“USA 🇺🇸 Nevada ~Grapevine Canyon Petroglyphs, More Fun with Friends, and Our Future Plans”

• February 15, 2023
• By Pen
• 0 Comment

As we wrap up our very fun time in the Las Vegas area, we are looking forward to moving on to a new view, out The Whale’s window. It is time and we have seen, and done, what we came here to see and do.

What did not happen, we hoped, very much, would…was getting that phone call about our VW Bug being completely done so we could go pick it up! Once again, we move on without her. It is getting mighty old to continually adjust our travel schedule; feeling very tied to a small radius, because WE ARE NOT GETTING ANY YOUNGER, HERE, people! 🤣

We will now head for California as planned, tomorrow, but a longer stay in Barstow, and a longer time without a vehicle, is now required (since we sold Rusty; our AWD, here in Nevada). Our VW is now suppose to be done by end of February. The good news is, she is all put back together with new and refurbished parts, and all that is left now, is some front strut work and drive-time, to make sure there are no issues.
We can’t wait to see the finished product!

From Barstow, we will go to our home in Orange County and the surrounding area for bit, to take care of a few things, before heading north, to Oregon.
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TJ AND MIKE ⬇️

In the meantime, friends from Idaho drove 12 hours in the worst weather to come hang out in Sams Town, Las Vegas for a week. We all had a great time and the weather could not have been more perfect! Thanks to TJ and Mike for making the trip! 💕

Grapevine Canyon Petroglyphs⬇️

Grapevine Canyon is located south of Spirit Mountain, which is a designated wilderness area in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. This part of the  canyon, is considered sacred grounds of the Yuman tribes; including the Mohave, Hualapai, Yavpai, Havasupai, Quechan, Paipai and Maricopa.
The main attractions along the Grapevine Canyon trail are the petroglyphs, rock drawings created by Prehistoric indigenous People.
The petroglyphs are a short distance (about 1/4 mile) from the parking lot and trailhead.  We chose to walk through the wash to arrive at the canyon entrance, but you can also follow a trail along the ridge.
Researchers date the drawings to be between 150–200 years old, but some art may be as old as 800 years.
The Lake Mead National Recreation Area website warns … do not deface or touch the petroglyphs.  They also instruct hikers not to climb on the rocks with petroglyph art panels.
Most of the rock art is near the mouth of the canyon, and we didn’t hike much further. Hikers that do pass by, say there is a waterfall higher up in the canyon, during parts of the year.
The longer hike is moderate and requires some climbing over rocky outcrops.

How to get to Grapevine Canyon:

Grapevine Canyon is accessible from the Christmas Tree Pass Road, located off State Highway 163, six miles west of Davis Dam at mile marker 13.
Turn right onto the dirt road. Two miles from the highway, a short spur road to the left leads into the parking area for Grapevine Canyon.
Remember to carry plenty of water. Be sure to remove all your trash from the area. AND Remember this is a sacred area, take only pictures and memories, leave only footprints on the trail!

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We definitely made plans to return to Mystic Park in Sams Town for Prime Rib with TJ n
Mike, and it was yummy!

Look! …we are twinning with squinty eyes, when we smile! 🤣

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We also stopped by Nelson Ghost Town and Techatticup Mine again, to show TJ n Mike ⬇️

Hello? Calling 1999!

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Then, we just had to stop again at the “Seven Magic Mountains” as well ⬇️

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MJ LIVE ~Las Vegas Show at The Tropicana ⬇️

Bad timing for Mike, as he was a bit under the weather, but Daryl, TJ and myself enjoyed a night on the town, watching a Vegas show. We found this one and it was much better pricing, than the overpriced Cirque Du Soleil MJ show. We were happy with the performance.
The artist was very convincing as MJ!

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On Our Final Night in Nevada

Our sweet friends, Keith and Darlene came and picked us up (since we are car-less) and we all went out to eat, then enjoyed more conversation back at The Whale, one more time, before we depart in the morning. 

Speaking of departing in the morning. I will be “riding” in The Whale for the first time IN A YEAR, of our Motorhome travels our travels. I’m pretty stoked about it, too! Rusty could not be towed, so I had to drive it, all this time, while Daryl drove The Whale. 

Coming Up ⬇️

Been Very Busy, Recently, Since I’ve Been Planning RV Alaska 2023!

