Roadtrip - The Grand Staircase – Scenic Route 12 – Southern Utah

The 2-page PDF file below provides information and pictures from a road trip back in 2009 that took us to Scenic Route 12 in Southern Utah. Use the “scroll bar” on the right to scroll down to the next page. To view for reading, click on the “Full Screen” icon located at the very right of the Scribd menu bar at the bottom of the page. Directly below this file I have included a slideshow with some additional pictures of our visit.

Grand Staircase - Route 12 by Kenneth Clarke

The slideshow below is designed to run automatically in place. Clicking anywhere in the black background area that surrounds the picture being shown will PAUSE the show and bring up the Pause, Forward and Back menu at the bottom of the slideshow window, allowing you to start, stop or manually forward pictures one at a time. To view the slideshow full-screen, click in the middle of the running show. When the new browser window appears, click on the left side of the menu where it says "slideshow".

Slideshow Description: The slideshow above contains 43 pictures that were taken while driving Utah’s scenic Route 12.

Roadtrip – Silverton Colorado

The single page PDF file below provides information and pictures from a road trip back in 2010 that took us to Silverton, Colorado. To view for reading, click on the “Full Screen” icon located at the very right of the Scribd menu bar at the bottom of the page. Directly below this file I have included a slideshow with some additional pictures of our visit.

Silverton Colorado by Kenneth Clarke

The slideshow below is designed to run automatically in place. Clicking anywhere in the black background area that surrounds the picture being shown will PAUSE the show and bring up the Pause, Forward and Back menu at the bottom of the slideshow window, allowing you to start, stop or manually forward pictures one at a time. To view the slideshow full-screen, click in the middle of the running show. When the new browser window appears, click on the left side of the menu where it says "slideshow".

Slideshow Description: The slideshow above contains 35 pictures that were taken on a trip to Silverton Colorado.

Roadtrip – Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park

The 2-page PDF file below provides information and pictures from a road trip back in 2009 that took us to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park on the Arizona-Utah state line. Use the “scroll bar” on the right to scroll down to the next page. To view for reading, click on the “Full Screen” icon located at the very right of the Scribd menu bar at the bottom of the page. Directly below this file I have included a slideshow with some additional pictures of our visit.

Monument Valley - Blog Master by Kenneth Clarke

The slideshow below is designed to run automatically in place. Clicking anywhere in the black background area that surrounds the picture being shown will PAUSE the show and bring up the Pause, Forward and Back menu at the bottom of the slideshow window, allowing you to start, stop or manually forward pictures one at a time. To view the slideshow full-screen, click in the middle of the running show. When the new browser window appears, click on the left side of the menu where it says "slideshow".

Slideshow Description: The slideshow above contains 30 pictures that were taken on a riding tour of Monument Valley.

Grand Canyon National Park – North Rim

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This page last updated on 12/12/2017
  

