Just south of Laughlin, Nevada is the Avi Resort, complete with two 18-hole golf courses, boat launch and RV park. Southern Nevada gets nearly 90 percent of its water supply from the Colorado River, which begins as snowmelt in the Rocky Mountains. The snowmelt travels through a series of tributaries into the river, which winds its way south for 1,450 miles before emptying into the Gulf of California in Mexico. The Colorado River forms the boundary between Arizona and Nevada. Much of the 12 miles of river within Nevada is contained by dikes and is subject to commercial and private development. There are a few backwater areas to fish along the Nevada side. This section of the Colorado River flows from Davis Dam downstream for 12 miles before entering Arizona and California. Daily and seasonal flows generally vary between 2,000 and 20,000 cubic feet per second. Game fish species include striped bass, small- and largemouth bass, channel catfish, rainbow trout, bluegill, and redear sunfish. Largemouth bass fishing picks up during March through June and range from 12 to 20 inches. Striped bass fishing is best from April through October and average 15 inches, with some occasionally reaching larger than 35 inches. The most productive fishing methods use cut bait and lures that imitate threadfin shad or trout. Rainbow trout range from 9 to 13 inches and are generally caught from October through March. They are best captured with Power Bait or salmon eggs or by casting spinners or lures. Boating access along the Nevada side occurs at Sportsman’s Park in Laughlin, Big Bend State Park, and the Avi Resort and Casino. There are additional ramps on the Arizona side. Shoreline access occurs along most of river on the Nevada side of the river. Camping is available on the Arizona side, but there is RV camping on the Nevada side. Laughlin offers multiple hotel rooms. Consider the extreme summer temperatures, which may reach 115°F. nmosg.com ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stbajYGDJSA

The Desert Museum Palo Verde is a fast-growing deciduous tree of medium size that develops an upright canopy habit, 20-30 ft. tall, 20-25 ft. wide. In contrast to other types of Palo Verde, this cultivar has thornless chartreuse-green stems and branches. Vast numbers of lemon-yellow flowers are produced each spring for a dramatic display. Desert Museum Palo Verde is becoming the top choice for landscapes and gardens in Mohave County due to its fast growth, thornless nature, intense flowering and delicate shade. It is easily pruned into a canopy tree that provides filtered shade and accent value in many settings. It grows best in well-draining soils, and exposed to full sun and heat. Summer water should be deep and infrequent; over-watering can lead to fast growth and weak branching. This gorgeous, thornless hybrid makes a fine, upright shade tree. Large yellow blossoms give a dazzling display of color in the spring, lasting longer than any other in the species. May re-bloom in summer if given supplemental water. After the foliage falls, the trunk and stems remain green, providing year-round interest. Produces very few seedpods. The Desert Museum Palo Verde performs best in Inland Empire gardens mostly with normal winter rainfall. It easily adapts to our warm and dry summertime conditions; only periodic irrigation is recommended. The chart shown below provides a baseline guide to the monthly irrigation schedule and volume of supplemental water needed to maintain healthy growth throughout the average year. It should be noted there are several months when winter rains can provide sufficient moisture and irrigation is not needed. nmosg.com ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SL93aCjhZdE

The first dozen miles of the Cimarron River (from Eagle Nest Lake to Ute Park, New Mexico) are known for fine trout fishing. Stocked trout include rainbow and brown. The river is maintained by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish at a trout density of approximately 3,000 fish per mile, although water flow can vary between 2 and 50 cubic feet per second. There is 8-10 miles of public access in the Cimarron Canyon State Park. The Cimarron River is technically a small tailwater that fishes and looks more like a mountain freestone stream. The water features include riffles, pockets, bend pools, undercut banks, beaver ponds, drop-offs, runs and everything in between. These water characteristics, along with a dense aquatic insect population, make the Cimarron one of the best wild brown trout fisheries in the Southwest. New Mexico Game and Fish does stock rainbows throughout the Cimarron. The Cimarron Canyon State Park has three maintained campgrounds with tent and RV sites. The small communities of Eagle Nest and Cimarron are the closest towns with basic amenities of restaurants, places to stay, gas stations, groceries and fishing licenses. The larger towns of Taos, Red River and Angel Fire offer more amenities but with a little longer drive. The best time to fish the Cimarron is from May through mid October. Key hatches include Golden Stoneflies, PMDs, Tricos, Caddis, BWOs, Midges and Terrestrials. nmosg.com ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk149w2K8cU

The Santa Fe scenic train passes us along the Santa Fe Rail Trail on a sunny spring day hike. In 2020, Sky Railway was born from the ashes of Santa Fe Southern. Prominent Santa Feans came together to save the historic, 141-year-old railroad. They are Bill Banowsky; owner of Violet Crown Cinemas and a filmmaker; George RR Martin, the novelist, co-creator of Meow Wolf, and savior of the Jean Cocteau Theater. They were joined by several others, including author Douglas Preston and artist Gary Oakley. The Santa Fe Southern Railway was a short line railroad in New Mexico. In addition to carrying freight on occasion, it now operates as a tourist railroad called Sky Railway that carries passengers between Lamy and Santa Fe, a distance of 18.1 miles. The Santa Fe Southern began operations in 1992, after the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway ended operations on its Lamy to Santa Fe branch line and a group of local businesspeople purchased the track to continue freight service in the area. Sky Railway offers a variety of rail adventures sure to satisfy all. For more information and booking visit their website skyrailway.com or call 844-743-3759. nmosg.com ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8Lu62s3LVs