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Published: August 7th 2013
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We had our first drive-by National Park encounter today. We left the campground at about 7:30 so we could be at the Visitor Center for Sequoia National Park when it opened at 8:00. In addition to being eager to get to Las Vegas, we also could not drive our RV into the park due to limitations on vehicle length. So, we stopped at the Visitor Center to get our stamp and walking stick badges, took a quick picture of the sign, and then headed on down the road to Vegas.
The drive was our first through the desert, wasteland as far as the eye could see dotted with short, scrubby bushes. After the twists and turns of the mountains, it was a refreshing change of pace to encounter miles and miles of straight, uninterrupted highway. There's a stretch of about 30 miles that is a constant 3-4% grade upward. I had to practically stand on the gas pedal to keep the RV moving at pace, but it was fun! While I was pedal to the metal, Todd and the kids started the epic game of Rail Baron - a railroad version of monopoly, really, that lasts for days, but also
has all of the major railroad lines available for purchase, many of which we've already seen train cars for on this trip.
Arriving in Vegas, we experienced a wall of heat for the first time this trip. The temperature topped 100 degrees, and the kids were delighted to spend some time in the RV park pool while I did laundry once again and caught up on online stuff, having been without internet for a few days prior.
We finally caught the Sam's Town shuttle (the hotel/RV Park where we stayed) to the Strip and exposed the kids to a whole new world for the first time. The startling difference between Yosemite and Vegas leaves your head spinning a bit, to be sure. The kids, having never seen anything like the lit-up, bustling, crowded Vegas strip, were mouths agape, eyes wide at the sheer immensity and decadence of it all. Maggie's comment was "Everything is so big in Vegas!" We were out on the town for a late night of noise, crowds and the antithesis of anything natural.
We strolled from Harrah's to Paris, where we caught a quick dinner with luscious deserts. Then we made it across
the skybridge to Bellagio to see the fountain show, currently set to the Michael Jackson song "Billy Jean." From there we caught the monorail to the far end of the strip, and walked about a mile to Circus Circus, the "family-friendly" casino. It was already after 11:00 as we made our way from the last monorail station to the big neon clown billboard at the entrance. I can tell you we were all dragging big time.
But when we made it to the kids area on the 2nd floor, all four of ours got a second wind within seconds. It's essentially the world's largest video and carnival game arcade (think Chuck E Cheese on steroids). They were in heaven, sore legs, tired eyes and sleepy states quickly forgotten for the dinging, whizzing, ringing, fizzing pandemonium that they were elated to learn never closed.
It did not take them long to work their way through their allotted play money and turn in the tickets they had acquired for useless pieces of plastic and candy that will rot their teeth. But they were thrilled, and declared Vegas a fun zone of mega proportions.
Thankfully, the RV air conditioner had
managed to cool down our sleeping quarters to a tolerable temperature once the sun set and the temps outside dropped to a balmy 85 or so. We all crashed around 1:00 am, revved up on "civilization" and modern amenities once again after our brief stint in a city. And now that the kids have seen Vegas, we never have to go back. LOL A fun stop, to be sure, but one that brought into crystal clarity the disparity between man-made and God-made wonders. We definitely prefer the latter, and were thankful that our itinerary is nowhere near balanced between the two. Back to nature it is for us, as we'll leave Vegas and head to the Grand Canyon. It shall be interesting to see how the two compare.
Still truckin...
Marcia
(will add pictures later when we get back to good internet)
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The Other Baldwin Family
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Let it Ride!!!
I know a sure bet when I see one, and your kids are experts at "Money Machines"!! I'm sure your heard Tommy's famous line "I'm a winner" many times. Love the pic with them at the casino. That will be replayed twelve years from now, when all your kids, now over 21, will then make their fortunes at real "Money Machines" as Sean will invent a special themed machine based on wildlife pictures from Billy's portfolio, that the professional actress Maggie will demonstrate at a Vegas showroom as Tommy plays the machine and yells to the crowd- "It's A Winner"!!! Now, that you can bet on!