NEVADA, U. S. A.
Author`s note: Map, courtesy of
Merriam-Webster Online.
Author`s note: Map, courtesy of
Merriam-Webster Online.
| BOULDER CITY: | CARSON CITY: | HOOVER DAM: | LAKE TAHOE: | LAS VEGAS:
| RED ROCK CANYON:
| RENO:
| TONOPAH:
| VIRGINIA CITY:
| WOODFORDS:
| |
|---|
DO NOT TRY TO USE CAMERAS IN THEATRES:
Most theatres, cinematic, or stage, have cameras and censors. They will know when you try to use your camera to take pictures of the presentation. They will know which seat you are sitting in. You will be asked to turn over your camera or leave the theatre. Upon leaving the theatre you will be given your camera, minus the images that you took.
IN NEVADA AVOID: TAKING PICTURES OF WAITRESSES, PEOPLE GAMBLING, & GAMBLING MACHINES, OR GAMES.
Pictures may be taken, inside casinos, of restaurant and lounge entrances. Try to avoid capturing faces of other patrons or staff.
AUTHOR`S NOTE: If my stories do not contain pictures of a casino it is not a condemnation of said casino. It is simply, that I did not: drive by; walk by, or in; or see, said casino.
Sat. Dec. 21 5 AM, We took a taxi to the YVR, (Vancouver International Airport) for an Alaska Airlines flight to Seattle. The taxi cost me $23.
There was a fairly long line-up at the ticket counter. We were almost to the front of the line when I realized a had an E ticket.
It took me awhile to punch in the numbers on the touch screen, passport #, name, etc. but I finally got a boarding pass.
With this I was able to pass the line up waiting to check in and join a shorter line-up to get a check strip put on the handle of my suitcase.
From the luggage check-in we went to customs where we had to present our receipt for the AIF (Airport Improvement Fee), which cost me $15. After that, I dropped our one bag on a conveyor that took it down, into the bowels of the airport.
NOTE: Other than the above (Which is Canadian dollars) all prices in this section of my website are quoted in U. S. Dollars.
Next we joined a long line-up at the security check, seven check-ins but only three open.
I overheard a man complaining to a fellow employee about phone calls from Northwest airlines. Apparently the Airline wanted him to open more check-ins so they could get their passengers on board. This sounded like a good plan to me.
The man told his friend it was impossible to phone more employees to come to work at such an early hour during the Christmas season.
It seemed that, once we had ventured into the American zone, for having passed through customs we were now officially in the U. S. of A., no one was in a good mood. We get the feeling that Americans are not a particularly happy people.
I particularly noted, that, though, it was only a few days before Xmas, no one said, `Merry Xmas`.
The airplane, a Boeing 737, having sat at the airport all night, was still cold inside.
Less than an hour after take-off, during which the flight attendants barely had time to serve us a complimentary beverage, and a small bag of peanuts, though why they bothered on such a short flight, I don`t understand, we landed in Seattle where we had a two hour wait while we changed planes.
At Sea-Tac, (Seattle Tacoma International Airport), in SeaTac, Washington, we wandered around, through some construction, and, unknowingly, out of the security area.
To get back to our loading gate we had to go back through security. This security, unlike that at the YVR, caught my little pen knife.
A guard escorted me out of the airport secure area and directed me to a postal service where I mailed my knife back to my home.
The security guard was the first American I met with a sunny disposition.
After mailing my pen knife home I again had to pass through security.
Our flight took us above the clouds and we weren`t able to see the ground until we reached Reno where I was surprised to find, snow.
I had arranged to have a car waiting for me at National Car Rentals. I had booked it, over the internet, a month previously.
A couple of weeks prior to my trip I had phoned National to confirm my reservation and to upgrade to a larger car, I also requested a car with snow tires.
The girl on the phone told me that none of their cars have snow tires but they are all fitted with all-season tires. I told her there is no such thing. The tire has yet to be invented that is safe in all conditions. I also told her that as most of here rentals from Reno probably went to the ski hills in Tahoe that they should all have snow tires on.
