Month: October 2019

A Quick Update

October 30, 2019

Hello everyone; a quick update on our trip to Yuma, AZ. We have stopped at Death Valley National Park and had an awesome day checking out some interesting sites. We want to post some pictures of some of the areas we stopped at and hiked.

Death Valley, CA

Its something to know that the lowest point in the United States is a place in Death Valley, CA. 282 below sea level. Its also one of the hottest places in the world....

  • This is what carried Borax from the mines; 20 mules. Thus, the “20 Mule Team” logo of Borax.
  • Death Valley National Park
  • “Artist’s Pallet” in Death Valley, CA
  • A walking path out to the Badwater Basin. Lots of salt..
  • “Natural Bridge”. It was a rough drive to this place.
  • Beautiful colors
  • Chocolate running down the hills..
  • Our shadows waving from way up.
  • A short hike to some of Artist Palette.
  • A beautiful shot of the Natural Bridge in Death Valley..
  • At sea level, heading down to -282 elevation. Lowest point in the U.S
  • We are 282 below sea level, the lowest point in the U.S.
  • Walking on hard salt. This is the Badwater Basin at 282 below sea level, Death Valley, CA

After we got back to the Longstreet Casino RV Resort, Jodi and I went in to listen to some live music and have a few drinks, and the entertainer was hilarious. We were the main attraction; he focused on us in the audience. This place is a must if you want a to check out Death Valley and a nice RV Park, with a pool, hot tub, and casino, restaurant and entertainment.

Just down the road is a Area 51 Center, it had some cool stuff.
  • Where the Aliens hang out.
  • A bull across the street from Longstreet Casino.
  • Longstreet Casino and RV resort. With bar.
  • I was buying some beer, and this alien wanted me to buy some for him. Nope!!
  • Jodi captured an awesome sunset looking towards Death Valley.

We are at Nellis AFB just outside of Las Vegas. We’ve been here before; a cool place. You can of course see all the attractions of Las Vegas, Valley of Fire, at times an air show by the Thunder Birds, and go see the Desert National Wildlife Refuge, where Jodi and I are going to do a hosting job during the winter of 2020. From here to Havasu State Park Arizona. 4 days there and then we head to our winter host location for this. Castle Dome Mine Museum. Yuma, AZ..

Want to say that Jodi and I are thinking of all those who are going through the fires in California, and pray that it ends real soon… Wish these winds would just stop!! As I sit here the winds are hitting us here in Las Vegas, 40mph GUSTS, and in California 80 plus..

One more day and its Halloween.. Happy Halloween everyone..

The Bobble Head Travelers, Mark & Jodi

Heading to YUMA, AZ for winter…

October 19, 2019

Good day everyone, I know its been a little while since I had a post. I wanted to take a few more pictures of this beautiful place before leaving. We only have a few days left here at Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park (Spooner Lake) and all of its surrounding beauty.  We have been here for 6 months and we are sad its ending, but we do plan on coming back in the summer of 2021. We had a blast working here and had fun with all the rangers and seasonal staff. Will miss this place.  Here are some more pictures of the area.

Jodi and I walked The Marlette Flume Trail and got some beautiful pictures up at 7,500+ ft elevation and about a week later I got up to about 8,700 to the Sand Harbor Overlook.. Beautiful…

Click on a photo to preview..

  • Marlette Flum 7000 ft elv.
    On the Marlette Flume
  • Marlette Flum 7000 ft elv.
    Sand Harbor
  • Sand Harbor Overlook 8700 ft elv.
    Marlette Lake and Lake Tahoe
  • Sand Harbor Overlook 8700 ft elv.
    Some Big Deer
  • Marlette Flum 7000 ft elv.
    Sand Harbor from Flume
  • Marlette Flum 7000 ft elv.
    Looking down a dead Tree to Sand Harbor
  • Sand Harbor Overlook 8700 ft elv.
    Marlette Lake
  • Marlette Flum 7000 ft elv.
    Having Lots of Funnnnnn
  • Marlette Flum 7000 ft elv.
    WHAT A VIEW!!

