Still in Las Vegas

Yes, we're still in Las Vegas, but will be moving along soon.  This was our first Thanksgiving with no other family members at the dinner table to share the turkey and stuffing, no dogs waiting for dropped scraps under the table, and none of the familiar chatter about work, kids, school, football and other subjects of conversation.  We missed all that but we did enjoy our Thanksgiving.  We had a very nice dinner at Boulder Station’s Feast Buffet and, as usual, ate way too much.  Unable to walk all the way back to the parking lot, we were forced to rest for a while at one of the many penny slot machines and Bonnie managed to triple her $20 investment and walk away a happy gambler.  It was a very good day indeed.



City Center complex on Las Vegas Blvd.

Las Vegas is a fun place to vacation for three days or three weeks.  It’s impossible to run out of things to see and do . . . and it’s not all about gambling.  As "senior citizens on a fixed income", we were very conservative, played only penny slots, and probably came close to breaking even overall.  We joined the Players Club at most casinos.  In exchange for our email address, they gave us a credit card sized casino card and usually $5 or more in free play.  It’s nice to start off with the casino’s money, but knowing when to walk away is really the key.

There are lots of shows to see, including ventriloquists, comedians, singers, old style burlesque, feather dancers and seven different Cirque du Soleil shows.  Show prices are mostly around $100 per ticket but some of the big name artists demand much more.  Garth Brooks just finished a three-year engagement with his fans paying around $250 to see him.  Country singer Shania Twain rode horseback into town, followed by 40 more horses.  Las Vegas Blvd. had to be closed in the heart of the strip to make her grand entrance possible.

We wanted to see one of the big shows, so we found a discount ticket operation and got some good seats to see the Blue Man Group at the Monte Carlo.  It was a fantastic high tech production with lots of visual effects, comedy, loud music and creative drumming.  We didn’t spend much time on the strip but were satisfied to see the Blue Man Group and the Rat Pack, both good shows.

One of our favorite TV programs is Pawn Stars, which is about the operations of a Las Vegas pawn shop.  The program takes place at the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop.  We stopped by one afternoon to look it over and see what they had to sell.  It’s a fairly small shop but full of interesting items.



Gold & Silver Pawn Shop - (Pawn Stars TV Show)

When the Pawn Stars buy things that need to be fixed or restored, they often send them a few blocks away to Rick’s Restorations, which is another interesting place, and which has become another spin-off TV program.  We got a free tour of the restoration shops and saw some of the items that they brought back to life.

Items for sale at Rick's Restorations

Christmas comes early around here.  Thanksgiving has taken a back seat and many stores have had decorations up for weeks, as in this JCPenny's store.

We saw an advertisement for a Christmas lighting ceremony on Nov. 13, so we went to Ethel M’s Chocolate Factory to check it out.  We took a short tour of the candy-making operation, tasted a sample or two, and walked through the extensive cactus gardens.  Christmas lights were strung all over the garden and most of the cacti.  As darkness approached, visitors were entertained with music and songs until all the colorful lights were lit.  Santa showed up to chat with the little kids and everyone was given a pair of 3-D type glasses that made the lights appear even more spectacular.  This whole thing felt a little premature since it was 70 degrees and still a week before Thanksgiving.  But, it was fun.

Christmas Lights in the Cactus Garden at Ethel M's Chocolates

Electric Chair from Sing Sing Prison

One of the most interesting places in Las Vegas is the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, more commonly known as the Mob Museum.  Located on three floors of a former federal court building, this museum includes an impressive number of photos, documents and artifacts of organized crime in the U.S. and especially Las Vegas, including the restored courtroom where Senator Estes Kefauver held some of the famous hearings on organized crime in the early 1950s.  Las Vegas had more than its share of mobsters and criminals involved in its early days as a gambling destination.

Mob Museum - lots of artifacts from mobsters and gangsters of the past

About 20 miles west of Las Vegas is Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.  It sounded like an interesting place to visit, so we drove out there and spent the day hiking around the rocks and canyons.



Bonnie on the Rocks


Where the mountains meet the desert in Red Rock Canyon



Fremont Street with video screen canopy

The Fremont Experience is a not-to-be-missed adventure in downtown Las Vegas.  A five-block, 1,500 ft. long section of Fremont Street has been covered with the world’s largest video screen.  It’s 90 feet wide and suspended 90 feet above the street.  After dark each night, 12.5 million LED lights and a 550,000 watt sound system puts on an incredible overhead show.  Between the hourly shows, entertainers perform on three stages, people ride overhead zip-lines, artists paint pictures and many other things are going on all evening.  The Spazmatics (rock music) were playing when we were there.  Spider Man, Elvis, robots and plenty of other “unusual” people wander Fremont to the accompaniment of loud music and flashing neon lights.  It’s definitely a unique experience.

