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Scott & Deb's EXcellent RV Adventures: Twelve Days, Eleven Nights

339A

Well Known Member
Twelve Days, Eleven Nights – Part 1
by Deb Mills


Vacations are as varied as the activities they revolve around. Flying, driving, boating, water sports, socializing, barbeques, restaurants, amusement parks, bunking with friends, camping, hoteling, historic landmarks, scenic tours, dancing, parties, shopping, and live entertainment are standard leisure time faves. Whether you prefer to marvel at the natural beauty of God's creation or a popular tourist attraction, time constraints and logistics usually dictate that choices be made. Will you head for the coast, the mountains, the desert, or the bedazzling glitz of a destination like Vegas? While the average American holiday doesn't typically include all of the activities listed above, our most recent RV adventure was anything but average!

With myself and Paul "Rosie" Rosales reaching the half-century milestone in September, our spouses, Scott and Victoria, set about the task of planning a 50th Birthday Bash in our honor. The details had yet to be ironed out when they began strategizing back in February, but two things were certain--the shindig would be held in a hangar at the Boulder City Airport, and the Mills & Ziliks would be RVing to the Silver State together.

Early in the party-planning stage, Rosie and Tuppergal asked if we (and the Ziliks) would like to join them on a three-day primitive camping excursion on Lake Mohave. We would fly to the Boulder City Airport on Wednesday, where the RVs would be hangared until our flight home the following Monday. Paul and Victoria would make the four-hour drive with their Suburban and boat packed full of camping and party supplies. Following a stop at the airport to meet up with us and offload all but the camping and boating necessities, they/we would then make the one-hour drive to Cottonwood Cove for the boat launch.

Scott & I had planned to take a trip to the Northwest in June. Our two-fold mission was to stick a few more pins in our 339A Airport Landings Map and make a stop in Portland, Oregon to meet fellow RV builder Bruce Swayze and his wife Jamie. Just about the time we began firming up the details, Scott learned that he needed to be in Aruba on business during that same timeframe. While two weeks on a Caribbean island would certainly not be considered a hardship (even when it's work related), it did force us to put the Northwest tour on hold.

At some point, Rosie mentioned to Scott that he planned on flying to the Van's Homecoming at the end of August. Independence, Oregon, where the homecoming is now held, is just 61 miles (as the crow flies) from where Bruce & Jaime live. Since we probably wouldn't be making the LOE fly-in this year and had never been to the Van's event, we decided to work the homecoming, a mini Northwest tour, and a visit with the Swayzes into our travel plans.

This is when we began connecting the dots that would transform a three-day weekend in/around Vegas into twelve days and eleven nights of fun, fun, fun! If we left on the 27th, we could overnight with the Swayzes in Portland. Next day, after a bit of high altitude sightseeing, we'd fly 28 miles southwest to the Aurora State Airport and tour the Van's factory. A quick 20-minute hop and we'd be at the Independence State Airport for the homecoming festivities on the 28th and 29th. With the camping trip beginning on Wednesday, we'd head straight from Independence to Rosamond Skypark on Sunday to bunk at the “Dew Drop Inn” (aka Casa de Rosales) for a few days. While in SoCal, why not spend a day riding the coasters at Six Flags, Magic Mountain? On Wednesday, we'd be off to Boulder City and then Lake Mohave. Friday morning, back to Boulder City to pick up a rental car and drive 18 miles to Henderson where we'd stay at the Residence Inn Marriott for the remainder of our time in Nevada. It was doable.

Throw in a couple more scenic aerial tours (one of which was a 13-ship operation led by Mark "Dula" Dulaney), a bit of shopping for the ladies, the birthday bash, the Vegas strip, and Blue Man Group, and you've got one whopper of a vacation! If you substitute the word trip for the word ad, and delete all references to beer, this conveys the enormity of the Mills/Zilik expedition. OK ... a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the idea. This vacation was B I G! In fact, it was so big that it’ll take several posts just to summarize it.


Trip Journal:

Day 1/Thursday, August 27th (scroll down for subsequent posts)

It was 63 degrees on the ground when the Mills/Zilik flight departed Front Range Airport at 6:55 a.m. MDT. Our eventual destination for the day was Troutdale Airport in Portland, Oregon, with three scheduled landings in between.


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Bright morning sun captured through Deb’s canopy screen shortly after takeoff.

