Las Vegas Visitor

Many years ago this airport was the largest in southern Nevada. Until the county commission decided to move the main airport closer to Las Vegas, next to the Las Vegas Blvd. in fact. Very good decision in my opinion. It is one of the most convenient airports I have ever used. Back in Boulder City not everything is lost. It now has a brand new building and is very popular with the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam sight seeing crowd, and para-sailing Remnants of the old airport remain in the form of the old landing strip, plane anchorages and the old hangar. http://www.flybouldercity.com

We also try to help local artists. This valluable space is a donation. We have three books we like to bring to your attention. They ar: Nevada a Strange State, Silveropolis and The Great Lake Mead Water Caper. I have read all three of them and can honestly say they are worth the money. Buy them on Amazon.

Right in downtown Las Vegas, easy to reach and a lot of fun. Scantily clad street performers try to hustle a few bucks. Some are show girls. Others are artists. I love that scene. I think you will love it also. What I do not like are the parking fees and the parking meters. I think back to the days I used to pull up to the front of Binions, stuck a dime in the meter and that was it. Parking enforcement was not around most of the time.http://www.vegas.com

It is at Lake Mead, on the Arizona side. When looking across Lake Mead form the Northt Shore road, or from Hoover Dam a large, black, fortress like mountain can be seen. It is so called because during WWI the federal government put a gun emplacement on top to protect Hoover Dam. I have heard of people hiking up that hill. I would not do it. It is bone dry, and very steep.

It is off State Route 160, the Blue Diamond Road. It actually runs all the way up to Nye county. The mine is pretty close to Las Vegas and can be easily visited. Theer are no mining operations any longer. It is now a youth camp. Last time I was up there I was able to visit the mine. This mine was not a one day miracle. It operated for many years, under different ownership. It was not just a mine, it was a full fledged camp, with regular houses and a a nearby smelter at Goodsprings.It was a major producer of lead, silver and zinc. During WWI those minerals were needed for the war effort and the federal government pushed for more production. It all stopped in 1929 when it became too costly to mine and ship and the mine shut down even though large amounts of the ore remained in the ground. The mine is unique in some other ways also. It was the first lode mine in the state, and also the first ghost town after the Mormons, who started the mine , were recalled to Salt Lake City.Two more things. The Old Spanish Trail is nearby, and also the Mountain Springs Saloon. I wlll talk about that saloon in a different post. Look for it, it is interesting. The mine is about 35 mile from center strip, within easy reach of a very well maintained road. About Potosi. It stems from Spain where the first Potosi mine is located. A third Potosi is in the country of Bolivia, where the “Mountain of Silver”has been continuously mined for over 300 years.

We are very interested in helping local artists. This expensive spot is donation by us to those artists. Three very good books are on the list for this month. They are; Nevada a Strange State, Silveropolis, The Great Lake Mead Water Caper.

You probably wonder why I list a state route, Right? Let me explain. That highway is the road to Pahrump, a valley north of lLas Vegas. Pahrump is the entrance point to Nye country, the closest access to legalized Prostitution from Las Vegas. As soon as you cross the state line there they are. The Chicken Ranch, Sheri’s Ranch. There is one more, but is in Amargosa Valley, it is The Alien Cat house. At an unbelievable 20,000 sq. miles Nye county is the second largest in the lower forty eight. Alaska does not have counties, and Louisiana has parishes. Here are some links for your enjoyment. http://www.chickenranchbrothel.com, http://www.sherisranch.com, http://www.aliencathouse.com

We are strong believers in supporting the arts and artists. To that end we donate this expensive space. Three books are on the list for this month. They are: Nevada a Strange State, Silveropolis, and The Great Lake mead Water Caper. They are on Amazon. Plea help as much as you can. Thank you.