I guess she didn`t like my attitude for when I arrived in Reno the man at the counter said the computer had not been updated to the larger vehicle I had requested.
However it was no problem to fulfill my request as they had several full size cars in stock. Though I fail to understand how Dodge has the audacity to call their `Intrepid` a full size car.
You have probably gathered by now that I am a fairly opinionated person. I just calls them as I sees them.
Having been on this planet for several generations I know good from bad and it displeases me when we are forced, by industry, to accept substandard products.
Leaving the airport, and heading North on the freeway, US Route [Hwy. (Highway)] 395, we immediately saw the hotel we would stay at that night.
The Reno Hilton is away from the downtown core and stands alone against the skyline.
We continued along the freeway and explored the typical, other than for the casinos, American town. The streets are wide and the pavement is uneven.
We stopped at Archie`s, on the Northern outskirts, for lunch.
When I travel to China I am unable to read the menu and have to rely on Bin to choose my meals. In America the opposite is true. Bin is unfamiliar with the menu items and there is little in the way of seafood so she relies on me to pick her meals. I did better for her than I did for myself as my fish and chips consisted of soggy fries and cheap pre-packaged fish. Bin was quite happy with the tuna salad sandwich that I ordered for her.
After lunch we drove back through the heart of the city, gazing at the casinos, then checked into the Reno Hilton which looked like a modern glass edifice.
Normally a customer of budget hotels I was unfamiliar with the procedures of valet parking. As it was a long walk from the parking lot to the lobby I decided it was time to learn how the upper crust lives. After all, I was staying at a Hilton.
Pulling into the valet parking I asked a valet what the procedure was for tipping.
The valet told me that he was an employee and didn`t need to be tipped but normally customers gave a tip of $1-2 when the valet presents the car keys, when the customer picks up his car, and an equal tip in the room when the bellhop delivers, or picks up, the luggage.
After we had checked in, while looking for the elevator to our room, a man came out of a hallway, between two elevator banks. He was wearing some kind of service uniform and asked me for the phone number to the hotel. I found this strange as we were in the hotel.
I told him I didn`t know and he replied that it would be in the papers I was holding.
After shuffling through the papers and commenting that I didn`t see it he told me which piece of paper it was on. We found an 800 number which he said would do, memorized it, or pretended to, and disappeared in the direction of a bank of telephones.
This had me curious as I realized that the papers we had been looking at clearly stated my name and my room number.
When I had checked in I had been asked if I wanted a room with a view of; the mountains, or the city. Not particularly fond of cities I chose the mountain view but it really didn`t matter as it was snowing and there was no view.
As we crawled into bed for a late afternoon siesta, I heard the door open, stop against the night latch, and then close.
There had been no knock on the door and I wondered if it was the man I had encountered downstairs.
Knowing he couldn`t get in with the night bar in place I was asleep before I thought to call security.
After a sound sleep we wandered around the hotel until we found the smorgasbord (Americans call them buffets).
The buffet, (smorgasbord) at $11.99 per person had a very long, slow, line up. We were sorry that we took the time.
The buffet had a poor selection and a poor arrangement. There seemed to be two lines to serve from as there were plates at both tables.
The one side started with the plates and then cold shrimp, crab, a lovely roast, which, unfortunately, was barely warm, followed by the condiments for a salad, and ending with the main salad ingredients.
The other side started with plates and then gravy followed by what should go under the gravy.
Most of which needed to go under the gravy as it needed the extra heat that you could find at the bottom of the gravy, if you dug deep.
The dressing used big chunks of bread instead of croutons, the mashed potatoes were soggy, but most mashed potatoes in a buffet are.
If you dug to the bottom of the warmers, the beef stroganoff and the penne were good.
All in all, a typical American meal, high on quantity but low on quality.
After supper we tried some gambling, bought a roll of quarters and a roll of nickels, obviously High Rollers.