(Fig. 01) (Fig. 02) Directions: From Las Vegas, NV, the North Rim is 275 miles (Fig. 02). Drive north on I-15 for 128 miles, just past St. George, UT to Rt 9. Drive east on Rt 9 for 10 miles to Rt 59. Continue east on Rt 59 for 32 miles. (At the Utah/Arizona state line, the highway changes to Rt 389.) Continue east on Rt 389 for 33 miles to the junction with US 89a. Continue east on US 89a for 30 miles to the junction with Rt 67. Drive south on Rt 67 for 43 miles to the North Rim. The entrance to the Grand Canyon National Park NORTH RIM is located 30 miles south of Jacob Lake on Highway 67; the actual rim of the canyon is an additional 14 miles south. Jacob Lake, AZ is located in northern Arizona on Highway 89A, not far from the Utah border. Grand Canyon lies entirely within the state of Arizona.                  Description: The North Rim offers a serene and enthralling Grand Canyon experience. It is more remote and less developed than the South Rim, and so it attracts far fewer tourists. Many people think its viewpoints are the most spectacular, since they are located at a higher elevation. The North Rim forms the edge of the Kaibab Plateau, with elevation ranging from 8,000-8,800 feet above sea level. Access is via Hwy 67, through a majestic conifer forest and past scenic Jacob Lake. The drive is beautiful, even before you reach the national park. The North Rim is officially open from mid-May through mid-October. Services include a lodge, dining room/snack bar, campground, gas station and general store with basic supplies. Depending on weather conditions, it may be possible to drive to the North Rim during the spring or fall, but no visitor services will be available.  10/07/2009 Trip Notes: As we got closer to the Park, the thought of getting any good pictures slowly disappeared when the dark, overcast morning turned to snow as we crossed a large meadow (Fig. 03) upon our final approach to the canyon's rim. Upon our arrival we went to the Grand Canyon Lodge (Fig.04) and had lunch and sat around for nearly two hours hoping for a break in the weather. After checking into our cabin (right), I went to the visitors center and talked with a ranger who told me that there were two other vantage points between 11 and 28 miles away; Point Imperial, the highest point on the North Rim at 8.803 feet overlooking the Painted Desert and the eastern end of the Grand Canyon, and Cape Royal with its seemingly unlimited vistas to the east and west. He noted that he was watching the weather radar on the computer and that it looked like there might be a short break in the clouds and storm in about an hour, and that we should head to either of these points. With that we jumped into the car and headed out. and he was right! We ended up with some decent photos; and even saw two rainbows. (con't below)                                     (Fig. 03) (Fig.04) (Fig. 05) (Fig. 06) Trip Notes Continued: On the drive we traveled through some beautiful forests (Fig. 05 above), and on two occasions came across several deer (Fig. 06 above). We also spotted the rare white tailed Kailbab Squirrel (right). This squirrel lives on the North Rim and nowhere else in the world. He was so fast that I couldn't get a picture - the one shown here was taken from the Internet. Sure enough, when we got to Point Imperial the clouds started to clear (Figs. 01 Top, and 07 & 08). We also saw the first of two rainbows (Fig. 09). We also got some great views and another rainbow at Point Cape Royal. When we returned to the Lodge, even the view from the patio of Grand Canyon Lodge (Fig. 10) had started to clear and began providing some nice views. From the porch we took the trail out to Bright Angel Point (Fig. 11). When we returned to the Lodge we went in and had a delicious chocolate cake and got to witness a beautiful sunset (Fig. 12). The canyon's rugged landscape covers 277 river miles, is up to 18 miles wide, and is in places more than a mile deep. Its views are truly one of Earth's most powerful inspiring landscapes, fully capable of overwhelming one's senses. Due to the ever changing colors of its many geologic layers, enhanced by climatic conditions an accentuated by the sun's changing rays, it is truly a place that one can visit over and over and be assured of never seeing the same picture twice. Be sure to watch the slideshow below for more great pictures. (Fig. 07) (Fig. 08)                                 (Fig. 09) (Fig. 10) (Fig. 11) (Fig. 12) Play a Slide Show Clicking the picture-link below will open OneDrive in a new window and a folder containing 87 pictures taken of trip to the Grand Canyon North Rim. To view the show, click on the first picture in the folder and you will get the following menu bar: Click the "Play slide show" will play a fullscreen window of the slide show.

Roadtrip–Antelope Canyon, Page AZ

The 2-page PDF file below provides information and pictures from a road trip that took us to Antelope Canyon just east of Page, AZ back in 2009. Use the “scroll bar” on the right to scroll down to the next page. To view for reading, click on the “Full Screen” icon located at the very right of the Scribd menu bar at the bottom of the page. Directly below this file I have included a slideshow with some additional pictures of our visit.

Antelope Canyon - Blog Master by Kenneth Clarke

Hiking through these slot canyons was absolutely amazing. Over 1,600 feet long, there were several places less than 18-inches wide, where you had to turn sideways to pass through. Because the images in the PDF above are rather small in size, I decided to include a handful of larger ones for your view pleasure. The first three pictures below (Figs. 01 thru 03), were taken by my friend Marc when he and Connie hiked through the upper portion of Antelope Canyon. The final three that follow these (Figs. 04-06) are a few of my favorites that I captured in the lower canyon.     {Click on any image to view full size, then use the back button on your browser to return to this page}

(Fig. 01)

(Fig. 02)

(Fig. 03)

(Fig. 04)

(Fig. 05)

(Fig. 06)

The slideshow below is designed to run automatically in place. Clicking anywhere in the black background area that surrounds the picture being shown will PAUSE the show and bring up the Pause, Forward and Back menu at the bottom of the slideshow window, allowing you to start, stop or manually forward pictures one at a time.   To view the slideshow full-screen, click in the middle of the running show. When the new browser window appears, click on the left side of the menu where it says "slideshow".

Slideshow Description: The slideshow above contains 30 pictures that I took in the lower slot while Connie and Marc hike the upper slot.

