JAN 9, 23 (3/3) .. A ROAD TRIP FROM LAUGHLIN, NEVADA, UP TO SEARCHLIGHT, NEVADA

Hello Again ! We have arrived at Part 3 of 3 Parts showing our visit to Searchlight, Nevada. 

In Part 1 of 3 we explained why we made this short road trip and showed photos taken during our drive to Searchlight from Laughlin.

In Part 2 of 3 we showed photos of Searchlight and also our visit to Denny's for dinner and our recovery meeting.

Now to Part 3 below.

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One year ago, on Christmas Eve day, December 24th, 2021, our GMC Suburban was stolen while parked outside of our room at the Windsor Inn in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. The below link will take you to a post concerning our truck being recovered.

https://bobbacaps.blogspot.com/2021/12/dec-29-21-our-stolen-truck-has-been.html

In the above post I wrote the following..

TODAY, WEDNESDAY THE 29th of DECEMBER 2021, we were advised by the Lake Havasu Police Department that our truck had been recovered approximately 135 miles to the North, in Cottonwood Cove, a resort area near Searchlight, Nevada.

From that day, December the 29th 2021, until this trip, both Patti and I have wondered about Cottonwood Cove, near Searchlight, Nevada.

Here we go loop de loop, Here we go loop de li !

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COTTONWOOD COVE, NEVADA

Cottonwood Cove is a 14 mile drive from Searchlight. As you leave Searchlight, heading North on U.S. Hwy 95 towards Las Vegas, you turn to your right and drive East to Cottonwood Cove on the Colorado River.

Guess what ?

Cottonwood Cove is within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area !

We drive to the formal entrance. As you will notice in the photos below, it is the off-season and the entry station did not have any employees on-duty.

We then continued to drive into the Recreation Area.

VOILA ! Cottonwood Cove !

Notice the two display boards to the right of the above photo.

Yes I know. Yes I understand that the below photos are impossible to read but you all get the idea.

On we proceed deeper into the Recreation Area.

At the end of the road is a fleet of tour boats to take visitors out onto Lake Mead.

In the below photo, on the right side of the road, you see some informational displays.

We have arrived at the end-of-the-access-road.

Beginning with the far left and panning to the right you can see the Cottonwood Cove Boat Marina.

Turning to our right.

There you have it. Our visit to Cottonwood Cove within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

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We were somewhat limited on time because we needed to get back to Denny's to meet our friends from Las Vegas for dinner and then attend our 7pm recovery meeting.

There are many, MANY homes and mobile homes in Cottonwood Cove. My hunch is that the thief who stole our GMC Suburban knew someone here. He was evidently surprised when the local police approached him (from afar I think) because he then stole a U.S. Government pickup truck with a trailer attached and took off for Lake Havasu City where he stole our GMC Suburban.

In the meantime, the Lake Havasu City police had identified him as the thief who stole our truck. They even knew his name.

As these neer-do-well itinerants are prone to do, while back in Lake Havasu City with the stolen Government pickup truck and trailer, instead of being quiet and not calling attention to himself,

he got into a dispute with someone who immediately called 911. Because they were already looking for him, the instant the police arrived-at-the-scene of the dispute they arrested him and took him into custody where he was refused bond. His trial was in late March 2022 and he was sentenced to 3 - 1/2 years in the Arizona prison system.

I too knew his name because he left his A.A. Big Book in our truck when he fled Cottonwood Cove with the stolen Government truck. In his Big Book was his complete name along with the names and phone numbers of his friends in recovery.

We have a term for the likes of him that goes thusly ..

He was "travelling light" ! Translation : He was not too smart.

Who knows, one day I may see him in a meeting in Lake Havasu City.

Smiles .. Cap and Patti who lived this nightmare beside me.

