It's hard to believe that it's been a year since we last posted. It's been a great year for us, but after 18+ years on the road and over 300 posts most of our activities are a repeat of things we've previously posted. But it's time to catch up, so here we go.
When we last posted, we had finished up our summer of volunteering as the program hosts for Farragut State Park. We made many good friends in our four summers there and left with fond memories of the park and the great staff.
We finished up with a goodbye dinner and headed back to Oregon for annual doctor visits and a chance to do a little whale watching. Each winter Shore Acres State Park, a beautiful area of flower gardens left over from a former mansion, lights up the area for Christmas. And each year they add to the hundreds of light displays to make the gardens a winter wonderland. It's a great way to get into the holiday spirit and enjoy a chorus of Christmas songs and a stop at the caretaker's cottage for hot chocolate and cookies.
Then it was off for warmer weather. We decided to return to the Mojave Valley where we enjoyed the park, the weather, and new friends. We spent the winter investing money in the Laughlin casinos and relaxing in the sunshine. Then in the spring it was back to Oregon, this time to the far southern town of Brookings where we were once again volunteering for US Fish & Wildlife.
One of the perks of volunteering is receiving a free full-hookup site, and our site at Brookings' Harris Beach State Park was one of the best we've had. It was the same one as two years ago, with lots of space and even an ocean view!
We spent most of our days at a beautiful overlook of one of Oregon's arch rocks. The path to the overlooks was forested and the ground was covered by False Lilly of the Valley with an occasional wild Iris poking through. At the overlook, we used our spotting scopes to show visitors the nesting Pelagic Cormorants and chicks sheltered in the rock. There were days when suddenly the fog would roll in and we'd find ourselves enveloped in the cool mist while Arch Rock and the ocean would disappear.
One of our favorite times at Harris Beach was our Saturday Junior Ranger class. Each week we'd teach the kids how to tell the difference between sea lions and seals, how Gray Whales live off our coast, and finished with the kids seeing just how massive a Blue Whale can be. We finished with a bag of "trinkets" for each child, filled with stickers, decals, and a "finger" flashlight.
We had a great time volunteering here; the kids were great, the weather was beautifully cool, and the area restaurants were wonderful. But in September, it was time to leave and this year we decided to stay in Las Vegas at Nellis Air Force Base.
We traveled to Medford for RV service and to stock up on tax-free clothes, then traveled down the eastern side of the Sierras. Our travels took us through the lava beds and forests to Susanville, CA, and then into Reno for a short stay. From Reno to Las Vegas the terrain is stark - miles and miles of...not much. We stopped in Goldfield, a town that in the early 1900s was once Nevada's largest. But the gold petered out, a fire destroyed most of the town, and now the population is less than 300. The RV Park we stayed at was on a high point above the town, and the view was interesting.
Goldfield is also home to the one and only International Car Forest. Words fail me in trying to describe it, so I'll let the pictures do the talking.
We're at the Nellis AFB Desert Eagle RV Park, a beautifully landscaped 200+ site park. It's quiet except for the roar of fighter jets overhead, convenient to shopping, and has a number of programs for the winter residents. Our daughter and husband visited and she surprised us with tickets to the Browns/Raiders game at the new Allegiant stadium. We had great seats and watched the usual Browns listless offense in 74 degree comfort while it was 104 outside.
So that's it for now. We'll be here until spring, so if your travel plans include a visit to Las Vegas, Let us know!
