Chloride...Route 66 and boondocking tonight

After searching yesterday I finally found a T3i I could buy. It was slim pickings as far as Canon products around. I was camera happy today trying out my new toys :)

After leaving Nevada we headed towards Kingman  Arizona and made it as far as Chloride just in time to get out the satellite for game 7 for the Canucks against Chicago and we WON! Yeah Canucks we are moving on to the second round!!!

Donna of 2takinga5th emailed me a collection of boondocking places (Thanks again Donna they will be VERY helpful) and Chloride happened to be in it. Since we were rushed for time we pulled into the first place we came to which was the old school thinking it was the VWV and free. Parking here for the night was $5.00. Water and Electric were available for $10.00 more. We didn't have time to look for a free site so we paid the $5.00 and set up for the game.

In the morning we went a little bit further up the road into Chloride and stopped at the Visitors centre.

the Visitors Centre in Chloride

He was very helpful in pointing out areas to put on our list of things to do on our planned route. Before leaving we took a quick walk around Chloride...here are some of the sights we saw in this little ghost town who refused to die.

Mommy get me out of Jail

Aayla escapes

A few cacti are in bloom

Boots hanging on a fence

This was Sierras favourite yard art...A Horse of course!

An Antique shop

Main street of town

Old gas station

Love the vivid yellow

And the vibrant reds

From here we headed towards Camp Verde along Route 66.

A dust tunnel

Parked on route 66

Trying on some cowgirl hats

"Get your kicks on Route 66"

Daddy getting her "kicks"

Mommy getting her "kicks"

Once we started getting close to Camp Verde we began looking for a place to boondock. Along with the information from Donna we also purchased some guides from Frugal RV. These led us to travel a bit further North past Camp Verde to Coconino National Forest.

We didn't end up staying at one of the places recommended but found our own as the others were taken. Ian did an amazing job at backing us into a site most would have said forget it to! Pictures and more details of our boondocking site tomorrow. Until then sleep tight and have a great night!

Hoover Dam and Lake Mead area

Today we took a day trip to Hoover Dam and Lake Mead with Jay and Liz. A great day with friends :)

Liz, me and the girls took the basic tour for $8 per adult and the guys did the $30 secret tour and really liked it. It took you deeper into the damn and got to see more behind the scenes "things". The dam is quite the amazing achievement and the pictures don't do it justice. You just can't capture the enormity of it in photos.

Playing a game which demonstrates how much
electricity each gadget in our home uses
and how much energy you need to produce
to keep them running

Sierra making her own electricity

Aayla giving it a try too

This wrench is as big as Sierra is

Ian trying to turn the nut

Aayla determined to get a drink all by herself!

Sierra the budding photographer at 4!

A family photo at Hoover Dam

Both aayla and Sierra are in LOVE with Liz

Aww kisses for the engaged love birds

This one belongs in Hollywood

Jay and Liz

Me playing with my new lens

Secret corridors

After leaving the dam we took the scenic drive back to Vegas which ended up being a pay to enter National Park at Lake Mead. We didn't mind though as it gave us a chance to pick up our America the Beautiful National Park Pass. We will be using it over and over again during our trip and it will save us a bundle! And it was a very pretty lake to drive around.

Both girls could have stayed here for hours.
They are expecting the trip to be full of beaches
and this is the first one they have seen, but
Texas will be here before we know it!

On our way home we finally found the world famous sign

As mentioned above I bought a new lens. My point and shoot (less then 6 months old) died so I wanted a lens for my Canon Rebel to replace my point and shoot and my zoom lens all in one. Since the Tsunami wiped out a few manufacturing plants their were no Canon lenses to be found so I bought a Tamron 18-270 lens and so far love it. I have noticed a regular spot in my pictures and have been cropping it out but since we were lens shopping I had my Canon cleaned only to find out the spot was actually some type of fungus growing and it couldn't be cleaned. Since we are on a major trip I NEED a new camera so the search is on for a new Camera!

WELCOME wishes to mdfoster! Happy to have you join us Uncle Mike and Auntie Joan!
***edited to say apparently I don't know my own families user names...welcome to our cousins Mal and Diane :)  ******