Jim Butler, a grizzled sourdough made camp at Tonopah Springs that day. He had been looking to strike it rich for a few years now, but he never managed more than a few nuggets here and there. He ,at times, had to ask his friends for a grubstake (loan), he figured he was too young to retire from chasing his luck in the inhospitable Nevada desert. Freezing one day and boiling the next. His Jenny (burro) was with him for a while now, but she still did what burros are good at, which is being stubborn. So was it this day, she just would not listen. Jim was frustrated, did not know what to do. He finally picked up a rock to throw at that stubborn animal. The rock seemed heavy, so Jim stuck it in his pocket and made his way to the nearest essay office, which was in Tonopah. It turned out to be a fabulously rich specimen of mostly silver, but with traces of gold. One of the mines, the Mizpah, operated for over forty years, unheard of in Nevada for longevity. To this day the town of 2,500 souls (down from about 10,000), celebrates Jim Butler day. It is a real interesting place, not entirely dead, and with defunct mines all over the place. That famous old west sheriff cum gunslinger Wyatt Earp was the sheriff for a while. The Mizpah hotel is haunted, Jack Dempsey, the famous boxer, was the bartender there at the same time. History galore. Tonopah is about 200 miles north of Las Vegas. It is a long ride through mostly desert, with only the occasional brothel providing relief. Here the well heeled customers fly in, most of the joy houses have a landing strip. .http://www.tonopahnv.com

We are very invested in helping local artists. We donate this expensive area to help them. Three books are on the list for this month. They are: Nevada a Strange State, Silveropolis, and The Great Lake Mead Water Caper. They are on Amazon. All proceeds will go to the artist. Remember, every little bit helps.

From St. George, Utah the trail passed through the extreme northwestern tip of Arizona and then on to Las Vegas, Nevada. At that time a city called Las Vegas did not exist, it was not incorporated until 1905. Some of the migrants were returnees of the Mormon Batallion that served in the Mexican war (1847?). They made their way back to Salt Lake City. Vegas (Spanish = meadows). They built a fort in Vegas, to defend against the native Americans.Graphics courtesy of the California Historical Society. http://www.californiahistoricalsociety.org

We help struggling, local, artist as much as possible. We donate this expensive space to an author. His books are: Nevada a Strange State. Silveropolis, The Great Lake Mead Water Caper. You could extend a helping hand by buying a book (or two). We thank you. The books are on Amazon.

This a very unique structure. But let me first explain those names. O’Callaghan was a Nevada governor, famous for persuading Howard Hughes to invest in casinos. Pat Tillman was a football player who volunteered for the U.S. army, and was killed in Afghanistan by friendly fire. ( I would call it unfriendly). Now to that bridge. It is the first concrete – steel composite bridge in the U.S., it has the widest arch of any bridge in the western hemisphere, at 890 feet above the river it is the second tallest in the U.S., it is the only bridge in the U.S. where you are able to look down on a dam (Hoover Dam) that itself is 700 feet tall. To get there take the I-11 south and take the I-93 off ramp to Boulder City. Stay on the 93 until you get to the bridge. Access to the bridge for sight seeing is by taking the Hoover Dam off ramp and following the signs. Parking is available and plentiful. http://www.hooverdambypass.org http://www.npr.org

We are very interested in helping local artists. We donate the expensive space. We have a local author who wrote the following, interesting and worth while books. Nevada a Strange State, Silveropolis, The Great Lake Mead Water Caper. We hope you can help by making a purchase. Thank you.

During Nevada’s mining boom in the early 1900’s this mining camp was one of the most famous and richest. Driving there may not be an option for visitors to the strip, the one way distance is around 200 miles through dry and rocky deserts. But that mining camp has an interesting history, besides just mining. Wyatt Earp, the famous gunslinger , was the sheriff for a while. Jack Dempsey was the bartender at the Mispah hotel.His nickname was “The Manassa Mauler”He would hit once and down they would go. Like a few other hotels, the Mispah is said to be haunted. Tonopah is not quite a ghost town yet, but it is teetering. The word Tonopah is from the southern Paiute language and indicates the presence of water. http://www.tonopahnevada.com

We always strive to help our local artists and the expensive space is a donation. We have three books on our list for this week. They are: Nevada a Strange State, Silveropolis and The Great Lake Mead Water Caper. They are available on Amazon and all proceeds will go to the artist. We thank you.

