 70 degree weather. It warmed us.



12/25/07 - Pomona, California -- For the first time since I can remember we spent Christmas with my brother, Jeff, his wife, Elaine and their great dogs, Adonis and Eros. It was a great day -- good food, good conversation and great hugs.



In California almost everyone has a citrus tree in their yard. Jeff & Elaine wereno exception. They had a tangelo tree and sent us home a bunch of these tasty treats.




12/26/07 - Palm Springs, CA - As always Coralee is curious about the floral and fauna of each new area. She is totally amazed that in December there are still gardens in bloom. Here are a few selected pictures of Palm Springs




12/29/07 - We moved to a new RV Park today. Will be there until 1/28/08.



They too have a great pool.








We are parked almost to the end of this road on the left. It is a beautiful park.

12/30/07 - Today is our 22nd Anniversary. We planned on dinner at the top of the Palm Springs Aerial Tram. We even had reservations. We got there in plenty of time -- we thought. We had 4 pm reservations (so we could see the sun set) and we got there a little after 3. They were so busy the next available tram was 5:15. So much for that. Next time we will go after the holidays and during the week!
We found the Visitor's Center on the way so we went back and they recommended Davey's Hideaway. (See travel page - Southern California). It was fabulous. We had great dinners and they had a piano player that really added to the enjoyment. They were a fine dining restaurant with great service and the price was too bad either.
12/31/07 - New Year's Eve - We celebrated New Year's Eve with other Sands Golf & RV Park residents. There was a party at their "Oasis Hall". We met some very nice people, had some great hors d'evours and just generally enjoyed the evening. They had karaoke and there were more than a few good singers and dancers there. We actually celebrated New Year's at 9 pm since many of the residents are even older than we are.
We are really looking forward to 2008. We have truly made a good start on our RV adventure.

11/1/07 - It is beautiful in November in the desert. Still blooming.





11/2/07 - Mesquite, Nevada - We decided to take Highway 215 to Mesquite so we could see a little more of Las Vegas. Yes, it says 215 West, 215 East AND 215 South. That is because Highway 215 almost encircles Las Vegas. The same is true of Loop 101 in Phoenix, Arizona. It is rather nice if you want to avoid the "downtown" traffic. The thing I have found interesting in Las Vegas is it is the only place I have been where they actually put in the left turn lane so you can make a U-TURN. It goes nowhere -- just allows you to make a U-turn.

Here is a geography question. Where can you drive 35 miles and travel through three states? If you drive from Mesquite, Nevada to St. George, Utah you will go through Arizona to get there. Yes, it is three states in 35 miles.


11/4/07 - Took a trip to Boulder City. On a suggestion by my sister, Teri, went to the Hoover Dam/Boulder City Museum. It was great. They had a short film that tells you about how Hoover Dam was built. A great, interactive museum. We stopped at the Hoover Dam Visitor's Center. It was a beautiful structure in itself. It was made with the red rock clay and nestled into a ridge near the Dam. This is Lance challenging me to a race (I was on the escalator). He won but I wasn't sweating!!



They are building a new bridge not too far from the dam. It is going to be huge! I am sure it to allow them to close the dam to traffic. As it is you cannot take trucks or RVs over Hoover Dam.






11/5/07 - Nellis Air Force Base - We are staying the Nellis Air Force Base Desert Eagle RV Park. Everyday we hear and see the jets practicing. I love the sound. Have not seen the Thunderbirds yet. Going to see their museum soon.

