Rhyolite and Vegas

After we crossed into Nevada, we were just a few miles from the ghost town of Rhyolite. After gold was discovered by the nearby Bullfrog Mountain, the town quickly sprung up in 1905. But by 1916, it was all but dead.

But at its peak, Rhyolite boasted a population of about 7,000 people. And it also featured "concrete sidewalks, electric lights, water mains, telephone and telegraph lines, daily and weekly newspapers, a monthly magazine, police and fire departments, a hospital, school, train station and railway depot, at least three banks, a stock exchange, an opera house, a public swimming pool and two formal church buildings."



This was the former school building, which was built in 1909 and had room for 250 students. The school would close in 1911 after most families moved away after the gold mines began to decline.





Nearby was the ruins of the old Porter Brothers' Store, which was built in 1906. According to the sign in front of the building, "it was the go-to destination for Christmas shopping. This was due in part to its amazing displays that rivaled those of the department stores in major cities. In fact, the store was the largest employer of people in Rhyolite aside from the mines. Unfortunately, even the popular store was not immune to the downturn that would decimate Ryholite's businesses; it closed in 1910."



One of the most prominent buildings in Ryholite was the Cook Bank Building, which was built in 1908. The three-story building cost more that $90,000 to build (which would be about $2.9 million in today's dollars) and featured marble staircases and mahogany accents. But it was shortlived, the bank closed in 1910.



The best preserved building in Rhyolite is the train station, which was built in 1908 for the Las Vegas & Tonopah Railroad. But the station opened right at the time that the town began to decline, and within months of its completion the station saw more people leaving than it saw arriving.



The railroad ceased operations in 1919, but the station got new life in the 1930s when it was used as a casino and brothel for a few years. In the 1960s, it opened as a museum and gift shop. It was empty on our visit, surrounded by a tall fence that made it hard to take pictures.





We followed the dusty dirt road to more remnants of Rhyolite's past. Here is what is called the "Miner's Cabin," although no one is sure what it was once used for. It was built around 1906, and due to its proximity to the railroad tracks and the old red-light district, it could have been used as a brothel or as offices for the railroad.



Nearby were the ruins of the former jail, built in 1907. Shame that it's been marred by so much graffiti.



From here was a good view looking back at the old bank building, and the tall mountains that surround it.



And the old train station...



Next to Rhyolite is the Goldwell Open Air Museum, an outdoor sculpture park and artist's workspace. The most prominent sculpture here is The Last Supper, which features life-size replicas of the figures from da Vinci's Last Supper. It was created in 1984 by Albert Szukalski, who draped plaster-soaked burlap over live models in order to create the ghostly figures.



The same technique was used to create this piece, called Ghost Rider.



And another large sculpture there was Lady Desert The Venus of Nevada by Dr. Hugo Heyrman, made out of cinderblocks.



The sculpture collection was a good choice, I guess, to help us get acclimated back into the strange landscape of Las Vegas. We gassed up the car in the nearby town of Beatty and drove off.

The drive back to Las Vegas is strange. There are lost of empty stretches of desert (and as they said in Casino: "A lot of holes in the desert, and a lot of problems are buried in those holes"). Then you see some random army bases in the distance. Was it Area 51? Perhaps, the alien-themed gas stations certainly suggest it might be. We could never tell for certain, since Area 51 doesn't show up on Google Maps for some reason. But then all of a sudden you hit city, and Las Vegas looms ahead of you.

We checked into our hotel, which was in the old downtown section of the city by the Freemont Street Experience. And it is an experience. And after days of quiet solitude in Death Valley, it was a culture shock. It was loud, crowded and busy.







We walked around until we saw someone dancing on the street as a "naked Trump" waving a sign saying "Make America Sexy Again." That, and the fact that we had an early flight home the next day, meant that it was time to head back to the hotel for the night. There are some things that happen in Vegas that need to stay in Vegas.

Sphere And Loathing In Las Vegas

Last weekend I woke up before dawn and drove to the airport. It was early enough that there wasn't anyone else in line at the Southwest desk when I checked-in my luggage, and only about 10 people in line at security. I was there to catch one of the first flights out, which went to St. Louis. From there I got a connecting flight that dropped me into Sin City itself, Las Vegas.

I was there for a concert, which was a gift from my kind and thoughtful brother. So after landing in Vegas, I found my luggage and got a ride to the hotel to meet up with him and my Brother-In-Law. We had a few hours to spare before the concert started, so we walked along the Strip. Which was crazy, and crowded. Las Vegas was full of people that weekend. There were several concerts going on, along with a NFL game. There was also the 2023 National Finals Rodeo, which explained why I saw lots of people in fancy cowboy boots and hats at the airport.

We walked by the Paris Las Vegas casino and hotel, which has a half-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower.



From there we walked over to the Venetian Casino, which has recreations of various landmarks from Venice (like the Rialto Bridge, Doge's Palace and St. Mark's Campanile). This was the view from one of the exterior walkways, as late afternoon sunlight streamed through the columns.





