Despite the ugly drive on the outskirts of Phoenix, once we hit the open road it was a really awesome drive. It was amazing how the vegetation and landscape changed as we headed towards Vegas.
We didnt get too far at all before we made our first stop. We parked the car and went into the office which was basically a souvineer shop for the hiking tracks. There were snake skins on display and the guy who ran the place kept on talking about some National Reserve Trust. He described an underground river system or something and I think we talked about coyotes.
He told us about their web site which is www. blah blah .org but the way he said the .org part was dot oh are gee. So i thought he said dot orgy. Dirty old man.
We continued on after a few photos of the cacti around the building. The drive was fairly flat and dry to start with but soon there was a unque landscape that I had never seen before.
We only drove through a few towns, and there was heaps of travelling time between each. Considering we spent nearly 10 hours on the road yesterday, backing it up with another big drive today we needed to take it easy.
I'd only heard of Joshua Tree's from the U2 album. Oh yeah and Evelyn our kayaking guide at Santa Cruz also spoke of them. Here we were and there literally thousands of Joshua trees. I didn't know what they'd look like but they sure are unique.
The roads became one lane each way and they were fairly tricky to drive on. Not so much because they were windy or anything but because the heat haze made it difficult to see far enough up the road to pass a car safely. Almost like a mirage effect that i'd only seen on Bugs Bunny cartoons. At one stage a white SUV came right up behind me and looked to overtake. However it totally misjudged the gap and pulled over to pass, but it wasn't going to make it. So I broke in case he did try to make it. He ended up pulling in behind me and therafter became quite gunshy. He definitly lost his stones or his wife had put them in a jar for him.
I remember passing a few cars and to be confident i hit around 90 mph at some points just to pass or get up close enough so I could take advantage of an approaching overtaking lane.
Our next stop was at a Homemade Jerky shop. The store had plenty of signs a fair way out so by the time you actually get to the shop you feel as though you just had to stop for some jerky action. One of the flavours they had was called 'Cowboy Jrky' and I asked Sherry what she thought it was made from. She said 'Cowboys'.
They also sold pistachios there. The chili flavoured ones were nice, but not $8 for a small bag nice. We bought some Teriyaki jerky, which always seems to be a winner, and some Buffalo jerky. The jerky was tender as but gave Sherry a stomach ache.
So much driving. So much excitement.
Our next stop was for lunch at a pretty large town. Actually this was the town where we would have to take a detour if we wanted to go to the Grand Canyon. But yeah, we'd have to come back through this town and it was a 2 hour drive to the canyon. We were already looking at 1pm so there was no complaints from either of us about our decision not to go. A cool thing was we jumped off the freeway to drive down a road that had a few fast food joints and it was Route 66. Route 66 is a famous drive from L.A to Chicago and we think it is also the basis for the movie 'Cars', about all the small towns people miss out on driving through now because of the big freeways.
We ate at Maccas and its amazing how different the menu isover here. Sherry said its also different by region too. The only burgers on this menu board that I recognised were the Big Mac, quarter pounder, double quarter pounder and the fillet o' fish. I thought being in the USA I better try a burger i cant get in Australia so i went a Southern Style Chicken Burger. BIG MISTAKE. It was basically a chicken fillet in 2 buns. No lettuce, no sauce. Nothing. Disappointed.
As we began to approach the fair state of Nevada the landscape changed to gradually become more mountainous and rockier. Clouds also started appearing. What? Clouds? Thats right. Exactly eight days since arriving in the U.S.A i saw my first legitimate cloud asides from the massive morning sea mist around the Channel Islands.
This picture looks awesome really big, Save it and view it.
Another stop, this time at a cool look-out which looked down on a river. There were other Australian tourists there too.
Everything's under control
Not long after stopping at the lookout we had to pass through a border security checkpoint. Why? Its not like we're coming from Mexico. Why here? Oh thats why! The Hoover Damn is coming up and they must be checking suspicious cars for explosives. We didnt have to stop as we were waved through. Hello Nevada.
Not long after the checkpoint it began to get real rocky real quickly. Hoover Dam time, Keep on the lookout for aliens and Optimus Prime. Seriously though - what a wonder of the world it is. Just an amazing feet of engineering. We took stacks of photos at every spot possible. Below are some of the best.
At the first lookout which was up really high there was a souvenier shop. I wanted to get something to commemorate it but I seemed to pick the dodgiest stuff possible Some cushion that would have fitted nicely into some house from the 70's. Sherry vigorusly shook her head and I sulked.
We bought a few things though, some fridge magnets and i think the dude behind the counter threw in a poster because I was an Aussie. He said he was oringally from Queensland but he seemed to have a really weird accent. Even though he he did say the word mate, he seemed to say it way too much. He was an old guy so perhaps he'd forgotten his roots and simply overcompensated now.
The area looked like some Moon or Mars space project. It was just an unbelievably barren area with a modern wonder of the world stuffed in the middle of it.
It took them 4 years to paint this sign on the wall
This bridge is going to be so cool once it's finished. I think its to help traffic move through more quickly as it will stop cars from having to wind down the road and cross the damn itself. This will be especially helpful for trucks hauling goods. The damn is down and to the left of the bridge.
The freeway work had left some nasty dust in the air causing some really weird cloud. We had to turn on our headlights to get through it.
Nah. Only joking. Just turned the gamma on the photo WAY down. Looks cool though hey?
Five minutes past the Hoover Dam we hit our first Casino! But this one ended up being way way out of town. I guess it was for those who wanted a slice of the Vegas gambling with alot of Hoover Dam action.
It was starting to approach dusk now and the drive from the Hoover Dam to Vegas was short and sweet. From the first casino above, to the beautiful lake off to our right in the distance to seeing the Vegas Skyline as we came out of the hills. It was like driving into Canberra from the southern hills. Just nothing but bush and then all of a sudden Whoala! a sprawling town out your feet, Who put this city here in the middle of nowhere? and why here?
At first I thought the tall buildings were from the business district. As it turns out they were. But they were casinos. Casino's ARE Las Vegas' business. The freeways started to get busier again and soon we were approaching the strip. Seeing the casino's for the first time was awesome. I hadn't had my face pressed to the glass of the car so eagerly since driving out of the airport around Los Angeles for the first time. Here were these big, stylish, colourful buildings plunked in a land of rock and sand. Maybe a bit like Dubai? Here was a true oasis. Respite from the heat and a respite from real life. Las Vegas was the Royal Melbourne show for adults.
The strip only one exit ahead. Casinos on the right just ahead
Sherry told me that we were staying at the Las Vegas International which was a decent hotel in a good location. I was like...oh yeah, cool, near the strip, a decent hotel, can't ask for anything more than that.
That building looks cool.
Mandalay Bay
The back of the New York, New York Casino
This casino is not on the actual strip but makes up for it in coolness.
The strip
We turned off the freeway onto one road and then took another right and we were on the strip. On our right was teh Lake Como replica and teh Bellagio Hotel & Casino. And then we turned up the road towards the Bellagio. I was thinking 'okay 0 they must share driveways or something and youjsut must have to drive up this way'. Then we were at a vallet parking spot and Sherry goes 'We're staying at the Bellagio.' Wh...wh...What??!! I couldn't believe it! Never in my wildest imagination had ithought we'd be staying here.
Planet Hollywood and Paris 
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