I was trying to figure out how to play bingo, without a lot of success. The one machine I tried kept eating my nickels. The lady opened it up and got it running but then it did it again so I moved to another machine and a different type of game.
I had thought Christmas would have been the busy time of year for Reno, especially with the ski hills so close, but when checking in I had noticed that the parking lot was not all that full and now I realized that other than the buffet the place was fairly quiet. Many of the tables were closed and the majority of the one armed bandits were sitting idle.
After we had used part of our roll of quarters and the last of our roll of nickels we returned to our room.
The room featured a cordless keyboard to cruise the channel of the hotel, on the TV, and a high-speed cable for internet at $5.99 for 2 hours with your computer.
The room was heated by a gas space heater, which was hard to set.
The bed didn`t have a fitted sheet but had a flat sheet, on a quilted mattress, which moved around beneath you. It was pleasant but strange.
The TV had a large screen with lots of channels and there were lots of electrical outlets for plugging in computers and recharging batteries.
AUTHOR`S NOTE:
Please don`t take my comments about the rooms I stayed in as a condemnation of said hotel. When I say I splurged I mean that I didn`t stay at my usual $25 a night accommodations.
As I was planning on renting a car I wouldn`t have to worry about storage for our luggage between hotels so, to broaden our experience, we stayed at a different hotel each night of our trip.
All hotels, except for Bally`s, were booked through the internet. (See my `Shoppers' page.) I later learned that I could have also booked Bally`s through the internet, for a lower price. However, it was the first one I booked and I was a little leery about using my credit card over the internet.
In each case I took the cheapest room the hotel had to offer. However, the Palace Station told me, when I was checking in, that I was being upgraded. I didn`t ask why, I just thanked them for the Xmas present.
I also booked the show in the Jubilee Room over the internet.
Sun. Dec. 22 Leery of the breakfast buffet, after the previous evening`s supper buffet, and as we weren`t hungry enough to do justice to a buffet, we elected to find a restaurant.
The bellhop appeared within minutes of our call and check out was quick and painless.
The valet was busy but we only waited a few minute for our car to arrive.
However the valet had barely scrapped enough ice off the windshield to see where he was going so I checked the car for scratches, wondering, as I did so, how many other`s he scratches, driving blind.
After scraping the rest of the ice from the windshield, and other windows, we proceeded into town until we came across a `Carrows`
Carrows` is similar to Denny`s and is a chain in the Western U. S. of A.
Bin and I shared, an absolutely delicious, Pecan waffle which only cost $8.99.
From Reno we took U.S. Route 395 South to State Route 341. Within minutes we were climbing on a steep, winding, well maintained, road.
In the center of the picture you can make out the tall casinos of the downtown core. Just to the right of the core, the Reno Hilton stands alone amongst the shorter buildings. Over the top of the hill we came to Virginia City. Many of the stores were closed for the Christmas
Season and some were closed due to the weather. We spent some time shopping in the few that were open.
From Virginia City we took the old road South.
Through Gold Hill,
and Silver City,
In Carson City we did some shopping in a pawn shop, where I found a computer game I had been searching for, for a year, and then had lunch at Heidi`s.
Heidi`s is a chain of restaurants, similar to Carrows or Denny`s but done in a Swiss motif.
I had an American Cristo. Which is their version of the ever popular Monte Cristo.
This trip was in the opposite direction to a trip I had made, in the mid `80`s, when I had owned my own cab over. (see my Trucking Page.)
I had picked up a load of cedar shingles in Lumby, B. C., Canada and dropped them in Carson City, then made like a tourist, with my 45` trailer, up the hill through Virginia City and back into Reno where I spent the night in my sleeper, at a truck stop.
This time, however, after returning to Reno, via U.S. Route 395,
we stayed at the Peppermill Hotel Casino.
We drove right through Reno, through the suburb of sparks, then back through Reno to the Meadowood Mall, where we did some tire kicking, or round-a-round, as Bin and I call it, but didn`t see anything we wanted to buy.
