Our first week in Nevada was in the Carson City area. I know when I think of Nevada, I think of a desert. Carson City and Minden are not like being in the desert at all. The area is beautiful and it has changing seasons. Minden is where our friends, Byron and Carol Hibshman live.
We are blessed to have such good friends. Even better is that all six of us are good friends and we were able to spend time with both couples together. Next time we need to get some photos with Pat and Liz, I can't believe we didn't do that.
Thank you guys for all the good food and great company.
During our stay at Silver City RV Resort we were kept busy and enjoyed every minute of all there was to see and do. There's always time for a beer at the Genoa Bar and Saloon in Nevada.
It's five o'clock somewhere!
Sand Harbor Park is such a beautiful place to spend the day just walking around or you could even take a picnic lunch.
David was able to fine the biggest "Rock Butt Crack" I've ever seen!
Byron and I were happy finding the best view of the lake!
It you haven't smelled a Ponderosa-pine, it's one of the sweetest smells in the woods that you'll find. Just step right up, put your nose into one of the tree's
cracks and smell. It's sometimes described as a smell simular to a sugar cookie, others say it smells like vanilla or butterscotch. David told us about his tree smelling adventures (when he was a kid), so we all tried it, and HE WAS RIGHT, definitely sugar cookies.
One of our day trips was to Donner Pass Memorial Park. Donner Pass is a mountain pass in the Northern Sierra Nevadas, above Donner Lake and about nine miles west of Truckee, California. Donner Pass has a well-known and macabre history - the place where George Donner and his party got stuck in the winter of 1846 and were forced to resort to cannibalism to keep from starving.
If you've never been to Hope Valley, CA in the fall, you're missing some beautiful fall colors.
One of the most photographed structures is this beautiful little farm house. I can clearly see why!
There are many apple orchards in the Camino California area. The Apple Hill growers cover a very large area and you can print out a map at the Apple Hill Growers website. Visiting the apple orchards makes for a fun day trip. Many of the orchards have a variety of things going on, such as arts and crafts vendors and stores in which to purchase fresh fruits, nuts, jams and even a fresh baked apple pie. Depending on the time of year you visit, they'll have special events for each season.
A really well kept museum is the Larsen Apple Barn and Museum. There are several apple orchards in this area. One of the Larsen descendants was on hand to answer all of our questions about the fruit growing cooperative, his particular farm and about various antique equipment in his barn museum.
Virginia City, NV is another must see and a great day trip. Virginia City has that old western feel as you walk through the town.
With all the traveling we've done over the last year, we have never run across the actual Starbucks roasting plant. Thank you again to our good friends Byron and Carol for letting us know it is actually located in Minden, NV. Thank You! As you drive in the area you can smell the coffee roasting in the air.
Carson City is home to Nevada's National Train Museum. If you are as big a train buff as what David is, then this is a must see for you. David's uncle, Gene Dains, was a Santa Fe Railroad engineer on the passenger lines between Phoenix and Tucson. David got to ride with his uncle, as a kid, and has been a big train buff ever since.
We just can't thank our friends Byron & Carol and Pat & Liz enough for showing us such a wonderful time during our stay in their area of Nevada. THANK YOU!
On to Las Vegas for a week:
In Vegas we stayed at Thousand Trails RV Resort. We've been members of Thousand Trails since about 1982. At the time we purchased our membership Thousand Trails was new and spoke of the obstacles of finding affordable and secure campgrounds in the future. Now it's 2016, and Thousand Trails ownership has changed hands several times and added many membership upgrades over the years, but not any amenity upgrades to their park system. It used to be when we would plan a trip, Thousand Trails was the first place we'd check for an available camp site, but now it's not. You might as why, but if you, too, have been a member for as long as we have, then you know the parks/campgrounds have not been well kept and they have not kept up with the changes in RV's and fifth-wheels, both in size and push-outs. A lot of today's RV's need 50 amp and the push-outs require more space. The Las Vegas campground suffered some wind damage this last year and currently does not have a usable pool, club house or wi-fi. The spaces are small and cramped, leaving little to no room for both an RV and personal vehicle.
We managed to see two Las Vegas shows, Cirque Du Soleil's KA' and Michael Jackson One.
They were both good shows, but of the two my favorite was KA'. Beautiful sets, great choreography, and a wonderful Asian tale of "Love Overcomes All."
We managed to get some down time and rest a little. It's been such a long time since we've been to Vegas. I was amazed to see how much it has grown. We don't gamble, but the shows and the spectacle that is "Las Vegas," is always fun.
David's Buddy Stops
David always says, "Where there is Starbucks, there is civilization." You be the judge!!
Our next blog will be about our visit to Cottonwood, Sedona, Jerome, and the Grand Canyon, all located in the beautiful state of Arizona.
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