…… for seven solid days, creating and finalizing our trip; up through Canada and into Alaska for the Spring, Summer and Fall.
I’ve had my nose in the computer, in my atlas and Milepost Book. I’ve made all our camping reservations with our Big Rig; we call The Whale. I also arranged for multiple side adventures, doing many Bucket List trips I’ve wanted to complete for 20 years! We will do planes, trains, helicopters, boats and walk-on ferries.
This will be an EPIC adventure of a lifetime, as it will be our first time driving to Alaska.
This will be my third trip to Alaska, and Daryl’s first. I’ve fished for Salmon in the Kenai at midnight; in the sunshine skies of night hours. I caught the biggest Halibut on a charter trip, in Ninilchik, and that was like pulling a piece of plywood up from the bottom of the sea! It sure made great fish and chips!
I also did clamming for Geoduck and absolutely loved cooking them in butter over a campfire and eating them. YUM! One of my favorite activities from camp, was going on the “gut run,” back to the sea to toss the fish cleanings and being surrounded by ENORMOUS bald eagles, feasting!
On another trip, I did a land/sea cruise with my mom and step dad out of Seattle. I saw Northern lights for the first time, near Fairbanks. The cruise was also a very good way to visit the inside passage: Juneau, Sitka, Gustavus, and the beautiful Glacier Bay. I will NEVER forget the Orcas and porpoises swimming and jumping along with the ship!
Take note, though: for the land portion: we were there at the end of September. On the Denali train trip pit stop, to use the facilities, it was a huge issue when the bathrooms were already closed for the season! 50-80 tourists onboard! So don’t go that late in the season. First part of September would have been better to end that trip in.
With our Big Rig, for this year, I chose not to deal with the ferries to get to the above mentioned locations on the inside passage. It can be done, but the expense and HOURS on said ferries did not appeal to us. In the future we will gladly take another cruise together, so Daryl will get to see all of it, too.
We leave the lower 48 on May 24th from Montana, and will travel up through Canada and into Alaska. We get to travel around Alaska from June, through the first part of August, at which point we will come back down through Canada (for more playing) and back into Oregon.

Since we travel in style, “Glamping” with all the creature comforts, we have made a decision to strip our items of any and all we can, inside, and in the basement, to make breaking camp much easier, since we will be on the move, more often: Lamps, Carpets, Bedding decor, pillows, kitchen gadgets/ cookware… down to the bare minimum.
We are undecided on whether or not to take the e-bikes. We do not want to be “meals on wheels,” in many of our chosen locations during Salmon runs, yet in some places, we would definitely be able to enjoy them, when closer to a town.
We will be boondocking plenty, in Canada and in Alaska. Even some campgrounds we got reservations for, only have 30 AMP vs 50, and also only having water and/or electric, but not always both, and many with no sewer hookup; but one place in Valdez has a honey-pot truck that will come to us for emptying, at no extra charge !❤️ So grateful, because moving to a dump station and back is not so much fun, but doable, if necessary.
So, we will experience a variety of camping locations, and circumstances, and look forward to it all. For those campgrounds we did get, throughout our time, and paid generously for, with all amenities, it will be heaven. We do photography and write/post our travel blog, so have built-in “down time,” to stay caught-up for the most part. We do have RV Starlink and we hear by 2023 it will be much improved for service in the Northern Territory.
We invited our daughter Chelsie to fly in from the east coast to adventure with us, if her hubs and his parents can help (they have stepped up with the grandkiddos before, when we got to steal Chels away for other trips) ❤️

Well, I’m gonna jump back into it, and tighten up plans. Though it’s 4-8 months away, I struggled in a few places to get reservations, so I’m very glad I started booking when I did! This is due, in part, to caravans coming in and filling spots, plus big rig capacity are fewer and go quickly.
We’ve been full-time travelers for six year, all over the world and RVing the last two. I’ve seen 92 countries and 50 states many times over. Alaska? she is an absolute gem and such a treasure to behold, in the USA 🇺🇸
Pictures from past Alaska trip, before I got into photography with pro cameras 🤣

Denali Peak is covered in clouds, but I am standing with “it” in the background 

After Alaska, we will head back down south and make our way to Mexico again, but this time a new location, recommended by friends. From there, we will head for Texas and on to Florida, where we will stay in Key Largo and other places in Florida, to enjoy more National Parks. After Florida, we will head for time with grandkiddos in North Carolina.