My AAA monthly magazine had this magnificent pic in it, and so many memories flooded back....In 1972, I took over an ARCO Service Station way out on the western fringe of Charleston Blvd. in Las Vegas. It was to be the "ticket" needed to survive after leaving my birthplace and home of 30 years, outside Chicago. My older nephew, Dan, fresh out of the Marine Corps., went into it with me. He was 25, I was 30. Often, late afternoon, he and I would drive out west of the station, located on Jones Ave. and Charleston Blvd., to the Red Rocks area, then undeveloped, having only Jeep trails here and there, to target shoot our newly-acquired hand-cannons, bought in a downtown Vegas pawnshop, his a Ruger .45 caliber Blackhawk, mine a Ruger .44 Magnum Super Blackhawk. Red Rocks then was mostly known to residents, few tourists ventured that far away (12 miles) from their beloved casinos. A year later, I gathered the rocks needed to veneer our new home from Red Rocks. As far as I knew, there were no restrictions against gathering rocks in the desert, but today surely there are. I picked gorgeous colored sandstone rocks of manageable size from the washes in shades of purple to red and orange. Red Rocks REALLY looks like this: The front of our new house, my -ex, the '66 Mustang in which I put a 302 Cougar engine, ca 1976. By then, we were getting separated...... A winter view westward, the rock pillars in front along the road, having real heavy chain suspended from capstans, the mountains of Red Rock covered with a sifting of snow. How much I loved that place, I cannot put into words. The pillars out front during construction. Core of concrete block to be surrounded by Red Rock gems. In the living room, a rock see-through fireplace formed part of a rock wall, the corner of the room containing a rock fountain filled with recirculating water, powered by a swamp cooler pump in the closet! Dining room on other side shared the fireplace. This was the dream come true for me. A ton of hard work, which I felt as a challenge to overcome, as usual, to secure something others could not obtain. The dream was shattered. I left it behind for a job in Colorado, also a fluke. Today, Red Rocks is either a National M onument, or Park, usage restricted, great government presence, fees, etc. Once, hiking in that beautiful red surroundings, we heard a sudden, unidentifiable clattering sound, looked upwards on the cliffs, and about 10 Mountain Big Horn Sheep were looking down upon us! Most wonderful experience of my life! Frank
Nice pictures, @Frank Sanoica . I think we flew over that area on our way to Las Vegas. I saw miles and miles of red canyons. I looked on the map when I got home and it looks like we would have flown right over that area flying from Raleigh-Durham to Las Vegas. Is there a river and lake there?
@Shirley Martin No river or lake anywhere near Red Rock Canyon, which is due west of Vegas proper, along Charleston Blvd, which runs east and west. The prevailing winds almost always necessitate pilots to come in from east of the city, landing in a westard direction. Such a landing pattern invariably treats passengers to a wonderful low-flying vieew of Lake Mead, which lies about 20 miles east of the Vegas Strip. A mountain range lies between the lake and city. Several giant tunnels were bored through the mountain, to pipe lake water to the thirsty city. There are many areas of colorful cliffs adjoining the lake. Frank