KOA, Laughlin, NV:  This morning we headed over to the Feathers Café in the casino for breakfast.  After that we drove down to Lake Havasu City, AZ.  This pretty little city was founded in the 60s by Robert McCulloch.  He also bought the London Bridge and had it disassembled and shipped through the Panama Canal to California and then trucked from Long Beach to Arizona where it was reconstructed.  Total cost was $5.1 million.  This is now the second most popular tourist attraction in Arizona—Grand Canyon being the first.  This pretty place is like a huge oasis in the middle of this arid place.  We took a little boat tour out on the lake and down to Copper Canyon.  The lake and the Colorado River are so pristine and the most beautiful blue-green.  In fact Havasu is Mojave for blue-green.  The road going in to Lake Havasu City has signs all along it indicating there are open range mules in the area.  I guess when they closed the mines in the area they just let the mules go and now they range this vast desert.  We didn’t see any unfortunately.  Came back home to our site, freshened up a little and over to the casino for a fancy dinner at the Moon Shadow Grill and then played the slots.  98 today.  Beautiful, sunny, and nice. 

This entrance gate was once the gate at the entrance of Witley Court in Worcester, England.  McCulloch bought it and had it shipped to Lake Havasu City.

Historic London Bridge over Bridgewater Channel, Havasu City, AZ
This bridge used to cross the Thames River

Bridgewater Channel leads from the lake and under the London Bridge.  A favorite spot for boaters to come in, park their boat on the sandy shore and spend the day swimming and partying.

Copper Canyon

Golden eagle nest

Brave girl jumping off one of the high rocks.  Look close,
she's in mid-air.

Beautiful Lake Havasu with the desert mountains in the background.

KOA, Flagstaff, AZ, to KOA, Laughlin, NV:  Well, today started out bad and just got worse.  I started out driving again.  Driving west on I40 again through the mountains west of Flagstaff was beautiful with the mountains thick with ponderosa pines.  But the winds were horrible—worse than anything we’d experienced so far.  Stopped in Williams about 30 miles west of Flagstaff and fueled up.  I continued driving.  Told Mike I’d pull off at one of the exits around Seligman and we’d switch.  However, we came over a hill and the traffic in both of the westbound lanes had come to an abrupt stop.  I put the flashers on and slammed on the brakes, hoping that someone behind us didn’t slam into us.  Weren’t sure what had happened yet.  Traffic was moving over to the passing lane and some vehicles got through before the state police showed up and blocked all traffic.  Turns out a car slammed into the back of a motorcycle with a guy and his wife or girlfriend on the back.  She was killed and her body was on the left shoulder.  He was in the center line—still alive.  So those vehicles that got through before the state police showed up had to weave between these two bodies to get through.  Unbelievable!  We ended up three vehicles back from the accident scene.  Traffic was backed up for miles behind us.  We sat there for three hours.  They brought in some National Forest firefighters who were working on the alpine fire.  Then some EMTs showed up.  All together there were 3 state police vehicles, 6 National Forest vehicles, two ambulances and some DOT trucks.  They worked on him for a while, then brought in a helicopter which landed right on I40 (in this horrible wind) and they took him away.  Then the state police worked the scene for an hour more.  By now it’s three hours.  Finally the DOT had us go over on the right shoulder to get by the scene.  When we went by, we realized her body was still on the road, covered by a tarp.  The motorcycle was ¼ mile down the road and ended up in the median.  The car that hit them was a little further down the road.  The car had a lot of damage.  He must have been going pretty fast when he hit them.  The speed limit here in 75.  Finally got going and stopped for something to eat.  Continued on over the mountains to Bullhead City, AZ, and then crossed the Colorado River into Nevada.  Got lost trying to find the KOA.  Had to turn around a couple of times before we finally found our way.  Driving through Laughlin was fun.  One casino after another and lots of construction.   The KOA we’re staying at is really nice.  Across the street from a large casino and next to a beautiful golf course.  Mountains all around.  After we got set up we headed over to the casino for a couple of drinks.  Then played the slots for a while.  I lost.  Mike won.  Back to our site and let the cable TV wash over us.  Bad day, but at least we’re still alive.

State police showed up

One of 6 National Forest fire trucks on the scene

An ambulance showed up

Helicopter came in and landed on the highway

Winging him away--hope he's okay

Going over the pass down into Bullhead City

About to cross the Colorado from Bullhead City, AZ, to Laughlin, NV

Mike checking out the Colorado River on the casino grounds

KOA, Gallup, NM, to KOA, Flagstaff, AZ:  On the road by 9:15 this morning.  NO WIND!  I started driving again and we stopped in Holbrook, AZ, for food, fuel, and switched drivers.  A short drive today—only 3 hours through some pretty monotonous high desert landscape.  We started seeing the snow-topped mountains around Flagstaff after a couple of hours.  Flagstaff sits at about 7000 feet and reminds me more of Colorado than Arizona.  This KOA is pretty nice, nestled at the base of the mountain surrounded by ponderosa pines.  The site they put us in, however, was too narrow, so that we couldn’t even get our kitchen slide out.  So they put us in what they call a “super site”.  We have a raised patio with pavers, patio furniture and even a fire pit.  More money, but they said they’d give us a good discount.  We’ll see.  We were going to unhook and explore around Flagstaff a little, but we thought we’d just stay here and enjoy our comfy site.  Only here for one night anyway.  One of the maintenance guys told us about a hike we could do right from the campground.  We may do that. 

