Nellis AFB, Pahrump ooh lala, Tecopa Hot Springs & Yankee Blade

Whew, it has been a long time..............

We said good by to Rod and Karen on Saturday (March 24), and we went our separate ways for a week – they to a rally at AVI in Laughlin, and we to Nellis AFB Famcamp in north Las Vegas.

We endured some mighty winds while at Nellis and our one night in Pahrump – so much so that we pulled the slides in for fear the slide awnings would get damaged. But that weather finally “blew” through and we were back to sunshine and blue sky.

Spragues caught up with us at Tecopa. We have spent two days sightseeing inside Death Valley NP, and one day in between doing very little – brunch around eleven, a two hour visit to a local date farm, and then back to our lawn chairs and wine

I was quite surprised at the size of Death Valley, and I did not expect so many peaks and elevations – both above and below sea level. I think I envisioned a flat desert valley. Period. But the landscape is ever-changing as well as the colors. It is quite amazing.

We drove to the north end of the park to visit Scotty’s castle – which was not Scotty’s but belonged to his wealthy friends, the Johnsons. We enjoyed a tour of the inside of the home that sported every modern convenience that would have been found in the mansions on the east coast during the 30s – even though this little oasis is in the middle of nowhere. The “modern conveniences” such as hot and cold running water and central heat, reminded me of the similar thinking of King Ludwig and his castle at Neuschwanstein.

We stopped at Badwater which is the lowest elevation in the western hemisphere at 293 feet below sea level. There is just a huge expanse of a white salt lakebed, but even in that extreme alkaline environment, there is aquatic life. Needless to say, it is already getting quite hot there, so we limited ourselves to sightseeing by car with just short stops at points of interest.

We discovered Tecopa Hot Springs while staying in Pahrump, and after looking at the three possibilities for a place to stay, chose the one that looked the most normal. A small park with about 50 spaces and two hot mineral baths that were immaculately maintained. But with the heat outside, I found the baths to be not all that appealing with water that is in the 105 degree range. But it was a diversion.

The reason for going to Pahrump was to have lunch at one of the two legal brothels in the area. (Helen’s idea, not Ken’s) because we had talked to folks who had been there and toured the facility. It was interesting, as we ate lunch in the restaurant, to watch the comings and goings of the scantily clad “working” girls as well as the men who seemed to come and go! One of the “girls”, Olivia (not very attractive, about 6 feet tall wearing acrylic platform heels, a thong and a long sheer blouse), gave us a tour of the parlor and the five public entertainment rooms where a couple can have dinner or sit in a whirlpool tub, but the private rooms of the girls are off limits and are not included in the tour. It was just a good opportunity to get a glimpse of the inside of a facility for the world’s oldest profession.

Last Wednesday, we made our way from Tecopa Hot Springs to Austin and finding nothing satisfactory for the night, we headed up the road toward Battle Mountain. We discovered a great pull-out, flat and graveled, about 10 miles out of town – no signs, no warnings, no nothing. So we parked, leveled up, opened our beers and relaxed for the evening. There was one vehicle about every half hour, and that was usually a semi truck. It was unbelievably quiet, and attached is a picture of the awesome view. Ken and Rod, being the cautious Scandanavians that they are, were a bit apprehensive until they saw the county sheriff’s car go by without a glance. It was a very fun experience. With some research by Karen, we learned that the area was known as Yankee Blade which is a ghost town up over the hill.

The next night was spent in Wells, NV at Mountain Shadows RV Park; Passport America, free WiFi, clean restrooms and laundry, dog friendly, and neat as a pin. We got there early in the day, but by dusk all the big sites were full. In the morning Ken discovered a low tire, but Les Schwab said it was just a leaky valve stem – no charge – and we were on our way to Mountain Home. Ciao