Silly Grin In Twenty Nine Palms - #5

Sunday 8 April

The day dawned still and sunny, a perfect desert day.

Packed & on road later than planned. I had my first 'whoopsie' of the trip leaving the El Rancho (that was actually the name). It was close but we are allowed one on this trip apparently. I might tell you all about it one day.

My first Dennys meal - quite yum actually!

Our first breakfast at Denny's! I had an omelette, wasn't to bad. A very attentive waitress helps. I think the President of the local bikie chapter liked my bike.  He gave us directions and off we go! Vegas here we come, someone call and tell them the Mild Hogs are on their way!

The Mojave Desert is without a doubt one of the most remarkable rides I have ever done! The vastness of the land is quite beyond the scope of this poor little Kiwi's head. Clear blue sky, pleasant temp and riding through real live hot dusty, cactused land. The roads were straight and little or no traffic, not a good place to break down.

Mojave Desert!

Moi !

The contrast of land that hasn't changed for millions & millions of years and the sky above that is criss-crossed with contrails of high flying jets that have only been around the last 60 couldn't be starker.

When we stopped for photos again, the silence was oppressive. A large group of bikers went the other way, (that wasn't quiet).

Standing in the Mojave!

Enjoying the silence

I thought we were coming out of the Mojave Desert when we came up to the interstate but we went under it and it just continued, and continued. Did I tell you I love the desert? We were taking the back road to Las Vegas. We ran alongside the main trunk rail for a while and some trains were going the other way, the were huge. We estimated 2 kms long and the containers on them were double stacked!! Four engines were pulling them. Nev waved and they 'horned' back. Loud!

We eventually crossed the state into Nevada got drawn into the vortex that sucks everything into Vegas, the converging interstates and freeways looked like arteries in a well pumped arm. Pulsing and flowing; and it wasn't long before I got my first glimpse of the Las Vegas skyline. It looked odd sticking up into the air surrounded by mountains and canyons - surreal! Shimmering hot air gave it a sort of mirage quality. Thanks goodness for Phil's GPS, that's all I can say. And being able to talk to Nev by blue tooth has been so good. The 1 km range has been brilliant. Riding your bike into this place was a feat. Murray had his little 'whoopsie' while waiting for me because I missed the light phase.

Inside the Luxor Pyramind

Our first Vegas complimentary beers!

Phil lead us bravely up the main drag and we turned left just short of 'The Strip'. We were going to chance our hand at the Luxor, seeing them with some cheap rates on trip advisor. I guarded bikes while they checked and actually booked in. The Luxor is the Pyramid one with big light that they can see from space at night!

There are over 2,500 rooms in this hotel and they all cling to the inside walls, so that when you walk to your room you look down into this massive atrium onto whole cities and sphinxes and Egyptian stuff. We were hot and sweaty so showered and met in one of the many bars downstairs and had all of out complimentary beers.

Then a walk.

Excalibar Hotel

New York - New York

I can hardly put into words my first impression of this place! Leah, you were right, it overwhelms the senses. It is huge and so busy, so many people. You can get from one hotel to another either by trams or underground on 'travelators'. The heat, the people, the music on the streets, the sidewalk acts, the traffic and the buildings just blow my tiny mind! The pulse.

We had some fantastic Mexican underneath the Mandalay at Hussongs and then caught the underground travelators to the Excalibar Castle to view at night. Amazing, the only word for it. There were buskers and families with jaw dropped kids, (almost as much as mine), lots of couples and people of all nationalities. The lights are incredible! You could hear the screams of the girls on the dollar coaster way up on top of New York - New York. Imagine doing that at night. All this at about 11:00 at night. We hadn't seen a fraction of it.

Such a contrast to last night at Twenty Nine Palms. We caught the free monorail back to the Luxor to a late night coffee at Starbucks, (I know Paul but it was free WIFI, come on)!

This place never sleeps, the casinos were pumping when we walked though them to get back to our room. Because of the angle of the walls and the shape of the pyramid the lifts go sideways on angles and straight up? Weird, wouldn't want to go in them after a few beers!

I'm stuffed, I'm off to bed!