Just two clicks from my travels yesterday. I love palm trees…
Category: Travel
Traveling South on The 95 Freeway
Here are some photos taken on the way home from the nursery earlier this morning. Now children, never, ever take photos while driving, and at around sixty-five miles per hour! This is a job for experienced drivers and photographers only.
Signs Around The City
Here are some oldie pics from around Las Vegas, I think the old Nikon D3300 was used here. Lots of tourists are lined up for a photo op in front of that sign which I find a bit funny. The photo of the base of the Stratosphere Tower was taken at Las Vegas Boulevard and Charleston Boulevard. The goofy flooring sign is somewhere along Sahara Avenue I think? It’s a big city!
Black and White Day
Actually, it’s a very good day, the photos almost demand the title. I had several stops to make today hence I haven’t uploaded anything until now. Our real, actual lives come first since blogging is for me an avocation.
Yesterday, my new chrome wheels were installed on my truck, and I very much like the look! No photos yet, nobody probably cares to see it anyway. Driving around today taking care of business, it came to me that I have come full-circle.
Back in the day, back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, my father and I traveled quite a bit to race his 1/4 mile drag boat. We were in several states over the three years we did this and it was an experience that I am very lucky to have had and I am so grateful for those days.
During those years, I was totally blown away by the beauty of the desert southwest in Arizona where we raced several times. I wanted to stay there. Fast-forward to 2013 and the now-ex and I moving to Las Vegas.
As I’ve said here before, I just didn’t want to move back home to Michigan and the gray skies, and cold dank weather most of the year. I made the correct decision in staying here! I am where I wanted to be those many years ago. I’ve now come full-circle!
The firetruck was moving, I clicked the camera very quickly for those photos
From 2017
From 2017 around Pahrump, Nevada. I was likely heading into California for Death Valley that day. One of those day trips that I do miss taking. So many places to visit… I see a big difference in these Nikon D3300 photos verses the Nikon Z6 mirrorless body. The Z6 is so superior.
The Beautiful Fault Line
This wonderful scene was photographed inside Spring Mountain Ranch State Park with the old Nikon D3300 body roughly two years ago. Beautiful Lovell Canyon is on the backside, or western side of this fault line. So gorgeous.
A Tivoli Village Drive-By
I had several stops to make around town this morning, as I stopped at a light I liked this view of Tivoli Village. Click! I found a nasty scratch on the right lens of my glasses this morning, dammit! I hope the lens can be replaced under warranty!
Of course, a visit to the pharmacy was in order, and I hit a lamp shop I like and purchased five new ceiling fans for the house. The old ones are just that, old, permanently dirty, and they squeak and wobble when rotating. Enough already!
That was a costly purchase but it’s time. I will have to hire an electrician to install these as I know nothing about working with Alternating Current. Direct Current? No worries, I’ve played with that for decades.
Runway 26L
Just above and to the left of the warning sign is the threshold of runway 26L at McCarran International. I’ve touched down many times on that runway, it’s so interesting to be landing when I look out the window and recognise the roads and sidestreets.
It’s always so nice to be landing back at home but this summer I’ll not likely make the usual jaunt to Michigan because of this damned virus.
I am not a happy camper! I had a nice chat with my dad on the phone this morning for Fathers Day of course, and spoke with my daughter too.
I miss my family so much, but I don’t regret the decision to put down root here in Las Vegas, I’m not so sure that I could handle living in Michigan again after seven years here in the wonderful weather we have. Well, it’s very nice most of the time anyway!
The distant mountains are very much higher than they appear!
Back To Sunset Park
Today is so gorgeous that I really wanted to get out of the house, so off to Sunset Park again. I took the city streets down there and man what a pain in the ass. Honestly, I’ve never witnessed so much driving ignorance in my life. These dolts take some unbelievable chances with other people’s lives and property. And turn signals? Duuuuhhhhh what is a turn signal?
I took the 215 freeway home, much faster and mostly dolt-free.
Here are the first photos of around sixty that I snapped this morning. The last time I was here, the island had a whole lot more overgrowth on it, it looks so much better now. And you can see the Easter Island statue better too. This place is a waterfowl paradise for the many ducks and other birds that hang out around the manmade pond.
After photographing some wonderful birds, I crossed Sunset Road looking for a few airliner photos on approach to our McCarran International Airport. There were several flights touching down and lifting off which I am happy to see, yet I believe it’s still too risky to fly. I rang my dad in Michigan about flying up there this morning.
