An Italian In Panaca Part 1

As we drove along on our winding, less traveled route through Nevada, it was interesting how quickly the landscape could change. In one area, you'd have prime agricultural land. Then, a little while later, you'd be passing through a wild area full of Joshua Trees. One moment the sky would be bright and clear, with a few innocuous puffs of white cloud passing overhead. The next moment, we found ourselves traveling under a dense dark cloud layer, with heavy rain evident in the distance.

Our first stop that evening was a little town called Panaca. If it was in England, I would call it a village. But I'm not really sure we have villages in America, so I'm calling it a town. 

Most people would drive past Panaca with little thought of stopping. It's just a spot on the map with a name, a few stores, a church, some historic buildings, and no restaurants. Houses lined wide, quiet streets, had nice size yards and pretty gardens. For families with children, there was a centrally located campus for their elementary, middle, and high schools. 

We stayed in a Bed and Breakfast, and after walking around town that evening, we sat in our rooms and made up a light dinner for ourselves. We watched a movie on our computer. We read, and went to sleep. It was a pleasant enough evening, aside from the noise coming from the living and dining room.

You see, while we were ensconced in our room, people came into the house, talked and laughed, and ate dinner. It was a little noisy, but we had headphones to use with the laptop, and those overrode the noise. At the time, I wondered if the female proprietor were having some friends over. But given the lack of local restaurants, I wondered afterward if groups of people contracted with her when they wanted to go out somewhere for dinner. 

The following morning, we left our room, and gathered for breakfast around the big table in the dining room with everyone else. People chatted, and the host eventually brought us some hot tea. We were never asked what we wanted to eat. While we waited, my wife and I started talking with the couple seated across from us. We shortly discovered that they were from Italy, and on vacation in America. 

At first the woman talked most. But once the man got started, he led the discussion. I couldn't make out all his words, but his gestures and energy were a joy to behold. He said he rarely used his car in Italy, and relied on public transportation to get around. He kept his car in a box, he said, and got it when he needed it. (My wife later suggested that box meant garage).

He loved coming to America, and exploring the backroads of our nation. Driving here was so much easier and pleasurable than in Italy. He loved seeing the national and state parks, and taking long drives like following historic Route 66. He was sad that this year was a short trip: only two weeks! While he never looked forward to driving in Italy, he found our road system restful and scenic.

My wife and I enjoyed chatting with him, and we were sorry we would never see him and his wife again. They were so friendly and charismatic! We would have liked to have learned more about their daily lives in Italy, and what we could expect a trip there to be like, should we plan one.

Dragon Dave

Clive Cussler and Solar Power

Last year, my wife and I traveled to Salt Lake City. Rather than take the well-traveled highways, we opted to take a more wandering route. So north of Las Vegas, we pulled off the main road, and right away, we saw this really cool solar power generating plant. Or perhaps I should say a really hot solar power generating plant!

I've seen plenty of wind power plants, but not many solar ones. It was neat to drive past these long lines of panels soaking up the sun, and think of all the free energy they were collecting. I found the towers really intriguing. I wonder what their purpose is?

Since that day, I've watched a movie called Sahara, based on a Clive Cussler novel. The movie follows Dirk Pitt, a treasure hunter/explorer, as he and his team search for a lost Civil War battleship in the African desert. The movie is a little like an Indiana Jones movie, or the Mummy movies starring Brendan Frasier. 

In Sahara, Dirk and his team are on the run from the villains pursuing them when they come across a modern solar power station. Unfortunately, the facility is run by the bad guys, and the power they're producing isn't as "clean" as solar power is supposed to be. While they investigate the site, Dirk and his team get captured. They have to fight for their lives, as well as the welfare of the entire world. At one point, they battle the bad guys atop a tower very much like the ones in the photo above.

The facility in the above photo appears to be called the Southern Paiute Solar Project, operated by a company called First Solar. It's located on an Indian reservation, where it benefits the local Native American population. The energy collected there is transferred via transmission lines hundreds of miles to power over 100,000 homes in Los Angeles, California. 

As you can imagine, that's just a small portion of Los Angeles' energy needs. Still, I remember being given demonstrations on the potential of solar power way back in elementary school. It's great to finally see a plant like that in action, and know the energy it's producing doesn't come from coal or gas, which cause pollution and contribute to global warming. 

Say, I wonder if there's a civil war battleship, buried out there under dirt and sand, on the Moapa River Indian Reservation. You never know: it might be worth checking out. Anyone got Dirk Pitt's phone number?

Dragon Dave