It is right off the road, on the left hand side as you enter town from Las Vegas. Lots of rolling stock, huge engines, and a large repair facility. Train rides are offered at a nominal fee. A real small train, a miniature train adjoins the regular size train at the adjoining lot. It is a lot of fun what with everything sized down to kids size.

We always strive to help our local artists and the expensive space is a donation. We have three books on our list for this week. They are: Nevada a Strange State, Silveropolis and The Great Lake Mead Water Caper. They are available on Amazon and all proceeds will go to the artist. We thank you.

About 85 miles north on I-15. Take a right turn at the Moapa Band of Paiutes gas station/gift shop. Can’t be missed. That place is full of 18 wheelers, about 36 pump and each one has a line. The Valley of ,Fire is the oldest State of Nevada park, and well worth a visit. Everything is red, all the rock, and all the dirt. And a lot of petroglyphs. I would not visit during the hot months (May – Sept), it is just too hot. There is an excellent visitors center with plenty of parking, a very nice museum, a limited selection of snacks and , above all, water. Word has it that the notorious outlaw “Indian Joe” was hiding in that area way back in the 30’s. Two noteworthy views are the Elephant rock and the Stone Cabins. Those were erected during the depression by the WPA. Lots of excellent camping spots with benches and tables. If you want to take a different road back to Las Vegas, you could drive through the park entirely, get to the North Shore Road along Lake Mead and exit through Boulder City. There are zero facilities along that road, but it is in very good condition. Just make sure you have enough gas, water and a good running vehicle. I have traveled that road several times. You will encounter very little to zero traffic. One surprising thing, you will drive by an oasis with a bubbling ,permanent spring, lush palm trees and bushes. The rest of it is desolate, dry desert. The water is contaminated with flesh eating bacteria, so stay away from swimming , or even tipping your toes in it. Happy Travel. http://www.parks.nv.org

We try our best to support local artists. This expensive area is a donation from us to the artist colony. The artist of the month is an author. Here are three of his books that are well liked. Nevada a Strange State, Silveropolis, The Great Lake Mead Water Caper. If you like to help out we urge you to buy book or two. Thanks.

These are uniquely American. The horns on grown animals are enormous. Here is the good news, they are very easy to visit. and to view just drive out to the little town of Boulder City, about twenty miles south of the strip. Stay on the highway that is marked Hoover Dam/Lake Mead. Just on the outskirt of town, going south, on the left hand side is a park called Hemenway Park. Big Horn sheep gather in that park in substantial numbers to graze on the abundant grass, and to drink. It is one herd I believe. Take the off ramp and you can get up close. Don’t touch or scare them. Do not feed them. Watch yourself, they are wild animals with large horns. The sheep have no set schedule, they come and go at will.

We are strong supporters of our local artists. To that end we donate this expensive space. This month a writer is our artists. Here are three of his books. I have read them all. Hre are the titles: Nevada a Strange State, Silveropolis, The Great Lake Mead Water Caper. We thank you for your support. The books are on Amazon.

We have not visited, but it is a popular spot to view something unique. The river changes direction at this spot.. It is pretty far from Las Vegas, about 800 miles one way. I would go if I had the time. It is not part of the Grand Canyon National Park, it is administered by the Glen Canyon Nat’l Recr. Area. It has a convoluted administration. The parking lot for instance belongs to the City of Page, which charges fees. Some of the land is federal, some of it is native American. To see the bend a 1.5 mile round tripi hike is required. To wrap it all up, do not visit in the summer, be fit enough for the hike, and do not trespass on Indian land. Remember, here in the U.S. Indian reservations are really independent countries. Here is another strange thing, the visitors center is at least five miles distant from the trailhead. http://www.nps.gov

We take pride in supporting local artists and we donate this expensive space. This month we help an author of several books. They are: Nevada a Strange place, Silveropolis, and The Great Lake Mead Water Caper. I have read all three of them and thoroughly enjoyed them You could help by making a purchase. We thank you.