Day 16 - From Natural to Egyptian
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| TW stepping out on the Hoover Dam |
With Grand Canyon behind us we headed South on the 50 mile long straight road towards Williams and the long drive to Las Vegas. Just a single carriageway and people in a hurry which meant it was risky drive. A slow vehicle like a Camper Van tends to develop a string of cars behind and they start jockeying to get past.
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| The impressive Hoover Dam |
We came across a six car pile-up at the crest of a hill. We were the first car to arrive from the Canyon direction but were nowhere near being involved fortunately. Makes you think because it happened in the middle of a desert area quite a way from Emergency Services but, happily, they appeared to have phone coverage. Ambulances were already being called but we were some way down the road before we saw them speeding to the scene. We helped clear the road and then got out of the way.
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| After the Hoover Dam |
A hard drive today but we were probably a bit weary. Our lunch stop was near Kingman in very good diner, The Iron Skillet was mainly targeted by truckers and we had a splendid feed. Our waitress was very kind and amusing so worth stopping. Lots of dust being picked up by the strong winds as headed across the desert towards the Hoover Dam. The link between dust being picked up and Hoover is not coincidental. Not sure who invented Dams, maybe it was the Beaver, but they are fascinating. They control the river, store water and generate power so we are big fans. We drove over the dam and parked in a free car park. We had a good old wander, buffeted by warm winds. The Hoover, as previously alluded, to was named after a vacuum cleaner.
It is an iconic structure with lots of Art Deco decoration and was certainly worth a wander. The brass doors were great and, on reflection, polishing them
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| Took a shine to these Dam doors |
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| Hoover two |
would be a very rewarding hobby or career
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| Balcony View |
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| Distracting the punters at Planet Hollywood |
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| Rear view |
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| Time for a well earned beer |
Now for the tricky bit, getting into Vegas on the increasingly busy roads in what appeared to be the rush hour. Not sure where they were going to, or from, but they Vegans to do it in a speedy fashion. This time our aim was set on the Luxor, a massive, glass clad, pyramid structure. Bit of a relief getting to self-parking, this time without driving down the Strip! The Hotel Receptionist thought we were mad staying just one night and might have been right. The pyramid has around 2,500 rooms so I would not like to be the maintenance man. Window cleaning must be a nightmare. Riding the lifts is a strange sensation as they run at an angle up the inside walls of the pyramid. Our view from the room was the backside of a Sphynx. Open the door and an internal balcony revealed a massive casino floor. A mezzanine floor supported a bevy of different restaurants. We chose the Italian option and had a decent meal of Pizza with a massive salad.
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| On the wide wide Strip |
It was Friday night and the queue at Check-in was now a massive snake. Suppose they are weekenders?
We headed for the Strip and a wander down the busy pavements and into, and out of Casinos. Some interesting sights to distract the punters. We enjoyed an Elvis impersonator who was standing frozen whilst singing in a ventriloquist fashion.
He would jump out on unsuspecting passers-by which we found amusing. Perhaps it was a good job we were moving on in the morning.
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| Luxor sunrise |
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| Out on the strip |
Not sure what to think about Vegas. Its become like a massive cruise ship floating in a sea of sand. Almost every form of entertainment is available. No nice bike rides or places for walks in the country so jury is out for me I'm afraid. I believe you can win loads and loads of money here though and there is a whole industry set up to make it very, very easy.
Where we stayed -
https://www.luxor.com/en/hotel.html Las Vegas
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