Wupatki National Park

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This page last updated on 08/12/2017
  

(Fig. 01) Driving Directions: From Flagstaff take US-89 north for 12 miles. Turn right at the sign for Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki National Monuments. The Wupatki Visitor Center is 21 miles from this junction (Fig. 01). The drive time from Flagstaff to the Wupatki Visitor Center is 45–60 minutes. Wupatki National Monument is located along a 34-mile scenic loop road through open meadows, beautiful ponderosa pine trees, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, juniper grasslands with views of the Painted Desert, and the open red rock landscape of the Wupatki Basin. Drive time along the loop road is about one hour. History: Wupatki National Monument preserves dozens of ancestral Puebloan villages. The many settlement sites scattered throughout the monument were built by the Ancient Pueblo People, more specifically the Cohonina, Kayenta Anasazi, and Sinagua. Wupatki was first inhabited around 500 AD. Wupatki, which means "Tall House" in the Hopi language, is a multistory Sinagua pueblo dwelling comprising over 100 rooms and a community room and ball court, making it the largest building for nearly 50 miles. Nearby secondary structures have also been uncovered, including two kiva-like structures. A major population influx began soon after the eruption of Sunset Crater in the 11th century (between 1040 and 1100), which blanketed the area with volcanic ash; this improved agricultural productivity and the soil's ability to retain water. By 1182, approximately 85 to 100 people lived at Wupatki Pueblo but by 1225, the site was permanently abandoned. Based on a careful survey of archaeological sites conducted in the 1980s, an estimated 2000 immigrants moved into the area during the century following the eruption. Agriculture was based mainly on maize and squash raised from the arid land without irrigation. In the Wupatki site, the residents harvested rainwater due to the rarity of springs. 08/10/2008 Trip Notes:  Today we visited Sunset Crater National Monument and Wupatki National Monument north of Flagstaff, Arizona. We spent several hours XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX               The single page PDF file below provides information and pictures from a road trip that took Connie and I to the Wupatki National Park, north of Flagstaff. To view this page for reading, click on the “Full Screen” icon located at the very right of the Scribd menu bar at the bottom of the page. It will provide you with a full page view of the PDF file on the Scribd website in a "New tab". Directly below this file I have included a slideshow with some additional pictures of our visit.

Wupatki National Monument - Blog Master by Kenneth Clarke

The slideshow below will then cycle through 16 pictures taken at this location. Placing the cursor over the picture will bring up "arrows" will "pause" the show and allow you to move either to the Previous picture or the Next picture. Clicking the Next arrow and moving off the picture will resume the slideshow. ...

Roadtrip – Sedona, AZ

The 1-page PDF file below provides information and pictures from a road trip that took us to Sedona, Arizona back in 2009. To view for reading, click on the “Full Screen” icon located at the very right of the Scribd menu bar at the bottom of the page.

Sedona Arizona by Kenneth Clarke

Roadtrip - Oatman, AZ

The single page PDF file below provides information and pictures from a 2008 road trip that took us to Oatman, Arizona. To view for reading, click on the “Full Screen” icon located at the very right of the Scribd menu bar at the bottom of the page. Directly below this file I have included a slideshow with some additional pictures of our visit.

Oatman AZ by Kenneth Clarke

The slideshow below is designed to run automatically in place. Clicking anywhere in the black background area that surrounds the picture being shown will PAUSE the show and bring up the Pause, Forward and Back menu at the bottom of the slideshow window, allowing you to start, stop or manually forward pictures one at a time. To view the slideshow full-screen, click in the middle of the running show. When the new browser window appears, click on the left side of the menu where it says "slideshow".

Slideshow Description: The slideshow above contains 19 pictures that were taken on our visit to Oatman, Arizona.

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

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This page last updated on 12/12/2017