The Peppermill Casino is similar to the Hilton in that it is on Route 395 and away from the downtown core.
However the Peppermill is on the Business Route, not the freeway and is South of the core, while the Hilton is to the East.
At the Peppermill we used valet service but as I didn`t see a bell hop I elected to carry our suitcase to the lobby. As the elevators are close to the check-in I, further, carried our bag to our room.
In our room, I fiddled with the heat control but couldn`t get it to work.
After a short nap we went to find the buffet.
There were two short line-ups at the buffet
The first line up was to get a beeper which would tell you to join the second line-up when there would be a table ready. The time between the two line-ups was approximately an hour and a half.
Coming from a city where there are more good restaurants then there are citizens, I have never understood why anyone would wait for more than ten minutes for a table.
Wandering about, we found a food court that looked tempting.
I had chow mien, which was over boiled, and a taco, hard, which was good.
I also ordered a Won Ton soup however their Won Ton soup is basically War Won Ton and contains too much other stuff and not enough won tons. The won tons it did contain were poorly formed and tough.
I forget what Bin had but she said it was quite good.
After supper we wandered about the casino, seeing the sights, dropping the odd quarter into the one armed bandits. We try to avoid the ones without the arms. Just pushing a button seems to be too boring.
We were in the main hallway, heading for our room and I dropped one last quarter, as I was passing by a bank of machines.
Lights flashed, numbers counted, but I didn`t understand as no money came out.
A man a few chairs down said I had won. Won what? The numbers said 240 credits.
The man sitting (on the left) helped us claim our winnings. He was still working the same machine when we returned to our room. The man explained that you could use the credits to continue to play or push the cash out button and get money.
I tried using the credit button, once, didn`t win, and then pushed the cash button which caused 239 quarters to fall into the metal tray on the front of the machine.
All the machines are equipped with small plastic containers for such small wins and after scooping up our winnings I passed by the machine the man was at and dropped a handful of my winnings into his tray.
If he hadn`t explained it to me I would have walked away from the machine empty handed.
To this point Bin had played the odd machine but had generally berated me for wasting our money. Now she likes the ting, ting, sounds as coins fall into the trays.
We wandered back into the casino and played a few more machines, making a few small wins, 5, 10, 40, but eventually the bucket started getting lighter so we cashed in at a change booth.
They have a machine that sorts and counts the coins. It gave us the grand sum of $56.50, that`s about $90 in our money.
Back near the lobby we found a nicely flowered alcove at the entrance to a restaurant.
A screen displaying Roy Orbison looks over Bin`s shoulder as she counts our winnings. Security approached me at this point and told me I could take pictures of entrances to restaurants, but not of gambling.
We returned to our room.
I tried to take some pictures of the city but there are huge lights below the rooms that light up the sides of the hotel and make it impossible to take picture`s.
We crawled into bed but the room was too cold to sleep.
I phoned room service and crawled back into bed but before I could get comfortable there was a knock on the door. Maybe he was waiting down the hall for my call.
He also knew what the problem was and within five minutes had removed the grating from the ceiling, adjusted a valve, and had heat flowing into the room.
I then showed him the only two outlets that I could find to recharge my camera. One was behind the bed, where it had become damaged, by the mattress pushing against it, and the other was under the desk and was shorting out when you pushed a plug in.
Guest of hotels should always report such problems as the chamber maids don`t notices these things and, if they do, they are not mechanically inclined and don`t realize they present a problem that needs to be repaired.
Mon. Dec. 23 As became our habit for the rest of the trip we bypassed the breakfast buffet and partook of simpler fare at a fast food chain. We enjoyed breakfast burritos at a Burger King. $2.95 included hash browns, actually, what we call, potato gems, and a beverage.
Following breakfast, we drove north on business Route 395 to I (Interstate) 80, then West to Truckee where we turned South on State Route 267.
