Leaving the Crater Lake Area behind, we started making our way towards home.
KLAMATH FALLS, OR
We stayed one night at the Klamath County Event Center in Klamath Falls, OR. The RV Park was very nice and had all the needed amenities. Interestingly, we were one of two RV’s in the park. The other RV was actually a horse trailer. Since there was no RV ParkHost on site, we were reluctant to leave the RV unattended. No sightseeing of Klamath Falls!
RENO, NV
As we approached Reno, we could see smoke and fires in the area. We spent two nights at the Reno KOA Journey in Boomtown.
During our stay, it was very, very windy. In the Jeep, on our way to Lake Tahoe, it felt as though we were blowing all over the road.
We drove along Lake Tahoe and looked at all the beautiful Lakeside homes. The air was cooler along the lake and the lake had some waves and whitecaps.
As we drove back towards Reno, we could see more of the fire and smoke. The wind was not helping!
Leaving Reno and heading southeast via US 95 we passed Walker Lake enroute to our destination in Hawthorne, NV. The RV Park we chose for the night was Whiskey Flats RV Park…the only one in town!
Hawthorne was an old mining town that became a munitions storage hub: The U.S. Army Ammunition Depot, the world’s largest facility is located in Hawthrone. The depot covers 147,000 acres and has 2,427 bunkers. We tried to visit the Hawthrorne Ordinance Museum, but, it was closed. We were able to view some of the outside displays from the street. The town seemed almost like a ghost town!
US ARMY DEPOT-Hawthorne, NV
After a one night stay in Hawthrorne, we continued on US-95 through Tonopah and Indian Springs, arriving in Fabulous Las Vegas, NV!
VIVA LAS VEGAS!
Las Vegas, NV, was the last stop of our summer Adventure. We stayed two nights at the Oasis RV Resort on the south end of the strip. The Oasis is a luxury resort with very nice amenities. Our assigned site did not work for us…too many obstacles…tree, lightpost, vehicles. After a trip back to the office, a new site was assigned and it was good…we didn’t even have anyone next to us!
Since the temperture was still warm in Las Vegas, we waited until evening to drive the strip. Our main objective was to see the new “Sphere”.
Driving is LV was very hectic; surrounded by hordes of pedestrians (some of which were probably inebriated), a lot of traffic, and plenty of visual distractions. Also…LV has the longest traffic lights!
We followed a line of traffic up Las Vegas Blvd to the end and did not see the Sphere. How could that happen? The Sphere is:
- Size: 366 feet high and 516 feet wide, spanning a total of 875,000 square feet
- Capacity: Seats 18,600 people
- Cost: $2.3 billion
- Time: Took 5 years to construct
The Spere is located at the Venetian, but, does not sit directly on the strip. After some fancy maneuvering, we finally got close. Because we were waiting in traffic, we saw The Sphere change through it’s various colorul designs. It was pretty amazing!
As we continued on the strip, sitting in traffic, we witnessed many street activities…bachelorette parties, wedding parties, nearly naked people, cannabis advertising, etc. As always, Las Vegas was busy…after all it was a Friday night!
The city has changed alot since our last visit 10 years ago. Older casinos have been torn down and replaced with something bigger, better, and brighter. The Mirage ihas closed…Gone are the iconic white tigers. Cheap buffets have been replaced by high-end dining (i.e. Gordon Ramsey’s)with an international flavor. Giant signs entice with the latest shows. Fountains erupt. The result is a city with a glittering surface like none other…Viva Las Vegas!
We left Las Vegas early on Sunday morning and arrived HOME at 3PM. The RV is unloaded and back in the storage lot.The cleaning and washing will come later.
It’s good to be home!