Day 3 -- Pahrump, Nevada to Kingman, Arizona -- 155 Miles

Today we broke camp at our usual hour of nine a.m. and, after tanking up at only $5.09 a gallon, headed out of Pahrump and down Desert Highway Route 159 toward Las Vegas. With our history lesson on Wild Bill Hickock to entertain us, we set the cruise control and rolled along through the miles of desert talus slopes that had washed down from the surrounding peaks over thousands of years interrupted here and there by the occassional volcanic outcrop or cinder cone.

The day didn't promise anything in the way of historic sites, but didn't mind as we just love traveling through the desert. There's just so many aspects of nature to ponder, explore, and photograph. We love to try and pick out the various forms of flora like the yucca, the cholla, the ocatillo, and the Joshua Trees which cover the desert slopes outside our window.

Everyone is probably familiar with the stately form of the Joshua Tree with it's curved and uplifted arms and towering shaggy height. Seeing so many today I got to wondering why I had never seen a Joshua that was only a couple of inches in height, in other words, a juvenile plant. Naturally I decided that I just had to stop and photograph a baby Joshua Tree if I could find one.

So as our history DVD on the life of Wild Bill Hickock played in the background, I spent many miles scanning the desert for a glimpse of a junior verison of the revered plant.

In the end it was a sign for a rest stop at the intersection of the Cottonwood Canyon Road (photo above) that finally allowed me to photograph a baby Joshua Tree (see photo right of tiny plant next to the yucca). While I'm sure there must be even smaller versions somewhere along the miles and miles of roads we traveled today, this junior plant may be the smallest I've ever seen.

Our next stop was for lunch. For that occassion, as we were headed southeast out of Las Vegas on Route 43, we took the turnoff for Boulder City and stopped at the first available parking lot next to the highway. The lot happened to belong to the "Hoover Dam Lodge and Casino," but I guess they didn't mind sharing the overlook spot with us. At least no one came running over to demand we leave immediately.

Part of the reason I pulled into the parking lot there was that the expanse of asphalt afforded a view of Lake Mead, though the lake was a considerable distance away. Nevertheless, while Concetta started to prepare lunch, I walked the half mile out to the cliff edge overlooking the lake and snapped a few photos. The temperature was hitting a solid hundred degrees, and the sweat was dripping from under my hat, but I think the walk was worth it.

After lunch our only stop was at a roadside pullout which promised a fantastic view of the Colorado River valley. There I found a great plaque that offered the following basic information: "Over vast amounts of time, the Colorado River has carved its way through the rocks exposed in the black canyon. These ancient rock walls are made of volcanic lava."

"Geologists estimate the lava erupted between 15 and 20 million years ago. Under intense presssure and heat, molton rock was forced upward along the fractures in the crust of the earth. When the liquid rock reached the surface, it flowed out onto the landscape and hardened. These dark lava rocks form most of the steep cliffs and slopes of the inner canyons."

"The Colorado River established its present course about five million years ago accourding to geologists. Carving its way downstream, the water cut down through thick beds of sedimentary rock, sand, and gravel while leaving the harder volcanic rock behind."

The river follows a relatively gentle grade from the Grand Wash Cliffs at the east end of Lake Mead to the Gulf of California in Mexico."

On our way again, we spent the next couple of hours headed in the direction of Kingman, Arizona, where we intended to saunter into the KOA office there and grab a spot for the night. But surprise, surprise, our usual camp when in northern Arizona was 100% full and we had to launch into a search for a substitute. As you know, we almost never make reservations as we nearly always get a space. I wonder if this trip is going to be different for some reason.

Anyway, here we are at the "Sunrise RV Park" in Kingman which is conveniently located about thirty feet from the Insterstate. Fortunately they put us in the last row away from the crescendo of trucks rumbling by and maybe we will still be able to get some sleep tonight.

By the way, the sparkling green plant at right is just one I photographed while hiking out to the ciffs overlooking Lake Mead. I thought it was really great color for a desert plant.