JAN 6, 22 .. WELCOME HOME BLACK BEAUTY .. SO VERY NICE TO HAVE YOU BACK

As those of you who follow us here on blogspot, our GMC Suburban (that we fondly call Black Beauty) was stolen while parked outside of our motel room here in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, during the night of December 23-24. The local police determined (based on our motel's surveillance cameras that are not monitored on a regular basis) he was actually stolen 'around' 11:25pm December 23rd. We discovered he was gone about 1:10am when I looked out of our motel room door to see if was raining outside. 

I fairly screamed : "Patti !! Black Beauty has been stolen !!"

What a shock that discovery was !!

Again, if you have been following along here with us on blogspot, you know (click onto the below link) that Black Beauty was recovered in Nevada by law enforcement teams in the states of Arizona and Nevada.

http://bobbacaps.blogspot.com/2021/12/dec-29-21-our-stolen-truck-has-been.html

We traveled North to Laughlin, Nevada, on December the 30th to retrieve him. 

As I write these words, Black Beauty seems to be absolutely none-the-worse for his adventure. Having driven him around 100 miles so far, he seems to be running just fine. I tried to get him into a local dealership here in Lake Havasu City to get checked out but was told the earliest appointment I could get was February the 1st. We will be down in Phoenix at that time.

I was asked (speaking by telephone to the towing company in Laughlin, Nevada) .. 

"Did you have a lot of stuff in your truck?" I replied that "Yes we did!"

We expected to find Black Beauty full of our stuff. Not the case at all. He was (say 90%) full of the criminal's stuff.

WELCOME HOME BLACK BEAUTY .. 

SO VERY NICE TO HAVE YOU BACK

You can see by the scratches on his side in the below photo, that Black Beauty may have done some off-road traveling.

On Saturday, Janary the 1st, Happy New Year 2022 Captain, I faced up to the task of sorting through Black Beauty and the mess inside of him.

Are you now ready to see inside Black Beauty. Are you ready to see A MESS of stuff, 90% of which belonged to the criminal!

THE INTERIOR MESS .. From the rear looking inside.

THE INTERIOR MESS .. The front seat area. Notice if you will, a small, very VERY loveable, happy little squirrel that has come to live with us!

Several closeup photos of our new pet squirrel.

Notice if you will, our little pet squirrel came with a bag of hard candies.

I mean you really need a little sense of humor over this incredible mess that happened upon us!

THE INTERIOR MESS .. Behind the front seat area.

My strategy. One single piece at a time, I removed each item and set them down on the pavement around Black Beauty or set our belongings that were not stolen beside our motel room door area.

THE BELONGINGS OF THE CRIMINAL

"Hey Motorcycle Man! Hey Dog! Why didn't you steal a bike!"

"Can't you see? Not enough room for my stuff on a bike!"

Can you believe this? Maybe our criminal friend cuts his own hair!

Well Hello Squirrel Nutkin! For the time being, you are with his stuff. But not for long!

His Clothes.. 

In a bag..

His Clothes..

Out of the bag onto the street..

OUR BELONGINGS..

No! He did not steal or trash 100% of our items. 

Below are photos of our items (maybe 10%) that we got back. Go Figure huh?

We have got to say that some of the below items we were extremely happy to have returned. My sit-down three legged cane for one! My red suitcase. Patti lost hers. Do you see, in the below photo, to the lower right a Blue Book?

Below are two, close-up-photos, of the above Blue Book.

Are you ready? The above Blue Book belonged to the criminal. The above Blue Book is the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous! The criminal (at one time) actually was a member of A.A. In his Big Book was his full name, his sobriety date, and many inscriptions (complete with telephone numbers and their names). Friends IF you are a criminal you don't want to leave such information laying around!

BEFORE I began the process of clearing out Black Beauty.

AFTER I began the process of clearing out Black Beauty.

HOLY MOLY CAPTAIN !!

WHAT A DAY'S WORK !!

Below with the rear seats of Black Beauty in their erect seating position.

BEFORE..

AFTER..

And?

I believe that is that for the chronicles of our stolen GMC Suburban.

I expect to someday meet the criminal. I am awaiting police advice as to what to do when and IF I meet him.

Over And Out ..

Cap and Patti