Friday (Black Friday!!) we went in to Vegas and bought a new microwave at Lowes....$30 off so Black Friday was good for that.  We managed to find one that was very close to the size of the failed one...

Old Microwave

On Saturday, Nov 30, we had to take out the entire enclosure (heavy!) and take it outside to work on it on the table.  Had to remove the old microwave from the enclosure, fabricate brackets to hold the new one in and paint the trim piece black to match the new black microwave.  Fabrication was a challenge with the limited tools we had with us...but got it done!

New Microwave

It looks better, works better, is quieter and is lighter! A bit of a job while on the road but looks good!  Thank You Lord!

Also, I added these two following photos of the remodel we did last summer to the original remodel.  Made a Hickory countertop with turquoise inlays.  put in a smaller and lighter cooktop and a single bowl sink.  Added log trim to the kitchen and dinette.  

     

While at the Lake Mead RV Village at Boulder Beach during Thanksgiving Week it was rainy on and off and a bit chilly...still only in the 50s.  We were able to get the Boys out on many walks around the campground.

(Click photos for larger view)

Its chilly!

One can easily see how low Lake Mead is.  They are doubtful it will ever fill again due to the huge growth of the population and agriculture that uses the water.  When the dam was constructed the population in the are was a small fraction of what it is today.  Many years of drought has only made it worse.

On Thanksgiving Day, we watched the Parade in the morning and the Dog show after

Barbi and Bill

Later while we were preparing our Turkey Dinner with all of the trimmings...The microwave died...😦...Had to do some work arounds ..it could have been better...

Tomorrow (Friday Nov 29th),  we get to go over the hill about 25 miles to Vegas to shop for a microwave on Black Friday...Oh Boy!

On Monday, Nov 25 we left our camp  at Echo Bay RV Village on Lake Mead and traveled to our next spot at the Lake Mead RV Village at Boulder Beach, about 50 miles.  Partly sunny...temps in the 50s.

(Click on any photo for a larger view)

Lake Mead RV Village is a nice place, we had a spot with full hookups and a lake view.  At one time this RV park was right on the water, but now that the lake is down 150 feet you can see on the photo below how far it has dropped from the full pool mark.  There is a nice marina nearby with a fun floating restaurant. 

Our campsite there...#B-26.  Nice view of the lake and a cement patio...

We are here for a week, until Tuesday, Dec 2, and will have our Thanksgiving dinner here.  We are thankful to the Lord for our safe trip with no mechanical problems, dry roads and great campsites!

On Friday, Nov 23, we left the Atlatl Campground in the Valley Of Fire state park in NV.  The weather was mostly sunny but chilly and a bit breezy.  About 55 degrees.  We made a short trip of about 23 miles to the next stop on our exploration, the Lake Mead RV Village at Echo Bay.  Full hookups here.  We were in Campsite #3.  Stayed here two nights, the 23rd and 24th...

(As before you can click on any of the photos to see a larger view)

Not much going on here...the lake is quite low.... down about 150 feet from its maximum...

Lake Mead is the largest reservoir in the U.S. and supplies 40 percent of Arizona’s water. Factors like population growth, declining snowpack and rising temperatures have made drought the norm and are stretching this vital source of Colorado River water to the limit.  The prospects for 2020 do not look good. The forecast found Lake Mead water levels will fall below the 1,075-feet threshold that would trigger a federal shortage declaration and mandatory cuts.

We drove down to the water line to look around....It's about a half mile drive...

We noticed along the road, all the way from the main highway down to the Marina, these short fences...

They were built to protect the Desert Tortoise!!  To keep them from being run over by vehicles...

We were told by the Ranger that these fences cost $50,000 per mile...for EACH SIDE!!

Tomorrow, Nov 25, we move on to the next stop!

Friday, Nov 22 was our last day in the Valley of Fire.  Only in the mid 50s...but sunny.  I always remember Nov 22...the day of the assassination of President Kennedy in Dallas, in 1963.  I was in 4th grade at the time and remember it vividly.  We came back into the classroom after lunch or recess or whatever it was and the teacher was crying and had an old BW TV in the room.  It hit everyone very hard.

Anyway on our last day in the Valley we hung around camp, went to the Visitor Center and then went for a drive to catch the sunset...Spectacular!!

(you can click on the pictures for a larger view)

Nov 21, and we are still in the Valley of Fire...We did some hiking on some of the many trails in the park and came across some petrified logs...These trees were buried in a mudflow in the age of dinosaurs and became fossilized. 

(Click on any of these pictures to see a larger view)

In fact the rock formations in the park are fossilized sand dunes from the same era.  They are a deep red caused by iron oxide (rust) in the sand.

It is obvious that these were once sand dunes by the cross bedding that is seen in these rocks everywhere in the Valley.  This is a classic example of cross-bedding...see the layers at different angles?

On Monday, November 18, we left the Southern Utah RV resort and made our way across the northwest corner of Arizona and the into Nevada...Destination---Valley of Fire State Park, NV.  A short hop of only 98 miles.  Sunny skies and light wind.  We were told that there has been no rain here for 156 days!  We camped at the Atlatl Campground...electric and water hookups

(If you click on any of these photos it will open an enlarged view!)

  

The day we arrived at Valley of Fire State park the weather was nice, but a bit chilly...but that was about to change...

It rained hard that night and continued Tuesday, Nov 19 and the morning of Wednesday Nov 20.  That day this Bighorn Ram visited our camp...only about 20 feet away!

The sun came back and we walked with the Boys (Bill and Ted) in their carriage and looked at some ancient Indian Petroglyphs that were nearby...had to walk up 83 steps to see them...Barbi stayed at  the bottom with the Boys...

On November 16th we traveled from Payson, UT to St. George, UT, about 245 miles.  Once again, Sunny Skies, light winds and dry roads the entire drive.  At St George we stayed in the "Southern Utah RV Resort".  A Brand new, just opened RV Park.  The Southern Utah RV Resort .  A nice place...Just a bit noisy being right next to 1-15.  Stayed here 2 nights.

  

Welcome to our 2019 - 2020 winter escape! 

We left Billings on the morning of November 14th.  We traveled to Idaho Falls, ID...via Bozeman, MT...West Yellowstone, MT and Rexburg ID.  Sunny Skies, light winds and dry roads the entire drive.  When we arrived in Idaho Falls, we went to the Walmart Supercenter, picked up some groceries and  "boondocked overnight in their parking lot along with several other RVs.  Thank you Walmart for a quiet and safe overnight!

On November 15th we traveled on to Payson, UT...via Salt Lake City, UT, following I-15. Sunny Skies, light winds and dry roads the entire drive.  A lot of road construction in SLC....4 lanes southbound going about 5 MPH through the whole area.  When we arrived in Payson, we again "boondocked overnight at the Walmart Supercenter in their parking lot along with several other RVs.  Thank you again Walmart for a quiet and safe overnight!