Nevada: Moonrise, plus Sunrise at Lake Mead Marina

When I was a youngin growing up not terribly far from Lake Mead, you could camp out right at the water's edge overnight, but the water levels weren't so dangerously low and the city's lifeline so perilously threatened back then. These days, you can find camping near the water in one of the designating camping areas, or stay overnight nearby in the city of Boulder City, where there's several different hotels, motels, and inns to choose from. We found a spot to camp out not far at all from the lake and nestled into our van for the night. There's only so much you can see in the dark of night, anyhow, so we went to bed fairly early after having enjoyed the moonrise and set our sights on exploring the lake come the next day's light. I've already covered some of our later escapades on the road trip here, but for the evening and sunrise adventures, you're in the right place. It was a stunning full moon rise as we prepared for bed, and when the gentle rays of morning jostled us from slumber we made our way to the marina and watched the sun come up over the water. Not a bad way to start the day. 

There are, of course, plenty of options for entertainment if you're looking to spend more money and time out here than we were. You can rent a kayak, jet skis, or go out for a cruise on one of the local charters, depending on how much time and money you have to spend. There are even a restaurant and small convenience store right at the marina, so if you run out of ice, snacks, bait or booze you do have a lifeline within the Lake Mead recreational area, at least during their hours of operation. We'd come prepared and simply had to find a pleasant place to park the van before strolling out for our adventures. It was summertime when we visited, so the heat rapidly increased as the sun rose, which was a major factor in why I spent so much time splashing around in the lake later on. There's a lot of wildlife to be found out here by the water, surprisingly, from coyotes to rabbits, vultures to lizards, and so many different kinds of birds. It's always nice to get out of the city and experience some degree of nature, even at a man-made reservoir like Lake Mead!

Plenty of photos ahead!

Vegas: Ducks, ducklings and deserts

 

Most things have already been said, in some way, some form, at some point in time, by someone or other. That's just kind of the nature of life- we all like to think that we're these ingenious innovators, creators of the one-true-unique idea to spark in this universe, but alas, such will not be the case for many of us in this lifetime. This may seem like a rather defeatist sort of realization to come upon and could inspire many to throw down their pens or pencils and spit in the direction of any new endeavor, but that, my friends, really would be defeat. It's not so much that there's nothing new to be added, but its the matter in which we tell our unique experiences and tales that brings something special to the table. After all, I'm certainly not the first person to make a blog post about ducks, or birds, or animals, or any such thing, and I'm certainly not the first or only person to ever pontificate on what the city of Las Vegas is or means. Las Vegas means a lot of things to a lot of different people, as do the annual migrations and habits of animals like these pretty little birds. Every year, much like the human visitors to the city, hundreds upon thousands of visitors flock to the city, dipping their feet into the toes of the communal excess and hedonism that the city so desperately tries to provide, before packing it in and moving on. Who knows where they all go? Well, I'm sure in the case of some of the ducks there's probably a geo-tracker tucked along their ankles or clipped to their wings, that allows some curious scientist a rough idea of their migratory pattern, but for the vast majority, their end destinations are as mysterious as their intentions for visiting. A snack, perhaps- but is it food for the soul, or simply a desire to glut themselves silly until their full to the gills? Perhaps it's an excuse to drop their young off at the pool and pretend to be young again themselves before the responsibility of raising a brood was a concern. Whatever their reasons may be, much like our feathered friends, the vast majority of humans visiting Las Vegas only migrate through the city, a brief intermission of sorts, without setting down roots. In a city of transients, being a resident is something strange, and typically worthy of a surprised remark by the few you indulge in the knowledge.  The environment surrounding the city itself, should you ever venture past the oasis of the Strip and its artificial constructs, is thorny and harsh, an unwelcoming wasteland full of poisonous insects, barbed plants, and venomous snakes that begs to reconsider the sanity of those who seek to reside there. I guess that's why the people who stay, who grow up there like dandelions taking root in cracks in the sidewalk, take a perverse sort of pride in it. Living among the desert is unnatural, a fuck-you to nature and its attempts to dissuade fragile human beings from setting up base in this arid and unwelcoming environment, so the people who reside, who remain, must be hewn from a particularly tough, stubborn, or stupid stock. 

So, fly away, little duckies, to greener pastures and cleaner waters. I won't blame you. I tip my hat to those who wish to be in the desert, who ran from inclement weather for the unnaturally predictable weather; hot and sunny. If that's the life for you, power to you. I, however, much like these ducks, have got to get a move on.

Vegas: Duckies!

While there are certainly other, more iconic animals, to associate with the city of Las Vegas- like Siegfried and Roy's famous lions and tigers, or maybe the flap-happy little rodents of the "bat-country" Hunter S. Thompson so famously warned about in Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas... personally, I think there are few creatures who fit the bill quite like ducks, who's transient nature makes them an apt symbol for the tourism-based economy of the city. Were it not for the hordes of visitors flooding the city every summer and major holiday, the city itself would be unable to stay afloat in the unsteady and rapidly changing economy. It's all enough to make you quack if you let it ruffle your feathers, but it's best to just go with the flow and be like the ducks themselves... floating on cool, easy waters, tails waggling. 

Not unlike the ducks, who make their annual visitation to the city in droves with the changing of the seasons, so too is the human traffic seasonally varied. There are predictable upswings in the crowds around certain holidays and seasons, despite the severity of the weather or predictable upswing in cost for rooms. As the leaves start to change their tones and drop to the ground, school starts to come back into season for the fall and the crowds start to wane, opting to remain back home rather than migrating to warmer climes. We certainly enjoy and profit from their visitations, and marvel as their fluffy little ducklings waddle behind the crew in their futile effort to keep pace, but soon the crowds and ducks shall be gone once again. The longest day of the year has already come and gone, and soon the winter months will spread their chill through us all. 

And the ducks? They'll be gone, off to warmer weather somewhere unaffected by the cold grasp of winter. Lucky ducks. But, not unlike the ducks, there will be another migration as the winter months grow oppressive and humans make their own pilgrimage to the desert, in search of sunnier days.
These things.

All photos in this post provided by Antho Jay!