After Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park our initial travel plans were to remain in California and head into Death Valley National Park. Unfortunately many of the roads leading into the park were closed at that time due to flooding damage so we needed to reroute. This is where our traveling to Arizona and Nevada became intertwined. Our adventure first took us through southeast California and into Arizona to visit the town of Oatman. We then drove to Las Vegas, NV to check out Sin City and Redrock Canyon National Conservation Area.
Overnight at a California Highway Rest Area - The next morning Steve saw another patron walking his horse!
We had to jump onto Route 66 for some breakfast. Check out those gas prices!
We learned about Oatman from a fellow traveler and decided to check it out. This small town was full of wild west character…and wild burros! These small donkeys descended from the burros of miners arriving in Oatman searching for gold. Although the burros on the main street were friendly we were warned not to approach any outside of the town due to being untamed and ornery.
We decided to set up camp that night just outside of Oatman on BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land. In many cases this allows for free camping which is a plus for us! One of my favorite activities out west has been viewing the incredible sunsets. They are truly picturesque. Surrounded by “moon rock” - we had a peaceful evening.
Finding ourselves with an extra day we decided to visit Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area in Nevada. Although I still have anxiety for unplanned overnights the benefits of flexibility include incredible opportunities that show up with changed plans. Red Rock was an amazing experience. We traveled the 13 mile scenic drive with very few visitors, spectacular views and hiked trails seeing pictographs and petroglyphs - fascinating!
Next stop - Las Vegas! Although neither Steve nor I are gamblers were were both excited to see the spectacle of Las Vegas, a buffet of opportunity to overindulge. We were able to reserve a parking lot space at the Circus Circus Casino’s RV Resort, happy to have electricity, bathrooms and a shower. Funnily I really dislike clowns and this was our marquis, lol!! We had a great time exploring the city by foot and the Las Vegas Monorail.
Circus Circus Hotel and Casino - Fun Fact: Circus Circus' mob dealings partly inspired the 1995 film Casino.
After setting up the Scamp we managed a short stroll to the Sahara for tacos and were fascinated by the photo displays.
The next morning we walked miles in extreme heat to get a photo of this sign! The rest of the day we explored (by foot and monorail) many of the iconic casinos and resorts we had heard about. They were quite opulent!
The Las Vegas Monorail is four miles long.
The MGM Grand - Fun Fact: Largest casino in Las Vegas, about three football fields in length full of slot machines and table games.
Mandala Bay Resort - Fun Fact: Was renamed after Rudyard Kipling’s 1890 poem “Mandalay.” The poem romanticizes life in colonial Burma (now Myanmar).
The Luxor Hotel and Casino - Fun Fact: By volume, it’s the largest atrium in the world which includes the casino, restaurants, IMAX theater and show venues.
Excalibur Hotel and Casino - Fun Fact: Was featured in an episode of the animated TV series South Park.
New York New York Hotel and Casino - Fun Fact: Due to errors made by the stamp designers for the Liberty Forever Stamp, the Statue of Liberty that resides on the stamp is actually the replica that is found at New York-New York in Las Vegas.
Tropicana Las Vegas - Fun Facts: The Tropicana became the target of a mob skimming operation in 1978 and the Las Vegas sequence of The Godfather was filmed in the Tropicana.
The Bellagio - Fun Fact: There are 125 staff members who work to keep the conservatory vibrant all year round.
Ceasars Palace - Fun Fact: There’s no apostrophe in “Caesars.” Jay Sarno (one of the founders) believed the resort should be for everyone, not just Caesar.
The Flamingo - Fun Fact: The 1964 film Viva Las Vegas and the 1960 version of Ocean’s 11 were filmed at The Flamingo.
Just a final few photos from our short stay in Las Vegas.
We were saddened to hear that on the morning we left Sin City a man stabbed eight people on the walkway across from the Wynn Hotel, killing two show girl models. We were fortunate to not witness any violence during our time in the area. I was surprised to see all of the activities and accommodations geared to families and bringing children to Las Vegas. I truly see this destination as a place for adults - a vibrant spectacle and fabulous city for entertainment but be cautious. Next state - Utah!
Coddiwompling “To Travel in a Purposeful Manner Towards a Vague Destination”
“Las Vegas is the boiling pot of entertainment.” -Don Rickles
“I only ever play Vegas one night at a time. It’s a hideous, gaudy place; it may not be at the end of the world per se, but you can certainly see it from there.” - Robin Williams
“There’s just no quiet in Vegas.” -Barry Manilow
“Las Vegas’s the only place I know where the money really talks - it says, “Goodbye”.” - Frank Sinatra
Link to Steve’s music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4fW5lsWiZG5TcOlhukK4pu?si=2NngXMjoR7mUJLreexbIAw&utm_source=native-share-menu (Let me know if you are interested in purchasing a CD/$10.)