11/7/07 - Nellis Air Force Base - I have been busy working on the website and continuing to organize the "office". The weight of the desk and all the files on the slide was making me nervous. We got the rig weighed on the way here. After talking with a few people and Tiffin feel pretty comfortable we are within good limits. I still decided to lighten the file drawer -- that huge one that is over 30" long. There were a lot of files I don't use that often so I pulled them out and put them in the basement storage.
11/8/07 - Las Vegas, Nevada - A lot is going on in Las Vegas these days. The O. J. Simpson preliminary hearing is headline news. Robert Goulet's memorial service is tomorrow. Then next week the Democrats running for President will be in town for a debate narrated by Wolf Blitzer of CNN.. You just have to look at the entertainment magazines and you see names like Queen Latifah, Wayne Brady, Billy Joel, Howie Mandel, Rita Ruder, Rich Little, Barry Manilow, ZZ Top, Ozzy Osbourne, and even our favorite orchestra - The Trans-Siberian Orchestra -- is in town. Most amazing.
11/9/07- Nellis Air Force Base -- The big air show is tomorrow and Sunday to celebrate Veteran's Day. They are also celebrating the Air Force's 60th birthday. The Thunderbirds were out practicing today. The RV park had a BBQ. They treat us really good here. It is all so cool.




Met another couple with a Phaeton. There are several other Tiffin rigs here too. Dave & Pricilla have had their Phaeton for two years. He is a retired air force plane mechanic. He offered to help us if we had any questions about our motorhome. We are feeling pretty comfortable with the day to day things. The maintenance has us a little concerned. Found out at 5000 miles (only 50 more and we will be there) we need to have the transmission filter changed. And, the valves need to be checked between the 1st and 4th oil changes. We are getting there with the maintenance too.
Next week we are going up to Mesquite, Nevada for a few days to shoot five beautiful golf courses. It is so amazing out here in the desert. You see all this sand and rock and cacti and desert bushes -- then suddenly you see this amazingly green golf course. It is like a beautiful oasis.

11/10/07 - The sun came out for the air show. It had been really grey yesterday. The air show was spectacular and we did not even have to leave the rv park. The park is across the street from the flight line so we had a great view. They had everything from biplane acrobatics and parachutists to WW I & II to Viet Nam planes to the Thunderbirds. Nellis AFB is the home of the Thunderbirds. The flew so fast over our motorhome it was just pure luck to get a picture of them.



11/14/07 -- Mesquite, Nevada - We spent four days in Mesquite at the Virgin River Casino Hotel. They had the typical great buffets and the room was very nice especially since it only cost $24.99 a night.
Palm trees and grasses are the two most popular foliages found in the desert after the catus.


11/11/07 - I have talked about how lovely and spacious our Desert Eagle RV Park is. Here is a picture as an example of how much space is in between each site. Pretty big, huh!



11/14/07 - Mesquite, Nevada - Known for the "Big Break Mesquite" (a popular golf show). Mesquite has two main attractions -- golfing and gaming. Their golf courses are like an oasis in a dry desert. The Falcon Ridge golf course is fabulous and is part of the Golf Mesquite Group. They are all tough too! There are more bumps and curves that we have ever seen in courses. This casino is the Casablanca. In Mesquite there is also the Oasis, Virgin River and Eureka casinos plus many, many smaller ones. Mesquite's population is almost 15,000 yet it feels like a small town -- friendly and quiet.



11/15/07 - Well, it is back to our home, on-wheels that is. We were treated to a beautiful sunset coming into Las Vegas. That is some gift pollution gives to us.
11/19/07 - Headed up to St. George on the second leg of the Golf Mesquite golf course photo shoots. Took a new route out another base gate and saw acres of solar panels for the base.
One of the things I was very surprised at when we first turned onto the highway coming into Las Vegas was all the plastic bags laying along side of the road. This picture doesn't even begin to show how bad it can get. We see people out cleaning but it seems to be a never ending job. So, I guess the moral of the story is throw those plastic bags away or use paper ones