Just South of I-80 traffic slowed to a crawl. We were out in the middle of nowhere but bumper to bumper for some time until we came to an intersection. After we got a green light we proceeded fairly quickly for a few miles until we again slowed to a crawl.
Ahead of us, across a flat plain, we could see a long line of traffic crawling around a curve.
When I got a break, I pulled a U-turn and headed back for the I-80 where we turned West to State Route 89 and then South to Tahoe City.
It was a lovely winter`s day. The sky was clear, the sun was bright, the snow was piled high amongst the trees. Lovely, snow capped, alpine, cottages appeared, magically, amongst the trees, traffic flowed smoothly.
All was serene until I turned South at Tahoe City.
The sign said `road closed` at Emerald Bay. I got out the lovely little map, that National had given me when I rented the car, and turned the radio to the road frequency.
Sure enough, mile 27 was closed for avalanche hazard and I couldn`t use Route 89 to get to South Lake Tahoe.
I found a place to turn around and proceeded East, through Tahoe City, on State Route 28.
Shortly after leaving Reno we had passed from the state of Nevada into the state of California. Now as we wound our way along the shore of the lake, through picturesque villages and passed ski resorts, we re-entered the state of Nevada.
Just North of Glenbrook, State Route 28 became one with U. S. Route 50 which took us to South Lake
Tahoe.
CASINOS IN SOUTH LAKE TAHOE.
NO CASINOS IN SOUTHERN SOUTH LAKE TAHOE
As you drive through South Lake Tahoe you leave Nevada and enter California.
Turning South from South Lake Tahoe onto State Route 89, I, again, saw a sign warning of road closures.
Turning on the radio and looking at the map didn`t help as I didn`t know where the passes were that were closed.
The road south, although bordered by high banks of snow, was bare.
I continued on to the junction of State Route 88. Here we saw a sign that said we would have to put on chains within five miles if we were going to Kirkwood, but as we were going the other way I wasn`t too worried.
At Woodfords Station, I turned South and came to an immediate stop. There were two signs that said, `road closed` on pass. I didn`t know where either pass was so I turned back to the post office, newspaper office, and general store, the only building in Woodfords Station.
MARKET, DELI, BEER, WINE, FISHING LICENSES, FOOD, CAMPING & FISHING GEAR, TOURIST INFO.
DAVE KIRBY, PROPRIETOR As there was a police car outside I went in and talked to the friendly, and very helpful, State Trooper.
He told me that 89 was closed further South and that 120, which I had planned to take later, was also closed.
As I was already parked and the building I was in also had a lunch counter we elected to have lunch. I had a pastrami melt, similar to a patty melt. I don`t recall what Bin had but I know she wasn`t happy with it.
After Lunch we continued on State Route 88, which turned North, through cattle country, back into the state of Nevada, to U. S. Route 395.
Black, Angus, cattle, just South of Centerville. At Minden, we stopped for some badly needed fuel. My fuel gauge was deep into the red zone. The State Trooper had told me there was a self operated fuel pump just North of Woodfords Station, but I wasn`t sure if my credit card was working.
MINDEN, NEVADA U. S. Route 395 took us South through desert country. At Topaz Junction, we turned onto State Route 208 which took us to U. S. Route 95.
We notice as we travelled there was less and less snow in the hills and none in the valley.
Just North of Hawthorne, we stropped at Sportsman Beach on Walker Lake.
A short drive later we reached our day`s destination.
Calculating that, like other hotels, the Golden Hills Motel wouldn`t have the heat on in the rooms we checked in, $43 & tax of $3.06, as soon as we got to town, went to our room, turned on the heat and left. As Tonopah is a small town the desk clerk didn`t want to recommend one of the only two restaurants open, over the other, but a repeat guest was checking in at the time and he recommended the dinning room at the Ramada Inn.
I would hate to visit a restaurant that the gentleman wouldn`t recommend. Our suppers were either cold or luke warm. The steak & lobster cost $18.95 The side of mushrooms came as an appy of deep fried mushrooms and were watery and barely warm. The salad was watery and had no tomato or celery, just lettuce.
