Storms and Boats and Euchre at Lake Mead

Hello friends!  I’ve spent a very long time blissfully devoid of internet access, so I’ve gotten seriously behind in my updates.  To say nothing of the time I’ve spent actually having adventures rather than writing about them.  So please forgive my tardiness – I hope you’ll still enjoy this and future posts, belated though they may be. 

When we last spoke, I was (literally) embroiled in the hottest drive of my life across the Mojave Desert, and there was some serious danger of running out of gas.  Seeing as I am not a roadside skeleton right now, I imagine you’ve figured out that the crisis was averted.  And even though it was hotter than the face of the sun, the Joshua Forest Scenic Highway was pretty…well…scenic!

After six hours of slogging through the desert in danger of heat exhaustion, we arrived at our campsite in the Lake Mead National Recreation area.  Within moments, we had beers in hand while taking in this view.  Needless to say, the day’s travails were rapidly forgotten.

The next morning, we headed to the marina to rent a boat for some aquatic exploration.  After a seemingly interminable period of selecting snacks, filling water bottles, applying sunblock, filling out waivers, and watching safety videos, we finally made our way to the dock with joy in our hearts.  Moments we donned our life jackets, the Coast Guard announced a small craft warning – apparently the clear blue sky belied the fact that a massive thunderstorm was heading straight for the lake.  So back to the RV we went…

Not really believing in the storm, we headed to the beach for a swim.  Minutes later, the blue sky turned black and we were pelted with gale force winds and stinging blasts of flying sand.  

By the time we got back to our campsite, it was pouring.  Trapped indoors, we did what any respectable family of four headed by an Ohioan would do – we played euchre.  After some initial frustration with the arcane rules of the game, J&Z’s Midwestern DNA kicked in and they were hooked. 

Fortunately the storm passed before they started beating us too badly, so we headed back to the beach.  We swam in the lake, which by the way is impossibly beautiful.  For those who don’t know, Lake Mead was formed by the Hoover Dam – so it’s a huge lake in the middle of the desert, surrounded by mountains, where no lake should be. 

When we weren’t swimming, J&Z dug in the sand, skipped stones, and staged their own lakeside Highland Games, which you can watch on video here.

The next morning, we were back at the marina bright and early, this time actually succeeding in getting a boat.  I wore the most nautical of the dresses I made for this trip, and we enjoyed beautiful views of the Hoover Dam from the water.

Pretty soon it was time to leap off the boat for a swim, meaning we needed less clothing.

And of course more beer.

We tuned the boat’s radio to Sunny 106 and Zoe danced on deck to “Lady Marmalade.” There was more swimming, and more beer, and lots of discussion about which one of us would fill the role of each character on Gilligan’s Island in the event we were marooned.  All in all it was a magical morning.  However, all good things must end, and we reluctantly surrendered our ship in the afternoon to begin our trek to Utah.

Miles: 3162

States: 12

Context-free QOTD:  Do you know who I am?  I’m Jeff Gypsum Jr., and my father owns this mine!