Mohave Desert: Laughlin, NV & Oatman, AZ

....continuing on our weekend adventure in Laughlin, we were happy to spend some time in and around water. Bullhead City, Arizona was just across the river. It wasn't the tourist season so it wasn't too packed with people. Some hotels were busier than others. Ours was one that wasn't; so that was pleasant.
It was Mother's Day and Bryan bought me a deep tissue massage in the hotel. It was great, wish I could have someone work on me every month. Guess I better train Ava. lol Just kidd'n  ;)

The hotels were all up against the Colorado River. One means of transporation was by taxi........... water taxi!
That was a refreshing way to travel from one place to the other :)

Later that afternoon, my mom recommended that we go and visit the town of Oatman, AZ. It's a western- themed town where the wild burros come down the mountains and visit the tourists in the middle of the street. A tourist trap for sure. There are still wild burros that avoid people, but there is a small (and growing herd) that takes handouts from people.

It was just a short drive to the little town, we arrived as shops were closing and the streets were pretty quiet. There were just a handful of people walking around.......... and 7-8 burros. We only interacted with two, cute and friendly burros. One pretty much followed Ava around....... she LOVED that! I had to remind her that it was still a wild animal (after she asked to ride it)...... Ha ha

Isaac missed the Oatman experience, as he slept in the 4runner...............

It was a short and sweet visit; but we had plans to go on another hike that evening, so we loaded up in the vehicle and headed for the trailhead.........



Mohave Desert: Sacatone Canyon

Bryan, the kids, and I went on an adventure last weekend in the Mohave Desert in and near Laughlin, NV. The temperatures were above normal for this time of year, which was no surprise. In the heat of the day the temperatures were 105 degrees. We made sure to keep ourselves hydrated, especially on our hikes. We could only hike in the mornings and evenings. During the day we did other activities (like swimming at our hotel!)

One of our hikes was in a canyon called Sacatone. Our goal was to find reptiles. Bryan, being a herpetologist, knew where to look for specific species of critters. We didn't see much moving on the road while driving at night. It's extra dry in the desert this year. There are some cool animals and beautiful scenery in the Mohave Desert! Sometimes you get skunked on trips like these when the conditions aren't ideal. This trip was not a disappointment; at least while we were on foot!

Wildlife Viewing

It wasn't long before we spotted one of my favorite lizards, the Chuckwalla. They look intimidating, but are really quite gentle; unless you poke it in the eye 5-6 times like Isaac did. In return, the lizard gave Isaac a quick nip on the finger. He wasn't hurt, just surprised and scared. lol
We joked around with Isaac the rest of the weekend saying, "What happens when you poke a lizard in the eye? You get bit by Chuck!"  Isaac wasn't too traumatized, I guarantee he'd pet another one if he had a chance. Maybe even poke it it in the eye?
lol

I  Love Chuckwallas!

Isn't that one of the coolest lizards you ever seen?

 

Just look at this landscape. Imagine all the critters that call this place home.......

Of course, I have many more photos of this trip. I will post them as quickly as I can........ so get ready (I'm on a roll as long as I have good internet access)........