After that we walked back to our hotel for a bit, as sunset hit the city and dusk settled in. This was the view from our hotel, which included the High Roller ferris wheel.



We went back out and got dinner before the concert, and went by the Venetian Hotel again.



And now it was finally time for the concert. The show was at the Sphere, the brand-new concert venue that cost over $2 billion and contains the world's largest LED screen. The interior of the Sphere is like one giant TV screen, and it really is amazing to see in person. U2 was chosen to be the first band to play in the Sphere, and they used their residency here to commemorate the 30th anniversary of their album Achtung Baby. I've been a fan of U2 ever since I saw them in concert in 1997 in Memphis, so I was excited for the show. It definitely lived up to the hype.



The videos on the 160,000-square-foot screen were mind-blowing, yet always worked well with the songs. It wasn't overpowering or over-stimulating, so it seemed like the designers who developed all of the visuals seemed to know what they were doing.





It was one of the best concerts I've ever attended. And it made it worth waking up at 4:00 AM and flying across the country. But the concert wasn't the only purpose for the trip. The next day would be a drive over to California for a visit to a nearby National Park. More on that soon...

2022

2022 was a good year. Jonah graduated from kindergarten and then moved to first grade. Elliott entered the Terrible Twos, something that he excels with already. I was glad to finally get my photography exhibition up on the walls after it was delayed for two years. I'm incredibly thankful for the Laman Library in North Little Rock, who hosted the show and provided me this opportunity to share my photography.

And for the first time since Covid, we were actually able to really do a bit of traveling! We made two trips out West in 2022, and there are a few pictures from those travels below. They are mixed with several trips taken while driving across Arkansas, so without further ado here are some of my favorite pictures from the last year!

#25:

January 15: Tucker, Arkansas.
An old car (a Lincoln, I think), parked in front of a rusty old and abandoned building in the small town of Tucker. It looks like this car has been here for awhile, but I bet it was someone's pride and joy back when it was fresh off the lot back in the 70s. As with so many things left behind in the Delta, it makes you wonder about its history and the story of how it ended up here.

#24:

March 22: Boxley Valley, Buffalo National River, Arkansas.
This old barn, which was built in the 1920s, is one of my favorite barns in Boxley Valley. To get this picture I was sprawled out on the ground with the camera lens nearly touching the water of this large puddle.

#23:

April 17: Davies Bridge, Petit Jean State Park, Arkansas.
This stone bridge was built in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. They definitely knew what they were doing, since the bridge perfectly lines up with the waterfall behind it.

#22:

February 26: Inspiration Point, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah.
My wife and I travelled to Utah in February and visited two national parks. I had always wanted to visit to Bryce Canyon, and it was breathtaking to see the intricate and delicate hoodoos covered with a coat of fresh snow. Many thanks to Caroline for planning this trip, and to her parents who were kind enough to watch the kids for us while we went out of state!

#21:

December 3: Arkansas State Capitol, Little Rock.
The annual fireworks show at the State Capitol is one of the best things that the state of Arkansas does every year. Although this year is didn't go off exactly as planned. Apparently there was a glitch with the computer program that handled the lights and fireworks for the show, which froze up just when the show was to start. This resulted in all of the people waiting in the dark for about 15 minutes. But luckily it got all sorted out and there finally was a nice little fireworks show.

#20:

October 29: Stuttgart, Arkansas.
The Arts Center of the Grand Prairie in Stuttgart was also kind enough to host my photography exhibition for a month. I drove to Stuttgart on a stormy day in October to drop off the 33 pictures, and then had some time to take a few pictures before driving back. Stuttgart is an interesting little town, and has lots of neat things to photograph. This was a set of disused train tracks running by an abandoned building, with the massive Riceland complex in the background.

#19:

December 5: Little Rock, Arkansas.
I love taking pictures in the fog. But not surprisingly I was the only person out and about that night, there wasn't anyone else out that night visiting the Little Rock Christmas tree in the gloomy weather.

#18:

February 24: Zion National Park, Utah.
A winter storm hit southern Utah the day before we arrived, which left the perfect amount of snow. The fallen snow looked amazing while contrasted against the red rocks of Zion, but it wasn't enough that it made driving too difficult for people from Arkansas. We woke up early in the morning and drove into the park and were just amazed at how beautiful it was.

#17:

January 15: Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
The ornate but fragile R.M. Knox House, which was built in 1895 and is considered to be one of the best examples of Eastlake Victorian architecture in the state. I try to get a picture of it anytime I'm in Pine Bluff, since I'm not sure how much longer it will be standing.

#16:

September 26: Rainbow Curve Overlook, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.
In September we flew to Colorado for my cousin's wedding, which was quite an adventure since we went with our two small children. But amazingly, both did well on the flights. Caroline heard about a new trend where you bring a car seat with you on the plane, which makes it easier to contain an unruly toddler. The only downside is that you have to carry the car seat with you at the airport, which can get a bit stressful if you have a narrow connection and you have to run across the Dallas airport to your next flight. Luckily we all made it to the plane on time.
One of the highlights of the trip (besides the wedding of course), was our visit to Rocky Mountain National Park. We drove through some of the park, including this stop at the Rainbow Curve overlook. The overlook sits at an elevation of 10,829 feet and it took my breath away - from both the scenic view and my post-Covid symptoms at the elevation.

