4. FROM NEVADA TO THE PACIFIC COAST

Overnights in

California

Day 11: Tuesday, March 21

It was a very windy night - gusts of up to 50 MPH were reported from McCarren Field, the nearby Las Vegas airport. The Westy shook a bit and the canvass sides of the pop-up roof fluttered enough to wake me up a few times. But all in all I slept quite well. Outside low temperature was 45F.

The campground did not have an attractive looking shower, so I skipped it. Was on the road by 7 AM Pacific time and drove alongside Lake Mead to the dam. There are a few scenic overlooks, but electric power lines tend to get in the way.

The dam itself is quite impressive. Just to get everybody confused, it's called "Hoover Dam" and is located near Boulder City - a town expressedly founded to accomodate the 5,000 workers who built the dam. Why didn't they name the town "Hoover City," especially since there is a "Boulder Dam" in Arizona?

Went on to Henderson and then Las Vegas. What puzzled me is that there seems to be an unlimited expanse of desert land, yet the housing developments have such small lots that if you sneeze, your neighbor is likely to say "Gesundheit." I understand about infrastructure and dividing development costs by the largest possible number of sites - but I would think people would be willing to pay more for a bit of extra space.

Didn't bother to explore Las Vegas - not a place for finding scenic beauty. Filled up the tank and paid $1.839 per gallon. What a rip-off! Even California gas prices along the same interstate were in the $1.59 range. There must have been a Monarch Coach rallye in Las Vegas - counted more than a dozen of these superexpensive rolling manors. I bet I sleep a lot better in my paid-for van than I would in a deluxe bus with a $500,000 mortgage and 5 miles to the gallon. Oh well, to each his/her own.

I-15 from Las Vegas to Victorville goes right through the Mojave desert, with many scenic vistas along the way.

Went through the Cajon Pass (beautiful) and then jumped off on CA-138 to Wrightwood and then CA-2 to drive through the Angeles National Forest and the St. Gabriel mountains. Unfortunately, most of CA-2 was still closed, but got some nice shots on the stretch than was opened to traffic.

Had to turn around and headed for Palmdale and Los Angeles. Had no desire to go "downtown" (when I lived in Southern California in the sixties it took me a year to even find "downtown") so took the San Diego Freeway to the Ventura Freeway and got off at the Balboa Blvd. exit. The apartment complex where I had lived was still there. Then took the Topanga Canyon road to Malibu and drove up the beautiful coast to the Leo Carillo State Park, my destination for the day. Los Angeles was smog free today - enjoyed beautiful views of downtown, the San Fernando Valley, and the coastline.

The park setting is very attractive, nestled into a canyon, with a hundred+ sites. There aren't many campers here, so it's quite private and quiet. Cost after senior discount is $16, plus 50 cents required for the shower. Water is available but no hook-ups. Vehicle length limit is 31'

Daytime temperature in the San Fernando Valley reached the high eighties and I had to turn on the air conditioner. It's cooler near the ocean, evening temperature is about 65F - a good evening to grill. Did so and afterwards sat under a brilliant sky and looked at the stars. A rangerette came by, stopped, and we talked for a while. I think that after 11 days on the road I'm feeling a wee bit lonely. Drove 400 miles today and was on the road for about 8 hours.

This concludes the westbound part of this trip. 4,370 miles, $400 spent on gasoline, $145 in campground fees. Seen many beautiful sights, much sunshine, and no mechanical or other troubles. Miss wife and poodles - but then, it's better to do some "missing" than not to travel. Can't have it all - all the time.

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