Thursday, July 2, 2015

Lost Wages, Nevada

I am far too familiar with Vegas and I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not.  I have lived here a couple times before.  Once in 2003 for only about a year, then again in 2006.  I worked with my dad cleaning pools and branched off into my own business of pool maintenance.  I eventually left because I was young and having one of those F*ck you dad, I'm an adult moments that never pans out the way you think it will.  I have been back a few times to see him and for birthdays, but have always had a bad taste in my mouth about this place.  I was coming through to help pops out while he recovered form his biopsy and to hopefully make a little cash, so I wasn't worried about hangovers from parties the night before or blowing my money gambling.  Hell I wasn't really to worried about even shooting photos, this was more about spending some much needed time with my dad.  We worked for a few days and he got the results on his biopsy and everything came back clear,  so we could really just enjoy each others company without cancerous thoughts looming over our heads.  We headed out to the lake and holy hell it was hot.  Temps were between 100 and 112 every day I was out there and all I could think about was getting to the coast for some nice R&R on the beach.  I ended up staying of almost two weeks due to some issues with the van and trying to figure out a way to run air conditioning for Hobbes if I needed to work for a day or two.  I purchased a generator and an AC unit, then had to purchase a larger generator, then the AC wouldn't work so I got a new one, only to have the generator dick out on me, just to get it running and purchase another AC unit.  Pain in the ass.  I stayed for Fathers Day and found out my step dad was flying to vegas that night for work, so for the first time in my life I got to spend Fathers Day with both of the men that raised me.  It was one of the best dinners I've ever had and I consider myself super fortunate to have these men in my life.  After 2 weeks in Vegas, I'm finally getting out of this heat and beach bound.  GPS coordinates set to San Diego and I'm off!


Donuts as big as your head. Pre-lake breakfast

El Capitan Faronea.  "Babes are into dad bod"

Hobbes cruising around the lake in style

I knew about this little gem, but had to stop again for some Alien Jerky

Y'all got any rooms available?

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Zion and Vegas

Leaving Moab was hard, but the show must go on.  I set sail for Zion National Park with the hopes of hiking and exploring for the next few days, but as I pulled in to town, it was deja vu from Arches Ntl Park.  Full of Cruise America rental campers and herds of tourists.  I stopped at a little gas station outside of the park and talked to the guy behind the counter for about an hour about where to camp outside of the park and my best options.  Again, I was given vague directions (which I'm starting to enjoy) to Bridge Rd. in Rockville and was simply told "stay left".  I find myself staring at another hill that I'm not too thrilled about rallying up, but yet again, I have no place to turn around.  I point it and send it about halfway up to a pull off with two other groups of people camping and pull in.  Murphy is not happy.  I ask the groups if they mind me camping between them that night and offer them some Breckenridge Brew as a thank you, to which nobody declined.  I ended up hanging out with a group of guys from all over the U.S. that meet up every year to reconnect.  After passing multiple bottles of booze around and getting to know each other, I head to bed.

I wake up nice and early and decide to hike up to this ghost town I heard about.  I head up the dirt road and realize that if I had tried to climb it, Murphy would probably still be stuck there today.  After about two hours of hiking, a tour group on 4-wheelers drives by and I flag them down to ask about the ghost town.  Of course I had taken a wrong turn a few miles back, so again I was given very vague directions and headed that way.  I never did find the ghost town, but I did find a dead-end path that looked out over the whole valley.  The views were unreal and I could even see where I parked my van a few miles down.  I had lunch with Hobbes on that perch and we headed back down, sunburnt and tired.  I packed up the van and decided to head towards vegas.  My dad was having a biopsy the following day and needed a little help at work and i definitely needed to make some money.  I'll be back for Zion at the end of my trip, just not on a weekend…


I spend my nights writing in my journal so I don't forget any incredible moments along the way

Hobbes scoping out the scenery.  Huge thanks to Off-Leash k9 Training for helping mold Hobbes into a perfect travel buddy, this trip would't be the same without your help.  I'm forever in debt to you

The view form our little perch.  No ghost town, but amazing nonetheless

Utah Werewolf. Only $900

My buddy