11/20/07 - Bought a new lens for Lance's camera -- a polarizing lens. The sun is so bright in this desert environment everything seems washed out. It seems to help. Will save me time "fertilizing the courses" with a little blue hue to darken the greens.
While Lance was taking pictures and playing yet another free round of golf I went to the Rosenbruch Wildlife Museum. Pretty cool. They give you a radio and you punch in the section number and get all types of information about the different areas. They even have a "bug" room that includes a beautiful display of butterflies of all colors and size.
11/21/07 - Lake Mead, Nevada - I was feeling all golfed out. For several weeks I have been uploading all our golf pictures to an online backup service. After our "gas" scare I decided having a backup drive in the motorhome was not a good idea so I looked into several online backup services. I decided on Media Max. It gives you 25 GB free. They also have the capability to hold 1000 GB for you. With so many pictures we thought it would be prudent to do this. The only problem is having so many pictures from the past four years. With both computers running it takes all day to upload 15 or 20 courses. Once we get all the past pictures up keeping up with it will not be too bad.

So, Lance suggested a little diversion on our way home by a detour to the Lost City Museum which led us to the Nevada Valley of Fire State Park. It was very unusual and beautiful. I tried out Lance's new filter on his camera. I took so many pictures that I used up four batteries.
Here are a couple of pictures from the Lost City Museum

and a few from the Valley of Fire.


11/22/07 - Las Vegas, Nevada - Hope you all have had a Great Thanksgiving. We had a turkey dinner at the Nellis Air Force Base Mess Hall around noon. We were served by the Generals and officers. Plus the governor of Nevada was there. Then for dinner we went to the Country Cafe. They made you feel right at home. They did four sittings of a turkey dinner buffet. When you arrived your table had deviled eggs, veggies, pickles, and green and black olives. This was like being at home with the family. Then a traditional turkey dinner. We were even given a box to take home leftovers. All that was missing was the family.....

This was our first holiday without the family. We called everyone and had a nice visit. Looking forward to seeing everyone in December.

11/23/07 - Las Vegas, Nevada - Started to look into the next leg of our trip to Southern California. A little nervous about the fires. Well, I am sure it will be okay.

11/26/07 - Las Vegas, Nevada - Lance's brother, Ron, asked if we could put up some pictures of our motorhome. Since we did not get a chance to connect before we left here you are Ron.

This is Tiff'n (masculine for Tiffany which means manifestion of God). It is a Tiffin Phaeton 40 ft, with four slides, ceramic tile floor, 32" screen TV in front, one in the bedroom and one outside in the basement. It has in motion satellite and we have Direct TV. The interior is natural maple.


This is from the galley forward -- the leather sofa on the left was replaced with a custom desk.




This is our HHR that we tow. It tows great with four wheels down. We are real happy with it.





11/27/07 - Las Vegas Strip - We have gone up and down the strip a number of times. We would have to stay a lot longer to even touch all the places and things to see. The other day we decided to check out the airport so we went down one of the strip cross streets - the Tropicana. Oh my, a whole new Las Vegas. A different view. Here is the side of the MGM and across the street New York, New York even with a roller coaster.


11/29/07 - I love looking at the trees and cactus in new areas. They are so different than the Pacific Northwest. I do not even know the names of them yet they fascinate me.

10/15/07 - Houston, we have lift off!!! Yes, after years of planning, organizing and work we have finally realized our dream. Our first stop was Pendleton, Oregon. We stayed at the Wild Horse Casino RV Park. Wild Horse is a wonderous place. It has the casino, rv park, museum and golf course. Loved their indoor swimming pool. One of the better ones I have swam in.

10/16/07 - After my swim we headed off to the Boise, Idaho area . There have been many firsts in our new motorhome. This was our first "mountain trip". With such a big rig we were a little anxious to go up and down those big hills. Well, there was no need to be anxious -- maybe just cautious. "Just take your time," as Kevin, our semi-driving son, advised -- and he was right. We are staying in Nampa which is about 15 miles west of Boise. Everything in the area is connected by I-84. Heard it was not the best area because of drugs, etc. We did not see any evidence of it, however, it is always best to be cautious wherever you go.
10/17/07 - While Lance was out taking pictures of Eagle Hills Golf Course, I spent the day finally getting our desk organized. With the paperwork and supplies I put in the desk and the storage above I emptied three file boxes and one storage box. This gave us a little more room in our "basement". The desk is fantastic. We really love it.