 



We closed out our stay in Las Vegas with a drive over the hill to Boulder City to the Nevada State Railway Museum.  We went for a ride to the summit of Railroad Pass on the historic Nevada & Southern Railway train.

View of hills and desert from the train

After three weeks in Las Vegas, we probably won’t need to return for some time.  It’s known primarily for its night life and gambling, but it also has a more human side.  We found it to be a friendly city (except for aggressive drivers), easy to get around, lots of good shopping, an active university, interesting museums, excellent cultural facilities away from “the strip”, and lots of community organizations working to improve the lives of its nearly two million residents.

And now it's time for us to move on down the road . . .

Viva Las Vegas

Visitor looking in our screen door

Morgan Hill was finally blessed with rain . . . a light drizzle over two days.  As blue skies, sunshine and warmer weather returned, it was time to move on.  Our final visitor was a very cute homeless kitten, one of several that frequented the campground.  The little fella sat on our step and meowed through the screen door until Ron broke down and offered him a snack of grated cheese.  The kitty was very happy.

We got a good early start from Morgan Hill, followed Hwy. 152 over Pacheco Pass and on to its connection to I-5.  From there it was an easy casual drive to Bakersfield.  The speed limit was 55 mph for vehicles towing things, so we were the slowest vehicle on the road.  Cars, trucks and even other motor homes were passing us so fast that Ron had to check to make sure he wasn’t driving in reverse.

We checked into Bakersfield Palms RV Park.  It was a good distance from freeway noise and we were looking forward to a good quiet night’s sleep.  We soon discovered that just beyond the masonry wall of the RV park were the railroad tracks and we were serenaded by roaring freight trains all night.



Crossing the Mojave River in Barstow

The next morning we proceeded east on Highway 58, over Tehachapi Pass and on to the high desert town of Barstow (pop. 23,000).  We tend to take a lot of pictures of lakes and rivers, so we thought it would be  appropriate to include a photo of the beautiful Mojave River, as is passes through Barstow.

The first place we went in Barstow was the historic Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway station.  This beautiful Spanish Renaissance based station opened for business in February, 1911 after the original station burned in 1908.  It was built as one of Fred Harvey’s chain of railroad “Harvey House” restaurants.  It was, and still is, known as The Casa del Desierto.

Casa del Desierto

The Santa Fe closed the station in 1973.  Two years later it was added to the National Register of Historic Places and designated a California Historical Landmark the following year.  In spite of its obvious beauty and value, the building sat vacant for many years.

 

The City of Barstow finally acquired it in 1990 and began a costly restoration process.  There’s still a lot of work to be done but the building looks great.  The Casa del Desierto is now the home to the local Chamber of Commerce, the Western America Railroad Museum and the Barstow Route 66 “Mother Road” Museum.  It also serves as the AMTRAK station.



No Frills Urban Camping

It was a relatively short drive on I-15 from Barstow to Las Vegas where we had reservations at a 1000 Trails RV park just a few miles from downtown and “The Strip”.  This RV park was not to be confused with a traditional "campground" . . . it’s simply an RV parking lot for tourists visiting the city, but that’s okay with us.

After reading a pile of tourist brochures and doing a little internet research, we ventured out into the world of neon, glitz, high fashion and high rollers.  Yup, we went down to The Strip, parked at Fashion Show Mall and proceeded to have a look around.  It had been several years since we’d been to Vegas.  There were a few new hotels, casinos and malls, but it looked pretty much the same as last time.  As expected, there were lots of seductive gaming tables and slot machines waiting for us to open our wallets.  Each casino has its own "players club" that offers $5 or $10 in free play just for signing up.  So, we signed up at all the casinos, played our small contribution and moved on.

We found an outlet for cheap tickets and looked over the mile-long list of shows and attractions.  After considerable thought and debate, we decided to go for a cheap buffet and tickets for the popular “Rat Pack” show at the Rio.  The show featured impersonators of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Joey Bishop along with a 10-piece band.  It has been running for 14 years, so we figured it must have something going for it and it was indeed excellent.

On Nov. 11, Ron put on his Navy cap and we went downtown to watch the Veterans Day Parade.  It was a beautiful sunny (but chilly) morning.  We got a good spot on the parade route where we watched and waved our little flags at the many marching military units, veterans organizations, marching bands, etc.  It was a good parade.

