RonnieAdventure #0451 - Cal Nev Ari & Christmas Tree Pass, Clark County, Nevada

If you ever wanted to buy a town, I just read on the web that the community of Cal-Nev-Ari  is for sale and the price has been reduced from $17 million to $8 million. The community is about one hour south of Las Vegas on US Highway 95 and includes the Kidwell Airport, a casino, restaurant, bar, motel, RV/mobile home park, convenience market, and a well-kept cemetery. Although Cal-Nev-Ari is located in Nevada, the community is also close to California and Arizona; thus, the name "Cal-Nev-Ari."

The population of Cal-Nev-Ari was 244 during the last census and none of the families were below the poverty line. Actually, a substantial number of the families own an airplane and have an airplane hanger adjacent to their house.

In 1965 "Slim" and Nancy Kidwell purchased a WW II abandoned airstrip and 640 acres of desert land from the Federal Government. They laid out their dream city and started selling lots to people that wanted to live near an airport and keep their private plane adjacent to their house. Over the years various other commercial establishments were constructed by the Kidwells and now all of the properties they own are for sale. Act quick before the price goes up! Fly-In Bingo is popular on Friday nights and each week private planes from Nevada, California, Arizona, and other states can be found in the parking lot!

Just south of Cal-Nev-Ari there is a dirt road that runs east into the Newberry Mountain range and then goes up to Christmas Tree Pass and down to the other side of the pass to the Colorado River. A high-clearance vehicle is recommended for the trip, but a passenger car can make the trip if driven carefully. Due to conditions of the dirt road, speeds are slow along the route; so most people do this as a point-to-point drive and then return to Cal-Nev-Ari by a combination of State Highway 163 and US Highway 95.

There are spectacular views of the Newberry Mountains and the Colorado River basin along the entire Christmas Tree Pass Road. However, as an added bonus, if the trip is made around the Christmas Holiday season the Juniper Trees at Christmas Tree Pass are decorated with Christmas ornaments; thus, the name "Christmas Tree Pass." This tradition started a number of years ago by local people and usually lasts during December and January. Since we were there on the last weekend in January, a number of people were out taking down Christmas decorations that had been placed in the trees along the road. One tree we saw even had solar lighting so that the tree decorations could be seen at night.  

BONUS PICTURES BY KOLOHE