Break out

As a person who likes to move… correction… must move… it’s been quite the test to be still for the last two weeks when I have so much I want to do and see while out west but you know why I’ve been docile… a recalcitrant docile, but docile nonetheless. So, it was a necessity for me to take the day off and break out of the house and the city.

As my only rule is to go to new places, I remembered that I hadn’t every gone to the old Vegas on Fremont Street, to Boulder City near Hoover Dam nor to the Gallery at the Bellagio. It was my intentions to go to all three but I had so much fun in Boulder City that number 3 will have to wait until tomorrow.

Montana and I weren’t too impressed with Fremont Street after we’d driven the length of it and figured we’d come back this way after Boulder City just to see if we just weren’t paying attention. We did notice some kind of pavilion area where some older places still remained but it looked under construction, it was hot and I couldn’t leave Montana in the truck. After all, I had to bring her ’cause she was getting a little stir crazy all the cats jumping around taunting her, poor baby… so many cats to keep up with for one little dog.

My daughter told me when she first moved to Las Vegas that she’d driven around that area and had fallen in love with the small, quaint town with its “dog friendly” residents. So, off to Boulder City near the Hoover Dam we went.

It seems that my body alerts me when nearing high voltage lines and it didn’t fail me today. I started getting that funky mini-panic feeling and pulled over on the side of the road to check my map. Yep. I was getting way too close to the Hoover Dam area instead of in the town of Boulder City. Right when I’d pulled over, I saw Lake Mead. It was absolutely beautiful with the mountain and sky backdrop but was also painful to also see how low the water levels still are. We need some of the water in Louisiana and Mississippi shipped to Lake Mead! Hey! Just build a cross-country pipe to send excess water in the south out west! Oops. I digress.

Lake Mead-white line on opposite bank shows old water line

Lake Mead - See the old water lines on spit of land to the right?

The first time I saw Lake Mead, I was told it was down SIXTY FEET! Now it’s “only” down about 27 feet from full pool. It’s only dropped this low three times since it was built 80-odd years ago. Like I said, pipe it in from the Mississippi River!

Feeling my way away from Hoover Dam so as to not get any closer than I must to take good pictures of the lake, I move in the opposite direction and stumble into this adorable 1950’s town, park Silver and get Montana out to stretch our legs. I don’t know who was happier to get outta’ the truck at this point!

First place we stopped on our walk was a rock shop, of course, called Nature’s Art & Gifts (www.NaturesArtAndGifts.com). It’s widely known that I’m a rock junky and have a wide assortment of rocks from all over the world that my dad collected and gave to me. I also have a rock garden where I “grow” them when the weeds don’t choke them out. Actually, they’re rocks my son and mother collected on their annual trip west when he was between the ages of  5 and 10. I can’t tell you how precious they are to me.

As Montana and I stood drooling over the outdoor display, Judy, who worked inside, came out and invited both of us in! You coulda’ knocked me over with a feather. Judy and I instantly became best friends. I told her that I write about my travels and, as I was talking, Judy recognized the parched voice of an easterner’s dry throat and promptly handed a cup of water to me and a bowl for Montana.

Then, I was telling my new best friend, Judy, about my daughter’s journey to Austria to study at an intensive opera workshop and Judy remembered my daughter coming to see her three years before! Sure enough, my girl went to the same store, made friends with Judy and told her she had just moved to Las Vegas to study at UNLV! I couldn’t believe it so I whipped out my handy dandy photo of Ava and sure ‘nuf, Judy said that was the same young lady. How ’bout that, folks. There was no way I wasn’t gonna’ buy something from Judy at this point!

Judy then tells me about this rock that’s good for the throat Chakra and I’m sold. I spend the loveliest time in that shop digging for treasures and Judy helped me find all the rocks Ava needs to take with her to Austria to help her with Chakra kinda’ thangs.

Boulder City central-Nature's Art & Gifts on left past Ace Hardware

Montana and I crossed the street aiming for more “shiny” objects to get distracted by when Montana saw a cow! She got so excited that I just had to stop and take her picture with it.

"Is that cow still looking at me?

Then we came across a gypsy who could tell our fortunes.

Local psychic

Then we came across a lovely little sidewalk cafe called Milo’s Cellar (www.MilosCellar.com) which also has an inn (www.MilosInn.com). I wasn’t sure Montana would be welcome but shoulda’ known I was in a good place. The waitress signaled to me to come on over to a table and promptly and without solicitation brought Montana a cool bowl of water.

Milo's Cellar Sidewalk Cafe

I recommend the fresh brewed tea, “Tuscany” sandwich with potato salad. It was all very fresh and the view wasn’t too bad either. The guy sitting across the sidewalk from me looked like Paul Newman AND his cowboy boots were dirty (yeah baby) AND he was drinking wine with his lunch! Too cool.

can you see Paul Newman?

Montana had complained about having to be good while I ate so we had to get movin’ on down the road. We talked it over and we decided to give Freemont Street another chance and I’m glad we did. It’s funny how you see things differently… going vs. coming.

Vegas-Baby circa 1950's

Yippee! Looks like Roy Rogers and Trigger!

Talk about a B-I-G Stiletto!

What strange looking show girl

As I approached Las Vegas Boulevard, I’d realized that I’d never driven the length of it so that was our next and last phase of our day adventure… driving in traffic for miles through areas I wasn’t sure I should be in with the windows down to the magnificence of the current “strip”. It was still early enough in the day to not be in the bumper car fiasco that often happens at night in this area and also to be able to clearly see the buildings around me and not have them get lost in all the bright lights.

One set of buildings stood out… Encore:

Encore!

So, I leave it all with you tonight… my whole day adventure. Tomorrow I’m going to the Bellagio to see the Gallery. That’s another thing I never quite make happen when I’m here and it’s happening tomorrow!

Happy Trails!