10/15/19 - 10/21/19 Leeds, UT to Las Vegas, NV (130 miles) stayed 6 nights at Hitchin’ Post RV Park, $38/night
Vegas, baby!
Bill was so excited to gamble in Vegas that I encouraged him to book six nights to thoroughly get it out of his system. I don’t get the same thrill, but I go for moral support. We stayed in North Las Vegas, behind barbed-wire fence and near Nellis AFB. They run sorties every morning about 10 am. There are always four jet fighters in the squad, and they roar right over our heads. When I’m outside walking, it’s very cool. When Bill’s inside sleeping, not so much. They loop round and round before landing, maybe practicing “touch and goes”. There’s a pool, nice laundry facilities, a workout room and a nice restaurant at the Hitchin’ Post, so inside the compound, we’re set. However, to get to the Strip, we have to drive south on Las Vegas Blvd, past Fremont Street and the Neon Boneyard, through a not-so-desirable part of town. If you’ve never stayed off the Strip, you’ve never see this part of Las Vegas - trashy with lots of homeless.
The last time we came to Vegas, we were lured by a player’s club with a free night’s stay and inexpensive dinner. This time, we could barely find free parking. There are a few hotels that still provide it, but you have to research and map out where it is before you go. Then, be prepared to walk. We parked at The Venetian, and enjoyed walking through the Canal Shops, watching the gondolas float past and listening to the gondoliers sing. We found the casino and Bill gambled a little, then we walked out on the Strip for about five miles, going through Ceaser’s Palace, gambling there, and reaching Bellagio just in time to see the dancing water show. It took us so long to wind through the crowds outside, that we actually got to see the show twice, set to different music. The Strip is great for people watching, and they get weirder as the night progresses. We enjoyed driving down the Strip, to see the neon signs. Even Denny’s, McDonalds, and CVS have blinged-out neon signs.
One of the places I really wanted to visit was the Neon Boneyard, where all old neon signs go to die. They are working to expand the exhibit in a nearby museum, but for now, it’s outside, about a block away from Fremont. Unfortunately, there was a brand new Tim Burton exhibit opening the night we arrived, called “Lost Vegas”. In order to get tickets, I would have to purchase them online a month in advance, ugh! I saw a little from the road!
We did visit Fremont Street twice, once during the day, and once at night. The street is enclosed by a vaulted video screen ceiling. Even during the day, it lights up and plays music, but it’s really spectacular at night. We had to pay $20 to park, of course, but the bands playing along the street were free. We stopped and listened to an 80s cover band for a while. There was also a very loud heavy metal band playing down the way that we stayed away from. Shops, restaurants and casinos line both sides of the street and there are multiple zip lines that run the length of the ceiling. There are also street performers stationed along the street. They rent a spot in a red circle painted on the floor for a certain amount of time, and pose as a statue, do card tricks, play music, dance, or entice people to take pictures with them in their costumes for a price. Some were dressed like the band members from KISS, some as Vegas showgirls, some had on very little. It was quite a sight. Bill made his final donations in a casino, and we had breakfast for dinner at Denny’s. I’m relearning that he does not like crowds, loud noises, or walking long distances, so by the end of the week, we’d had our fill. We’re looking forward to space and quiet.
If you go, consider taking in the Mob Museum or Zappos factory tour. They were highly recommended.
The last time we came to Vegas, we were lured by a player’s club with a free night’s stay and inexpensive dinner. This time, we could barely find free parking. There are a few hotels that still provide it, but you have to research and map out where it is before you go. Then, be prepared to walk. We parked at The Venetian, and enjoyed walking through the Canal Shops, watching the gondolas float past and listening to the gondoliers sing. We found the casino and Bill gambled a little, then we walked out on the Strip for about five miles, going through Ceaser’s Palace, gambling there, and reaching Bellagio just in time to see the dancing water show. It took us so long to wind through the crowds outside, that we actually got to see the show twice, set to different music. The Strip is great for people watching, and they get weirder as the night progresses. We enjoyed driving down the Strip, to see the neon signs. Even Denny’s, McDonalds, and CVS have blinged-out neon signs.
One of the places I really wanted to visit was the Neon Boneyard, where all old neon signs go to die. They are working to expand the exhibit in a nearby museum, but for now, it’s outside, about a block away from Fremont. Unfortunately, there was a brand new Tim Burton exhibit opening the night we arrived, called “Lost Vegas”. In order to get tickets, I would have to purchase them online a month in advance, ugh! I saw a little from the road!
We did visit Fremont Street twice, once during the day, and once at night. The street is enclosed by a vaulted video screen ceiling. Even during the day, it lights up and plays music, but it’s really spectacular at night. We had to pay $20 to park, of course, but the bands playing along the street were free. We stopped and listened to an 80s cover band for a while. There was also a very loud heavy metal band playing down the way that we stayed away from. Shops, restaurants and casinos line both sides of the street and there are multiple zip lines that run the length of the ceiling. There are also street performers stationed along the street. They rent a spot in a red circle painted on the floor for a certain amount of time, and pose as a statue, do card tricks, play music, dance, or entice people to take pictures with them in their costumes for a price. Some were dressed like the band members from KISS, some as Vegas showgirls, some had on very little. It was quite a sight. Bill made his final donations in a casino, and we had breakfast for dinner at Denny’s. I’m relearning that he does not like crowds, loud noises, or walking long distances, so by the end of the week, we’d had our fill. We’re looking forward to space and quiet.
If you go, consider taking in the Mob Museum or Zappos factory tour. They were highly recommended.
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