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Stop #1 - Landed at the Laramie Regional Airport. The FBO’s name/sign are appropriate to the Cowboy State. After topping off our tanks (and collecting our virtual map pin), we departed KLAR at 8:10 and headed for our next scheduled stop in Gooding, Idaho.

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We flew over a lush little oasis in middle-of-nowhere Wyoming that is appropriately named Eden.

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Stop #2 - Four hours after departing KFTG, we landed at Gooding Airport to collect an Idaho pin, fuel up, and eat lunch. The courtesy car was unavailable, so we took to the skies toward Nampa Municipal in search of food. As it turned out, the payoff for making an unscheduled stop was a very tasty lunch at the Runway Café.

Crossing over the Columbia River at the Dalles Bridge/Dam

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Stop #4 - After landing at the picturesque Columbia Gorge Regional/Dalles Municipal Airport, we collected our Washington pin and enjoyed a cold drink at the Full Stop Café.

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En route to Troutdale, we flew the Columbia River gorge at an altitude of about 1,000'. It was absolutely beautiful. Click here to see a short video clip.

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At 3:17 PDT, we touched down at Troutdale where it was a toasty 98 degrees. Wheels up to wheels down for the first day of our journey came in at 9:20, with flight time at around 6:30. We had landed in four states and traveled 1,067 miles.

Changing landscapes …

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Bruce Swayze picked us up, chauffeured us around a bit, and then took us to his home about 20 minutes from the airport. We sure did appreciate Bruce & Jamie’s graciousness in giving us a place to lay our heads for the night even though they already had a full house. They and their family welcomed us with open arms, fed us like kings, and treated us like royalty!

More to follow …
 
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Great stuff...

...looking forward to reading more! Glad to see you guys are back safe.
 
Scott & Deb,
It was great having you here, and hosting you & the Zilik's for the night. Thanks for posting the pictures. I especially liked the video of the flight through the Gorge! Can't wait to get my plane finished so we can join you. Please come stay with us again!
 
Twelve Days, Eleven Nights - Part 2

Day 2/Friday, August 28th

The guys spent a fair amount of time in the garage checking out Bruce’s RV-7A project. He’s making good progress and they are quite impressed with his workmanship. (L-R Carolyn, Gary, Bruce, Scott, Deb)

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After departing Troutdale at 10:30, we flew back up the gorge and then north to Mt. Saint Helens for a look-see. The old gal is still smoldering.

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Next stop, Aurora State Airport for lunch and a Van’s tour. Although circumstances prevented us from taking the formal tour, we were able to poke around inside the facility. It’s interesting to see the machinery do its thing.

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Although there are no on-field restaurants, the folks at the Aurora Jet Center were hosting their last free Friday BBQ of the summer. We enjoyed a nice little lunch of burgers, sausages, salads, chips, & corn. Can’t beat a free lunch!

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MVFR conditions in the direction of Independence forced even the coolest of aviators, the Flying Ace, to turn tail back to Aurora.

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At about 3:40 PDT, we taxied to runway 35 for the second time. While still in the traffic pattern, we heard Richard VanGrunsven announce his departure from KUAO. Scott quipped about having the man himself flying right behind us and this started an amusing discussion about the scene in Top Gun where Goose says, “Oh great, Jester’s up.”

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The flight to Independence was quite scenic. By 4:20 we had landed, registered, met our hosts John & Shirley Horn, and were stowing our planes at their lovely home not far from the ramp. They are hospitable folks, and we thank them for having us!

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There was a looooong line for the homecoming BBQ on Friday night.

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Shootin’ the breeze with the Ziliks, Mr. VAF , and our SoCal friends

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After the BBQ, we put on our dancing shoes and headed to Dennis & Eileen Krummel’s for a hangar party. Former Vegas performer Dave Upton provided the musical entertainment. Some of us danced, some of us socialized, all of us had a lot of fun! We’d like to post some of the dancing photos but they’ve been classified.


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(L-R Paul “Rosie” Rosales, Bruce Swayze, Doug Reeves)

More to follow ...
 
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Scott,
Great photos!
Makes me wish I was still based out west so I could take in some of those flying adventures.

Let me know when you all start your caribbean plans. I'd like to join you all next year.
 
Twelve Days, Eleven Nights - Part 3

Day 3/ Saturday, August 29th

Our first order of business at Independence State Airport on Saturday morning was a good feed at the pancake breakfast hosted by EAA Chapter 292.

