My Adventures in Nevada

What a vacation this has been! My family and I have been keeping busy, going on adventure after adventure. I will attempt to chronicle some of these adventures for you. I hope you enjoy the pictures and stories, and may they inspire you to live your own adventure!

Nevada is a very dry state. On our way to Virginia City last Sunday, we saw a fire in the hills to the side of the road. (This could have either been in Eastern California or Nevada.) Actually, I should say that we saw smoke, because I didn't really see any flames. As shown by this helicopter, help was there to put out the fire, and I'm so glad! It's astounding how fast disaster can strike--we just never know what's going to happen from day to day. But God knows, and there is great comfort in that fact! We shouldn't let what's unknown to us keep us from living our lives to the full for the Lord.

Our first full day of our trip, we headed out to Fallon Naval Air Station, where we looked through the outdoor "museum" of military aircraft. It was incredible to see all of those planes, ranging from the United States' aircraft to Russian aircraft. And hearing my dad's stories and the facts that he knew about those planes was really neat. My dad's whole life has been quite the adventure!

After Fallon, we went to Grimes Point, where we walked for a little while along a trail of rocks with Native American petroglyphs. While the sights on the ground were intriguing, it was the sights in the air that really grabbed our attention. There was quite a storm heading towards us from both directions, it seemed! We saw lightning, heard thunder in the distance, and felt the rush of the wind. It sure added to the mysterious effect of the place, though!

And of course I had to share a picture of one of our favorite signs! Every time we went by this place, we had to say loudly, "Chocolate!" We stopped at this candy shop twice, which is located between Carson City and Virginia City. From sponge candy to taffy--this place had a great selection! Yummy!

Our second full day here, we got a tour of an archaeological dig up on Mount Davidson, above the town of Virginia City. The picture on the left shows some of the places where they had been digging, layer by layer, hoping to uncover artifacts from some of the Cornish miners who had lived up there during Virginia City's heyday. Everybody there was very patient and friendly! They wanted the public to be aware of what they were doing up there, in order to educate others. Isn't that a splendid idea?

Wednesday evening we went to a show, which you can read more about by clicking HERE. The show was called "Shake, Rattle & Roll," and what an exciting time that was! The picture on the right is of all of us (my mom, dad, sister, and me) sitting in anticipation for the show. My sister is holding a stuffed animal we had won at Circus Circus. Now that was an exciting time, too! My mom and I really got in a competitive mood for a while. We emerged victorious with several stuffed animals for my sister, including the one she really wanted. I call that successful! ;)

And I simply had to include a picture of the Red Hat Ladies I spoke of in the post linked to above. They were so cute, all dressed up and getting into the show! Everybody loves the "Oldies" music, right? (They're all sitting up near the front, so hopefully you can see their red and purple outfits in this picture!)

Thursday found us at Lake Tahoe, which is a really busy and crowded place! But the lake is beautiful, and so big! What a grand example of God's lovely creation. The water is very clear and very blue; it looks almost exotic in some places. We enjoyed just taking in the scenery, but we also enjoyed a little fun . . .

by playing miniature golf! There were three different courses at the place we went to, so of course we did the "Grizzly" course--the hardest one. ;) I confess that I didn't do so well, but at least it was entertaining! That's me to the left, getting ready to swing at the ball (and hope it would actually go in the hole eventually!). All of the courses were so cute, and the place was kept up nicely. Lots of fun for sure!

Today (Friday) we went on a train trip from Carson City to Virginia City (and then back again). Again, God's creation was a blessing to see as it went past the train window! And the history of these places--it's just amazing! This picture is one my daddy took of me as the train was rolling down the tracks. My dad was sitting behind me, and I confess it was getting a bit annoying to see a camera suddenly sneak into my view through the window, but oh, well. My dad got his picture!

While we were waiting in Virginia City, we saw the Wild West show (corny but cute) and we rode the TNT Stagelines for the third year in a row! We have so much fun with the stagecoach driver and his wife--they're very friendly and quite a hoot! ;) And what a ride! It's a thrill to sit in that stage and see the desert hills pass around you as you're being jostled and bounced like crazy! If you ever get a chance to ride the stagecoach, don't pass it up. Click HERE if you would like more information about the TNT Stagelines.

Now, we're still here for one more full day, much to my delight. But before I finish up this post, there's one more thing I have to share with you. The place we are staying is the Edith Palmer's Country Inn. The couple who owns it now is Pat and Leisa Findley. Leisa and her son have been feeding us breakfast everyday, and oh my goodness! These breakfasts have been fabulous!!! Take a look at the following pictures to see what I mean:




And Leisa (pictured with us above) has been so nice in answering our questions and taking the time to share some of the Inn's history with us. She's so sweet, and just sitting and talking with her on the beautiful patio area near the building we're staying in has been more than wonderful. I highly recommend this place!

Overall, our adventures have been fantastic! And reading A Hopeful Heart this week was great timing. (If you'd like to read my review of this great book, click HERE.) It's wonderful to have the reminder that God has a plan for our lives and that He is working for our best throughout time and history. I love the saying that history is "His story" because it is so true! God is in control, and He has written His story for each of our lives. Learning about the past helps us remember how God has worked to bring about the present, and it gives us comfort to know He will work these present times into a hopeful and known future.

Thanks for joining me on my adventures!