high flyers, low rollers

fabulous fout

(Lloyd)

As we start winding down for the relaxing part of the holiday, the day still pretty full on with activity.

Chrissi and I visited the Delano gym for some treadmill pre breakfast action, opening the curtains on another Vegas morning.

wakey wakey

suite view

gym bunnies

We then had a Starbucks breakfast before going our separate ways, they to the pool, me to the MGM for their 11am Poker tournament.  Enjoyed 3 hours and finished in a respectable 9th place, met a bunch of new folk from both near and far, as all manner of sport, politics, and work is discussed between hands on the poker table.  Really enjoy the social element, and the free drinks, winning would be a bonus, made it to the final table, but would have needed to finish in the top 3 to cash.

another starbucks

starting stack

enhanced stack

stacking up on beers

Met the rest of the family and we caught a taxi down to Fremont Street.  A very informative taxi driver, and poker player, if I was here longer he has advised me of some of the better local poker hang outs. Next time, next year hopefully.  He had played with the poker brat Phil Helmuth and had a few stories to tell which I lapped up.  Drove past the Rio, the home of the World Series of Poker.

toy story

view from our balcony

The only eatery I had prebooked on this trip was the Park on Fremont, booked mainly for price, as I had done some research and have been keeping the food side of things here on a sensible budget.  The same can't be said for the casino, and incidental side of things.  Happy hour $3 gins went down a treat as did a tasty burger, all eaten outside with a view of Fremont Street and all of the characters associated with that.

quirky fud

walking by myself

bryn picks a winner

Took a stroll up said street, entertainment ranged from the quirky to the seedy to the desperate, but we took it all in, dropping in to casinos fro toilet stops and quick gambles.  We had pre booked on the zip line that cruises above Fremont Street. The gins probably enough to give me dutch courage, it was all over in a blink of an eye, Chrissi proved to be the source of entertainment as she completely lost her flying legs and was in quite a state before, and during our ride.

original home of poker world series

we're coming to get you

in reverse

where did we go?

Another look at the lights on Fremont, as dusk fell, another stroll, even more peculiar folks emerging from the shadows, so we took our leave of absence and caught a taxi back to Excalibur.  Kids played in the Dungeon, Chrissi and I did a bit of roulette and blackjack.  All of us pretty exhausted so nice to retire to our suite, plenty of space, views of the Strip and TVs in every room, even the bathroom.

-Carys-

Day 1 in Vegas, and it already feels like we've been here for weeks. We ate Starbucks for breakfast (you are probably bored of hearing us say that) and then whilst dad went to gamble, the rest of us went straight to the pool. We had a very relaxed, enjoyable morning, lazing around, and swimming. I really like the pools here, there is such a variety!

At around 2ish, we brought us and our things back to the room, where we met dad again, and got changed. Then we hopped into a cab with a nice driver - who Dad chatted to on the way  - and drove to Fremont Street. It was still quite early , so not many lights, but it was already very busy.

We had a restaurant booked, so we went to eat there a little early. They sat us outside on the balcony, in the heat, but mostly shaded. WE had nachos an d salsa, and chicken wings for a starter, and then for main course I had macoroni and cheese balls. They started off tasting amazing, but the filling was a little too much, so nearer the end I started to enjoy them less. However, I'm glad I chose them.

There was quite a while before we were go be zip-lining, so we wandered around the streets, nosing at different shops etc. Then, it was time. As we walked up and up to face the 'fun', I started to get a little bit nervous and hesitant, my stomach feeling a bit funny. IN the end though, I breathed it in and did it. I was scared of falling, or the line having a big drop but none of that happened.

The ride itself was really enjoyable. I spread my arms like wings and soared through the sky over head of people. When we'd finished, it was almost too soon. We got our kit taken off us, and headed downstairs for the photos. Some of them were hilarious, so we took the whole lot.

Once we were back on the street we realised that the lights were starting to come on! It was very pretty, all the colours and flashing. The music was awfully loud, and there were three separate stages along the street with different djs! There were also lots of 'street acts' - some inappropriate, some quite interesting. The street was packed now, quite rowdy in fact.

We got a cab to Excalibur, where mum and dad did some gambling whilst bryn and I stayed in 'The Dungeon' (the arcade). I didn't win any masses of tickets this time, but I got myself a few sweets so that was all good.

