<– Day 4- Saturday March 12th: The Aliens Almost Got Her!  | Beginning | Day 6 – Monday March 14th: Train to Yuma Prison –>

Our first time in Needles, California

Today we drove from Laughlin, Nevada, to Yuma, Arizona (view yesterday’s post here). We began the day brilliantly, with a trip for ‘breakfast’ to Laughlin’s In-N-Out Burger. Ann and her gluten/beef intolerance forced her to spurn a delicious cheeseburger, but she did partake of a few of my fries. I, on the other hand, was quite pleased by my breakfast.

Map of our trip from Laughlin, Nevada, to Yuma, Arizona

We drove north out of Laughlin, crossed the Colorado River, and quickly reached Bullhead City, Arizona. One of our goals was to take a photo with the city’s large tortoise. Our mission was soon accomplished.

Next, I wanted to take a few photos of the Colorado River and the casinos of Laughlin across the river. Somehow, my wife thought that meant stepping into the cold river.

Laughlin’s Colorado Belle Resort & Casino

Ann freezing her feet in the Colorado River

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<– Day 3- Friday March 11th: Dining in an Ely Jail  | Beginning | Day 5 – Sunday March 13th: Camels & Cones –>

Good thing I was there to keep her from getting beamed up! I’d miss my travel partner.

Today we drove from Ely to Laughlin (see Yesterday’s post). We hadn’t planned to go that far, but hotels/motels in Vegas on Saturday night were expensive, while Laughlin was dirt cheap. And, since we’d never been there, we decided this was the opportune time!

We drove from Ely to Laughlin.

Our first objective of the day was a visit to the Ward Charcoal ovens. To reach them, we drove south on highway 50, a road that spans the width of Nevada and once called the loneliest road in America by Life Magazine. Just past Ely, we turned onto a dirt road and followed it for ten miles or so. As usual, when we arrived, we had the place to ourselves.

The ovens were constructed in the late 1800s to turn wood into charcoal for fuel in nearby smelters. When coke replaced charcoal, they were then used as, among other things, places to stay for sheep herders and cowboys. Finally, the area was turned into a state park. The ovens were much larger and in better shape than the one’s we’d seen yesterday in Utah.

History of the ovens.

How they make charcoal.

The six ovens all lined up. The setting was georgeous.

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<– Day 2- Thursday March 10th: We Forgot to Pack Our Maps?  | Beginning | Day 4 – Saturday March 12th: The Aliens Almost Got Her! –>

Ann doesn’t seem to mind being jailed. She’s enjoying her strawberry margarita.

Day three took us from Provo, Utah, to Ely, Nevada (See yesterday’s post here). We spent the night in Provo, because I got a deal on a hotel. The downside was that, in the morning, when I went down to the jeep I witnessed what appeared to be an odd transaction between two normal looking guys who could have been BYU students. Moments after I saw them exchange something in the middle of the parking lot, the police showed up. All this time I thought the best action was in Salt Lake City!!

Ann was trying not to be obvious, hence the blurry photo.

Day 3: Provo to Ely

From Provo, we drove south I-15, until we exited for Delta. For the next few hours we saw some sagebrush, some dirt, some mountains, and some snow. We even saw a couple flatties, too!! And, that’s about it. The Great Basin area is a desolate place and, if you like that kind of space, like my oldest son does, this is a bit of heaven. Here are some pics.

This cement factory broke up the drive.

These two kilns are located along Highway 50.

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