10/18/07 - Today I found a nice swimming pool in Nampa. I called to see when they had open swim. I was told it was all day until 9:45 pm. When I got there I understood how my questions might have seemed strange. In the swimming pool area there was a lap pool, a children's pool, and a regular 3 - 4 ft pool, a 10 ft diving pool as well as a small pool for little children. It was a great facility. Had a little "sticker" shock in that it appears swimming will cost $8 to $10. I was too used to Norpointe Center and my monthly membership of $30. I guess when we are seeking out rv parks, swimming pools should have a higher priority.

10/19/07 - Ran some errands today and explored the Boise area. The weather has put a damper on Lance's shooting pictures on courses. It means we will probably come back this way when we come up in June for Tia's graduation. Hope to be a little more prepared to explore more when we come back. We did go to The Cheesecake Factory for lunch. Had the best Cobb Salad I have ever had. And, they even had a low carb cheesecake with fresh strawberries. It was delicious.

10/20/07 - Off to Twin Falls, Idaho today. Just out of Boise we hit a two mile stretch that was like a washboard. It was so rough we felt like we were in a blender. Everything in the motorhome rattled more than I have ever heard it. The good news was we had been having trouble with the sensor in our black water holding tank. We knew it was empty yet it would show almost 2/3s full. Lance called Tiffin for advice and they said the same thing my brother, Jeff, and sister-in-law, Elaine, said. Put some Pine Power (like Pine Sol) in about a half full (fresh water) tank. So, we did it before we left. That two mile stretch of road and the Pine Power did the trick. The sensor seems to be back to normal. They also said putting crushed ice down the tank before a trip is good too.
10/21/07 - Twin Falls, Idaho - While Lance was off taking pictures of the Canyon Springs Golf Course I took my camera to take pictures of the beautiful Perrine Memorial Bridge just east of the course. On the way up from the canyon was this beautiful falls. God, I love this lifestyle. I am drawn to nature and there is so much beauty around us if we just stop a few moments and enjoy it. The people you meet in the rv parks are so friendly and helpful too.

10/22/07 - Ely, Nevada - I discovered I could use my notebook on my little pull-out desk in front of the passenger seat. I can even use our Verizon air card and write e-mail or surf the internet. It is real cool to sit there and read or play with the computer or take pictures or just doze. My recliner is soooo comfortable. What a life!
10/22/07 - Ely, Nevada - Our trip to Ely (pronounced Elee) was a beautiful one. We took Highway 93 which is a two-lane highway going almost directly south toward Las Vegas. The highway was great. The highway takes you through valleys with mountains on each side.

The colors were great too -- even the desert has fall colors.

We stopped at the Bonneville Truck Wash in Wells, Nevada, and had the motorhome washed. It was really dirty from all the rains in Boise. We paid $35.00 for both the rv and the vehicle. They did a great job! Highly recommend them for any of you rvers out there traveling the Wells, Nevada area. Then just down the road -- at the I-80 and I-93 junction -- at the Flying J we gassed up (or do you say "dieseled" up) and had lunch at their 4 Way Cafe. Lance raved about their chicken quesadilla and Coralee's mushroom soup was the best she had ever had.


10/23/07 - Las Vegas, Nevada - Another beautiful day on the road. Continued down Highway 93 South, then onto Highway 6, then over to Highway 318 and then back to 93. A little quicker and more direct this way even if it sounds a little complicated. Before we left we invested in a few books. One is called Road Trip USA: Cross-Country Adventures on America's Two-Lane Highways by Jamie Jensen. It follows Highway 101 on the Pacific Coast, Highway 93 from Jasper National Park in Canada to the Meixco border, Highway 83 from North Dakoa to the tip of Texas plus three other north/south highways and five east/west highways. When we discovered it told us about the Highway we were about to travel we were very curious. The book tells you blow by blow (like a Milepost for the USA), city by city with interests off either side of the highway. It was a great addition to the long road from Twin Falls to Las Vegas.
You think the desert is all sand and sagebrush. Not so. There was an area north of Ash Springs (we think -- guess it is time to have a notebook handy) that has some magificent rock formations. Huge rock formations.

