A Regional Jet approaches the threshold at our McCarran International Airport. The distant clouds add a bit of flair to the photo. The RJ is my favorite aircraft to fly in, short takeoffs and landings too. Let’s get high together! 😎
Category: Travel
Mixed Photos
Here is a mix of my stuff and not my stuff. Do you think the DHL driver was fired for his miscalculation? That’s a whopper of a screwup! The sunset photo from the other night that’s not cartooned is actually straight out of the Nikon, with no processing except for the file size reduction.
The photo that has Fremont Street in it was taken on the way to lunch a couple of days ago. Fremont Street looked pretty darn busy in there. Very early this morning I had a phone chat with my dad to see if he’s back in Michigan safely, yes indeed. What is it like to fly during Covid days?
This has me wondering if I can make the journey up there next month after I receive the second Pfizer vaccine injection. He was not asked for his proof of vaccination card, I thought it would have to be shown to board the aircraft but everyone has to wear a mask the entire flight. How uncomfortable this must be, right?
Back To The Valley Of Fire
I really need to take the ride north to the Valley Of Fire again, it’s been a long time. The rock formations and colors are crazy beautiful there. There are two ways to get there. The fastest is taking the 15 freeway north from Las Vegas. The most beautiful way to get there is to take Lake Mead Boulevard east until you reach the boundary of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area and head north. Eventually, you will come up to the park gate entrances.
Christmas, 2019
This morning I’ve pulled some photos from deep inside the archive. Are you a deer hunter? Neither am I, but my dad has hunted since he was a boy. There are several deer on his office walls. That cloudy Michigan sky was taken along the road I used to live on, and don’t I look so handsome going for the Nikon selfie! I flipped the image since it was backward in the mirror. Have a great week, friends!
My Old Car
This little Nissan is what I drove before purchasing my truck. I should have held on to that little car actually, in spite of it having what I call a rubber band transmission.
I think they are called a CVT, or Continuously Variable Transmission. If you grew up with snowmobiling, then you will see the comparison between the transmission a snowmobile uses, and this thing. Driving up to Mount Charleston, the engine RPM would go way up as compared to its speed in the city.
So annoying. But, the thing got a hell of a lot better fuel mileage. The other photo was taken on one of my day or half-day jaunts, probably into California near Death Valley, California, and Pahrump, Nevada.
I find it very amusing that this car company can’t pronounce its own product name properly. People say “Knee-Sahn”. Wrong. The name should be pronounced “Niss-an”. One of these days I am going to visit one of their dealerships and ask a salesman why they can’t pronounce the name of their own product properly…
Scenes From 2017
Time never stands still for anyone.
Cowboys and War Heroes
I’ve pulled some old photos again for the blog today since it’s another day on the couch. The cowboy photo is an iPhone image from a local car dealership that was replacing a broken part on the truck door. I had to have this done twice as one of our lovely windstorms had ripped the door from my hand and flew open too hard for the plastic bit to handle. Note to truck manufacturers, you can’t use plastic for everything!
The two war hero photos were taken at the Ranger Station along Kyle Canyon Road on the way up to Mount Charleston. It’s a nice building with the usual touristy odds and ends for sale. Outdoors is this memorial, and a couple other items honouring these war heroes. Thank you for your service, I honour you and yours.
The milage sign was obviously taken well outside of Las Vegas Valley. I may be wrong, but I think this is north of Las Vegas, southbound on the ninety-five freeway. How about another day trip, wanna ride along with me?
Oldies
Well, once again I am out of new photos for the blog so out comes the trusty Lacie external SSD to the rescue. The train photos were taken near the fifteen freeway several miles north of Las Vegas. They are grainy, I’ve tried to clean up each photo as best I can. They were taken with the old Nikon D3300 body. It’s the same thing with the photos taken along the Las Vegas Strip too. One day I realised just how creepy clowns actually are. I wonder how many children have freaked out while staying at Circus Circus! Did you see Killer Klowns from Outer Space?
Last Landscapes
One photo has three different versions which show a different mood. I could get more of these today as it’s still raining and gray, but I never drive on the wet roads. These people can’t even drive on a wet road, I’d like to see them try driving on a slick Michigan winter road, ha! Since it rains so little here, the roads have ample time to collect engine oils, grease, or anything else that could add to the slick road surface. When it rains, the sirens always follow.
Needles
This was a ride in the old Nissan Rogue south to Needles, California. I’ve heard of this place many times as being the hottest place in the United States. It wasn’t hot that day as I recall, and I didn’t find much that was interesting either. So why is it called Needles? Below is what I found in a quick search:
Named for the nearby pointed mountain peaks, Needles was founded in 1883 to support the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The city’s location along the Western bank of the Colorado River, which serves as the California/Arizona border, was once its major draw. As in John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath, it was an important stopping point for travelers entering California in search of opportunity during the Dust Bowl era. Like the Joad family, thousands stopped in Needles for gas and supplies before crossing the Mojave Desert.
Its proximity to Arizona has since become a major factor behind the town’s decline. With corporate taxes and building regulations being significantly higher in California, many large businesses such as Walmart, Kmart, and Home Depot have chosen to open stores in Bullhead City, AZ, only a 20-minute drive from Needles. And for savvy travelers who know that gas is often a dollar per gallon cheaper east of the Colorado River, the decision to stop for fuel and lunch in Bullhead City instead of Needles in a no-brainer.
That’s not a very positive review of the city, is it? The comment on high taxes and regulations is to me, the best reason why this little town is slowly fading away thanks to the asswipes in Sacramento. I can’t see why people live in California, the taxes and rules, regulations are ludicrous and a great reason why Las Vegas has so many ex Californians here. That said, please, don’t California my Nevada! Here is the source of the excerpt above.