He and I are on the same page with flying right now, I think it’s still too risky to make my usual summer journey up to Michigan to visit my family. That really sucks so bad! Chatting on the phone or texting is better than nothing, but you can’t hug your children over the phone! I miss my family so much. It’s a price I’ve paid for staying in Las Vegas after the divorce in 2016.
That said, it was the right choice for me, I love the desert and the city, sans the drivers!
Desert Drive
Here are a couple photos from the other day along Charleston Boulevard, and at the Red Rock Scenic Overlook. Are you tired of the desert photography? 😎🌵
Final Approach
Here’s an older photo, perhaps two years ago where I stood directly under the approach path at McCarran International Airport here in Las Vegas. This is a Regional Jet, or RJ made obvious by the engines mounted aft on the fuselage. These are my favorite aircraft to fly in, small, agile, and need so much less runway than say an Airbus A320. This photo is on a wall in my home.
City View Valley View
Life before Corona.
The Mountainscape
This photo is from one of many rides into the Spring Mountains since I moved here in 2013. It’s always beautiful up there driving so high above the desert floor! I don’t go up there in winter.
Hazy
About noon today I decided it was time to get the heck out of the house, so north I went. I ended up at one point as far north as you can go on Jones Boulevard, then began wandering south toward home. Looking at the photos, it’s easy to notice how hazy the valley is. There is a Fire Advisory and a Wind Advisory right now with winds up to fifty miles per hour.
The fire advisory is due to the extremely low humidity at five to fifteen percent, coupled with the strong wind gusts. Any fires that do ignite will certainly move very swiftly as it consumes the very dry scrub and anything else in its path. Gladly, there have been no fires around here since 2013 when I moved here and Lovell Canyon was burning badly.
Certainly not my best photos!
Down Bound For Home
Jump on the freeway northbound! You are looking east across the valley.
When Lightning Strikes
I remember this clearly, the lightning bolt was roughly one mile north of me. The time between the strike and the sound reaching me was nearly instantaneous. Bang, scary! 😂
It struck near Turtlehead Peak.
From Desert to Freeway
These were taken a few days ago on a jaunt outside the city. Turtlehead Peak is seen in the third photo. I tried to hike up there about three years ago, my heart wasn’t up for the climb…
Westward Out of The City
After picking up some needed medications, I headed west on Sahara Avenue and eventually connected with Charleston Boulevard which will take you out of the city proper. Hello Calico Basin, it’s been a while. It’s so wonderful to be out of the house again!
Valley Views
Here are the last photos from yesterday’s jaunt. Time for another ride!
Escaping The House
Today I decided to take a ride around the valley, I’m so tired of being stuck at home. It’s great to feel the warm 100-degree air swirling through the cab! I snapped about thirty photos.
Popcorn Bird
This little cutie was photographed in Calico Basin about one year ago during one of my jaunts into the desert. It’s a fun place to photograph both birds and those cute little Golden Mantled Ground Squirrels. I did not feed the bird the popcorn, nor would I feed them bread, it’s not good for them! I want to head back out there, it should be no problem but it’s comfy at home.
Ride The Freeway
I decided to ride the freeway back home instead of waiting through all of the many traffic lights on the boulevards. Keep an eye peeled aft as you never know when one of those idiots traveling one hundred miles per hour will blow by you. Nearly every time I go out for a drive, I see a driver do something both illegal and ignorant. Today, it was a moron making a left turn at a four-way stop intersection out of turn. Always drive defensively in Las Vegas my friends!
This is the 215 freeway northbound, in the northwest valley.
Under The Blue
Quick Trip
Welcome To California
Same Backup, Different Day
On the way to you guessed it! Another ride to the pharmacy, this construction behind the blind has been going on for about two months now. Why? This construction zone creates a situation where people have to wait through two full cycles to get past Charleston Boulevard. I wonder if the city will refund people for wasted fuel and aggravated nerves? Yeah right! 😎
Center
A couple years ago, I stood in the center of the road for this photo as cars were approaching behind me. Not smart, John! The dangerous things photographers do for the shot… 👻
Driving The Mojave Desert
Lovely Lovell Canyon
These photos are about three years old.
Palm View
In this image, I was heading west on Lake Mead Boulevard after a trip into the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. You can see that the terrain drops very quickly into the valley.
Can you find the Lowe’s store?