Snow-capped mountains in the haze around Flagstaff

Our fancy patio in our site

Relaxing and reading on our fancy patio

Mikey relaxing...

KOA, Gallup, NM:  Really cold last night.  Had to get up during the night and put the quilt on the bed.  Once the sun came up though, it warmed up quickly.  After lunch we drove over to Red Rock State Park to check it out.  Not much, although they did have a campground which seemed to be occupied mostly by a colony of prairie dogs.  There was a rodeo going on in the outdoor stadium.  We took a little drive on the road past the park entrance for a few miles which meandered past odd rock formations, buttes, and mesas.  I can see why they made movies in this area.  The road dead ended in a few miles with signs all over warning of radiation removal in progress. OK then.  Turned around and headed back before we started glowing in the dark.  Guess the area is noted for its uranium mines.  Relaxed the rest of the afternoon.  Wind died down some. But the smoke from the wildfires in Arizona were making our eyes water.  Decided to stay inside with the air conditioning on.  84 today.  Tomorrow we leave for Flagstaff.

Red Rock State Park

Red Rock State Park

Cute little prairie dog

Santa Rosa RV Park, Santa Rosa, NM, to Gallup, NM:  Up early this morning.  A beautiful sunrise, bathing everything in pinks and reds.  And no wind!  I suggested we get going ASAP since they were calling for high winds again this afternoon.  So we were on the road by 7:15.  Poor Mike is not a morning person.  I started out driving again.  The landscape between Santa Rosa and Albuquerque is desolate high plains with mostly light brown buffalo grass and a few scrubby bushes—cedars I think.  We stopped east of Albuquerque for fuel and some breakfast and Mike started driving.  The mountains around Albuquerque are very pretty.  West of Albuquerque though is even more desolate.  What a hardscrabble existence for the mostly poor people that live in this arid place.  As we got closer to Gallup we started seeing mountains in the distance—shrouded in smoke which had blown in from fires burning in Arizona.  We arrived at the KOA in Gallup by 12:30 and were set up by 1:00.  Staying two nights here to give ourselves and the truck a rest.  We’re right on historic Rt. 66 which runs through Gallup.  Decided to drive into the historic part of Gallup, parked and walked around.  I bought a turquoise and silver bracelet.  Stopped also at the historic El Rancho Hotel.  Lots of movies were made in this area, and this was the place where all the actors stayed.  Back to our site, got ensconced and relaxed the rest of this beautiful day.  Only 81 today.  Very dry.

Just west of Santa Rosa--we saw 5 prong horn antelope

Bleak landscape west of Albuquerque

Historic el Rancho Hotel--Rt. 66 Gallup, NM

Lobby of the historic el Rancho Hotel

Elk City KOA to Santa Rosa RV Park, Santa Rosa, NM:  Left the Elk City KOA at 9:00 this morning.  Before long we were in the Texas panhandle.  We’re now in a much more arid landscape of buffalo grass, arroyos and sage brush.  The wind was horrible—worse than yesterday.  I drove for 3 hours and we stopped just east of Amarillo for fuel and food.  Then Mike took over driving.  I was glad to switch.  The winds are so horrible that the few trees in this landscape were bent way over from the effects of the wind.  Passed the spot on the Texas-New Mexico line where our RV tire shredded a couple of years ago.  That was a lovely couple of hours on the shoulder of I40 in 98 degree temperatures waiting for the service truck to show up.  Once into New Mexico the landscape changed yet again to more buttes and mesas.  We arrived at Santa Rosa at 3:00 mountain time.  We gained an hour.  Here for one night again.  Not unhooking again.  96 today.  Very, very dry.

Cadillac Ranch
Rt. 66
Amarillo, TX

Cadillac Ranch
Rt. 66
Amarillo, TX

Horse Motel on Rt. 66

New Mexico, Land of Enchantment

Joplin KOA to Elk City KOA, OK:  Left the Joplin KOA at 8:30.  I opted to drive first again.  We’re now in Oklahoma, which is a flat, non-descript, agrarian landscape of mostly farms and cattle ranches.  The closer to Tulsa we got the hillier and more forested it became.  I wanted to take the 244 bypass around Tulsa, but when we got to the intersection it said “I244 to downtown Tulsa”, so I stayed on 44 which went through downtown Tulsa anyway—with lots of construction (sigh).  Oh well.  It was no big deal. Mike started driving at 11:00 and we stopped in Oklahoma City for fuel and food.  Were set up at the Elk City KOA by 3:00.  Hot again—mid-90s—with a very strong wind out of the south.  We also saw more tornado damage along I40 west of Oklahoma City.  How scary that would be if you’re driving along I40 and a tornado touched down. 

Oklahoma's agrarian landscape--oil pump in the background

Get your kicks on Route 66

Little filling station on historic Route 66