Acers Acres

 Well, my winter deal for a spot in Acers Acres didn’t work out, as the van with a name was just a wee bit not long enough for Acers standards.  My friends all said, “Just Put On A Bike Rack,” and that might have worked, but after working with the lease agent for almost a year, and then be turned away just when I arrived, well it was too much, I just wanted to get out of there.

That is just what I did and that was how I found myself going the opposite direction on Nevada 160, well the opposite direction of the first time I road that highway with my ol traveling compadre Mya Huckleberry.

That first time we had been in Death Valley and Rhyolite, and for some odd reason had planned to spend the night in Pahrump.

Some Of The  Rhyolite Ruins

This was back before everyone had a phone or there was a phone signal in Death Valley so we failed to make a reservation in Pahrump thinking that no one would want to spend the night there anyway.

Much to our surprise when we arrived in the booming metropolis of Pahrump, we discovered that there were only two hotels, and both were full.

No Room At The Saloon For Us

After much discussion it was decided that we should journey on to Las Vegas but first call ahead and secure lodging, which we did. By this time, it was dark and as I remember this was in February, maybe March, and the temperature was already around 48 or so.

I put the vinyl lowers on the bike,  and proceeded to suit up in my electric vest and gloves, as that bike didn’t have electric grips.

Huckleberry didn’t have electrics or didn’t have a cord, but she did have saddle bags full of other layers of shirts, riding pants, gloves hats neck gators, that she proceeded to put on one over the other, and then managed to get on her motor bike. We put the address of our lodging in our GPS and off we went.

Now like I said my bike didn’t have heated grips. I think it was before they were invented or dependable, and it didn’t have LSD headlamps as I know those were not invented yet. I did have my spots, and headlamp, which was enough to see, pretty good. There was hardly any traffic, but there is a 6000-foot pass between Pahrump and Vegas. That I didn’t know was there.

I was plenty toasty with my electrics on and kept glancing at the bikes analog thermometer that basically told you if it was hot or cold, and this night it was indicating cold, and colder.

As we crested to top of the pass, all the lights of “Sin City” were aglow in the desert. It was fascinating to see all the lights, and to see 6 or 7 jets approaching the airport.

Las Vegas As Seen From A Plane

I also knew that we would soon be in all those lights and I would have to find our way to our lodging. Zumo the trickster GPS of the Raven clan got us there without a mishap.

I thought it was an excellent ride, my compadre not so much as I think she was hypothermic, and as soon as we got into the room, she turned the heat up to nuclear, and covered up with every blanket on her bed.

I still think it was an excellent night ride, and it was fun to remember it in the van with a name.