#15:

February 23: Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada.
We flew into Las Vegas and it was a bit of a culture shock. Because we stayed at home the last two years (thank to Covid and having a baby), we weren't prepared for being thrust into the chaos and crowds of Vegas. But we left shortly after and visited Valley of Fire State Park, which isn't far from Vegas but feels like a completely different world.

#14:

October 23: Mountain Crest School, Franklin County, Arkansas.
This stone building was built in 1917 and served as a school until 1931. It's now used as a farm building (for storage, it looks like) and sits at the end of a long and dusty gravel road deep in the Ozark Mountains.

#13:

June 20: Bacon Hotel, Whitehall, Arkansas.
This two-story hotel was built in 1917, but was only open for a few years (which is surprising, you'd think a place called Bacon Hotel would have more customers). It served as a home for farm workers until the 1950s, but has been empty ever since. It sits along train tracks, surrounded by tall grass and weeds.

#12:

September 25: Chalk Creek, near Buena Vista, Colorado.
My cousin got married near the town of Buena Vista, which sits along the Arkansas River. It was amusing to drive by the headwaters of the Arkansas River, and to see it where it's just a small stream that you could literally jump across. But one morning we woke up early and headed up to take pictures along Chalk Creek, which eventually flows into the Arkansas River. There were lots of aspens growing along the creek, and some nice fall colors.

#11:

August 8: Lonoke, Arkansas.
This massive summer storm was bearing down on this poor tractor. It was dropping numerous bolts of lightning, and I tried to capture one but wasn't successful. Of course I had neglected to bring a tripod with me that day, which would have made it easier to get a longer exposure which could have conceivably captured some lighting. But as my wife reminds me, metal tripods in lightning storms usually aren't great mixtures.

#10:

February 24: Zion National Park, Utah.
It was after dark and very cold (below freezing) when I stopped at an overlook to get this view of a car passing beneath the towering stone walls of Zion Canyon. Luckily I didn't have to wait too long for a car to drive by while I stood out there in the cold.

#9:

October 22: Roark Bluff, Buffalo National River, Arkansas.
I did this hike with my nephew, and we got a bit lost and ended up accidentally hiking a few extra miles before finally reaching the overlook. We just only had a few minutes of light before it got too dark for pictures, but I did manage to get this shot of one of the best views of the Buffalo River.

#8:

September 25: Mt. Princeton, near Buena Vista, Colorado.
Alpenglow on Mount Princeton, which stands at a towering 14,204 feet. It is part of the Collegiate Peaks, a section of the Sawatch Range that was named after famous universities like Princeton, Yale and Harvard. I looked to see if any mountains were named after my alma maters (the University of the Ozarks and the University of Arkansas - Little Rock) but had no luck.

#7:

July 3: Sheridan, Arkansas.
This grand old barn has stood for decades, but now seems to be starting to collapse. I was glad I was able to make the trip down to Sheridan to get a picture of it while it was still around.

#6:

October 29: Pecan Alley, near Scott, Arkansas.
Luckily there wasn't much traffic when I hurried out into the middle of the road to get a shot of this road passing under century-old pecan trees.

#5:

April 29: Rushing Church, near Dover, Arkansas.
This abandoned church sits in the rolling foothills of the Ozark Mountains, but I wasn't able to ever find anything about its history. When was it built, when was it abandoned? It was definitely worth the long drive down the country roads to reach it.

#4:

February 24: Virgin River, Zion National Park, Utah.
While at Zion we hiked the Riverside Walk, which is usually described as an easy and family-friendly trail. But it was slightly treacherous since it was covered with slick ice (I slid and fell at least once here). Along the trail I did get a shot of this section of the Virgin River, passing by a stand of snow-covered trees. The contrast between the white snow and the red rocks of Zion were so amazing that day.

#3:

February 26: Inspiration Point, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah.
The view from Inspiration Point was indeed inspiring. It was hard to stop taking pictures from here, even with it being well below freezing outside.

#2:

February 24: Canyon Overlook Trail, Zion National Park, Utah.
The hike to this overlook is short and fairly easy (the hardest thing about it is finding a parking spot). The views are grand. You stand 1000 feet above the canyon, looking at the magnificent stone walls of Zion Canyon and the tiny sliver of road below.

#1:

April 30: Paradise Falls, Upper Buffalo Wilderness, Ozark National Forest, Arkansas.
Paradise Falls is only 32 feet-tall, but it definitely lives up to its name. The deep pool at its base was an emerald green, and the creek then flowed past moss-covered rocks. It is not an easy hike to reach, but it is one of the prettiest waterfalls in the Ozarks.

And thank you, to anyone who reads this and who has stuck with this little blog over the years. I hope you all have a great New Years, and that everyone stays happy and healthy! Here's to a great 2023!