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.