At least, by the time we returned, to the motel, our room was warm.
The bathroom featured the shortest bathtub I have ever seen. The wrap-around curtain consisted of a normal shower curtain. It was long enough to cover the side and the one end that had no wall.
Tue. Dec. 24. Christmas Eve.
Sausage burritos for breakfast at MacDonald`s. $3.08. Slightly more expensive and a bit smaller than the ones at Burger king. The place was busy, as most MacDonald`s are, and the manager was harried but he took the time to tell me where I could get fuel.
I skipped the local station that the manager had told me about as their prices were $1.95 per gallon. I waited until I got to the town of Beatty where the prices were only $1.75 / gal.
From Tonopah to Vegas is about 4 hrs of, mostly straight highway. Fairly boring, if you`ve been through it as often as I have, but interesting to a first timer such as Bin.
I may have missed it but, I didn`t see, anywhere, going South, on U. S. Route 95, a sign, saying, `Welcome to Las Vegas`.
I did, however, pass under a very unique overpass, designed with a Native American motif. I was too slow getting my camera into operation to get a picture of it. Though I love my little digital camera, there are times that I hate it.
We stayed on the freeway until we reached the turn off for `The Strip` (Las Vegas Blvd.) and then drove through the old downtown, what is now called Las Vegas North.
We followed Las Vegas Blvd, South, through the new casinos, what is called Las Vegas South, to I-215. Here we turned back and crossed the I-15 Freeway.
Across from the TA [(Travel Centers of America), (a place I`ve slept, & eaten in, more than once.)], truck stop,
we had lunch at the buffet in the Silverton Casino. After lunch we drove, back, along the strip,
until we came to Bally`s, where we checked in.
After a nap we went exploring.
By walking through a doorway in Bally`s you enter a corridor that takes you to the Paris Hotel with a large atrium done in a Parisian theme.
Lo and behold, I saw a gentleman who was dressed like the stereotypical Frenchman, with a beret, and speaking French. No, he wasn`t an employee, at least, I believe, he was a tourist.
Another doorway, on a lower level, will take you to a SkyTrain, or Monorail, that will take you past the Paris Hotel to the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino.
Seeking something in the Oriental vein, for supper, we elected to try Chang`s. Our policy for the trip was to have lunch in city restaurants and supper in the hotels we were staying at.
Chang`s was an excellent choice. We had: Clos du Bois, $9; Seafood Chowder, $4.95; Won Ton Soup, real wontons, no extras, good broth, but lacking black pepper, (The secret to a good Won Ton Soup is black pepper.) $3.75; Walnut Prawns, $23.95; Mo-shu Pork, Patrick, our server, rolled them up like burritos, excellent, (I took a picture of Patrick doing it but I lost the picture because I took my camera to the floor show and they took my camera and accidentally erased the entire memory.), $13.95; Chef`s Scallops, $13.95; and tax of $5.48
The prices were similar to Canada but the Yankee exchange rate makes it a bit pricey. But what the he.., it was Xmas Eve.
After supper we dressed in our finest and attended the Jubilee, late-evening, Topless Extravaganza, $59. (Includes tax and a coupon for 2, for 1 martini, or margarita.)
Other than the fact that the spy-in-the-sky camera caught me using my camera and they confiscated it, it was a fantastic floor show, except for one skit, I couldn't understand why anyone would want to do a dance theme based on the sinking of a cruise ship.
Though it is touted as being a topless extravaganza it is heavy on the extravaganza and light on the topless. Even prudes shouldn`t find it offensive.
After the show, feeling sheepish, I took my claim ticket to the lobby to retrieve my camera. I found that I was not the only one. With ticket in hand, I joined the end of a line of camera buffs.