Some shots of our snow storm in September.

  • Snow in September 2019
    Winter snow storm in September 2019
  • Lake Tahoe snow

    First snow at Lake Tahoe in Sep 2019

Now a few weeks later we have fall foliage..

  • Foliage Lake Tahoe
    Spooner Lake back country
  • Foliage Lake Tahoe
    Spooner Lake Aspens
  • Foliage Lake Tahoe
    Spencer Cabin with Aspen colors

Ranger Steve and Myself doing Selfies.. Being Goofy too……

Ranger Steve and Me
Us doing Selfies
Pictures below were taken by Brian Montes who is a park staff member we worked with.. Great photos. Thank you Brian.
  • Foliage Lake Tahoe
    Foliage Spooner Lake Back Country
  • Foliage Lake Tahoe
    Foliage Spooner Lake Back Country
  • Foliage Spooner Lake Back Country
    Foliage Spooner Lake Back Country

We also visited a real small town about 15 miles from Spooner Lake called Genoa, NV.  This place, located within the Utah Territory before the Nevada Territory was created in 1861, Genoa was first settled by Mormon pioneers. The settlement originated as a trading post called Mormon Station,  now it’s the Mormon Station State Park. It served as a rest site for travelers on the rugged California Trail. In June 1850, H.S. Beatie and fellow Mormons built a roofless log enclosure and corral as a trading post near a small stream. Emigrants could obtain clothing, tobacco, meat, canned goods, coffee, beans, sugar, flour and bacon. Cattle and a dozen wagons loaded with supplies to establish a permanent trading post. By 1852, emigrant traffic thru the area was heavy and the settlement expanded,  a post office opened, a blacksmith shop was built, and sawmills were built. Here is also the oldest Thirst Parlor Bar Saloon in Nevada established in 1853.  Every year since 1919, Genoa has held a festival called the Candy Dance, where candy, food, and crafts are sold to support its town government. This is how we discovered this small town. It was a huge market of food and crafts..

Some pictures of the Candy Dance, Arts and Crafts plus food..

  • Candy Dance
    100th Annual Candy Dance
  • Genoa, NV Candy Dance
    Art
  • Arts and Craft Candy Dance Genoa, NV
    Crafts
  • Food at Candy Dance
    Lots of Food

Some pictures of the neat small town of Genoa, NV

  • Genoa, NV
    Main St. Genoa, NV
  • Colors
    Nice Colors…
  • Jail in Genoa, NV
    The Jail
  • Thirst Bar
    The Genoa Thirst Bar 1853
  • Thirsty
    Oldest in Nevada

We are moving on to our Winter hosting place in Yuma, AZ. We are going to hit some places on our way to Castle Dome Ghost town and mine Museum. Just 40 miles North East of Yuma, AZ.  We are going to help with mine tours, upkeep the ghost town, work in the gift shop and at times participate in some old western re-enactments of the 1860s. We are looking forward to having much fun with all of that during this coming Winter; November to March.  Then we head to our next Summer host job in Washington State near Mount Rainier, starting May till October 2020.

While heading to Castle Dome we will be stopping at 4 locations. We have been to two of those stops before, but we are going to Death Valley, where it is normally the hottest place in the U.S.. and it also has the lowest elevation in the U.S.. -278 below sea level… Then to Nellis AFB just outside Las Vegas.. Visit Family while there and check on our Winter hosting job for 2020 at Desert National Wildlife Refuge just outside of Las Vegas. Then we head to Havasu State Park, AZ.. That’s a nice park and the London Bridge is right there too….   We have been to Havasu, but on the California side, the state park is on the AZ side… Fun fun…

I posted this on our last post about Castle Dome Ghost Town and Mine Museum. It’s a link to the site of Castle Dome…… Check it out and if you are ever out in the area of Yuma, AZ, you need to check this place out… click on site ———-> http://www.castledomemuseum.org

Stay tuned, will post some pictures of our trip South and will keep you up to date on our new adventures…

The Bobble Head Travelers,   Mark and Jodi… P. S. Happy Halloween…..

BOO!