Pandemic Pause

The state of Nevada, in regard to the Covid 19 crisis, continues to operate under the Governor’s order that all nonessential business remain closed and residents practice social distancing. The directive to “shelter in place” has not been issued here, like it has in the bordering states of California, Oregon and Idaho. Nevertheless, Mark and I spend all our time on the Air Force base, at this point, unless we need to get something at the grocery store or pick up other essential items. Yesterday, after we made a market run, we decided to drive down to the Las Vegas Strip. We’ve been here over two weeks but with all the chaos, it was never the right time to head downtown. Now, with everything closed, we decided it wouldn’t hurt to see the city from the shelter of our car. The Las Vegas Strip remains largely an empty space from one end to the other. Only a handful of vehicles followed us down Las Vegas Boulevard and Fremont Street. The blinking marquees, sidewalks and stairs (all without people) were  the eeriest visual of a city where the pause button has been pushed and all activity has ground to a halt. Not something I ever expected to see in my lifetime!

More Than Strip Clubs & Slot Machines

1,500 Year Old Friend

Bristlecone Pines, the worlds oldest living things, stand high atop isolated mountains in six western states. Bristlecones are thought to have the longest lifespan of all trees with the oldest being 5,000 years old. They endure high winds, cold temperatures and little precipitation which causes them to be twisted and gnarled over time. I’d hoped to see some of the really old ones when we ventured into CA, but since our plans changed, and we are “sheltering in place “ in Nevada I’d accepted the fact that seeing one just wasn’t in the cards. Little did I know that some youngsters (about 1,500 years old) lived atop the Spring Mountains, thirty miles from our campsite. There was still a problem, though. The area where they live is at 9,000 feet elevation and is still covered in snow. We decided to drive to the park and at least see the Bristlecone Pine trailhead.

The drive up the mountain was beautiful and as we gained elevation, we noticed fields full of Joshua Trees. Going to Joshua Tree National Park was another thing on my wish list, so I was shocked to see so many in a National Forest in Nevada. Why have I always thought of Las Vegas in such a one dimensional way? It’s so much more than strip clubs and slot machines!

Anyway, when we got to the trailhead, we discovered local snowboarders had chosen the trail to hike up the mountain, then snowboard off the top. They’d tramped down the trail enough that we managed to hike to the top following their tracks. I was ecstatic to discover a stand of trees near the top and got to meet my first Bristlecone Pine!

Joshua Trees on our way to Mt. Charleston 

A Different Kind of Birthday

Yesterday was my birthday. In my 58 years of life, this is perhaps the strangest one I’ve celebrated yet. It was wonderful receiving greetings and good wishes from family and friends, via social media, but I have to admit it was almost a relief knowing there was no pressure this year to do something extra special or traditional. The circumstances we are all living under ensured it would be a day of simple pleasures; not parties.

Mark had done a lot of research, knowing I wanted to do an interesting hike if we could find an uncrowded area. He discovered we could travel a mere 37 miles and be transported from the Las Vegas desert floor to an alpine winter wonderland. Humboldt-Toyiabe National Forest is the largest National Forest of the US; outside of Alaska. The Spring Mountains (a part of the Humboldt–Toiyabe National Forest) have almost 40 miles of trails that along with elevation changes and the virtual absence of flat terrain make for some strenuous but beautiful hiking. Add some snow and you have all the ingredients for an amazing birthday hike.

We finished the evening with dinner and a movie. Maybe not your typical Las Vegas birthday, but perfect for me!

The New Normal

Las Vegas; March 18, 2020

It’s been a week since my last post and like everywhere else, so much has changed in that one week. The base where we are camping has temporarily canceled reservations and isn’t accepting new campers. We feel so grateful that we are here and have been allowed to extend our stay until the end of the month while we wait to see what happens next. We also realize it’s not in anyone’s best interest  for us to be moving around the country at the moment.

Today, the bright lights of the Las Vegas Strip shut down for a minimum of 30 days. There hasn’t been a total shut down of the strip since JFK was assassinated in 1963, and that was for just one day. I know the same thing is happening in other major cities (bars, restaurants and casinos closed) but it’s a really eerie thing to see it happen on such a grand a scale.

We are thankful to be in a safe space and like most of America are doing our best to adjust to this new normal. Our adjustments are so minor compared to so many. We can’t use the fitness facility here anymore (it’s closed to all but active military) but we do have the base disc golf course available and a bocce court. We have been researching the surrounding parks for lightly trafficked hiking trails and have had luck finding solitude if we get to trailheads super early or choose bad weather days for hiking. Granted, there usually aren’t many of those, here in the Vegas area, but in the week we’ve been here the area has received 2 inches of their 4 inch yearly total. Maybe that’s all part of this “new normal “ too.

Waiting for Markie 

The Silver State

We made it to the Silver State! This is my first time to visit Nevada. The Air Force base, where we are camping, is so close to the city, we can see the skyline. We haven’t driven down the strip yet, but did make the trek to the iconic welcome sign. We have enjoyed settling in at the base which in and of itself is a mini town, with it’s own disc golf course, post office and incredible work out facility. We’ve also done some urban hiking in neighboring recreational parks.

One thing Mark and I have enjoyed, as we travel from state to state, is watching the local news/weather when we are able to pick it up. Local news usually gives us a glimpse into the values and interests of the area we are visiting. Of course everywhere we’ve gone lately, the top stories revolve around the coronavirus outbreak. When we got to the Las Vegas area , the lead story was focused on the outbreak, but with a twist. KTNV News informed us, when we tuned in, that Las Vegas residents looking to get their hands on some hand sanitizer could visit local strip club, Little Darlings. The club announced early Friday morning, that it would be giving away 50,000 bottles of free hand sanitizer in light of the coronavirus outbreak. The club owner said hand sanitizer stations would be stocked at the entrance and behind the bar for staff to keep anything from spreading. Surfaces such as tabletops, seats, even the stage and stripper poles would be getting more cleaning attention.