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It’s a pretty sweet deal when the drive from your home to the airport involves nothing more than a short taxi from your driveway to the ramp.

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Our five-ship gaggle (Mills, Zilik, Rosales, Sousa, Eulitt/Farrell) was wheels up toward Pacific City State Airport at 12:20 PDT. Shortly after takeoff, we were joined by another flyer whose name was Jerry (before landing we were also joined by Denny & Kirk). Jerry was quite familiar with the area and willingly accepted Rosie’s invitation to assume the lead position. The cloud cover, interspersed with patches of bright blue sky and spotty showers, made for a real pretty flight toward the coast.

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As we approached our destination, there was back and forth chatter about weather over the field at KPFC. Perhaps conditions were more favorable for landing at McMinnville or Tillamook? Ultimately, the broken cloud cover continued to shift til the skies over Pacific Coast allowed for safe VFR landing. The views along the coastline were absolutely spectacular. Some of the most scenic flying we’ve done. The pics just don’t do justice to the beauty we saw that day.

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Upon landing we learned that the last name of our capable gaggle leader was VanGrunsven.

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By the time we had finished our leisurely hour-long lunch at The Grateful Bread Restaurant and Bakery, sky conditions had worsened to the point that a VFR departure was out of the question.

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About an hour later, those big blue spots that would prompt our speedy departure began to reappear. Once topside of the broken cloud deck, it was smooth sailing back to Independence.

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(click here for more flying photos - best viewed in slideshow mode)

The culmination of the Van’s Homecoming festivities was a delicious prime rib/chicken banquet later that evening. We ate a good meal, listened to keynote speakers, watched a beautiful sunset, and sat around enjoying the company of friends and acquaintances until we were all but kicked out of the tent.

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More to follow ...
 
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Nice pic's!

WOW, looks like a lot of fun. I think you really captured the essence of experimental/sport aviation with that trip (planes, friends, family). Can't wait to get started on my project!
 
Day 2/Friday, August 28th
... By 4:00 we had landed, registered, met our hosts John & Shirley Horn, and were stowing our planes at their lovely home not far from the ramp. They are hospitable folks, and we thank them for having us!

...

I guess their home is a popular one for pictures... here's a couple that will go in the Coffee table book.

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Sorry...

... it's taken so long to reply. I'm busy trying to get ready for a work trip to VA this weekend. Hope to take the plane, looks like we might be able to make it in there Sunday.

Deb still has 9 more days to sort through with lots of flying left to summarize. She will keep updating the post as time permits.


Scott & Deb,
It was great having you here, and hosting you & the Zilik's for the night. Thanks for posting the pictures.


Thanks again for putting up with us.... Oh, I mean putting us up. :p BTW, I love the look of the anodized canopy rails. You've got the right idea there.


Scott,
Great photos!
Makes me wish I was still based out west so I could take in some of those flying adventures.

Let me know when you all start your Caribbean plans. I'd like to join you all next year.

Dan, we have no trip planned to the Caribbean for next year, but there is one being planned for Puerto Rico in 2011. E-mail Rosie if you are interested, he has a list going. This will make sure that you stay up-to-date with trip info.

WOW, looks like a lot of fun. I think you really captured the essence of experimental/sport aviation with that trip (planes, friends, family). Can't wait to get started on my project!

You've got that right. We have really enjoyed all the places the plane takes us. We plan to continue that trend as long as possible. The sooner you get started, the sooner you'll be flying with us.

I guess their home is a popular one for pictures... here's a couple that will go in the Coffee table book.


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I knew I should have left my plane outside. That's what I get for being selfish and trying to keep it dry. :p Beautiful pictures Bruce, we are looking forward to the book. Deb keeps bugging me for a better camera. Looks like I have a Christmas present for her.
 
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Thank you Scott and Deb

Enjoyed the travel story and pictures very much. Waiting for more.
 
Twelve Days, Eleven Nights - Part 4

Day 4/Sunday, August 30th

Our Sunday morning itinerary began with a breakfast gathering at the Starduster Café before bidding farewell to our wonderful homecoming hosts and hitting the skies over Independence, Oregon.

