The Desert in August

So we have spent a few nights here and there around Northern California.  We stayed at Cher’ere Campground and RV Park in Klamath, California.  It is on Indian Land, Resighini Racheria they call it, and there were very few people at this RV park.  Dennis even allowed me to park our RV.

I forgot to tell you about the Elk Tree they had at the redwood state park.  

This elk was trying to remove his felt, he got stuck on the tree and died.  

The tree just grew around the antlers as years went by.

Then we stayed in Big Bar,  Ca. You know, just down the street from Big Flat, Ca. Totally the middle of nowhere. I read a pretty good book during these down times. I highly recommend it:

Finally, we get to a bigger city, Chico, California.  This is a nice area.  We stayed at the Almond Tree RV Park.  We found a really good breakfast place, Nash’s Restaurant. I did not take a single photograph between July 24 and July 31, so I cannot even really remember what all we did. We took some time off from vacationing really. We did what you do every day.  Went to the store, did some maintenance, just being normal.

I know I got a pedicure in Chico because of this picture.

Then we left California and stopped in Carson City, NV.  Carson City is the capital of Nevada and it is a pretty nice place.  They have a planetarium there.  But, as with all of the planetariums I have tried to visit, it was not open during our stay here. I suppose I just need to find a planetarium and plan it so that I can get in there.  That would be a little less frustrating.

We stayed at the Comstock County RV Resort and it is a pretty nice place, good location and pleasant atmosphere. I got not picture of that park.

They have a railroad museum in Carson City and I really love the one in Galveston.  We used to take the kids there quite a bit.  So we went to this one. This museum has been able to acquire railroad cars and engines that survived WWII only because the V&T Railroad fell on hard times and by 1937 had sold a lot of their cars to Hollywood.  This saved the cars because many unused cars were melted down and used in the war effort.  In a warehouse section they have a lot of old cars you can board and check out, but there is no lighting.  So excuse the poor photography, but these were beautifully restored and they were restoring other cars just a couple of bays down.

I would have loved to ride in this car. Check out the seats in the back with all the windows.

Another First Class Accommodation

This one even had a potty! I would hope a lot of them did.  To cross the US on the Transcontinental Railroad it would take 7 days.  A stagecoach would have taken four months and by sea, remember this is prior to the Panama Canal, it would have taken six months to round the cape and come back up.

This one must be for the common folk!

It is not even enclosed.

I never knew you could travel the rails by bicycle, did you?

Then we went to the indoor section and it has some beautiful and historic rail cars.  One car was added to the train to take women to the capital to watch the signing of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote.  They did not fully restore that one because it shows the damage to the exterior of the car where the women placed a banner and then apparently woodpeckers got after it. But these cars are beautiful but you cannot board these or see inside them.  I think they could have at least allowed us to look into the rear or front door.  I did get between some an get a glimpse.

This one had the fanciest ceiling for sure.

There is a hole in the ground with a brass ring around it in front of the stove.  

You think that was a spittoon?

They also have a replica engine that was used in films when it was not financially feasible to use the real thing.  It was a perfect replica. Some of these cars were used in films we all know, like the silent movie, The Iron Horse that told the story of building the Transcontinental Railroad. Others include, Jesse James, Love Me Tender with Elvis Presley, Gambler with Kenny Rogers, and Pale Rider with Clint Eastwood.  

We also went downtown since were are in the capital city. We didn’t try to go into the capital, but it is quite modern looking. Also, the Rotary group there has placed this profound obelisk to remind their politicians to stay the course.

 

 

I love that their state seal says, “All for our Country”

After leaving Carson City we headed east towards Utah.  I know it is August and we are in the desert, don’t judge.  This is just the way it fell out.  We have sped up our trip a bit and are staying less time at each location or we would not have been in the desert until October or November.  To head east we got on the “Loneliest Road in America,” US 50. Similar to US 66 this road once went from coast to coast. The road has some pretty nice views.  The desert can be beautiful and we have driven out of the Sierra Nevadas and towards the Toiyabe Mountain Range. 

“The Loneliest Road in America”

Literally nothing and no one for miles.

 

People stop and arrange rocks to say things on the side of the road. 

There was no shoulder, just dirt, so we couldn’t stop.

Check out the sand dunes in front of the mountains.

There are signs for a few military installations along this road and we spotted some fighter jets practicing, and a military helicopter, but it appears there are a lot more installations than the signage indicates. I was looking on the map and found several that had no signs off the road.  I found a Naval Aviation Warfare Development Command, a US Naval Reservation,  there are targets for bomb training.  We heard a very loud boom the first day we were here, the second we felt as well as heard two loud booms.  Made me wonder if they were blowing things up out there right now.  After the first one I thought it was a sonic boom, but the second and third ones rattled my tiny house.

We are staying at the Pony Express RV Park in Austin, Nevada.  Dennis has warned me that this place is pretty basic.  After Chico, I can do with a little less, lets go!

They certainly did not waste money on signage.

There are a total of 7 RV sites and we are the only ones here.

They just have a box you put you money in.

We are on a mission to get to Moab, Utah to see a couple of things we missed while we were there earlier this year.  It does concern me that it will be so hot when we get there, but we will just have to drink enough water and push through. At least it is the dry heat! Am I right?