I post this, not to downplay the seriousness or importance of the precautions in place, surrounding the virus outbreak, but to acknowledge different communities have a variety of factors to consider in this new normal of our ever changing world.

Saying Goodbye to Utah

As we pack up to move on to our next destination, I’m reminded of a quote I like by Albert Einstein, “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you have to keep moving.” Our next stop should be the polar opposite to where we have been this week. We are headed for Nellis Air Force base, outside Las Vegas, Nevada. Mark has been to Las Vegas before, but I haven’t. He describes it as “Chuck E. Cheese” for adults. That may be an apt description, but I need to see and experience it for myself. We know the Air Force base can’t compete with this park’s stunning natural beauty, but it doesn’t have to. After a week of breathtaking hikes and biking we are ready for the spectacle of the “City that Never Sleeps.” After all, life is all about balance and movement!

Walking With Dinosaurs

Dinosaur tracks have been found on every continent of the world except Antarctica, but they’re still comparatively rare. Today we made the effort to see our first trackways (collection of two or more consecutive tracks) at Warner Valley Dinosaur Tracks Heritage site, near Hurricane, UT. We were really surprised by a couple of things. First of all, walking where dinosaurs have walked is a pretty cool experience we really enjoyed. Secondly, the heritage site, where these trace fossils were discovered is amazingly unrestricted. The tracks are at the end of a lightly trafficked dirt road and we had the whole area to ourselves! There is an information kiosk near the tracks, but no barriers or restrictions. We could literally walk in the footsteps of dinosaurs!

Also saw my first Joshua Tree!

The Grand Illusion

Even though we had a long travel day, we broke the trip up by stopping at a quirky bagel shop for breakfast, in Flagstaff, (I loved Flagstaff) and had a late lunch in Page, Arizona. We also found ourselves, for a short time, on a section of old Route 66. I love seeing the old motels and neon signs from bygone travel days.

We finally crossed into Utah and ended the day at possibly the most beautiful state park of our travels; Snow Canyon State Park, outside St. George, Utah. The downside, however, was discovering our campsite is the tightest (closest to other campers) we have ever stayed in. I felt claustrophobic when we first arrived but after settling in, and meeting our neighbors, (who are awesome) we’ve realized there is so much to do in the area, and the surroundings are so breathtaking, we can survive the close quarters for a week.

It’s funny though, when I was taking a picture of our campsite, I discovered if I turned the camera at a certain angle, a snapshot of the perfect campsite could be achieved. However, when I stepped back and allowed the full picture to come into view, the false picture of perfection was exposed. In this new world, dominated by social media, the temptation is to create the illusion, especially through pictures, of our amazing lives, even when we all know the real picture is far from perfect.

Leaving Arizona

Today we say goodbye to Arizona as we make our way north, to southern Utah. We’ve had an amazing time in The Grand Canyon State. However, we did get some sobering news when we had a parting lunch, yesterday, with our friends, the Stichs. They were on a hike in Sedona with their son, daughter-in-law and four month old grandson, when a man they had met on the trail found himself in serious distress; Cathy and Phil’s son and daughter-in-law are both nurses and came to the man’s aide, calling 911and doing CPR until EMT’s arrived. In the end, there was nothing anyone could do. I’m not sure why I’m sharing this story; I wasn’t involved. I guess I’m just proud of my friends unhesitating response to help someone in need. The incident also made me think of the book, “The Year of Magical Thinking “. It’s a true story, written by Joan Didion after her husband suddenly and unexpectedly died. One of her quotes I’ve never forgotten is, “Life can change in an instant. An ordinary instant.” I really want to make every instant count!

Last lunch in Cottonwood 

Cathy & Phil

Find Your Tribe

A popular phrase these days is “find your tribe” which basically means find a group you share similar interests with. Life on the road simplifies that task a bit because as you travel and camp, you end up in campgrounds in the company of people who enjoy camping and traveling too. One interesting thing we’ve noticed, on this particular trip, are the groups of people who have gone a step further and are choosing to camp together based on the kind of camper they have. In Texas it was a group of Casita owners but here in Arizona, it is an A-Liner group; an A-Liner is a sort of A-Frame style pop-up camper. I know the Airstream community also form clubs and camp in groups and I’m not saying that is a bad thing; I’m just not sure camper preference is a good indicator of who you might have a connection with. On this trip, the people I’ve met, that  I have the most in common with have been camping in, respectively; an Arctic Fox trailer, a retro Field and Stream camper and an R-Pod. So, what’s my point?

Well, I’ve always been fascinated by the story that during the filming of the first “Planet of the Apes”
movie, in 1967, the actors and actresses, on set, stayed in makeup for lunch. A bystander realized one day, that the chimpanzees, orangutans, great apes and humans had all voluntarily segregated themselves at different lunch tables. No one intermingled with the other groups even though they were all human underneath the makeup. Sometimes I think we form “tribes” that on the outside seem to fit who we are but distract us from seeing or meeting individuals in a different group. I love my fellow “Airstream Apes” but I don’t want to miss out on discovering the things the “A-Liner Orangutans “ or “Casita Chimpanzees “ are experiencing too!

Best breakfast of the trip; New River, AZ

Best disc golf course; Cottonwood, AZ