July 2026 – Home By Way of Vegas

July for us began in California. California, as a whole, was enjoyable, pleasantly cool, and comfortable. Barstow, CA, was hot and dry, but still the best place for us to spend one night on our way to Las Vegas for six nights. Our home for those nights was Desert Eagle Campground at Nellis Air Force Base. The heat followed us there—-110 degrees (or higher).

On our first full day at the campground, we hardly left the trailer except to take Mortimer for walks and to finish setting it up for a six-night stay. Late in the afternoon, we decided to drive to the Las Vegas Strip to try our luck. Helen did well, and that’s all I’m saying. We stayed home on night two to do some cleaning and organizing for the long trip home and to watch some World Cup Soccer.

On night three, I felt brave enough to venture into a casino once more, but I wasn’t going back to the Strip. It’s too busy, and I thought a new location might improve my odds of at least breaking even. We decided to try the area around the Fremont Hotel and Casino in the older section of Sin City.

The Plaza in front of the Fremont stretches for several blocks and offers covered space and access to many bars and entertainment venues. It’s also a fun place to spend an evening away from the heat. The Chippendales were performing near the Fremont. I offered to purchase Helen a ticket, but she passed. The gaming tables were a bigger draw.

We did passably well that night and returned for one more during our stay so I could give it all back. Despite coming up short, I still had fun and learned that Fremont Plaza is a good alternative to the famous Vegas Strip. I recommend it to anyone planning a trip.

In the campground, we were treated to a brilliant Fourth of July sunset and watched the Washington, D.C. fireworks display on television for an exciting conclusion to our time in Las Vegas.

Our route home usually follows the same path along I-40. We drive to Flagstaff, AZ for two nights, then Albuquerque, NM for two more. Next comes Amarillo and Oklahoma City. On previous trips, we have followed Oklahoma City with a night near Ft. Smith, Arkansas, but we learned that the electricity was out at that campground, so we drove a bit further east to Edens RV Resort in Pottsville, Arkansas. The reviews were very good, and we agreed with everything that was said. Edens was a new campground, but the owners were doing everything necessary to make it successful.

From Pottsville, we made it to Parker’s Crossroads in West Tennessee for one night before the long drive to Knoxville. We were home on July 17. I was pleasantly surprised at how green everything was. After spending three months without a drop of rain after leaving in April, Knoxville appeared green and lush. I later learned that a lot of rain had worked its way up the Tennessee Valley.

Shortly after arriving, word came from Carter, our favorite grandson, that his volleyball team won the AAU Under 15 national championship in Orlando, FL…quite an accomplishment. They never lost a match throughout the tournament.

As soon as everything was put away and our fifth-wheel camper returned to storage, I made time for my exercise class. It felt great to stretch my legs after so much driving.  Helen returned to her pottery class, her pickleball pals, and the church choir. Mortimer gathered his treasure trove of Teddys and assumed his favorite position under Helen’s puzzle table.

We had a wonderful trip, but there’s no place like home. Thanks for stopping by.