Train Leaving Lauterbrunnen

Train Leaving Lauterbrunnen - Switzerland  2019

Coffee Drinks - Switzerland  2019

So, we had gotten up at 4AM to catch this train. Not that many people around at that time in the morning.

Note the pre-bought coffee drinks . . . one big problem that we hadn't anticipated was the overall lack of morning coffee options throughout our trip. The drinks pictured were our clever workaround. No, not hot, but kind of OK.

Monday Bufflehead Blogging

Bufflehead Ducks - Marin County  2019

OK, maybe they're buffleheads. We'll say they are. (Click to enlarge.)

Taken on an extremely foggy morning at the Richmond Bridge scenic overlook

Truckee

Building, Tree (Truckee) - Sierra Nevada  2019

Windows (Truckee) - Sierra Nevada  2019

No trip to Boomtown would be complete without a short walk around Truckee. It seems as if the small dilapidated structures are slated for a development project.

I also went on a short hike along Sagehen Creek. Will post some photos at some point. Maybe.

Verdi

Road Turns Left - Nevada  2019

Full Service - Nevada  2019

The town of Verdi is located in a valley just north of the casino. The road takes a sharp left then drops down a steep decline towards the town . . . Union Pacific tracks run through there. Alas, it's too hard to tell when a train is going to come. No rail traffic when I've been there so far.

Someday I must check out those 20 beers.

Boomtown Sightems

Harley, Moon (Boomtown) - Nevada  2019

KOA (Boomtown) - Nevada  2019

The KOA seemed to me to be more of a trailer park than a campground. I saw a school bus dropping some kids off there, which seems to imply semi-permanent residency.

Boomtown Casino

Lil Red (Boomtown) - Nevada  2019

Balloon, Chairs (Boomtown) - Nevada  2019

As I might have noted before, there are no gambling machines that take actual coins. So don't give me some quarters and tell me to gamble them, 'cause I can't.

There was some odd-looking uncanny valley art on some of the machines, but I was particularly attracted to the traditional stylings of Lil' Red.

Nevada Plants

Sagebrush - Nevada  2019

Sidewalk, Plants - Nevada  2019

I always go on a walk around the area, going down towards the KOA, then looping back to the casino.

Please note that I tend to call all desert plants "sagebrush." Also, it seems that the desert plants are definitely encroaching on the sidewalk.

Boomtown!

Boomtown, Trucks - Nevada  2019

Masonite Factory - Nevada  2019

After we got back from our European trip I wanted to revisit an old familiar location: Boomtown! An easy drive going west on Highway 80, crossing California and then into Nevada. Taken in November, 2019.

So, there is definitely development going on in the area. This Masonite factory wasn't there when I first visited.

Monday Goat Blogging

Goats - Switzerland  2019

Goats and flowers! Wow!

Check out an earlier Marin County goat post.

Leaving Murren

Tree, Snow - Switzerland  2019

Gondola, 5 AM - Switzerland  2019

We got up at 4 AM in order to catch the first gondola ride down to the valley. There had been a light dusting of snow during the night.

Autumn, Alps

Autumn Leaves - Switzerland  2019

Trees, Stream - Switzerland  2019

Further on up we started seeing the start of autumn colors. Eventually we reached Murren and our hotel and started packing for our next day's departure.

Fog

Tree, Mountains - Switzerland  2019

Hali, Fog - Switzerland  2019

We hiked up and out of Gimmelwald, into the fog.

Gimmelwald Flowers

Flowers - Switzerland  2019

Flowers - Switzerland  2019

Luckily, it was overcast for some nice diffused light.

Gimmelwald - 2

Gimmelwald Buildings - Switzerland  2019

Firewood - Switzerland  2019

Good photography weather, clouds and fog concealing, now revealing, distant snow-enhanced mountains.