We meet Melissa and Illia at the Monte Carlo

     Tonight was a pleasant supper for seventeen at the buffet at the Monte Carlo hotel and casino. In addition to the bride and groom, there were the groom's family plus some of Melissa's and other friends.  In order to coordinate the group, the buffet seemed like the best option, and it worked out just fine.  

     As many of you know, Las Vegas is a larger than life place.  As one of the Aussies said,"This place ought to be illegal."  It is clear that everyone is thoroughly enjoying themselves and each other.  Tomorrow the women will be having a batchelorette party with limousine, supper and the Chippendales.  The men will be doing the same sort of thing at a different venue.  I guess it is the definitive proof of our age in that we have decided not to join them for that part of the festivities.

     Is that a good looking couple having a great time or what?

It's STILL hot

     Today was another weather alert day with a heat index over 110 degrees.  I did run the errands at the BX and commissary, and, of course, we had to walk the dog.  But, otherwise we spent the day enclosed in our mobile bungalow with both A/Cs doing their best.  The rear got down into the low 70s, but the front couldn't quite break 80.  The MCD shades are down on all windows so we can't even monitor the movements in the park.  Fortunately, there was plenty of activity to keep Durelle occupied starting with the Red Sox at 1000.  There was  NCAA baseball, MLB baseball, PGA golf and now the NHL.  The coolest outdoor spot is the dog park I mentioned yesterday.

     It is clear in the pictures that Baxter's surgery for a benign mass removal is healing fine... (thanks Dr. Lerma).
     I haven't been at Nellis AFB since 1976 (a source of many pleasant and proud memories).  The base appears to be one of the biggest and most attractive of all Air Force bases.  Because of almost unlimited space and perennially fine flying weather, it is the home of the Fighter Weapons School and the home of the Thunderbirds.  The base employs 9,000 military and 3,000 civilians and has an average daily temporary duty roster of 1,100.  The base itself occupies 14,000 acres, and the Nevada Test and Training Range provides 3 million acres of restricted land and 15,000 square miles of airspace.  Of course, Area 51, a focus of UFO fans, has been the site of the development of the U-2, the A12, the F-117 and numerous UAVs.  It is all a proud part of our military heritage.
     I just got a call from granddaughter, Melissa.  We'll join them for supper tomorrow evening.  Durelle has a pot of her chili simmering on the stove for tonight (and a few future nights).

It's HOT

     We arrived at Nellis AFB northeast of Las Vegas, at noon.  It was 108 in the shade!  Even the normal activities of connecting utilities, extending jacks and slides and unhooking the Jeep were a miserable chore.  We finally got settled, got both A/Cs going full blast and had a light lunch.  Outside handles on the west side were too hot to touch.  With all the window shades closed, by 1700 the inside temperature was down to 85.  By then I had had a cool shower and was reasonably comfortable.  Hopefully, as the sun gets lower, things will cool off further.  
     The dog park is large, shaded, with seats, water dishes, grass, and large flowering shrubs.  The campground and the whole area is very photogenic.  The mountains' outlines are crisp  and attractive...but if you want me to go out and take some pictures, you will have to wait until tomorrow.
     Some of the wedding party arrives tonight.  We are waiting to hear from them.

A good rest day

     After days of heavy duty air conditioner use, it was quite a remarkable change to have an overnight low of 38 degrees!  We slept in, made bacon and eggs, read the Albuquerque paper and generally relaxed.  The long showers felt great, too.  Durelle did some wash and got to check out the new drier.  She can now dry the entire set of linens in one load while the original combination washer/drier is doing another load of wash.  It is quite an improvement.
     I walked the dog a bit and took some pictures in the campground.  I suppose I could get off my duff, unhook the Jeep and wander around for some real photo-ops.

         This is where we are staying.  It is a very overtly patriotic place that lets active duty military stay for free!