WE rejoined anfd then headed back up to our hotel room in Delano, via the LUSH store for me and mum to get a bath bomb. We wanted to make use of the big bath, so we used the bath bomb. The bath was huge, and very relaxing.

gangstas paradise

first it was the valley of death and second it was Vegas, another very full day.




And it all began in another home of spaghetti westerns (we had visited one of its other homes on a previous trip to Hollywood) but Lone Pine has claims to locations for a lot of movies, past and present.  It even has a film museum to celebrate this fact, not open for our dawn departure, but available for photos, and providing a fabulous back drop to begin our day on the road.

wagon from John Wayne 'the cowboys'

parked beneath the sierra nevadas

Another 4 hours of driving today, this allows us to provide the grand total of our ground journey to date, in miles for the past 7 days from Vancouver to Vegas we have covered 1655 
This has meant a lot of classic rock!

First part of our journey today was the preamble to Death Valley,  lots of long roads into the horizon.

are we nearly there yet?

A lot of descending occurred into the Valley at sea level, you might remember we were at a height of around 4000 feet. Some of the descent today was what I expected at Tioga yesterday, sheer drops and switch backs.

going round the bend

In the Valley itself we took in the amazing Sand Dunes and Furnace Creek, where the second highest ever temperature has been recorded (first in the Libyan desert for reference) back in the early 1900s.  Pretty hot today too, surprised there is much appetite for hiking in this National Park.

sand castle time

it ain't half hot mum

On leaving the park it was not long before we entered Nevada, a couple of border towns with the casinos, legal cannabis and other 'adult entertainment.'   Also found the local heavy rock station just as we were leaving the Valley.

Pahrump .. bless you

Last bit of road drama for us was me playing petrol chicken to fill up the tank just outside Vegas, we were in the red and more or less free wheeling into the gas station.

our beasts oasis

schoolbus,school bus, take a bloody photo

Outskirts of Vegas and people going about their business, we found the Avis parking lot at the Mandelay Bay and said goodbye to 'The Beast'.

the beauty of the beast

Upgraded our room to a little suite, will close my eyes to the credit card bills when we return.  The likelihood of me making it all back in Vegas pretty slim based on my first poker tournament although I did make a random $40 on a Ron Burgundy slot machine, stay classy I say.

KK beaten by a Flush .. almost the only hand I played

money drainer

afternoon delight

Met the rest of the gang back in the room, as they had been down the pool.  Took our now traditional walk and photos at the lower end of the strip. Managed to find a budget food court meal, who says you can't dine cheaply here!!  And then managed to waste any savings made in the slot machines.  The only winner tonight was Carys in the Excalibur Dungeon.  Chrissi and I had a night cap in the Mandalay Bay watching loads of drunk conference types in one of the many bars.




-Carys-

We all  couldn't wait to get to Vegas, so we left Lone Pine reasonably early. We ate cold pizza for breakfast, along with a few other snacks we'd recently purchased. The drive to las Vegas was around 4 hours, and included a few bathroom breaks and gas stops. A lot of the journey was along Death Valley, and when we stopped to get out for a break, we realised it was around 40 degrees.  It is one of the hottest places on the planet. I don't cope amazingly with heat, so I was struggling not to stress out, but the Visitor Centre we visited had a ton of interesting information.

In the end, after a lot of driving and heat, we arrived in Fabulous Las Vegas. We dropped off our rental car (it was sad to say goodbye) and went to check into our at Mandalay bay. However, we were delighted to find out that we would be staying in the Delano - another part of Mandalay Bay - in a suite! It turned out to be amazing. There was a bedroom with two double beds, a living room with a sofa bed (and an extra single bed they brought up for us), two toilets and a large bathroom. I don't know if I'd ever felt so happy.

Dad went off to do some gambling, so mum, bryn and I went to check out the 'beach and pool area'. It was really cool. The resort had a pool shaped like a beach with sand, and a wave machine, as well as a lazy river and an assortment of regular pools. I'm just amazed at how beautiful it all is. We spent a few nice hours down there, and then met Dad back up in the room.

Post showers, we went out for a walk, and to find some dinner. WE walked across the bridges between hotels (Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Exalibur, New York New York & MGM Grand)

We refamiliarazied ourselves with the lovely sights and luminous lights, and wandered through each hotel and shop area. After our little explore, we settled in the Excalibur food court. Bryn and I shared a corndog box, me having most of the corndog, him having most of the chips.

I quite wanted to go in the arcade - the only place I'd be 'gambling' - so we did just that. I was shocked when I won 500 tickets (you can cash tickets in for prizes) on a game! I'd hit the jackpot. But then, I played it again, and got 500 more tickets! I was super excited. I don't recall winning anything like this ever.