(Fig. 01) Driving Directions: From Flagstaff take US-89 north for 12 miles. Turn right at the sign for Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki National Monuments. The drive time from Flagstaff is 20-25 minutes. It is located along the 34-mile scenic loop road that runs through open meadows, beautiful ponderosa pine trees, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, juniper grasslands with views of the Painted Desert, and the open red rock landscape of the Wupatki Basin.  Description: Sunset Crater is a cinder cone located north of Flagstaff in Arizona. The crater is within the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. Sunset Crater is the youngest in a string of volcanoes (the San Francisco volcanic field) that is related to the nearby San Francisco Peaks. The date of the eruptions that formed the 340-meter-high cone (1,120 ft) was initially derived from tree-ring dates, suggesting the eruption began between the growing seasons of A.D. 1064–1065. However, more recent geologic and archaeological evidence places the eruption around A.D. 1085. The largest vent of the eruption, Sunset Crater itself, was the source of the Bonito and Kana-a lava flows that extended about 1.6 miles NW and 6 miles NE, respectively. Additional vents along a 10-kilometer-long fissure (6.2 miles) extending SE produced small spatter ramparts and a 4 mile-long lava flow to the east. The Sunset Crater eruption produced a blanket of ash and lapilli covering an area of more than 810 sq miles and forced the temporary abandonment of settlements of the local Sinagua people. The volcano has partially revegetated, with pines and wildflowers. The crater is the namesake for the Sunset Crater Beardtongue (Penstemon clutei). Since the last eruption of the volcano is a recent occurrence, it is considered dormant by volcanologists. The single page PDF file below provides information and pictures from a road trip that took Connie and I to the Wupatki National Park, north of Flagstaff. To view this page for reading, click on the “Full Screen” icon located at the very right of the Scribd menu bar at the bottom of the page. It will provide you with a full page view of the PDF file on the Scribd website in a "New tab". Directly below this file I have included a link to a slideshow with some additional pictures of our visit. Sunset Crater National Monument by Kenneth Clarke Play a Slide Show Clicking the picture-link below will open OneDrive in a new window and a folder containing 18 pictures taken of Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. To view the show, click on the first picture in the folder and you will get the following menu bar: Click the "Play slide show" will play a fullscreen window of the slide show.

Roadtrip - London Bridge - Lake Havasu, AZ

This 2-page PDF file below provides information and pictures from a road trip back in 2008 that took us to the London Bridge in Lake Havasu, Arizona. Click on the page to scroll down. To view for reading, click on the “Full Screen” at the very right of the Scribd menu bar at the top of the page.

Roadtrip – Kingman, AZ

This 2-page PDF file below provides information and pictures from a variety of stops we have made on various visits to Kingman Arizona since 2005. Use the “scroll bar” on the right to scroll down to the next page. To view for reading, click on the “Full Screen” at the very right of the Scribd menu bar at the top of the page.

Roadtrip – Petrified Forest National Park, AZ

The three-page PDF file below provides information and pictures from a road trip that took us to the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. We passed through this park on our way to Las Vegas back in 2003. The third page provides a copy of the park's official map. Use the “scroll bar” on the right to scroll down to the next page. To view for reading, click on the “Full Screen” icon located at the very right of the Scribd menu bar at the bottom of the page.

Petrified Forest National Park - Blog Master by Kenneth Clarke

Roadtrip – Grand Canyon Railway

The 2-page PDF file below provides information and pictures from a 2009 road trip that took us to Williams, Arizona where we boarded the Grand Canyon Railway for a trip to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park. Use the “scroll bar” on the right to scroll down to the next page. To view for reading, click on the “Full Screen” icon located at the very right of the Scribd menu bar at the bottom of the page. Directly below this file I have included a slideshow with some additional pictures of our visit.

Grand Canyon Railway-Blog Master by Kenneth Clarke

The slideshow below is designed to run automatically in place. Clicking anywhere in the black background area that surrounds the picture being shown will PAUSE the show and bring up the Pause, Forward and Back menu at the bottom of the slideshow window, allowing you to start, stop or manually forward pictures one at a time.   To view the slideshow full-screen, click in the middle of the running show. When the new browser window appears, click on the left side of the menu where it says "slideshow".

Slideshow Description: The slideshow above contains 26 pictures that were taken on our ride to the Grand Canyon on the Grand Canyon Railroad.

Roadtrip – Grand Canyon National Park–South Rim

NOTE: Stay tuned, I'll be making an update to this page in the near future. The 2-page PDF file below provides information and pictures from a road trip back in 2010 that took us to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park, north of Williams, Arizona. Use the “scroll bar” on the right to scroll down to the next page. To view for reading, click on the “Full Screen” icon located at the very right of the Scribd menu bar at the bottom of the page. Directly below this file I have included a slideshow with some additional pictures of our visit.

Grand Canyon South Rim - Blog Master by Kenneth Clarke

The slideshow below is designed to run automatically in place. Clicking anywhere in the black background area that surrounds the picture being shown will PAUSE the show and bring up the Pause, Forward and Back menu at the bottom of the slideshow window, allowing you to start, stop or manually forward pictures one at a time. To view the slideshow full-screen, click in the middle of the running show. When the new browser window appears, click on the left side of the menu where it says "slideshow".