Wed. Dec. 25 Merry Xmas. We took to the streets early as there is less traffic to contend with. One can get pictures of the buildings without a car in the foreground. Also one can step out into the street without getting run over, to get a wide angle view. However there are very few spots where one can get all of a hotel into one picture as there are usually power poles, trees, etc, in the way as the hotels are so enormous.
Shortly after having crossed an intersection I heard a noise and turned to look. I saw a motorcycle sliding through the intersection I had just traversed. I saw the rider sliding along the pavement. I saw a city bus, breaking, to avoid running over the rider. I didn`t see any reason for the bike to have fallen. I`m not saying the intersection was clear when the bike went into it but when I turned to look I saw neither: pedestrians; vehicles; nor ice, it was a cold morning and there was ice in shady areas.
Before I could return to the scene I saw other people helping the rider to the curb. I noticed he wasn`t able to stand on both legs. Later we saw an ambulance going in that direction. I do hope the rider was OK. Not a very nice Xmas present.
TAKING GLASS ELEVATORS TO A NEW LEVEL.
PUN INTENDED. We had breakfast in MacDonald`s, for less than it cost us in Tonopah: Burrito, $1.7, Sausage & Egg Mc Muffin, $1.6; 12 oz. Coffee, $1.09; 16 oz OJ (Orange Juice), $1.79; Tax, $0.45.
After breakfast we wandered the street, through the hotels, then went into the MGM Grand and took the Monorail to Bally`s where we checked out.
To save time on departure day we drove around the airport until we found the huge parking lot for National Car Rental. The friendly security officer gave me a map of Vegas, and area, and told me where I could find a car wash.
This I say, being a professional driver, with a red face.
Approaching an intersection, I had a green light and proceeded into the left turn lane. Too busy reading the car wash sign to realise the traffic sign said that green lights must yield left turn to oncoming traffic, I barely realized in time that the approaching 4 x 4 wasn`t going to stop.
I stopped before I was fully into the oncoming lane but the high rigged pick-up had to swerve to avoid me, he also had to swerve into the side street to avoid rolling the top-heavy vehicle.
Luckily, there was no cross traffic and he managed to stay on his wheels and turn into a driveway where he was able to turn around and come back out onto the street.
By this time I was parked at the fuel pump in the gas station across the street. By the time I got over to the street he was gone.
If the driver of that pickup is reading this; please, accept my profound apology for my bad driving.
After fuelling, we drove to Boulder, Nevada where I happened to see a self serve car wash. The one at the fuel stop had been closed for Xmas day.
We took a leisurely drive, in our semi clean car, through the picturesque city of Boulder, then followed the road to Boulder Dam, along with all the other holiday sightseers.
BOULDER CITY, OVERLOOKING LAKE MEAD.
LAKE MEAD. It says `Hoover`, on the dam, and on the map, but the residents of Boulder still prefer it to be called
Boulder Dam.
Traffic was backed up for miles as tourists tried to find a place to park. The main parking facilities were closed.
U. S. ROUTE 95 I found our next hotel, The Palace Station, marked on the map, returned to Vegas, and checked in for our daily siesta. I really like that Mexican tradition.
For our Xmas day supper we found the in-hotel buffet. I had: roast beef; chicken; no salad, as there were few extra ingredients; I didn`t have anything from the Mexican pass bar as someone had beaten me to all the ingredients; dressing; turkey; and free champagne. A most wonderful repast for the princely sum of $11.99 plus $1.74 tax.
After supper we took a taxi to old Las Vegas (Las Vegas North). This is the Las Vegas I remember. Small hotels that are easy to walk from one to the other. Narrow street where people walk back and forth from casino to casino.
Of course, now, pedestrians don`t have to fight traffic. The street is closed to vehicles and a roof covers the entire strip.
With any luck I will be able to get a copy of Bin`s video of the roof and put it here on my website for your enjoyment.
We captured a fantastic light show that is an advertisement for Jillian`s, the entertainment center at the end of the strip.
The center features bowling and theatres, where we partook of the second in the `Lord of the Rings` series. Long & boring.