This is how we were introducted to Las Vegas -- the closer we got the less smoggy it was though.

10/23/07 - Ely, Nevada - Lance could not get the propane door open last night so we were without heat (our heat pump only can go so far without the gas component). Unfortunately, last night was the coldest night we have experienced -- 27 degrees. Needless to say we got dressed, ate and did our departure chores in record time. Only trouble with record time is we were not sure we had disengaged the steps that keeps them from coming up automatically when you shut the door. So here we are traveling down Highway 93 South and I am opening the passenger window and sticking my head out to be sure the steps were up -- THEY WERE!!! That part of the road did not have many turn outs.
And, that is not all of the story. I kept hearing a different sound. I have learned most of the rattles, bangs and moans, etc. in the moving motorhome. Finally, it dawned on me -- we forgot the anntenna. It was still up. Found a place (thank, God) real soon and put it down. Looking at it tonight we could have easily hit something. Revision made to our check list -- and no matter how cold we are we are going to READ it.
Our first stop in Las Vegas was Johnny Walker RV - It is a Tiffin Dealer/Service Center. They were so helpful. They found the problem with the propane door, did a temporary fix on a drawer that needs to be replaced and found out why my passenger seat sometimes shuts down (a wire was pinched under the seat and would short out causing the circuit breaker to go off.) They seem to really know their stuff. I was greatly relieved to find them so competent and pleasant.
That is the second time we have had good luck. The first time was just before we left when we had a tire monitoring system put on. Infinity Coach of Summer had Les Schwab take the tires off for them. Les Schwab found one of our tires in the back passenger dual set had a big hole -- probably from a bolt or something -- and was losing air. It was very fortunate we found it then instead of on the road.
Finally arrived at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas. We will be here for a couple of months. Plan to fly up to Washington December 13th and come back the 20th. We can put the motorhome in storage for that week here on base for, can you believe this, $2 a day.

10/24/07 - 10/25/07 - Las Vegas, Nevada - Once we got settled into the Desert Eagle RV Park at Nellis AFB we started to explore the base. Lance always attracts golfers -- of course, have a sign on the back of our car helps a little too -- He has already signed up for two golf tournaments -- one is a Halloween one. Ought to be interesting.
We checked out the Travel office and found some good deals. We plan to spend my birthday at the Venetian to see the Blue Man Group. Then on the 8th of November we plan on taking a road trip through the base to a taping of The Price is Right. The Price is Right is one of Lance's favorite shows -- and I love Drew Carey. Lance even volunteered to drive (the drivers only drive one way). Next month we plan to see Mama Mia at the Mandalay. Cannot pass up the opportunity to really explore the Las Vegas way of life.
It is 9 o'clock in the evening and Lance has gone down to the Strip to play poker with his sons, Dan and Jason, and poker friends from Washington. Would like to be able to report it was a GOOD NIGHT! Stay tuned.

The weather was up in the 90s today. Right now it is 64. How pleasant to have a "summer" evening in October. When we explored the Strip today we also explored swimming pools. Amazingly, most pools are outdoor pools that are closed in the Winter. Found a good indoor one about 15-20 minutes away. It is a municipal pool called Municipal Pool and has a fitness center with the type of equipment Lance used at the Annika Storstam Academy. So, I may have a partner in exercising. Another amazing thing is senior swimming only cost $1.50 or $15.00 for a month. Can you believe it. HOW WONDERFUL.