Slideshow Description: The slideshow above contains 27 pictures that were taken at the south rim of the Grand Canyon.

Roadtrip - The Arboretum at Flagstaff, Arizona

The 2-page PDF file below provides information and pictures from a road trip that Connie and I took back in 2008 to the Arboretum at Flagstaff, Arizona. Use the “scroll bar” on the right to scroll down to the next page. To view for reading, click on the “Full Screen” icon located at the very right of the Scribd menu bar at the bottom of the page.

Flagstaff Arboretum - Blog Master by Kenneth Clarke

Road Trip – Walnut Canyon National Monument, AZ

The 2-page PDF file below provides information and pictures from a road trip back in 2009 that took Connie and I took to Walnut Canyon National Monument near Flagstaff, Arizona. Use the “scroll bar” on the right to scroll down to the next page. To view for reading, click on the “Full Screen” icon located at the very right of the Scribd menu bar at the bottom of the page. Directly below this file I have included a slideshow with some additional pictures of our visit.

Walnut Canyon - Blog Master by Kenneth Clarke

The slideshow below is designed to run automatically in place. Clicking anywhere in the black background area that surrounds the picture being shown will PAUSE the show and bring up the Pause, Forward and Back menu at the bottom of the slideshow window, allowing you to start, stop or manually forward pictures one at a time.    To view the slideshow full-screen, click in the middle of the running show. When the new browser window appears, click on the left side of the menu where it says "slideshow".    Slideshow Description: The slideshow above contains 23 pictures that were taken on our visit to Walnut Canyon.

Four New Holiday Posts

(Click to Enlarge) Every year around the holidays we make an attempt to visit a few of our favorite holiday displays. Always on the top of the list are the exhibits at the Bellagio’s Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. This year’s fall display was titled, Autumn Harvest. This year’s winter display was titled, Winter Holiday. Next was a stop at the Ethel M Chocolate Factory & Botanical Cactus Garden. During the Christmas holidays they completely cover this 3-acre cactus garden with more than a half-million lights. It is a nightly spectacular that draws thousands of visitors. This year, because we attended the Mannheim Steamroller concert at the Venetian/Palazzo casinos, we were also treated to the Winter In Venice decorations that were displayed throughout both casinos.

Argentina Mine Update & Table Mountain Post

Back in November, my friend Harvey Smith and I did some four-wheeling along Sandy Valley Road in search of the Argentina Mine. After about a 1-3/4 mile drive and hike, we located the mine site and spent more than an hour exploring the area. We then continued driving around the area and eventually drove up to the top of Table Mountain. At 5,140 feet, this peak provided some beautiful views of the town of Sandy Valley to the west and the town of Goodsprings to the east. Click the following links for pictures and to read up on these two hiking excursions. The Argentina Mine and Table Mountain.

Valley of Fire State Park Update

I recently made another visit to the Valley of Fire State Park with some company that was visiting from Kansas. Because the weather was quite overcast, I was only able to capture a few pictures. I did however, completely revamp my original post for Valley of Fire to make it easier to navigate. Click here to view the recent update … Valley of Fire State Park

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The Neon Museum & Boneyard

Last week I visited the Neon Museum near downtown Las Vegas for the second time in two years. Our 45-minute tour lasted nearly an hour and was very informative. I made up another collage from the dozens of pictures I captured on this latest visit and decided to re-do the original post that I had made two years ago. Click here to view the two collages, new slideshow and background information on the museum … The Neon Museum.

New Desert Bighorn Sheep Posts

Took a trip to the Valley of Fire last week with some visiting company and came across a small herd of Desert Bighorn Sheep just before the western entrance. After updating my page [Desert Bighorn Sheep at Valley of Fire State Park] I realized that I had some previous pictures that I had never posted and decided to create two more new pages. One for one of our past stops at [Desert Bighorn Sheep at Hemenway Park] outside of Boulder City, and another for a sighting I had at [Desert Bighorn Sheep at Hoover Dam] while taking pictures with my cousin over a year ago.

