Tag Archives: adventure

Nevada’s Desert & Mountains

Highly Classified Military Zone
Highly Classified Military Zone

 

 

Another journey…

On the way up to Belmont, Nevada to visit my dad, mom, sis, nephew El and I passed a military base (area 51), about one hour or so from  Las Vegas. While officially there’s no primary purpose, it appears it’s a site used for experimental aircraft and weapons development and is also famous for various conspiracy theories and UFO sightings. Separate from Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert, it’s within the United States Air Force vast Nevada Test and Training Range.  The name area 51 is officially used by the CIA as well as other names such as Dreamland, Paradise Ranch and others. This isn’t a normal base since it’s used for highly classified military-defense programs which all are unacknowledged by the government. Everything that happens here is classified as TOP SECRET. This area isn’t even shown on government maps.

Alien Cow Thing
Alien Cow Thing

About an hour drive later there was snow on the ground. I took a photo of this alien cow looking thing  and thought to myself, “Who in their right mind stops in the middle of nowhere in frigid conditions to take a photo of a cow? LOL

 

 

 

 

Belmont
Belmont

Anyway, when we arrived in the old Ghost town of Belmont a couple hours later, I just knew there was a story here and plenty of opportunity to take some fantastic photos! In Colorado Springs, we haven’t had a cold winter and no substantial amount of snowfall to speak of for years. It was so beautiful!

 

Mom and Dad
Mom and Dad

There’s only a dozen or so residents living in Belmont year round and Dads one of them.

 

 

 

 

My parents and I are similar in some ways, driven by challenge and thriving on adventure, givers of the heart. But, … I’m the black sheep, not one for the weak and timid and get bored easily. So… I keep on moving… Intrigued by the human condition and happy to be able to document life’s experiences…

Old B & B
Old B & B

Mom likes living in the big city and dad seems to like the hermit lifestyle devoid of electricity, gas stations, Mc-E-Dees, Snack-a-Bell or for that matter  grocery stores. The people in Belmont get their power from the sun and propane, so there’s definitely a challenge living there. But, dad loves it and I’m happy for him.

There’s a nice B & B and a couple of bars for the wandering few during summer time but, that’s about it. It’s a barren place to be during the winter but, when you open your eyes, there’s so much to see…

Dad and Stanley
Dad and Stanley

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, I like my dads friend Mr. Stanley. He’s a character. After-all, there’s only a few other people living in Belmont during the winter and sometimes, it’s a tough place to be alone.

 

 

Snowmobile tracks
Snowmobile tracks

 

 

 

 

 

But, it’s a peaceful place in the mountains and, it’s easy to see why dad likes it so much.

 

 

Snowwoman & Alien Babies
Snowwoman & Alien Babies

 

My sister lives in the metropolis of Chicago where the elevations slightly above sea level but, Belmont’s located in the high country at over 7400 feet and takes a while to acclimate to the change.

 

 

Belmont View
Belmont View

And, boy did the elevation change affect my sister and El! They got a case of altitude sickness and were a little cranky being cooped up in the cabin in the frozen tundra for those few days!

None-the-less, you can see we were all having a great time!

El, Mom and Dad
El, Mom and Dad

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We even built  “Snowwoman & Alien Babies”! LOL

Dirty Dicks Saloon
Dirty Dicks Saloon

 

 

 

The next day, El took me on an adventure in the Polaris to see cool places I’d never been before. Like, Dirty Dicks Saloon!

I know he’s only 13 but, what a cool kid! After-all, we weren’t drinking in Dirty Dicks, we were only taking photos!

 

Old Miners House
Old Miners House

When sis and El use to live in Vegas, they’d hang out with mom and dad in Belmont.

 

 

El knows where all the cool places are!

 

 

 

Dad & El
Dad & El

 

 

 

 

Here’s a photo of dad and El making another run up the hill in the Polaris. El was super excited to go sledding!

 

 

 

 

El Sledding
El Sledding

 

And, there he goes down Mr. Stanley’s driveway

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr. Stanley
Mr. Stanley

 

 

 

Even Mr. Stanley got in on the action!

 

 

 

 

Old Truck
Old Truck

 

 

The time in Belmont was an unforgettable experience of quality time with family and Mr. Stanley. And, spending it in a place that hasn’t been jaded by modern technology, something that most of us truly believe we can’t live without, is what made the trip even more memorable.

 

 

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON BELMONT, NEVADA, CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE BELOW…

http://www.westernmininghistory.com/towns/nevada/belmont/

The Belmont Courthouse

The Belmont Courthouse

 

Stay tune for more of Tony’s World…

 

 

 

 

 

COSTA RICA: The Next Big Adventure

Sometimes, life is just full of delicious surprises.  For instance, I fell off a mountain one weekend in August, broke my right ankle and put me out of commission for months.

But… one day, I realized things do happen for a reason. I’ve always wanted to travel the world, write and photograph different cultures in a foreign land and the timing was perfect.

Three months after the accident, I made a personal commitment by downsizing and preparing for the journey.

On New Year’s Day 2013, while lying on the beach in Costa Rica sipping on a rum cocktail in a real coconut with a paper umbrella and writing stories,  I’ll think of you-promise.

Stay tuned for more…

The Next Big Adventure
The Next Big Adventure

COLOMBIA: Zipaquira – Jaime Duque Park

Zipaquira is an old salt mine that houses a Catholic church nearly 600 feet beneath the surface of the Earth. Considered one of the greatest achievements in Colombian architecture, a sight to behold and well worth the visit.

Zipaquira Salt Mine
Zipaquira Salt Mine
Zipaquira Salt Mine
Zipaquira Salt Mine

Next stop-Jaime Duque Park. This park is nestled in a small valley outside Bogota with a zoo, amusement park and many sculptures depicting Colombian, Greek and French architecture.

Jaime Duque Park
Jaime Duque Park
The World In Our Hand
The World In Our Hand

I would highly recommend both of these places as points of interest in your next travel to Colombia.

Click the thumbnails below for larger images.