Veterans Day Parade

Following the parade, we went to the Univ. of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) to attend a benefit concert for the Joe Williams Scholarship Fund.  Joe was a great singer and popular Las Vegas resident as well as a strong supporter of the arts.  Pete Barbutti emceed the concert, which included many local entertainers including Pia Zadora and special guest Ben Vareen, backed up by the UNLV jazz ensemble.  It was a great show.

Las Vegas does Veterans Day right.  Many casinos offered free buffets to vets and active duty personnel.  There was an air show at nearby Nellis Air Force Base and many other events around town.  We took advantage of an excellent (and free) buffet at the Boulder Station Casino and a free car wash.  But, more importantly, we remembered and paid our respects to those who are currently serving our country and those who gave their lives, or a few years of their lives, to help preserve our freedom.  Thanks again!

We’ll be in “Sin City” a while longer, so stay tuned.

Monterey Bay

Very nice campground near Morgan Hill

Morgan Hill:  Inching our way south from the Sacramento area, we decided to leave California's central valley and take a look at Monterey Bay and vicinity.  We set up camp near the town of Morgan Hill, a half-hour drive from the bay.  Once again, the weather was warm, sunny and generally beautiful.  We haven't seen significant rain in months.

The campground was pretty quiet.  Ron got to watch the San Francisco Giants win the World Series and this was a good location for side trips to other interesting places.

San Juan Batista:  Salinas is a short drive from Morgan Hill so we drove down to see the Steinbeck Center.  On the way, we took a short side trip to the small town of San Juan Batista (Pop. 1,800).  This town has centuries of history and its Spanish heritage is clearly evident in the many old buildings that line the two blocks of downtown.  Several buildings are more than 200 years old and still occupied by stores, small cafes and other businesses.  This is a true working town that has managed to preserve its weathered appearance and character naturally.  We found no souvenir shops, espresso stands or other touristy glitz anywhere, which was refreshing.  Visitors eat at the Fault Line Restaurant or the Mission Café.

Downtown San Juan Batista

A block off the main street stands Mission San Juan Batista, founded in 1797 and named for St. John the Baptist.  It was the fifteenth of California’s string of 21 missions and had the largest mission church.  It was also the headquarters for Father Junipero Serra, father of the missions.  Although old and worn, it’s still an attractive and functioning Catholic church.  The mission cemetery holds the remains of about 4,300 Spanish and pioneer settlers and mission Indians, including Maria Trinidad, the first person buried there in 1798.  Most are in unmarked graves.

The mission sits atop the San Andreas Fault, overlooking miles of agriculture in the valley below.  From the edge of the escarpment, we could look down on the remains of the famous 600 mile long El Camino Real, the original road that connected the 21 California missions and pueblos.  An old stone stairway led us down to the road where we stood for a few minutes to get a feel for that historic place.

 

Salinas, the seat of Monterey County, was incorporated in 1874.  The fertile Salinas Valley is often referred to as “The Salad Bowl of the World.”  They grow everything here, including lettuce, broccoli, mushrooms, strawberries and lots of other fruits and vegetables.  Grape vineyards and small family wineries are also everywhere.  Even in late October, we passed fields being harvested by hand and roadside stands full of fresh produce. 

We did our own self-guided walking tour of Oldtown Salinas, poking our noses into the interesting shops, coffee houses, bars and restaurants.  This city has gone to a lot of effort and expense to restore old buildings, provide nice landscaping and pedestrian amenities, and preserve its history.  The results are impressive.   There are several venues for live theater and cinema and the newly refurbished art deco Fox Theater offers live music and comedy shows.  Unfortunately, we were there at the wrong time.

 

Near the north end of Main Street we arrived at the National Steinbeck Center.  As the tourist brochure describes, this is “where literature jumps off the printed page and into your imagination.”  John Steinbeck was a Nobel prize winner and one of America’s most popular writers.  He was also a very interesting character.  The center presents his life story from his childhood days in Salinas, through his poverty years as a starving writer, to his first major breakthrough with the book Tortilla Flat, which was later made into a movie.  Many more successful books followed, including The Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden, and Of Mice and Men.  During World War II, he volunteered to be a war correspondent.  He wrote many newspaper articles and the books Bombs Away and The Moon is Down from those experiences.

 

Steinbeck was a very shy quiet man.  He didn’t grant many interviews, didn’t make speeches and hated to be recognized in public.  Eventually, he needed to get out of the house and do some traveling to rejuvenate his creative juices.  To do that, he and his poodle Charley took off on an extended trip around the U.S. in his pick-up and camper to observe life in America.  That adventure led to his popular book Travels with Charley, which Bonnie is currently reading.  His pick-up and camper are on display at the Center.

