Well, what can I say! Here we are in Pahrump, very hungry and looking for somewhere to eat breakfast. We drive through downtown and find no cafes at all, not even a Dennys or a Starbucks. There were three casinos, so we decided that it would have to be one of those.
We picked Terrible’s Town, took a deep breath and went in. Of course the first thing that hit us was the smell of cigarette smoke. The inside was bereft of sunlight but full of bright, flashing lights from the banks of slot machines. Here it is 8.30 on a Tuesday morning and there are the addicts with eyes glued to the spinning numbers and not one happy face amongst them.
There was a cafe, so at least we could get something to eat. Tom had a skillet scramble and I had oatmeal. Tom had English muffins and coffee. I just had water.
We didn’t have too long to wait for the food but we wanted to eat and get out quickly so we could get back into the fresh air.
The oatmeal was instant - ugh - but there was plenty of it. It came with brown sugar and raisins. Lots of milk as well, which was served in a glass. I also ordered fruit and I was served a bowl of strawberries and there were a lot of them.
The coffee came in a pot so Tom was able to help himself to as much as he wanted. I asked him what he thought of the breakfast and he said it was better than yesterdays at Furnace Creek.
A quick trip to the restroom - not bad, only point of interest you could say were the cigarette burns on every surface - and we were on our way.
The only redeeming feature of the whole adventure was the price. With a tip it came to less than $10.
September 22 2007 | Breakfast Log | No Comments »
Death Valley, CA to St George, UT
Time 6:21. Temperature 70. Warm
First we top up with gas. Fortunately the gas station is 24 hours although there is nobody on duty. The price of gas here is $3.79 a gallon. Hopefully this is the most expensive we will have to buy on this trip.
[Click on the image for a larger version]
We pulled over on the way down the Panimint Mountains so Tom could take a photo and there, in the small car park, we saw the strangest sight - five egrets - who took off as we pulled in. What are they doing here? There is no water for hundreds of miles. Maybe they are migrating.
At 7:15 we stopped to take a photo of a sign at the lowest point on US State Highways at 242′ below sea level.
Crossed into Nevada at 8 am. Only interesting sights we saw were road signs riddled with bullet holes and signs with a picture of a Desert Tortoise presumably warning us to watch out for tortoises crossing the road.
We arrived in Pahrump at 8.15 am. Must find coffee and breakfast. Well, that was an experience. Only place we could find was a casino.
By 915 we were back on the road - Las Vegas here we come. The first part was pretty boring. Long straight road with srub land on either side but surrounded by mountain peaks in the distance. Saw another strange sign this time warning us to look out for donkeys.
Approaching Mountain Springs we begin to see trees again, the first in any number since leaving Yosemite. Soon we catch the first sight of Las Vegas in the distance.
We stopped in Vegas for about an hour. Found a parking place at the Tropicana and then headed for The Strip. It was hot and crowded. As we needed a restroom, we turned into the MGM Grand. Of course the restrooms were at the far end of the casino. Just because it’s Vegas I put four quarters in a slot machine and won $2. I promply lost it though.
Back to The Strip. We did not quite make it to the Belagio before we turned back. There is a big construction going on by the Monte Carlo. Must be a new casino.
At 11,30 we were back on I15 again and headed for St. George. All we spent in Vegas was the dollar I put in the slot machine. I think we got away cheaply.
Entered Arizona at 11.40. The scenery is a little more scenic now. Just south of the Utah border we were approaching a mountain range and there looked as if there was no way through. There was certainly no road round it. But there was a way through - the Virgin River Gorge - and it was a spectacular drive.
We enter Utah at 1.05 and St George at 1.20. Or should I saw 2.20 because we are now on Mountain Time. By 2.30 we had found our hotel and were able to check in. After a shower we ventured out to do some exploring and hopefully something to eat.
September 22 2007 | Further Afield | No Comments »
