On the Road Again:
After spending 5 weeks at home in Texas for the Christmas holidays, we headed west towards Lake Mead on January 25th. Along the way we stopped at a Harvest Host location: LesCombes Winery and Tasting Room near Demming, New Mexico, conveniently right off I-10. The wines and snacks were delicious and gave us a nice break after a day of traveling. Harvest Host businesses (farms, wineries, museums, golf courses, etc) allow RVers to park overnight and are great spots when you just need an easy stop along your travel route.
A Quick Stop in Phoenix:
Our next stop was in Phoenix for a few days where we visited National Indoor RV Center to get some warranty work done, replace a dead chassis battery, and wire the coach for a WeBoost cell signal booster. There is always something to work on with an RV! Not only did we get to see their brand-new facility in Surprise (northwest of Phoenix), but we also visited with our salesman T Cunningham. Our service advisor Kevin and our technician Bill were awesome and took great care of Lola Belle.
Of course, that gave us the opportunity to see a little bit of the area. We timed it just right to see the Pro-Am day for the Phoenix Open golf tournament. The Pro-Am day is pretty wild with lots of music and drinking–nothing like the quiet spectators you see on tv. Dallas Cowboys retired running back and 3-time Super Bowl champion Emmitt Smith was there and got the most cheering of anyone we saw…even the pros.
The next day we visited the Desert Botanical Garden. Although a little pricey at $25 per person, there is much to see at this 55-acre facility that is home to thousands of species of cactus, trees, and flowers from all around the world. You could spend the whole day enjoying this beautiful place! They had a very nice gift shop and restaurant on the premises, as well as many spots to sit and enjoy the view throughout the park. If you think desert scenery is bland and boring, this place will definitely change your mind!
Workamping 2.0: Lake Mead
On February 1st we left Phoenix and arrived at Lake Mead National Recreation Area—our home for the next 2 months. Since we are volunteering at Lake Mead, we are provided a free camp spot during our time here. This will be our 2nd workamping opportunity. You might recall that we workamped at J.C. Penney Logistics Center in Reno last fall, which was full time work with wages and campground compensation (read post here). This time as volunteers we don’t get a wage, but we do get free rent and utilities for our campground spot. Also, we are only required to work 2 8-hour days each vs the 4 10-hour days in Reno.
I am working in the Lake Mead Visitor’s Center. I really like it so far because I get to meet new people from all over the country. I answer questions about the park, give out maps and directions, ring up gift shop purchases, and help with school field trips and hikes. Mike wanted to work outside so he is helping in the landscape and yard maintenance areas. Our good friends Steve and Joan are here too so we have been enjoying more game nights:). We have met lots of other nice volunteers in the campground area and have joined in on weekly dinners and bowling sessions.
Exploring the Park:
One benefit of volunteering at Lake Mead is the opportunity to explore this amazing park. In 1964, both Lake Mead and Lake Mohave became part of the first national recreation area in the National Park Service. Today the park encompasses over 1.5 million acres and attracts over 6 million visitors a year.
Desert makes up 87 percent of the park; the rest is water. This unusual combination of desert and water is home to 900 species of plants and 500 species of animals. There are 8 developed visitor areas and 9 wilderness areas. So many things to do here: boating, kayaking, fishing, swimming, biking, 4×4 off roading, and hiking to name a few.
Hiking Trails:
One of the first trails we explored was the Historic Railroad Trail. This 4-mile trail begins just below the Visitor Center and follows along an old railroad bed left over from the building of the Hoover Dam. You pass through 5 tunnels which are 25 feet in diameter. The tunnels were oversized to fit the large equipment being transported to Hoover Dam. It took 9 steam and 4 gas locomotives and 71 people to operate the system 24 hours a day during construction of the dam!
A shorter trail is the 1.1-mile Owl Canyon Trail. The trail begins by descending into a broad colorful wash and follows a winding path that climbs up into the mouth of Owl Canyon, so named from the owls that occasionally roost here. The steep sides provide shade and the sculpted rocks provide convenient perches for owl nests. The dramatic winding canyons on this path are below the Lake Mead high water line and were revealed after the water levels dropped.
More to Come!
We’ve really enjoyed our first month here and have learned so much about the area. I will be posting several times while we are here, so stay tuned for more great sights from Lake Mead and surrounding areas.
Another great blog from our BFs.
Reading what you write is one way for us to be there with you.
S&S
Thanks–we are happy you are following along with us. One day we will meet back up in the same place!
We loved our visit to Lake Mead and would have loved to spend more time there. There’s so much to see and do. You guys got a great gig with just a few days a week of work and this time of year is perfect, weather-wise. Sounds like a great stop!
I also have to agree with your comments about the desert. We had no idea how green and varied and beautiful the desert would be and were just blown away by it all. Love those gardens!
So true, Laura. We are getting down to our last few weeks here and there is so much left to see! The two days a week work plan really is a great deal–we’ve met fun co-workers and contributed to helping the park, yet still have 5 days a week to explore and play:)
We love reading your blogs and feel like we’re traveling with you.🥰
We are glad you are following along with us, but wish you were here in person! Miss you both!
YES another great blog post! I LOVE coming along on your travel adventures!
Thanks Sandi! There is more to come about our Lake Mead adventures:)