Las Vegas, Nevada

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Another whirlwind couple of days from the Grand Canyon and we set off again, direction headed: Las Vegas, Nevada.

"From God's Country to the Devil's Dance Floor!"



Bright sunny morning and NO Rain!! Thankfully.

The drive was calm enough with great views of the mountainous terrain, steep grades up and down, a car in flames and a scattering of Joshua Trees just before the Nevada state line. We took a quick detour in Kingman Arizona for a truck/rig wash as the names we could write on the side of the rv and truck were getting a little to graphic. That is until we got closer to hoover dam and the signs for caution with the cross winds came to fruition and Roy had a death grip going over the bridge.

We passed Lake Meade and the neon signs and casinos gradually started to multiply. Las Vegas RV resort welcomed us with 98 degrees and an asphalt pad to set up on.

No rest for the wicked, after a quick cup of coffee and a change of clothes we were out the door and heading into downtown. First call was a drive down the famous Las Vegas strip. All I can say about it is disney world for adults, its everything you expect and more.

Its a strange place Vegas, a vast playground for excess of every kind surrounded by mountains, desert and a large runway for flights from across the globe. We made our way down the strip past the mini New York, Paris, Italy and luxurious hotels. The upscale stores are appropriately placed, where you can fritter away the gobs of money you just won. Then came the Wedding Chapels, lots of them in a row, take your pick, Elvis, drive through or traditional.

We kept driving until we came to Old Vegas, now this was it for me, I'm partial to the old days, Rat Pack, Sinatra, old school gangsters, you know the ones with the Tommy guns. Im also a big fan of James Bond and one of my favorites "Diamonds are Forever", you remember the one with Willard Whyte and a big part of it set in 1970's Vegas.

We hit the downtown Old Vegas on Fremont Street, the bright shiny casino lights and the sounds of slot machines amongst the street Dj's, street performers, drunks and wedding parties. Its not quite the "Old" Vegas, but the Fremont, Las Vegas Casino and Binion's had me thinking of days gone by, all the stories those places could tell. The smell of stale booze, cigarettes and women shrieking and yelling in their brash Texas twang, had me in another world.

I loved it and after a not so quick dinner at Denny's we headed back.

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