Big change???

YES!  I have converted this site into my personal exploration blog...  but please visit the new nevadastrange.com for great content that compliments our upcoming program soon!!!

UrbanWaste: Saxon Cross Hotel

Check out this place!  Great pictures from UrbanWaste!

UrbanWaste: Saxon Cross Hotel: "History The site was abandoned in 2008 and now the sites now ready for demolition. Explore Visited May 2011 Sunny evening after work why..."

My first blooper!

Here you go!  I fell right down the steps I was describing as I was about to warn you not to fall down them...

Exploring the Eastgate Rd "Blowoff"

Watch the video and let me know if you can figure out what the Henderson "Blowoff" might be...

Exploring BMI Land...

Here is a video I made while exploring the area outside of the chemical plants near Eastgate Rd in Henderson.  Now at the beginning, I find a train.  When I am talking about the bridge that the train is on, I realized afterwards that you can't see the bridge at all.  I'm not talking about the underpass...  right before that there is a small bridge, just out of site.  The video is done in HD, so enjoy!

More monitoring wells found... Leaking!

As you know, I have been searching for information on these monitoring wells found around my home.  What I know is that they are used to monitor groundwater for chemicals that were dumped into the area by Pepcon, before the explosion.  Here are some sample pictures:

Gold Strike Hot Springs and Sauna Cave

Dead People.  Yes, it is rumored that you can find dead people near my next adventure if you're brave enough, for this one deals with Gold Strike Canyon.  This magical place is located on the Colorado River near the downstream side of the Hoover Dam.  Hoover Dam is built  in Black Canyon, but Gold Strike canyon has some Hoover Dam history also and it's really close by.  But enough about that, let's talk about this adventure!

Caves and Waterfalls!

So years ago, a friend of mine told me about the best hike he had ever been on.  He called it Boy Scout Canyon, but it turns out that's the area right below this one.  He offered to take me on the hike for the price of a six pack of beer.  I obliged and off we went.  This hike is through slot canyons and  large open areas, cut by years of water erosion as runoff makes its way down the sloping mountains to the mighty Colorado.  The canyon walls are, in some areas, 50 feet high or more.  As you hike and rock scramble through about 2.5 miles of downhill slope, keep an eye out for old vehicles on the left face of the cliff.  Above you, is the road to the dam, and during construction, many vehicles unfortunatly met their demise and ended up off the road, on the side of the canyon.  There they sit, still somewhat intact.

A flaming lake in the High Desert!

"Cornerstone Lake" Near Wigwam and Stephanie

One day, while exploring the desert near Stephanie and what was then Lake Mead Rd (now 215,) I noticed an old gravel pit in the desert.  It appeared to be shut down as the bottom of it was flooded with brown stagnant water and the digging equipment was gone.  It was a large, interesting area that offered great opportinities to explore.  One time, while doing just that, I let it get a bit later than usual.  Looking out across the water at the bottom I thought I caught glimpses of light reflecting off of the water.  It turns out, it was small flames coming out of bubbles floating to the top of the water.  I guess at the time, I just assumed that there was methane gas building up due to rotting debris at the bottom of the lake.  I was wrong.

Foundations and water in the Desert

One thing that has always fascinated me about living in Southern Nevada is the amount of abandoned structures found in the desert, even though modern folks haven't inhabited this area for that long.  Areas that have seemingly never been touched turn up amazing finds.  Since I live walking distance from the area of Galleria and Gibson, I decided to do a bit of suburban exploring in the desert located on the corner.  This area is about to be developed into a new outdoor shopping mall so these could be the last photos taken here.

Henderson has a Strange history...

Location of Early Henderson (Jericho Heights)

Henderson, NV actually started out as a very small town.  The original area that was Henderson can still be seen though with some of the original structures still in place.  First off, when "Henderson" first started it was known as Jericho Heights.  The first homes were built there in 1929 and two years later these homes were used to house some of the workers that built the Hoover (then Boulder) Dam.  It was located Near Sunset Rd and Boulder Hwy.  The actual boundaries are Sunset Road to the North, Moser Street to the East, Merlayne Street to the South and Ward Drive to the West (seen in red.)  In 1932, it was renamed Midway City and at some time was also named Pittman as the town outgrew its original boundaries and spread east and west.  This also happens to be the reason that Pittman wash, the main wash that runs through Henderson has that name.  They both were named after a Governor of Nevada, Vail Pittman.

The Tunnel People of Las Vegas

For many years, the Las Vegas valley would flood every time it rained.  Locals will remember the Charleston underpass underwater, the Great Boulder Highway flood and the Las Vegas Strip turning into a river.  Enter the Clark County Flood Control District - the entity in charge of stopping those floods.  A few years ago, they began building concrete lined washes and large flood control tunnels under the entire city.  The tunnels have many entrances that are accessible all over the valley.

Entrance to the Underground City

One such entrance happens to be near Dean Martin Drive (previously Industrial Blvd) and Tropicana.  These tunnels extend for over 200 miles under Las Vegas and Henderson and most people don't even know they exist.  I say most people, because some know all too well that they exist, as these tunnels have become their home.

If you enter into the tunnels pictured here, you will find that it takes you under I-15 and then under the strip.  Every so often you will find light through a storm grate in the street and catch glimpses of the people walking above on the strip.

Secret Basement found in old Mob house in Las Vegas

Check out this video of an old mobster house that someone purchased and found a secret basement!  Creepy, cool right there!  They don't want the location given out, but it is somewhere in southern Nevada.  When I get pictures, I'll update this post.  Video after the jump!

Nelson, NV - Something REALLY Strange

I hesitate to post this, as I don't want to think I'm crazy, but it is as I remember it...

Nelson Nevada, specifically Nelson's Landing is a wonderful area to explore the strange desert.  There is so much "normal" strange stuff around this area that it will take many posts to tell it all.  Nelson, is located on the Colorado River.  This is a tale of one of the strangest things to ever happen to me in my life.

Slot canyons in the area, circa 1997.

It was a Saturday night in August at about 12 AM - 1997 and I was with 2 of my friends.  There wasn't any drinking or drugs involved, so don't bother going down that road.  We were out watching the stars after a long day of hiking down the river and through the amazing slot canyons in the area.  There was no moon out so it was completely black save the starlight...

Strange Fence near Boulder Hwy and Warm Springs

  I jog nightly around the area near Boulder Hwy and Warm Springs in Henderson.  Across from the Jokers Wild casino, there is an area that has not been developed.  In Southern Nevada, that means it's a desert.  This fenced in area is about 100 sq ft, about 7 feet tall and topped with barbed wire.  It's somewhat kept up, a bit rusted but not in bad shape.  The barbed wire is intact and the fence is not damaged in any way.  There is a gate secured by a padlock.

The Adventures of Johnny G

This blog dedicated to the strange sightings and happenings in Southern Nevada.  For now, I will be the only poster, so most of the explorations will be localized to Henderson and Las Vegas but if you have anything to contribute, please let me know and I will post your story gladly.

Although we will include posts about ghosts and alien sitings and such, I don't encounter that very often (ok, never) so when I talk about "strange" I mean things that seem out of place, out of the ordinary or just plain unexplained in the everyday sense.  Something that needs a bit more investigation before the origins become clear.  Through comments to my posts I hope to explain the unexplained.


I would love to post your stories!  Send them to me and I will be happy to add them...

Thank you,

John Gjonola