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(L-R Scott, Deb, Gary, Carolyn, Shirley & John Horn)

The Mills/Souza flight would be heading south to Rosamond, California. The Zilik/Rosales flight would be heading southeast to Nevada in order to drop Rosie’s plane at the Boulder City Airport before heading to Rosamond. One of the morning activities that had been planned for the 50th Birthday Bash was a scenic flying tour in the vicinity of Boulder City. More about that later …

In light of the overcast conditions at 7S5, Gary and Rosie decided to detour north in search of clearer skies to the southeast. As they readied for flight, Paul removed his cowl in order to troubleshoot a recurring solenoid issue. As an observer, it was comical to watch what happened—within moments of the cowl coming off, every pilot in the vicinity was drawn to the exposed engine like a moth to the flame. Even more amusing was the precision tool Rosie used to fix the problem—a rock!

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The Mills/Souza flight, which departed at 10:30 PDT—about 20 minutes behind Gary and Paul, was diverted back toward Independence shortly after takeoff due to what we call “the squeeze.” In other words, the ceiling and the ground were getting increasingly closer together. Shortly after turning north toward 7S5, Rosie and Gary reported “seeing the light” in a northwesterly direction. We followed the heading given to us by Paul until we too saw the light. We continued toward it and slipped through the big blue hole that would put us “onnatop.”

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It sure was bright above the cloud layer. As we flew about 73 miles east of the Pacific coast, we could see mountain peaks poking through. Less than 30 minutes after going topside, the skies opened up for a real pretty ride into Red Bluff Municipal--our petrol/potty stop between Independence and Rosamond.

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Mount Shasta

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About 2.5 hours after departing Independence, we arrived at Red Bluff. Bill and his three passengers (Sharon, Victoria, and Carolyn) arrived about 20 minutes ahead of us in the RV10. After fueling up, we ate lunch at Valeigh's Airpark Restaurant. It was during the leg from 7S5 to KRBL that 339A broke the 600-hour mark on the Hobbs meter! Over half way to 1,000 … woohoo!

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We departed Red Bluff ahead of Bill en route to LØØ at about 2:15. Lots of growing going on in what some have referred to as "the most productive unnatural environment on Earth,” aka the San Joaquin valley.

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The lush growing fields eventually give way to the desert landscape. Shortly before flying over the Tehachapi bump, we were amazed to be able to hear/talk with Rosie and Gary who were 200 miles east of us!

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We landed at Rosamond at 4:35 PDT. Gary and Rosie arrived at around 7:15 after a somewhat grueling flight from Boulder City due to the wildfire in Acton, California. Victoria prepared us a delish dinner of carne asada, homemade salsa, and the fresh corn she had purchased when we landed at Pacific City in Oregon.

More to follow …
 
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Mr Zombie

Day 4/Sunday, August 30th

Our Sunday morning itinerary began with a breakfast gathering at the Starduster Caf? before bidding farewell to our wonderful homecoming hosts and hitting the skies over Independence, Oregon.

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L-R Scott, Deb, Gary, Carolyn, Shirley & John Horn?

I don't remember being hungover or "Zombie Like" That has got to be the worst picture of me ever!
 
great pic

I don't remember being hungover or "Zombie Like" That has got to be the worst picture of me ever!

yeah, nice pic Gary!! Smile, act like you're having fun. :)
 
yikes!

I think Mike called it.

Either that or Gary is trying to imitate this:eek:

I miss the gang, looks like I missed the fun too.

Be well all.
 
epilogue...

The last part of the story is that John Horn is now the owner of an RV-12 kit his wife Shirley purchased for him after your departure. Something good must have rubbed off during your stay!!
 
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Deb Says...

.... stop picking on poor Gary. He's being a good sport about it. (She would never allow such a picture of herself to go public!)

The last part of the story is that John Horn is now the owner of an RV-12 kit his wife Shirley purchased for him after your departure. Something good must have rubbed off during your stay!!

So glad to hear I have finally had a positive influence on someone in my life. Or maybe it was Gary. :confused:
 
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Twelve Days, Eleven Nights - Part 5

Day 5/Monday, August 31st

While flying your homebuilt airplane here, there, and everywhere is certainly thrilling, we were in for thrills of a different sort on Monday when our party of five (Mills, Zilik, and Victoria) headed for Six Flags, Magic Mountain. Scott and I had never seen so many coasters gathered together in one park.