Thur. Dec. 26, Happy Boxing Day (A holiday celebrated in Canada). We didn`t have to go out of the hotel for breakfast as there is a Burger King in the hotel: Bacon sandwich, $1.9; Croissant, $1.9; Coffee, $0.90; OJ. $1.09; Tax, $0.42.
After checking out we drove around looking for some pawn shops that I had located in a Yellow Pages.
The only bargain I found was a computer game, used, that I had been looking for since I saw it in a store a year ago.
Driving North, on Charleston Blvd., to find the overpass I had seen coming into town, we came across signs saying Red Rock Canyon (Actually the `Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area`.).
We had planned to visit there later in the day with some friends who had told us about it but as we were there we thought we would take a quick peek and then go for lunch.
Several hours later, hungry, as there was no place to buy eats, we completed the circuitous roadway and came out of the `Area` near the junction of I-215 and I-15, just a few blocks from the Boardwalk Casino & Hotel, where we would spend the last night of our trip.
The room was already warm, we didn`t have to find the heater and the Boardwalk Hotel uses a water conservation program, something all companies, and individuals, must learn.
After checking in we searched the area for a local restaurant, but were unable to find ribs. Pork is a rare item on menus in Nevada.
We went back to our hotel and checked out the buffet but seafood is another rarity in Nevada.
We checked the other restaurants in the hotel and, after reading their menus, we selected the Boardwalk Caff³, and are happy we did. Shrimp scampi; $18.99; prime rib special, $8.99; a glass of wine, $3.75; tax $2.3. Excellent service from Jacques, our waiter, and attendance by Davo, the food and beverage manager.
At the cash counter, Jacques (L), Davo. After supper we wandered the streets for a bit, to get some more night shots, then called it a night.
HARLEY DAVIDSON CAFE.
POLO TOWERS CASINO HOTEL. Fri. Dec. 27 We had breakfast at MacDonald`s, across the street from our hotel, then walked through the Excalibur Hotel and took the SkyTrain (Tram) to Mandalay Bay.
The `Tram` arrives at the Excalibur. EXCALIBUR CASINO HOTEL.
EXCALIBUR CASINO HOTEL. At the Mandalay Bay we walked forever to get to the Shark Reef, $15.
As the exit to the street, at that end of the hotel, was closed for construction, we walked back and took the Tram, past the Luxor to the Excalibur, but to the Western side of it. When we had left, we had taken the express, which doesn`t stop at the Luxor, from the Eastern side.
We walked through the Excalibur, through the NY NY, and back to our room, and checked out.
NY NY CASINO HOTEL.
NY NY CASINO HOTEL. We had planned on stopping for lunch but the traffic was terrible.
We drove straight through to National Car Rental where the check-out was quick. The attendant wore a small computer and a printer clipped to his belt. He simply typed in the license plate number of the car and handed me my receipt.
We threw our bag onto the shuttle bus and we were off to the airport.
MONTE CARLO CASINO HOTEL.
MONTE CARLO CASINO HOTEL.
At LAS (McCarran International Airport) we used the E (Electronic) check-in, got rid of our bag, and had time for lunch, in a
Tex-Mex restaurant. Taco salad and chimichanga. Excellent.
There is no AIF at Las Vegas, because many of the passengers have no money when they leave?
After passing through security we had some time to wait at the loading gate as our plane was 15 min. late.
I had three nickels left and went to find a machine that took nickels. My last nickel became thirty , so I played for awhile longer and eventually cashed out at $4.
One lady was playing one of the one armed bandits in the departure lounge while waiting to board. The bell rang for a long time and then she began to play again using the credits in the machine When final boarding was announced she tried to cash out but the bandit didn`t have enough quarters. When I got on the plane she was still debating whether to leave the quarters for someone else or to skip her plane and wait for the attendant to refill the machine.
When I had walked by I noticed the machine still owed her another 3,300 quarters. I don`t know how many it had already paid out.
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