Before leaving Vegas I called Linda at the Four Seasons RV Park in Littlefield, AZ to arrange for a place to stay overnight and charge the car. This was critical because the 60kw battery of my car would not go far enough to get me to the next supercharger in Beaver, UT. Linda said I could charge there for $15, so my plan was set. She also said that there is NOT an option to charge there in winter since they are fully booked then. Good for me that it is summer! Since Tesla will be opening another Supercharger closer to Vegas soon, this RV charger will not be needed in the future for 60kw cars.

As I was getting ready to depart, Dimitri arrived to take a photo for the Facebook “Tesla Model S Owners” site. So, there may be a photo of the chocolate car there. Dimitri is from Utah but resides in Las Vegas. He may let the Facebook fans know about this frugaltesla.com blog. Welcome to Dimitri and his followers!

I left Vegas at 8:30pm with 205 range in the battery and odometer at 15,739. Leaving later was beneficial since construction was minimal and no accident in sight. Thanks again Al for the heads up. Since this drive was in the dark, there was not much scenery that I can describe. I arrived at the RV park at 10:30pm (same as Pacific Time, since AZ is Mountain Time but they do NOT have daylight saving time there). I had 15,832 odometer and used over 100 miles of range to go the 93 miles. The elevation changes contributed to this extra draw of power. I met Linda who kindly arranged for me to have access to a restroom so I could wash up (no shower facility). I plugged into the 50 amp outlet and set up my bed to get some rest. It was about 11pm. There was dry lightning, lots of wind, and a small bit of rain while stopped there.

I awoke at 6am and met Linda’s husband Harold. He is a former potato farmer from Idaho who drove past this rundown RV park and decided to buy it. They did a fantastic job upgrading it! I was able to get ice from their ice machine, wiped down the car, and departed by 6:30am with 205 range, and outside temp at 85 degrees. Thanks for the hospitality Linda and Harold.

The 131 miles to Beaver, Utah went smoothly. Passing through St. George Gorge adds a bit of drama to the landscape. There were a few construction areas, but I took my time with the truckers. It is nice to see the Utah butte and mesa rock formations along the way. I arrived at the Chevron station with the supercharger across from the “Eager Beaver Carwash” at 9:43 Mountain Time (1 hour later than Pacific Time). Mileage 15,963 and 57 miles of range left. So, I used 148 miles of range to travel 131 miles, more evidence of the elevation changes drawing more power. Along the drive, time passed quickly as I listened to Dr. T present the “Tradio” show. People were calling in with stuff to sell, sort of like a craig’s list via the radio.

Next stop Richfield, UT. Sorry so long. This was really 2 posts in one! Frugal Tesla

My only visit to Las Vegas was a connection at the airport. I realize that does not count. And I have heard it was built in the desert. But that never really sunk in until I drove here.

I left Barstow at 3:30pm after blogging and texting in the parked car. The car had 206 miles of range and I needed to go 161 miles according to Mapquest. With my odometer at 15,739 I traveled exactly 162 miles from Barstow with 60 miles of range remaining. How did I get the extra range?  I drove mostly behind trucks to slipstream and to force me to drive slower. Also, there is a wild downhill stretch before Vegas that regenerative braking helped provide more energy to the battery.

The 118 degrees as I drove past the Mojave desert shocked me, but I was at a cool 70 in the car. The chargers in Las Vegas are in a parking garage without restroom onsite.  After plugging in the car, I headed out into the 112 degree heat. I met Ashena, who is Persian, Japanese, and something else (so sorry I forget, but maybe she can send a comment to remind me). Her name actually means “friendly”. And she certainly was since she helped me find Container Park and even walked me there. This is a place with shipping containers converted to shops and restaurants. It is on 8th and Fremont… only 3 blocks from the supercharger. There was an outdoor live music performance and restroom facilities. The coolest thing was the gigantic preying mantis that kids could climb in. I took a photo of it with my flip phone.

When I returned to the car I met Al, another Tesla owner who was driving from Quebec to California. He was very helpful with suggestions for my upcoming journey since he had already come from the places where I will be going. And he warned about an accident and road work that has northbound traffic at a standstill. Lucky me. So perhaps I will take my time before leaving here. Next blog tomorrow from Beaver,Utah.  Be well.  Frugal Tesla

Thanks to R & W for their hospitality and directions to Barstow. Yes, my Tesla has a huge map, but I do not have the tech package that provides the directions. So, I read the map and refer to mapquest. No, I do not have a gps and remember that my phone is a flip phone. I must admit that I entered the 101 freeway going north. The Tesla map alerted me immediately of that so I turned around at the very next exit.

Now for the numbers. odometer at West Hills 15,435. Range available 203 mile thanks to the drier outlet in the garage! Departure at 11:15 am after a relaxing visit with my friends. Good to see their garden. I even fit 2 pieces into the jigsaw puzzle before my exit.

The drive to Barstow was mostly through desert. A few slow spots were encountered due to construction. Thankfully there is sports radio to listen to! I arrived in Barstow at 1:45pm at 15,577 (142 miles for the leg). 70 miles of range remained.   The Barstow supercharger is at The Country Inn & Suites. So, I used the restroom, had a cookie with ice water, and watched a bit of the world cup. Still no score.  On to Vegas!