Some might prefer to start slow and work their way up, but not our group of daredevils—we dove right into max thrills with the X2. As we began our slow backward ascent to the summit, before the plummet, the sounds of Harry Connick, Jr. played through the speakers behind our heads. Then, before our carriage of death flipped us face down 20 stories above the earth, we heard the voice of a drill sergeant demanding that we not be wimps! Carolyn sucked it up and didn’t scream at all—I, on the other hand, never stopped screaming.

And so went the day. Viper, Terminator Salvation, Deja Vu, Tatsu, Riddler’s Revenge, and Superman, as well as some of the tamer coasters and water rides. Not everyone rode every ride, but every one of us had a blast! My personal fave, Terminator Salvation, is situated right next to Deja Vu—the ride that kicked Scott’s butt by tumbling the rocks in his head … I mean ears. Deja Vu is the blue one, and as its name would imply, you go forward at a fast rate of speed before going backward at a fast rate of speed! It’s enough to scramble the brains of even the most avid coaster enthusiast.

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Gary proved to be the real “man of steel” by riding Superman not once, not twice, but thrice—in rapid succession.

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Day 6/ Tuesday, September 1st

The ladies helped Victoria plan, shop, and prepare for the camping / boating portion of our adventure. As with everything Rosales, she and Paul have the primitive-camping-on-the-river thing down to a science.

Scott and Gary flew to Mohave Space Port for a bit of sightseeing and lunch. While there, they visited Scaled Composites. Although not allowed to go beyond the front office, they were able to see the X Prize and a few of Burt Rutan’s awards.

Day 7/Wednesday, September 2nd

First things first. As with any camping excursion, you can’t commence with the fun until you’ve taken care of the packing and loading.

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By 11:15, the Mills/Zilik flight was taxiing toward Rosamond's runway 26 en route to Boulder City Municipal. Rosie and Victoria would make the 4-hour drive in the Suburban with boat in tow.

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The ongoing wildfire made for smoky skies as we climbed to our cruising altitude. Though hot on the ground, we managed to find 68-degree air. As we made our way northeast, showers and thunder storms dotted the landscape. Scott witnessed a thunder boomer sending a bolt of lightning to the ground right in front of PZ. This, of course, prompted an immediate and speedy course deviation.

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One-and-a-half hours after leaving Rosamond, we touched down at KBVU.

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Quite paradoxical to see a well-manicured golf course, complete with artificial sand traps, surrounded by nuttin’ but sand.

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On arrival we were greeted by Mark "Dula" Dulaney who directed us to Glenn’s hangar where our planes would be stowed for the duration of our stay at Boulder City—many thanks to Glenn.

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After doing the RV shuffle to fit all three planes, we waited it out in Dula’s hangar for about an hour until Scott and Tanya Card arrived (with homebaked chocolate chip cookies in hand). Then it was lunch at the Boulder Creek Grill while we awaited the arrival of Rosie and Tuppergal.

Two Rosaleses, two Millses, and one Zilik piled into the Surburban, followed behind by the Cards and Gary, for the drive to Cottonwood Cove in Searchlight, NV—part of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. By about 6:00 p.m., the boat had been launched and we were scoping out the perfect beach on which to setup camp.

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The evening was perfect. A beautiful spot. Swimming the temperate waters of Lake Mohave by moonlight. Enjoying good conversation among friends. We talked, snacked, took in the view, and pounded back a few cold ones (beer for some, soda for others) until turning in at around 10:30.

Everyone but Scott and I slept under the stars. Air temps were warm but not oppressive. The moon was full and bright shining through the screen roof of our tent. As the chatter died down, we were lulled to sleep by the sound of water lapping against the shore and fish jumping in the lake. It just doesn’t get any better than this. Unless, of course, you’re a guy in a beer commercial and the Swedish bikini team shows up. ;-)

More to follow …
 
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That is one nice hangar, and one b-e-a-utiful campsite. Really enjoying this write up, looking forward to the rest of it. Thanks for sharing!
 
That is one nice hangar, and one b-e-a-utiful campsite. Really enjoying this write up, looking forward to the rest of it. Thanks for sharing!

Hi Scott,
I was just showing my wife the hangar photo and didn't realize it was in Boulder City. I thought it looked familiar. We used to have our EAA meetings in Glenn's hangar. I could live there.:)
 
Scott & Deb,

Another GREAT write-up! I'm enjoying every one of them, too. Keep 'em coming. Oh... congrats on the new 696, Scott! I'm anxious to see pics and more, and your impressions of it.
 
