November 1st,  2017 dawned sunny and warm at our campsite in Boulder Beach Campground at Lake Mead Recreation Area. We enjoyed the beautiful morning as we had our coffee and breakfast. After breakfast, we packed up camp and headed toward the Hoover Dam, stopping for photos of gorgeous Lake Mead along the way.

When we arrived at the Hoover Dam, we were surprised to have to go through a security checkpoint. It makes sense when you think about it but it just had not occurred to us. They checked our car and asked Francis to show them what was in the Trasharoo. Then after asking us a few questions, they let us continue. We found a good spot to park for free. We joined the many tourists walking and exploring the dam. We noticed a lot of Europeans also visiting the dam. It is an amazing feat of engineering and actually really beautiful. You can take a tour inside and learn more about the dam, but we stayed outdoors enjoying the beautiful day and taking lots of photos.

After getting our fill of the dam, we headed back to the jeep and got back on the road. We had not gone far when we stopped at an overlook along the Historic Railroad Hiking Trail. It is a trail located in the Lake Mead Recreation Area that goes through 5 different historic railroad tunnels. One of the tunnels was visible from the overlook along with a beautiful view of the lake. We did not have time to hike that particular day so we have put a return visit to the area on our ever-growing “To Do” list. Our final destination for the day was Kingman, Arizona. A former coworker had recommended it and a fellow camper from Valley of Fire State Park also had great things to say about living in Kingman after relocating his business there from California. After two positive endorsements, it seemed worth checking out.

Once we arrived in Kingman, Arizona, it was time to think about a place to spend the night. A search of campgrounds in the area yielded nothing close by. We found some possibilities that looked ok, but they involved pretty long drives on the kind of back roads that are slow going. Fortunately, there were a number of affordable hotel options to choose from. After comparing rates and reviews, we settled on the Arizona Inn. It was nothing fancy but the staff was very pleasant, the room was nice and clean, and the price was right. We ordered pizza for dinner and relaxed with some TV time which is a luxury for us these days. Half the fun of this trip is never quite knowing how the day is going to end. Pizza and a movie was an unexpected but happy ending.