One last charge at Moab, then Green River before I head to Colorado.  Red Rocks Amphitheatre is on the top of my list for this state and when I found out Florida Georgia Line and Jason Aldean were headlining for two days in September, my departure date from California and all other stops in between were back-tracked so I could attend.  I'm super excited to see the amphitheater and truth be known, I'd show up for a concert by the Muppets just to be there!

This could easily pass for a postcard, right?  But it's not.  That's a pic I took from the Silver Plume & Georgetown placard by the side of the road.  The beauty just keeps coming... and a "couple" of surprises as well.

Obviously it's deer hunting season here.  Now that's a sight you I don't see every day.  Click on the pic to zoom in, but only if you can stomach detail.  The hunter, did a great job with the skinning.

In addition to the set of adapters I posted earlier, I also carry this set of connectors.  Since the NEMA 14-50 is critical to my adapters, I have an extra, just in case.

In addition to two Tesla charging cables, I carry a 30 foot extension cable.  Although I use the extension cable infrequently, there have been times when access is limited and the extension cable gets me plugged in.  Why two Tesla cables you may ask?  A bear chomped down on my first one, pulling it clear out of a NEMA 14-50 socket.  Although the cable still functions, some damage occurred so I keep it as a spare.

Last but not least, I carry a 40 foot 125V extension cord and plug extenders.  Both of these REALLY come in handy when I sleep over at RV parks.  During a dry run up the coast of California, I was caught in a freak snow storm on Hwy 299.  It took 3 days before the roads were cleared, but I was able to wait it out at a RV park along the way.  I stayed warm, thanks to a small electric heater I brought.  I snaked the extension cord out the window, connected it to the Park's electrical panel and set the heater so I was toasty warm.  No need to use the car's heater or worry about it "timing out".

I've spent many wonderful days in years past dirt biking in Moab, Utah so this was definitely a destination to revisit.  If travels bring you this way, be sure to stop off at Miguel's Baja Grill.  Come with an appetite, you'll need it if you order the MOAB  (Mother Of All Burritos).  Oh... and watch out for that unassuming pepper they put on the side of the plate.  Geeze, it will burn your lips off! 

Took the side road off Hwy 128 down E. Castle Valley Drive and captured this shot shortly before the sun set.  Not a soul around except for one happy camper.

Heading up I-15 through Virgin River Canyon, not too far outside of Las Vegas.  The sides of the canyon are so high that they seem to swallow everything in it's path, including big rig trucks which are dwarfed by its enormity. The canyon not only leaves behind Las Vegas, but a strong sense of humility.

Newly installed supercharger in St. George, Utah

Wahoo!  This portion of the trip will be quicker than anticipated.

                                                                                     

Last morning in Vegas.  Although I love the City of Sin, 3 to 4 days worth of repenting is just about my limit.  I'll be changing venues, and heading out this morning to beautiful scenic southern Utah. I'm looking forward to charging at the newly opened Supercharger in St. George, Utah.  A long drive for sure, but no problem so long as I have my tea with me!

I'm a big tea drinker and I always have the 12V 702 Car Kettle by Go Travel with me in the car.  I purchased it from www.atgstores.com for $30 w/free shipping.  I have tried the immersion type heaters, both the 12V and the 110V with a separate inverter, and although they are very cheap, $2-$4, and initially work fine, they last only a few weeks.  After the 3rd one failed, I switched to the Car Kettle and I've been using it, trouble free, for about 2 months now.


The Kettle can be configured for either 12V or 24V.  Position the switch on the bottom of the kettle to 12V and plug directly into the 12V connector on the Tesla console.  The kettle comes with two cups that can be neatly stored within the kettle and a wrap around cord that secures with an attached rubber tab.  One or two cup fill indicators are marked on the clear oval window, and an orange LED light indicates it's heating. 


Pictured to the right are both types of immersion heaters that failed on me within a few weeks.  The 12V unit on top had wiring that was under rated for the current load and would get so hot, I couldn't touch the wire.  A fire hazard for sure.  The bottom, 110V unit which I used with an inverter had no wiring issues, but stopped working after a few weeks.

Giant Fortune Cookie, Tao Restaurant, Las Vegas

Dinner at Tao, but more importantly dessert! Their Giant Fortune cookie filled with chocolate and vanilla cream. Totally worth the frown from the scale the next morning.

The newly opened "High Roller" Ferris Wheel
Las Vegas (550 feet high)

Line Dancing at Gilley's Las Vegas

First stop, Las Vegas!  I took my time, picking up charge at Harris Ranch, before staying overnight and charging at Tejon Ranch.  Finished the last charge at Barstow before cruising into Las Vegas with 25 miles left.  Along the way, I noticed a sort of hum coming from the back. Uh Oh, not such a good sign.  I called the Tesla Dealer in Las Vegas and made arrangements to stop by on my way in.  Tom, the tech, took it for a spin, recorded the sound and said they would send it to engineering and let me know the recommended course of action.  The next morning, I got a call from Ethan, the service advisor, who requested I either bring the car in or they would come by my hotel and pick it up.  Say what??  Well I needed to run an errand to replace a battery on a power station that I'll be using later in the trip, so I opted to drop the car off.  Long story short, they provided a Model S loner, fixed the hum in the drive train, added a cover to the battery pack, provided a full charge, washed and vacuumed my car and swapped my car for the loner at my hotel (oh, did I mention, all at no charge)!  These guys are awesome and I can't say enough great things about the personal level of service they provided.  It's unheard of these days and as many of my family members can attest, I don't give glowing reviews liberally.  These guys absolutely earned one!