WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS...

I've always wanted to see Las Vegas, and since Salome is only about 230 miles to the southeast, we decided to spend our Christmas holiday there this year.

Never having been there, I went on the internet and randomly chose one of the hotels on the strip, Treasure Island, for our stay on December 24 and 25. Thankfully, we were able to check in early when we got there around 1pm.  We were on the 20th floor and had a fantastic view of the strip. At night, we could see the volcano erupting in front of The Mirage, and the many Christmas lights along the strip. 

 

 After resting a bit from the 4 hr drive we headed down to the casino to try our luck, or lack there of, on the slots.  I think we came away about even but we really didn't gamble a lot.  The hotel reservation included two dinners at their Buffet which turned out to be very good.  There was a 'make to order' pasta station and their lobster ravoli was very rich but very good.  We finished dinner just in time to take our seats at the Cirque du Soleil "Mystere" show that was playing inside our hotel. The show was really good; even Keith liked it.

On Christmas day, we took the "Hop On/Hop Off" sightseeing tour from 10 till 5:30. Unfortunately, several places that we would have liked to seen were not open (not that I blame them since it was Christmas Day).  One of the stops was the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop, home of the reality TV show "Pawn Stars"  (another one of Keith's favorites). 

We watched as someone took the SkyJump, an 855 ft controlled free fall from the 108th floor of the Stratosphere Hotel Tower.  The tower is actually 1,149 ft tall and is the tallest freestanding observation tower in the US.  Two of their other rides are called 'Insanity' and 'X-Scream.'  Both have you hanging out over the edge at the top. Yikes!

Collage of Las Vegas sites
 

Glad I decided to wear sneakers cause we did a lot, a lot of walking...in and out of hotels and casinos and shops.  When we got back to the tour headquarters, we grabbed a quick bite and then returned at 6:30 for their Night tour. We sat on the top of the double decker bus and it was freezing. This was mainly a driving tour so we got to see everything again but this time it was in lights.  The fountain show at the Bellagio which was set to music reminded me of Longwood Gardens. 

We didn't get back to the room till 10 pm and we were both exhausted. The day tour driver gave us a complimentary pass to come back on Wed to see the places that had been closed, but we decided to skip it and leave because we really wanted to stop at Hoover Dam on the way home. 

Even though we left Las Vegas at 9 am, after stopping at the dam and for dinner, we didn't get back to Salome till 7pm...exhausted again. We ain't as young as we used to be!!  But, we had a great time. 

GETTING REAQUAINTED WITH LIFE IN SALOME

We arrived here Thanksgiving week and it didn't take long to get reacquainted with life in this desert town.  We chose a different site this year, along the walled perimeter of the park.  We like the site but miss the 'sunset' views from our window that we had last year.
  

Love the desert sunsets

 My goal this year was to get a little more organized than last winter; planning ahead so there are less trips to 'town' for essentials. The biggest boost to my effort is the addition of a Family Dollar store in Salome. It's like a mini Walmart, with a little bit of everything.

But, as I say this, we've already been to Quartsite, Parker, Wickenberg and Surprise on different occasions.  On one trip to Parker, we ventured out to find the "Nellie E Saloon" (Desert Bar) that is situated in the Buckskin Mountains on land that was an old mining camp.  The article I had read about the bar said that it was five miles off Rt 95...and it was...five miles of narrow dirt road with ruts and stones to navigate and the truck was covered with dust within minutes.  I felt really bad since Keith had just spent a few hours one day washing the 'travel' dirt off of it. 


Desert Bar in the distance

 


Narrow entrance to the Nellie E

The "Nellie E" was purchased in 1983 and completed 5 years later.  The inside of the saloon is unique.  It has windows that are old glass refrigerator doors, the bar stools are made of steel and they sway from side to side.  The top of the bar is brass and the ceiling is made of stamped tin.  The saloon is powered by solar energy and is stored in batteries and run through inverters.  Water was originally hauled in in a 50 gallon tank on the back of a truck, but they've since drilled a well on the grounds.  The bar is only open Sat and Sun from noon till 6, and on the day that we went, there was a band playing and quite a few patrons.

The covered walkway to the Desert Bar

Several of the friends we made last winter are here already but there are some who won't come till after Christmas, and some who have decided to check out RV resorts in the California desert this year. 

Keith's cousin Rod and his wife Ellen had hoped to be here by now but hip surgery has postponed their arrival till January.  We really enjoy their company and are glad that they will be able to make the trip.  Tony and Donna, our friends from Maine, will not head west this winter.  We'll miss the sound of their 'downeast' accent and the fun we shared with them.

So, we are excited that our Sun Valley friends, Bill and Marcia, are flying out to spend a week with us in January.  And, my BFF's Gwen and Mare are also flying out for a week later in January.  We're anxious to share some of the sights and experiences with them.  Surprisingly, Salome does have a motel, the Westward, about a mile from our park.  It has just four rooms but it's another little oasis in this desert area.

Keith and I both agree that we enjoyed the time we spent sightseeing on our trip out on Rt 40 this year.  There's so much to see in our country.  Checking off another place we haven't seen, we plan to go to Las Vegas over the Christmas holiday.   It'll make a very HAPPY NEW YEAR if we hit the jackpot!