The Oregon Coast

We started for the Oregon Coast...Different climate and beautiful. I think the pictures tell the story.


Most of the pictures are taken in the RV going at least 55 miles per hour. So some are a little fuzzy. And it would help if the front windshield was clean.

I was so surprised to see the one picture with the goose. I just snap pictures and hope for the best.

Grants Pass

Out next stop was Grants Pass, Ore. Greg wanted to have Henderson's check out the front-end. It seemed one of the tires was wearing too much on the outside. They had installed a Tiger track two years ago.





Well, it turned out there were a couple of items..something about a bent front axel or something...they fixed it, so that was great. Also a broken bolt on the stability bar. Just a little item.





We went across the street to Les Schwab and checked out the tires...one was illegal and the other close. So, 30 minutes later, we had two new front tires.





I guess when you have fun...you have to pay the price.





At least we feel safer going down the road

To Tonopah

We were able to find another Casino with a large dirt dusty parking lot. There were 4 other RV-trailers parked also. Two trailers were from Oregon...and they had two schnauzers. Logan was thrilled and wanted to play, but we had to keep him on a leash. Bummer. Then along came a big long truck with another schnauzer. It got really noisy.

Tonopah was a mining town. At the museum we met the person in charge and he was very informative. Watched a video about how Butler was just out looking around and found a rock that looked promising. And it was...his wife also started a mine and they did very well.

How can anyone just be out looking...in this wonderful area and just find a great silver vein? The story was, his wife could speak the language of the local Indians and they told her about the shinny rocks, Well, that does explain a few things.

He also talked about how he thought Tonopah was the best place to live, etc. I read on Google about the area and I guess it is a big recreation area. I'm spoiled...I like a lot of water around, like the ocean..a big lake and less dust.

On to Reno/Sparks

After filling up with Gas..gulp, we headed to Reno/Sparks.



We had a hard time finding a parking place. It seems the town has grown so, that most of the casinos are not RV friendly. We had to get our the Internet and Google map and finally found a casino with a large lot. They were really friendly and when we registered they gave us a pass for a week stay.

I had to get a casino pass to register soooo, I just had to play 5 bucks in the Froggie slot. I hit the "kiss the frog" and won $22.00. I cashed out quick.

We toured Reno and stopped at the Historical Society museum. Greg really enjoyed the railroad history of the area. I still am in a dream world as to how the Indians and miners and settlers made it in such a desolate area. I would NOT have made a good pioneer, and I was so tired of the dust.

While we were at the museum, a massive dust and wind storm blew through. They were prohibiting any high profile vehicle (trucks and RVs) from the highway going North. At one point getting back to our RV...we were surrounded by dust and debris. Grit in your teeth...yuck.

Would you believe, the next morning...We had SNOW!!! It did not last long, but it was impressive.

Laughlin, NV

Our next stop was Laughlin,NV across the Colorado River from Bullhead City, AZ. The casinos line the river on the Nevada side.




We cruised through the town and found a parking lot by Harrods Casino. It was at the end of the line of Casinos and way up on a hill. There was a service station., a dump station, water and gas. We just had to register at the service station and the stay is free.

We drove down to the first casino where the river walk begins. It was about a mile and half long. The water is almost crystal clear. Wonderful weather. Stopped in at the Colorado Belle and checked out the slot "deal or no deal' Didn't win anything :-(( entered a drawing, no winner
there either.

The next day we drove into Bullhead City for groceries. Nothing really spectacular there but the river.

Gila River Casino

From Tombstone we headed toward Phoenix. We camped atthe Gila River Casino.




There was two large parking lots where RV's and trucks were parked. It is so nice to have the room to pull in and park. We had dinner at the restaurant, a buffet, and is was very reasonable and good food.

We walked around the casino complex and came across a "western town" but it was closed. We were ask to leave because of on going construction, but otherwise the site is free. On weekends they have big BBQ feasts and activity.

Driving through Phoenix is always a real experience...and it just goes on forever. We tried a different route and found it was a stop and go and unusal turns.

I thought the flowers were lovely. It seems everyone tells us that spring in the desert is outstanding with all the flowers.

Tombstone, AZ

We just had to stop and see Tombstone, AZ.





The community has really made it an exciting place. There are live wild west shows and the biggie...GUNFIGHT AT THE OK CORRAL. After the 1947 movie with Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas and Rhonda Fleming...there were lots of tourist coming to see the town. So the residents reconstructed the town and made it come alive. Most residents are dressed the part of being in the old west. A tour of one of the mine (which is why tombstone was settled). Boot hill and original buildings brought back to life. I was pleasantly surprised at the number of tourists.

The new movie TOMBSTONE (check out the video) with Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer and Sam Elliott has really made an impact too. It also stars Charlston Heston and is narrated by Vincent Price I haven't seen the movie, but guess I'll have to find it somewhere along the way, as everyone said it was good. There was a saying "I'm your huckleberry" on various articles for sale. I ask what it meant and the best answer was Val Kilmer (Doc Holliday) in the movie made the statement. To be one’s huckleberry — usually as the phrase I’m your huckleberry — is to be just the right person for a given job, or a willing executor of some commission. Anyway, it makes for a good story and sell products.

We went the whole nine yards, bought tickets and saw it all.

The story of the gunfight is very convoluted. There are so many individuals and testimonies that you hardly know what to believe. One thing, Wyatt was not the nice guy as portrayed by Hugh O'Bryan.


Movies do influence how we view certain events as we found out while in Mission, Tx. We attended a lecture " A brief analysis of Six Films Featuring the Death of Davy Crockett" in Edinburg, TX by a local professor. He presented 6 movies of The Alamo. Each one had a variant of the defence at the Alamo. The jest of the lecture was how movies have tainted our view of historical events. I have seen only the John Wayne production, so, that is my prospective of what happened at The Alamo. John Wayne would never tell a lie...right?

The death of Davy Crockett has always been portrayed as he went down fighting. Recently a diary of a Mexican soldier ,who was at the battle of The Alamo, has surfaced, indicating that Davy and several men were captured, tortured and hacked to death. That theory, the professor indicated, has caused a lot of people to be upset.


The reason I was interested in the lecture is that Davy Crockett married into the linage of my Grandmother, Drucilla Thomas. We are obviously not directly related but close enough for me to claim. :-))