However, the wind started picking up and while heading down Hwy 93 south of Twin Falls, ID we ran into some substantial gusts. The fifth wheel handles well in that type of weather but, knowing the weather reports were calling for even more wind, we decided to hit the jackpot. Jackpot, NV that is!
Fortunately, Cactus Pete's in Jackpot has a very clean, very level, very reasonably priced rv park right next to the casino/hotel. Unfortunately, they also have some incredibly tight slot machines. (Don't ask!)
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| RV Park at Cactus Pete's in Jackpot, NV |
The wind roared all afternoon and into early evening before it finally calmed. Any further travel that day would have been unwise and, casino aside, we were glad we had stopped.
West Wendover
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| Historic Wendover Will...63' tall...welcoming us to town! Brother to Vegas Vic and Laughlin Lou...all designed in the early 1950's by Pat Denner, who also designed the image of Colonel Sanders for KFC. |
The next morning we finished our journey. As we crested the hill above West Wendover, we were treated to the awesome sight of the Bonneville Salt flats stretching out as far as the eye could see! We later learned that the top of that hill is famous as a spot to actually see the curvature of the earth due to the expanse of the flats.
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| Salt Flats and road to Speedway from one of our GeoCaching adventures. |
We took advantage of that afternoon's hot, sunny weather to get out and explore the area. Wendover has a rich history. A few highlights:
* Rather like the importance of the Golden Spike for the railroad, the last telephone pole to complete coast-to-coast telephone lines was placed on the Nevada/Utah border in Wendover in 1914. The first coast-to-coast call included Alexander Graham Bell on the East Coast, Thomas Watson on the West Coast, and President Woodrow Wilson at the White House. Do you think anyone has ever calculated how many gazillions of calls went over those lines after that?
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| Tom at telephone pole monument. |
*The atomic bombs dropped on Japan during WWII were actually built at the airfield here. No matter what ones political opinion may be, it is sobering to see the lonely looking buildings sitting out on the edge of the Salt Flats and to think about how many lives were impacted by those weapons.
*Many movies have been all or partially filmed here...Independence Day, Con Air, Mulholland Falls, The Core, Hulk and, oddly, Pirates of the Caribbean. A number of sets built for the films still remain.
The Storm
We knew a thunderstorm or two was in the forecast for Friday evening. It seemed there was no place in Nevada, Arizona, or Utah that we could go to avoid that. However, we didn't expect the fury with which the storm arrived!
Looking out the RV window, we could see some dust type clouds rolling over the flats. Next thing we knew, the trailer was rocking like a giant hand was shaking it! As the storm collapsed on top of us, it created 70 mph winds that hit us broadside...and had us scurrying for more substantial temporary shelter in the KOA store/laundry building.
As the wind died down, the rain started. Heavy rain pounded all night and by morning had left dozens of deep channels all through the rv park. The store roof was leaking in a number of places and staff said they had never witnessed a storm like that here. Gee...we sure timed our visit perfectly!
Visting the Salt Flats
Today we drove out to the Bonneville Salt Flats International Speedway. Any plans we may have had to see how fast the truck could run across the salt would have been seriously thwarted by one fact...the salt flats were entirely under water!
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| Flooded salt flats...right at the Speedway entrance! |
The amount of rain from last nights storm flooded the area.
In addition, there has been so much rain lately, from the same storms that flooded Phoenix and Vegas, that the World Finals Speed Week at the flats was canceled twice this month and will not be held this year at all! They'll try again next year...
It was interesting to see the C-123 used in the filming of Conair.
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