Sad Penny

Our next trip takes us to Spring Mountain Motor Sports Resort in Pahrump, Nevada. We decided to fly for this trip, so Penny doesn’t get to go and that makes her sad. We will make it up to her later.

Spring Mountain Motor Sports Resort houses the C8 Corvette Owners School, teaching owners to master the precision of the mid-engine Corvette. So while Penny isn’t here, this is still all about her. We flew into Las Vegas, flying over the Grand Canyon. While we have both flown over the GC before, we have never been there, and we were hoping we could include that during this trip. Alas, most of the tours have been cancelled due to coronavirus, and the only helicopter tours go to the West Rim, rather than the South or North which would be our preference. After searching every tour company we could find, we decided to add the GC to our planned trip this spring when Penny can come with us.

Upon arrival at the airport, we collected our luggage and proceeded to the car rental area. We had requested an SUV but they were out so they told us we could get a Chevy Malibu, which would be more fuel efficient. When we opened the door of the car, we realized quickly that Nevada is a legalized marijuana state, as it was very clear that the previous passenger, and maybe all the previous passengers, were imbibing in the vehicle. And this after getting a serious warning about smoking in the car! So, we entered Stinky Car and headed southwest to Pahrump.

Once again, the scenery and the topography of the drive was amazing. The roads were flat, straight and well-tended, but on both sides rose the tall Spring Mountains, shades of brown, tan and ochre. As we passed through Red Rock Canyon, we decided to look into a trip there once the driving school was completed. The land was stark and somewhat bleak, as part of the Mojave Desert zone, and the vegetation is mostly comprised of vascular plants that conserve water. I had never seen Joshua Trees before and they were everywhere.

Pahrump is about an hour from Las Vegas and traffic was light. Club Spring Mountain is billed as a driver’s paradise and the description is apt. They have private condos (we stayed in one), a clubhouse, many private garages (Bob was in heaven), and a state-of-the-art racetrack where club members can book dedicated race time. Our condo looked out on one section of the racetrack so I could watch Bob practice in his group.

We did have one minor hiccup when we realized that Bob had forgotten to pack his blood pressure medication. But having a doctor brother was a big help and we were able to get an emergency supply to get us through the week. Thanks, Ron!

In some cases, Spring Mountain will allow family members to ride along with the instructors during the races, but Bob’s class was full with 40 students, so I had to amuse myself. We had looked at the weather before coming, and it looked like days would be in the low 80’s so I planned to hang out at the pool with a good book. But 80 degrees feels different in Pahrump than it does in Norfolk. No humidity at all, and we heard it had been months since it had rained. A cool breeze dusted the day, and as the pool wasn’t heated, I never used it. The property is huge and I found several quiet places to relax with my book, while keeping an eye on the track. I was surprised at how quiet it was, given all the cars blazing by, but there were only a few times that it felt that I was being surrounded by swarms of bees. Corvettes are pretty quiet, even while racing.

The first evening, we ate at Mom’s diner. Here I reminisced on my first job as a waitress at Scotty’s Diner in Gibsonia, PA. Scotty’s clientele was local business people and truckers passing through. It was a great early education in emotional intelligence. Not only did I learn to deal with the clumsy come-ons of the truckers, I also had to develop the confidence to keep the other waitresses from stealing my tips! The owner was the main cook, and I trusted his skills. After he went home, all bets were off. Since my shift was usually evenings after school and weekends, when Scotty wasn’t there, I quickly determined that the only safe-to-eat meal on my break was the hot turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes and a glutinous tan gravy. It was easy to prepare, and often I could make my own. So, at Mom’s Diner in Pahrump, I ordered the hot turkey sandwich. It was every bit as comforting as it had always been.

Next evening, we went to the best steakhouse in Pahrump. This restaurant is in the Pahrump Nugget Casino, and I saw a review that indicated it was the best because it was the only. That proved to be untrue and we can recommend the steaks at Stockman’s if you’re in Pahrump.

Pahrump is a pretty interesting place. It was originally inhabited by the Paiute and the name means water-rock. The area has numerous artesian wells, which was good news for the farmers and ranchers since this is desert country. Currently it is a suburb of Las Vegas. Legend has it that a rich casino owner buried a large treasure of silver in a secret underground vault in Pahrump, and was murdered by a man seeking the treasure. Michael Jackson owned property in Pahrump, and home schooled his children there, and Heidi Fleiss, the ‘Hollywood Madam’ moved to Pahrump in 2005, which makes sense as Pahrump is also the home to the Chicken Ranch Brothel, now closed for business due to the coronavirus. Finally, Pahrump is featured in the film Mars Attacks! directed by Tim Burton. In the film, Martians land in Pahrump, announce they have come in peace, but soon kill most of the humans in town.

After Bob’s final day of racing, we packed up Stinky car and headed back to Las Vegas. Our plan was to see if the Concierge at the Cosmopolitan Hotel could give us some ideas on adventures in the area despite the virus.