The Steinbeck Center bookstore carried copies of most, if not all, of Steinbeck’s books.  However, we happened to stop at a local antique store a block away where we purchased several of his works at a fraction of the retail price.  Can’t wait to start reading.

 

Following our stop in Salinas, we drove over the hill to Monterey Bay.  We stopped at a beach access point near Sand City and enjoyed the view.  Bonnie even made her way down the sandy hill to stick her feet in the water.

Santa Cruz:  On a warm sunny Saturday we drove over to the beach community of Santa Cruz to attend the Third Annual Chili Cook-off.  About 48 teams entered the cook-off and had their booths set up all along the boardwalk.  We purchased a “tasting kit” and went about sampling the various offerings and voting for our favorite.

We hadn't been to Santa Cruz in many years and it has changed and modernized.  The famous boardwalk is crowded with carnival rides, shops, food booths and arcades.  On the day we were there, it was also crowded with thousands of people having a good time (and eating lots of chili). 

The famous Cocoanut Grove has been modified somewhat but is still the boardwalk's main anchor.  Ron recalled taking a bus from Treasure Island Naval Station in 1966 to attend a rock-n-roll dance at the Grove.  The Strawberry Alarm Clock was the featured band.  What a memory!


The beach photo was taken from the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, which is about a half mile long and strong enough to support parking lots, traffic and more shops and restaurants.

It was noon on the wharf so, while Ron was saving himself for the chili cook-off, Bonnie found an excellent crab and mushroom sandwich complete with clam chowder at one of the local eateries.

 

 

Concrete Ship at Aptos:  One of the most interesting things that we encountered was the concrete ship at the end of a long pier at the small town of Aptos, just south of Santa Cruz.  This old ship was built as a tanker for World War I in 1919.  But, it was too late for the war so it was mothballed.  In 1929 it was purchased and brought to Aptos, attached to the end of the pier and made into an amusement park complete with swimming pool, dance floor and cafes.  In the early 1930s, the company went bankrupt.  The ship deteriorated, cracked in the middle, was declared unsafe and turned into a fishing pier.  Today, it's off limits to everybody and a real mess.  It's falling apart, stinks to high Heaven and surrounded in a cloud of flies.  We took a couple pictures and got away as fast as possible, swatting flies as we went.  Not a great tourist attraction for Aptos, that's for sure.

San Jose Flea Market:  We came across a brochure describing the largest weekly flea market in the United States.  It has been in business 50 years and was just up the road in San Jose.

This place was unbelievable.  It was like being in Tijuana but much cleaner and more orderly (no offense intended to our neighbors to the south).  Approximately 1,500 sellers had their tents and tables set up along the aisles of the 120 acre site.  There was row after row of jewelry, handbags, belts, shoes, clothing of all kinds (mostly for women), toys, and even arts, crafts and fine furniture.

Mixed in with the vendors were at least 25 food outlets, snack bars, outdoor BBQs and even mobile beer vendors to help ensure that the folks were having a good time.

Two playgrounds, a restored antique carousel and arcade games were available to keep the kids busy.  And, for those who needed to rest their burning feet, lots of tables and chairs were available, along with live Mexican music on the center stage.

Latest women's fashions (not much for the guys)

While we were having a good time shopping the flea market, somebody was having an equally good time in the parking lot, removing the spare tire cover from our Honda.  That was a real disappointment and not a good reflection on the fair city of San Jose.  But, we figured that anyone who needed a six year old weathered tire cover badly enough to steal it off a tourist's car, probably needed it worse than we did.  The next day we paid a visit to the local Honda dealer and ordered a replacement.

 

Monterey:   High on our list of things to do was to visit Monterey's Cannery Row and the outstanding Monterey Bay Aquarium.  The aquarium had special displays of sea horses and jelly fish, as well as many other interesting marine plants and animals.  The jellies were especially amazing.

Beautiful Jellies

Diver Feeding the Fish

Cannery Row, a favorite subject of John Steinbeck, isn't what it was in his day.  Today, it's a busy tourist district of souvenir shops and restaurants with high prices and great views of Monterey Bay.  The remnants of old Cannery Row buildings can still be seen and trucks still clog the street as they unload their merchandise.

Big Sur:  Another high priority was to take a drive down the Big Sur coast on Highway 1.  It was a nice afternoon as we departed Monterey, but the fog was closing in.  By the time we got south of Carmel by the Sea, the fog had taken over.  We drove about ten miles or so down the coast, catching brief glimpses of the rocky coastline and finally gave up and turned around at Bixby Bridge.  The Big Sur coast is pretty, even in the fog.  Maybe we'll return someday and try again.

 

Into the fog at Bixby Bridge