On Monday morning, a day off from school, I woke up early. And laid in bed. Once Scott awoke we finished watching the Downton Abbey season finale (we had started it late on Sunday night and couldn't stay awake long enough to finish the 2-hour episode). All I can say is . . . . Noooooo!!!
After breakfast, I hopped on the elliptical for 30 minutes while Scott watched Flipping Vegas on A&E. Our new favorite, random, reality show obsession. Our plans for the day consisted of absolutely nothing.
But once I was in the shower my mind started ticking and by 10:30am we were on the road, bound for Boulder City and a hike on the Historic Railroad Tunnel Trail. As we walked down the trail I felt pretty lucky that we had access to great outdoor activities (in February!) just 20 minutes from our home.
Here's the backstory . . . Railroad tracks were built in 1931 so that materials & supplies needed for the construction of Hoover Dam could be transported to the site. They finished building Hoover Dam in 1935. And the tracks were dismantled in 1962. Eventually they turned the raised railroad bed, and it's 5 tunnels into a hiking trail. And in 2013 the Browns went for a walk.
It was a great hike! The trail is wide and flat. A 5 mile round-trip for us. (We didn't do the full 3.6 milesl because it ends with a view of Hoover Dam and Payton has his heart set on being the first one in our family to see the dam -- the 4th graders will go there on a field trip this year. So we turned back after the last tunnel.)
There is the typical rocky, desert terrain.
The occasional helicopter tour flying overhead.
And to your left, views of Lake Mead are a constant.
But the best part is the tunnels, of course.
The kids had the great idea to bring their flashlights. They aren't needed, but it adds to the fun.
Between the tunnels, old wood frames, the color of the rocks, and the dusty trails . . . . I kept telling Scott that I felt like we were in an Indiana Jones movie. In fact, these tunnels were used in the filming of a Clint Eastwood movie -- The Gauntlet. I've never seen it, though.
And proof that I was there
If you've made it this far through the photos then you should take 2 extra minutes and enjoy this little video. It's a pretty good capture of our family dynamics -- loud and happy children, a teasing dad, and a mom keeping everyone in line while capturing the moment.