Northern Desert Iguana (Dipsosaurus dorsalis)

I came upon this desert iguana back in October of 2012 while hiking the Riverwalk Exploration Trail inside the Colorado River Heritage Greenway Park in Laughlin, Nevada. This trail parallels the Colorado River for more than two miles. When I first approached him, he was sunning himself on the cement walkway at the beginning of the trail. Eventually, I got him to move off the walkway and onto the desert sand for a more natural background.

Description: The Desert Iguana (Dipsosaurus dorsalis) is one of the most common lizards of the Sonoran and Mojave deserts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. It is a blunt, medium to large lizard which can grow up to 16 inches in length, including the tail. They are pale tan to cream in color with a light reddish-brown reticulated pattern on their backs and sides. The result is that this lizard blends in quite well with its native sandy, rocky areas. It has a small head with a blunt nose. Its scales are small and granular except for a row of enlarged keeled scales on its back. This row of slightly-enlarged, keeled dorsal scales run down the center of the back, becoming slightly larger as they extend to near the end of the tail. The reticulated pattern gives way to brown spots near the back legs, turning into stripes along the tail. The tail is usually around 1½ times longer than the body from snout to vent. The belly is pale. During the breeding season, the sides become pinkish in both sexes. These lizards can withstand very high temperatures, higher than any other North American reptile, and are out and about long after other lizards have retreated into their burrows. They burrow extensively, and will often climb into shrubs for shelter and defense. Their burrows are usually constructed in the mounds of sand that accumulate around the bases of bushes like the creosote. They also often use ready-made burrows of kit foxes and desert tortoises. Active in the daytime, they can often be seen on rocks basking in the hot sun. They eat mostly plant material - leaves, flower buds, and flowers. The creosote bush is a staple food. They also eat insects, carrion, and fecal pellets. Their habitat is most common in sandy areas around creosote bush flats, scrub, dunes, washes, streambeds, and floodplains. They hibernate in burrows during the winter. They can be found on the desert sides of Southern California mountains, and the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains in the Owens Valley, to the Arizona, Nevada, and Baja California Borders.

Caliente Nevada

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(Fig. 01)

06/20/2012 Trip Notes: Even though we had to pass through this town on several occasions, other than a few historic houses and the old Historic Railroad Depot (Fig. 01) which contains a Library and Art Museum, along with the town’s City Hall, there really really isn’t much to see or do in Caliente. On a short stop, we toured the depot and the Boxcar Museum adjacent to the station that houses memorabilia and photos documenting Caliente’s railroad history.

Caliente History: Caliente is a town steeped in railroad history. This rich meadow area around the junction of Meadow Valley Wash and Clover Creek was originally settled in the early 1860’s. With the establishment of the Jackman Ranch in the early 1870’s, the area became known as Dutch Flat. In 1874, ranchers Charles and William Culverwell purchased the Jackman Ranch and renamed it the Culverwell Ranch, causing it to later be referred to as “Culverwell.” Along with ranching, the family earned a living by providing hay for the mining camps in Pioche and Delamar. In the late 1800’s, a dispute between 2 major railroad companies began when E.H. Harriman of the Oregon Short Line and Union Pacific, pushed track from Utah to the site of Culverwell. About the same time, the newly formed San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad owned by Senator William Clark, claimed the same territory. These rival groups sought the right-of-way in a canyon only big enough for a single set of tracks. In 1901, as owner of the land, William Culverwell ended the Harriman-Clark battle by allowing only one railroad grade to be built through his property. The 2 factions eventually reconciled, with Union Pacific assuming control of the project. Culverwell became “Calientes” (the Spanish word for hot) after the hot springs found in a cave at the base of the surrounding mountains was discovered. The town was surveyed, and on August 3, 1901, a post office opened and postal officials renamed the town Caliente, dropping the “s”. The railroad line was completed in 1905, and by 1910, Caliente was the largest town in Lincoln County with 1,755 residents. A 2-story wooden structure served as a train depot until burning down in one of Caliente’s disastrous fires in 1921. In 1923, the Union Pacific Railroad Station, the impressive two story classic mission style building, designed by John and Donald Parkinson from Los Angeles, still stands today. It originally housed a 50-room hotel, restaurant, telegraph office and community center as well as a train depot. Much of its interior was made of solid oak and its total cost was $83,600. Today it houses Caliente’s City Hall, Library and Art Museum. Within a few years, Caliente grew to more than 5,000 residents and became one of the major division points on the railroad line. After steam engines were replaced by diesel locomotives in the 1940’s, the division point moved to Las Vegas. Without the depot as a main railroad stop, the town’s growth soon dwindled.