2015-30 Las Vegas (Henderson) and Laughlin Nevada (The travel season is quickly coming to an end)

2015-30

Las Vegas Nevada
Laughlin Nevada

 Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Campground:  Riverside Rv Casino.  $99 per week special (that‘s $14.14 per day).  Full hookups, 50 amp.  Even includes a couple coupons for the buffet…. What a deal.  Note:  Rv magazines now advertising a rate of  $129 wkly.  I was still able to get the $99 rate, put me in a 30 amp site.  60 channels of cable TV and a strong 4G Verizon signal.

Riverside Casino and RV Campground

My last couple of days in the Las Vegas area and I’m actually in Henderson.  It boarders Las Vegas on the SE side of town.  Still lots of casinos and shopping for the locals.  Nice to be in the city yet far enough away from the craziness of the strip.

all the the land on the left side would normally be under water

Lake Mead would normally cover the white area

a tunnel built during construction of the Hoover Dam

I took a circle loop tour of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.  Doesn’t that sound like an official title or what.  They actually charge to drive this route through the NRA but since I have a senior park pass it didn’t cost me anything to drive it.  A bike marathon was going on along the shores of the lake.  Well sort of along the shores, as the lake has shriveled up quite a bit what with the drought and all.  The bikers peddling their little Arses off, me driving in the opposite direction.  I stopped numerous times along the “viewpoint” stops to see what I could of the lake.  The raw mountain ranges with their varied color pallet of beige, sand, dark grays and black put on quite a show against the spots of blue reflecting of the lake.

driving along the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

is that a pyramid in the desert?

Lake Mead on the down low

sad to see the water so low

My destination today was of course the Hoover Dam and the new bridge over the Colorado River.  The bridge officially called the O’Callaghan-Tillman Bridge after two prominent people from Arizona and Nevada.  It is already being referred to as the Hoover Dam Bridge though.  I didn’t drive across it, as I took the detour down to the dam itself so I could get shots of the bridge looking up.  Imagine the second highest bridge in the U.S. at 840 feet above the Colorado River.  That’s like driving across the top of a skyscraper 80 stories high.  They tell me the average driver can’t see down onto the dam and the river as the bridge has high concrete buffers on either side.  Although there is a dedicated walkway for those who want to experience the views from 80 stories up.  I liked my view from down below on top of the Hoover Dam which in itself is pretty dramatic as one looks over the side to see the sweeping arch of the dam and the river way down below.

down to about 37% water remaining...

an engineering marvel, over 80 stories above the Colorado River

The Hoover Dam, an engineering marvel

a new modern wonder of the new world

many art deco features on the dam

stunning art deco sculptures

Quite an experience to see two engineering marvels at one location.  If you ever go there, I do recommend the tour down into the dam itself.  It’s quite the tour of a modern wonder of the world.

On my last day in the Las Vegas area and it has rained on and off most of the day.  The next day the local TV station said they got more rain in one day than all of 2013 and 2014 combined.  Still only a couple of inches of rain, but in the desert, that’s a lot.

Distance Traveled:  88 miles

Laughlin NV

A nice river walk along casino row
Laughlin Nevada

Now that’s the kind of drive I like, an hour and a half and I’m at my next destination.  I’ve stayed at the Riverside Casino and Rv park in the past and found it to be a great place to stay.  With free coupons for 4 lunch/dinners, a movie theater in the casino and overall great location I couldn’t ask for better.

Now you know how I love to save money.  Here’s how it works, sometimes.  The first two coupons for the breakfast buffet can be upgraded to the lunch buffet for 50 cents.  What a deal.  They also gave me two coupons to the dinner restaurant called the Prime Rib Room.  That’s a complete salad, potato bar, prime rib, drink and desert for $16.00 and I have two coupons make the price: Free. Another deal was offered.  For an additional $1 I received a coupon for the movie theater complex right in the Casino.  That’s about a $10 value right there alone.  I’m smiling all the way to the bank.

Having been through this area a few times previously and having reported on it in past Blogs, I won’t be doing additional stories and updates for the rest of my trek back to Tucson Az where I will be wintering.  So as much as I hate to say it, there will probably only be one more Roving Report before I end this years rambling reports.

Inside the Riverside Casino, an older sprawling casino complex
Many folks from Minnesota in town as the air flights
are cheap with regular service a couple times a week. 

So Until next years travels, I wish all of you a safe and happy fall and winter season.  I’ve enjoyed the many comments you have sent throughout this years travels as they help me to stay in touch with all of you as I travel this wonderful country.  Communications in it’s so many varied formats these days, what with cell phones, e-mails, Facebook, Twitter and on and on, all help to keep folks like me closer to family, friends and fellow Rv-ers.  I couldn’t do it without you being there, sending a message, a like, a comment on something I’ve posted.  And of course filling me in on what you are doing in life.  It all helps me stay connected.  And for that I am very grateful.

a couple of days with temps over 100 degrees
it's very pleasant to sit outside at night, with temps still in the 80's

Until next season, wishing you many of your own fun adventures and discoveries.  As my Mom used to say “Make Good Memories, it’s the Only Thing You get to Take with you in the end”.

more photos on PICASA