I cashed in the tickets for a mug and lots of sweets, so I think that 10 dollars worth of games was well spent. Sleepily, I've come back to the room now, ready to go to bed.

traversing the sierra nevadas

back to the maps, did a 40 odd mile trip back and forth to yosemite yesterday, the first time we have backtracked on this trip, so will show it as it is the first time today.  trying to tot up the mileage , will do the ground stuff tomorrow, but it is a lot with a further 200 + miles done today.









Left Cedar Lodge, told you I had a bad feeling about the slightly vacant feel to the place, not zombies, but there has been some real pain associated with this dwelling, a serial killer no less.  Glad Haydn hadn't alerted us to that before, sleep might have been even more disturbed.  would explain why our toilet flusher and shower hadn't been fixed, no-one wants to call in the handyman in this place.

that's why we came

First view of the day just inside Yosemite and our first few hundred feet up the Tioga Pass. We would eventually climb to just shy of 10000 feet.  Ben Nevis around half that at 4,500 for some sort of comparison. Wonder how that compares to some of the alpine summits my mountain rover family and friends?

Tales of the US most dangerous roads slightly exaggerated I feel, perhaps in the winter months.  The uphill absolutely fine, plenty of gasps, but only at the scenery. Stopping points allowed us to really drink in the views, and give the faster road users chance to get ahead of us.  Highlights were the Tenaya Lake (crystal clear) and Tuolomne Meadow (the land that time forgot), although the different climatic zones we were ascending through fascinating. Still some snow on the very highest alpine peaks but the road didn't quite go that far.

not as hard as this

breakfast stop atop a cliff

treeline

lake district

a meadow, up here?

Great to get the grooves going in the car, might need to turn your device to one side to get the full effect on this one

And in terms of today's hit, Bon Jovi have been played on the lovely Classic Rock channel so many times now ..

After leaving Yosemite at the summit the descent, on the right hand side allowed for some good views, but nothing intimidating.  Tested the brakes a few times, but was expecting some sheer, alpine switch backs a la tour de france, but nothing of that prowess.

looking ahead/down

looking up

heading down

And then we were down to 8000 feet, and the Tioga Pass conquered.  Nothing like the work the old pioneers would have had to do crossing the sierra nevadas, seeking out old Indian trails, eating their horses etc  A sat nav, 2 donuts and a few werthers originals and it was all over.

Spent the next couple of hours slowly descending but even now, at days end in Lone Pine, we are still at a Snowdonesque 3,500 feet.  Went through a few towns, all with their main street, you can see how they all are just built on the cowboy staging posts from the movies.  One long street, a few more motels than maybe the olden days, and less horses, but you catch my drift.

tioga pass over

highway to ...

toilet stop ?

pink floyd number plate, could it be?

And here we are in Lone Pine, a rather dowdy motel, small pool, and lots of people passing through.  Went out for a very short run in the desert heat, and an unnecessarily massive pizza, half of which will provide us with sustenance as we take the last chunk of our journey tomorrow for some modern R&R in our spiritual home of Vegas.

US trucks rock

having a bud, watching the game

medium?

-Carys-

Today was another driving sort of day. We left through Yosemite National Park and started driving upwards. On the road we stopped quite a few times. The terrain was quite rocky and uneven, and the ground was mostly dust and sand. It was very different, almost beginning to look like a desert.

We also stopped at one point by a beautiful small beach. The water was very blue and behind it sat mountains, towering over. Once we'd got back in the car we started the descent from the high pass. The highest we reached was around 10,000 feet!

It didn't takwe too long to reach flat ground, and soon we wre driving along endless, open road. The air became even hotter, and the sun heat increased with every metre we drove, beaming down at us.

When we reached Lone Pine, a quite small and very quiet town, we settled down in our motel. Everything was very still. We wallowed in the WiFi, glad to have it back, being the slightly tech-obsessed people we are.

I decided to go out to enjoy the sun by the pool with mum. WE read there for a while, but I decided against going in the pool. Dad returned from his run so we all got ready to go out for dinner.

We saw 'The Pizza Factory' on the way into Lone Pine, so decided to go there. I ordered a Meat Feast (medium) and once I'd eaten half, I realised it was a little bit too much. I did enjoy it though. WE asked for boxes to take the pizza remains back to the hotel in, to enjoy tomorrow on the road to Vegas...