Chasing Wakes
Summertime is one of the most dreaded seasons of the year for those who live in the desert. It is a time for the rattlesnakes, lizards, and tortoises to emerge. While these creatures flourish in the blistering temperature of 120 degrees, humans quickly deteriorate. This kind of climate creates scaly, dry skin making a person feel like their own skin is as rough as one of those reptiles. I have found being on a Sea Doo, also known as a water motorcycle, at the Colorado River is one of the best ways to get a reprieve from the debilitating heat and avoid the reptiles.
The Avi Resort and Casino, situated between Laughlin and Needles on the California side of the Colorado River, has all the amenities I need for an escape from the temperatures. The resort offers a launch dock, a man-made cove, and a beach nestled along the river. The beach is half-moon shaped, lined with Tiki hut structures approximately twenty feet from where the beach and water meet. The Tiki huts are first come, first serve for groups to set up their beach chairs and ice chests out of the direct sunlight, while their watercraft anchors at the water line. The casino and hotel are up an …show more content…
I start heading up the river toward Laughlin creeping along, enjoying the surroundings. The river is about two thousand feet wide. Boulders and desert landscape line each side of the river. Joshua trees, yucca trees, and creosote bushes pop up around the boulders. The creosote bush has tiny green leaves with little yellow florets in between the leaves giving the brown backdrop of the dirt a vibrant chromatic separation. Creosote bushes emit an odor that is very distinct to desert folks. Often associated with rain or water, it has an oily chemical-like smell that overtakes the desert and the whole base of the river, giving me a sense of tranquility. To the right of me is Arizona, where the water line meets the land, and to the left is
Summertime is one of the most dreaded seasons of the year for those who live in the desert. It is a time for the rattlesnakes, lizards, and tortoises to emerge. While these creatures flourish in the blistering temperature of 120 degrees, humans quickly deteriorate. This kind of climate creates scaly, dry skin making a person feel like their own skin is as rough as one of those reptiles. I have found being on a Sea Doo, also known as a water motorcycle, at the Colorado River is one of the best ways to get a reprieve from the debilitating heat and avoid the reptiles.
The Avi Resort and Casino, situated between Laughlin and Needles on the California side of the Colorado River, has all the amenities I need for an escape from the temperatures. The resort offers a launch dock, a man-made cove, and a beach nestled along the river. The beach is half-moon shaped, lined with Tiki hut structures approximately twenty feet from where the beach and water meet. The Tiki huts are first come, first serve for groups to set up their beach chairs and ice chests out of the direct sunlight, while their watercraft anchors at the water line. The casino and hotel are up an …show more content…
I start heading up the river toward Laughlin creeping along, enjoying the surroundings. The river is about two thousand feet wide. Boulders and desert landscape line each side of the river. Joshua trees, yucca trees, and creosote bushes pop up around the boulders. The creosote bush has tiny green leaves with little yellow florets in between the leaves giving the brown backdrop of the dirt a vibrant chromatic separation. Creosote bushes emit an odor that is very distinct to desert folks. Often associated with rain or water, it has an oily chemical-like smell that overtakes the desert and the whole base of the river, giving me a sense of tranquility. To the right of me is Arizona, where the water line meets the land, and to the left is