10/27/07 - 10/28/07 - Las Vegas, Nevada - Installed our motorhome sun screen. It is fun to watch people walk by and notice two tiger eyes are looking at them. They cannot see us but we can see them. It also screens out the UV which in Las Vegas is definitely here. Right at the moment (1 pm) it is 88 degrees out (in the shade).
Ooops! Lance just called said he could not get into the RV park. They have police and guns all over the place. I just called the office and they confirmed there is an "incident" going on and to "stay put". I wonder if other peole know it!
I locked the door and pulled the shade on the door. No one can see in -- I can still see out but nothing is happening. Looks absolutely calm and peaceful. Darn. Lance said so much for my surprise latte.
Well, he just drove up -- darn -- again -- do not even know what happened!!! We will have to find out later.
Oh! I forgot. Lance ended up in 5th place in his poker game and doubled his money. That always feels good.

10/26/07 - Las Vegas, Nevada. It was my birthday today so we decided to go to the Blue Man Group."Blue Man Group's (as described in the Venetian flyer) critically acclaimed show has been called "visually stunning", "wildy inventive," and "hysterically funny". Although it is impossible to describe, people of all ages agree that Blue Man Group's show at The Venetian is an intensely exciting and wildy outrageous experience that leaves the entire audience in a blissful, euphoric state." I think that sums it up well.


You ask what has this streamer and marshmallow have to do with the Blue Man Group. Well, all I can say is you have to have a good right arm to catch 'em.



10/29/07 - Las Vegas, Nevada - Well, the strangeness continues. They are doing a lot of construction right behind us and on the other side of the fence behind us. In the last few days we have had water outages, power outages and today a fireman came buy our rig and said there was a gas leak and to stay inside. Then a little while later he came back and said it was worse and would have to leave and go up by the office. We decided to go run a few errands to pass the time. By the time we got back the gas was okay, but the water was down again. Is there a full moon out??? Is it a Halloween curse we don't know about?
Well, it is nice being self-contained. We can generate our own water and power. Can't do anything about the gas though!
The smoke from California has arrived. You could see it coming in from the southwest. Like a big, light cloud. If it is that bad here must be hell in California.
Other than that we found Camping World and Costco and a lot of our favorite chain restaruants not too far from us. Even found a Great Harvest Bread. We love their Honey Whole Wheat bread.



10/30/07 - Las Vegas, Nevada - Went out running errands aka checking out golf courses. We stopped at Ethel M Chocolates because not only could you see the chocolate process but you can see their Cactus Garden. Ethel M Chocolates is owned by Mars. Mars are the people that make M&M'S, Snickers, etc. Frank Mars, father of Forrest Mars, Sr. and founder of Mars, Inc., started making and selling chocolates from his kitchen in Tacoma, Washington (small world isn't it?), in 1911. The tradition of producing quality confections is reflected in Ethel M Chocolates. The name was chosen to honor Ethel G. Mars, mother of Forrest Sr. Unfortunately, the candy line was not workiing when we went through. The garden was filled with all kinds of catcus, however, they all had lights strung on them -- kind of took away from their natural beauty. Guess we need to go back after dark and see them.

These cacti are called Rabbit Ears.


Speaking of rabbits -- watched a couple of rabbits at the beautiful The Falls Golf Club in Henderson, Nevada. I am thinking of doing a book called Animal Butts since about all I ever get are shots of is their behinds as they run away.


I love the hills that surround Las Vegas. They are not the beautiful forrest-covered hills of Washington yet they have a beauty of their own.



10/31/07 - Las Vegas, Nevada - Happy Halloween!! I think we have a Spanish-speaking gremlin in our house. We'll be watching our television in the bedroom and suddenly you are watching Dancing with the Stars in Spanish. After punching buttons and doing this and that it finally comes back to English -- It has happened twice -- Woo!! Woo!! Yes, we think it is a Halloween Spanish-speaking gremlin! Hi Jose!