Twelve Days, Eleven Nights - Part 6

Day 8/ Thursday, September 3rd

Campers began coming to life at around 6:30. The water, which was calm and smooth as glass early in the morning, beckoned a few of us in for a dip. After eating breakfast and slathering up with SPF 1,000, everyone (except Deb) piled into the boat for a couple hours of frolicking on the river. Not one for water sports, I chose to hang out at the campsite enjoying the view and catching up on my blogging notes.

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After the gang returned from skiing/wake boarding, we headed upriver for some high-speed sightseeing.

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I?m not sure how many miles upriver we had traveled, but we eventually stopped for gas, snacks, and a potty break. Shortly after pulling away from the dock, Rosie encouraged all those who were willing to jump in and cool off. Scott, first to take the bait, eagerly dove right in?much colder water closer to the dam made him equally as eager to get back in the boat.

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One of man?s modern marvels in all its glory, the Hoover Dam was a sight to behold. The arch bridge is part of the Hoover Dam Bypass that is being constructed to divert motor traffic away from the dam itself.

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Scott and Tanya Card would be heading to Vegas for the night, so after dropping them back at the marina, the rest of us partook of a tasty lunch and pretty view at the Cottonwood Cove Caf?.

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More water skiing, tubing for Carolyn and Deb, Frisbee on the beach for the guys, a delicious dinner of marinated grilled chicken, and an absolutely gorgeous moonrise topped off yet another awesome day of camping on Lake Mohave!

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Day 9/ Friday, September 4th

We broke camp at around 10:00 a.m. and headed back to Boulder City Airport to pick up rental cars/luggage and drive to Henderson for the hotel portion of our adventure.

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After a nice hot shower and retrieving daughter Cassie from the Vegas Airport, we headed to the Office Five Bar and Grill where about 20 of us gathered for dinner. Thanks to Scott and Rosie for treating everyone to pizza, wings, salad, and liquid refreshments!!

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More to follow ...
 
Twelve Days, Eleven Nights ? Part 7

Day 10/Saturday, September 5th


Saturday morning found us in Mark & Pat Dulaney’s hangar preparing for a 13-ship RV sightseeing tour. Pilots and passengers gathered around flight leader Dula and the whiteboard for position assignments and pre-flight briefing.

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Mustang Flight pulled into the conga line for taxi to runway 27 based on position numbers. Gary “Condor” Sobek and I were right behind the Ziliks and N339A. I must admit that it was a bit strange to be photographing our airplane from the passenger seat of another RV.

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(click here for a short photo montage/video clip - we are having problems with this link so if it doesn't work, try back later.)

I’ll go out on a limb here and say with relative certainty that our group tour of the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Valley of Fire, and Vegas strip was unlike any being offered by local touring services. The only thing better than flying solo in your RV is flying with twelve of your RVing friends. Thanks to Mark Dulaney for setting things up and being such a capable flight leader. Thanks to Gary Sobek for giving me “a lift” so that Cass could fly with her dad. Gary is a conscientious pilot who is rather adept at countering prop wash—my absolute least favorite thing about gaggle flying.

After the tour, Sharon Souza, Cass, and I did a bit of shopping at the Fashion Outlet Mall. A great big THANK YOU to Bill Souza who played chauffeur for the afternoon instead of hanging with his flying buds. What a great guy!

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While we shopped the HUGE mall, busy-bee Victoria and her helpers (Carolyn et. al.) shopped, prepared, and decorated for the 50th Birthday Bash. Over the course of the afternoon/evening, we figure about 40 peeps popped in to wish happy birthday to the newest members of the AARP club.

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We get around surprisingly well for people our age. ;-)

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Day 11/ Sunday, September 6th

For those of you familiar with the movie Vegas Vacation, I would describe Sunday as “an alone day.” Some of us went zip lining. Some of us stuck around the hotel. Some of us hung at the hangar. And some of us walked the strip. Cass and I were part of the latter group.

The Luxor

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The New York, New York

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Later on Sunday night, the Blue Man Group wowed some of us with their unique brand of entertainment. Cass, looking lovely with the new Coach bag we bought at the mall. Can you spell RIDICULOUSLY OVERPRICED?!