     If you look closely, you can see that the bottom of the pool is painted with the American flag...and isn't that an interesting chess set?  They offer a BBQ dinner that we'll try tonight.  The highlight is a smoked BBQ platter for $12.95 that includes 6 oz. of brisket, 4 oz. of sausage, 2 ribs and a choice of two sides: ranch beans, potato salad, Cole slaw, and chips.  That seems a bit much, so I'm going to get the brisket sandwich while Durelle will opt for the pulled pork.  There's cobbler for dessert and followed by an ice cream social.  I'm sure we'll go light on that, too.

     This an artifact to add a bit of nostalgia to the landscaping.  I'm sure that saddle has seen a few miles.

Gallup, New Mexico

     After five straight days of driving, we have arrived in Gallup, and we are going to squat for a day.  Today was 422 miles  which we accomplished in under eight hours.  The cruise control was on 62 while the speed limit was 75 most of the day.  The mileage dropped off today.  There were some moderately gusty headwinds, but the biggest factor was the elevation gain.  We are camped at 6500 feet, but we had several excursions over 7000...the highest being the crossing of the continental divide at 7275 about thirty miles east of Gallup.  We did Amarillo to Gallup on a half tank of gas.
     I-40 basically retraces the old route 66.  Out here in the open country I-40 sits right on top of the old 66 EXCEPT when you approach one of the infrequent towns.  In that case the newer I-40 makes a broad swerve, usually to the south, of the town while "Business 40", which is the old 66, goes directly through the town.  There are many 66 landmarks.  The campground we are currently occupying is on the old 66.
     As I commented in the 2008 blog, the thousands of square miles of featureless landscape are completely foreign to us coastal inhabitants, but they serve to remind us of the country's grandeur. Tomorrow, I'll post some pictures.  Tonight I'm just going to crash and get outside of a couple of martinis while Durelle makes us some supper.
     Nephew Danny Taylor asked in a comment if we had sampled some of the southwest cuisine.  We will tomorrow.  On that score, however, I should mention the billboards leading into Amarillo.  There is a steak house that advertises the "Free 72 ounce steak".  So, if you feel up to eating ALL of a 4 1/2 pound steak, it's on the house!!  I was just informed by a classmate who grew up in Amarillo that you must also finish the sides which come with the steak, and you must finish it in one hour.

Memorial Day in Amarillo, Texas

     Today was a 375 mile day.  I-40 through western Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle used to be known as the Route 66 of Steinbeck fame (and an extremely popular TV show for old Corvette buffs).  Between Oklahoma City and Amarillo the steering wheel did not get a lot of use.  Fifteen years ago, driving the Corvette, when I went from NH to CA and back for Ned Ord's daughter's wedding on the Monterrey Peninsula and Jim Dill's retirement at Edwards AFB, I averaged over 80 MPH.  Today I didn't.  It appears that the second planting of several crops has already started. Oklahoma was greener than I expected.  
     The only picture today is almost an exact repeat of one on 20Sept2008.  Long time readers  may remember a picture of Belle when faced with the same dilemma that Baxter faced today.

     Tomorrow we are scheduled to go to Gallup, NM.  It's a 421 mile day, and I got a flat spot today with two hours to go, so we may adjust.  If we make Gallup, we'll stop for a day, do some wash and some sight seeing.  We have not visited Gallup before.  Tomorrow will make five straight days of driving which is far more than our usual routine.

Checotah, OK

     Today we stopped at  a KOA in Chekota, OK.  It's a big spot on Lake Eufala.  There is nothing like a day of driving across I-40 (America's Main Street) to remind you of what a large country this is.  Today we touched Memphis, Little Rock, Fort Smith and some of the euphonious Indian named towns in Oklahoma such as Muskogee and Eufala.  We fondly remember the names from our Oklahoma years from 1966-1969.
     We kept swapping places on I-40 today with an Allegro Bay.  They were traveling faster than we were but stopping more often.  We waved.  When we pulled into out assigned spot, they were in the adjacent site.  They are taking her mother on a "bucket list" trip to the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, etc.  I think their names were Bud and Doreen Hyatt.  No pictures tonight.  We are motoring along...with Amarillo on deck for tomorrow,  We will probably spend two days in Gallup, NM before we move on to Nellis AFB .  Keep in touch