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After the show, Scott, Cass, Rosie, Gary Z., and I made our way to Freemont Street, referred to by some as the “old-style” Vegas. In my estimation, Vegas (both old and new) lives up to each of its nicknames: City of Lights, Entertainment Capital of the World, Glitter Gulch, The Strip, and Sin City.

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One more post to follow …
 
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Twelve Days, Eleven Nights ? Final Post

Day 12/Monday, September 7th

After breakfast at the hotel, pilots and passengers prepared for the return flight home. 





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Rosie and Tuppergal took off out of Boulder City right behind 339A, with Seismo and Red in the number 3 slot. Mills/Zilik flight headed in a northeasterly direction toward the Front Range and the Rosaleses headed for Rosamond.



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The ride home was relatively smooth, at least till we hit Colorado. The view out the window was pretty as we left the desert behind and headed back into the hills. The Country Bounty is one of my fave places to eat, so we usually make a point of refueling the planes and ourselves in Salida, Colorado.

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After departing Harriett Alexander Airport, we had less than one hour before touching down back at KFTG.

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An over-the-shoulder shot as we head out of the rock pile, over the red rocks, and into the Great Plains.

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The Denver Tech Center

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No matter how much we’ve enjoyed a particular trip, our home airport is always a welcome sight.

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As we moved the cars out of the hangar and the planes back in, Gary found his camera right where he had left it.

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This is the final installment of our Twelve Days, Eleven Nights RV adventure summary. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment (check out our website for more details about this or any of our RV adventures). If, in sharing our stories, we inspire one wannabe-builder to take the plunge, encourage one in-process builder to stick with it, or motivate one post-builder/owner to fly beyond their own back yard, then we’ve hit the mark.

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I guess the central theme in all the travel stories we read on this site is that completion of the building project is not the end—it’s the means to an end. The philosophy behind recreational flying was eloquently summed up by friend/RV builder Bruce Swayze when he said,

It’s all about a lifestyle many of us aspire to. It’s all about freedom. It’s America. It’s a lot of things near and dear to the heart. That’s why I’m building an airplane. It’s not really about the airplane. It’s about the lifestyle that having an airplane opens up for you.

Well said, Bruce!

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Trip Duration: 12 days, 11 nights

Individual Flights: 18

Total Flight Hours: 24

Total Miles: 3,664

States Traversed: Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah
New States Landed in: Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, Oregon

Try doing that in the family station wagon! ;-)

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EXCELLENT job, Deb!! I've enjoyed reading every one of your posts so much! Almost 5,000 hits on this report so far... I'd say you've done an awesome job of inspiring a lot of people. I'm going to pull Jamie in here and show it all to her now that you've finished it. I look forward to staying in touch with you and Scott, and Gary & Carolyn, too.

Tell Gary I'm glad he found his camera!
 
It's almost like I was there

Deb,
You managed to capture the essence of the trip. This was one of our best trips to date and made so by the company that we traveled with. Red and I hope to have many more memorable trips with you two in the years to come.
 
Hi Scott,
I was just showing my wife the hangar photo and didn't realize it was in Boulder City. I thought it looked familiar. We used to have our EAA meetings in Glenn's hangar. I could live there.:)

It IS a beautiful hangar. I sure wouldn't mind having it. It's for sale if you want to move to Boulder City. :rolleyes:

Speaking of hangars ... Looks like I'll be in Florida the beginning of December for about two weeks on another work project. If you wouldn't mind keeping an eye out for available hangar space at BKV, I'd appreciate it.

nice job Deb/Scott!! looks like a blast

Glad you enjoyed the write-up. It WAS a blast!

EXCELLENT job, Deb!! I've enjoyed reading every one of your posts so much! Almost 5,000 hits on this report so far... I'd say you've done an awesome job of inspiring a lot of people. I'm going to pull Jamie in here and show it all to her now that you've finished it. I look forward to staying in touch with you and Scott, and Gary & Carolyn, too.

Tell Gary I'm glad he found his camera!

Good to know that folks are reading/enjoying our stories, Bruce. We will most certainly stay in touch and plan to make our way back up there to see you and Jamie again sometime.

Deb,
You managed to capture the essence of the trip. This was one of our best trips to date and made so by the company that we traveled with. Red and I hope to have many more memorable trips with you two in the years to come.

We too rank this trip as one of our best. Here's to many more!

Great trip report! So......who's going to write the screenplay?

LOL! No movie offers yet, but we're hopeful. ;)
 
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