What Happens in Vegas …

Sorry, can’t tell you anything .

 

Well, maybe a few details …

My sister and her husband were in Vegas, so my next stop was down there to visit with them – the second time we have met up this winter down south!

They were staying way out on the south end of the Strip at the South Point, so that’s where I headed.  Very nice hotel/casino equestrian center, but I think they have a few things to work out!  I ‘Google-earthed’ the place (is this new verb in the dictionary yet?) to see where there might be RV parking.  There was a huge parking lot out behind, and I could see semi-trucks and RV’s in the image, so thought this must be the place.  But when I got there, I found it to be all blocked off, evidently for some special event or other.  I parked on the street back there and made the long walk to the front where I asked the valet parking attendants where to go.  They called security and right away a very nice security officer shows up, gives me a ride back to my rig, and escorts me personally to another nicer lot across the street. 

He assures me I can park there for an undetermined period,and even said it would not be a problem if I unhooked to go for fuel etc.  He just said to leave a phone # on the rig if I was away and there was a problem so that they could contact me.  But, on the night before I was planning to leave anyway, I found an photocopied note taped to the door (from Security!), saying that ‘unhooked trailers’ were not permitted and considered to be abandoned!  Not sure it that applied to RV’s or only semi-trailers, though?  It went on to say that ‘Camping and sleeping’ in your vehicle was not permitted!

I guess that is why all the other RV’s were ‘levelled’ and had the curtains pulled, slides out, and chairs outside!!  I did not have a chance to talk to others to see if they got the note as well?  The only signs in the parking lot said that ‘idling’ and agricultural animals were prohibited.  I guess the idling semis didn’t read that sign either.

When I was trying to locate my sister, my Iphone found a toll-free number for the hotel, so I called it, to save me walking inside.  I was informed that they were not registered, even though I found out later that they were.  I used the same number to call the room one day, but when I called it again on the third day, I was informed that they could not connect to rooms from that number – ha ha!  O well, no big deal.

Because of the ‘Vegas rule’, I cannot post any photos of the bikini + chaps girls from Gilley's Saloon, Dance Hall & Bar-B-Que.  You will just have to go online and see for yourself.  I refuse to divulge if I met any girls from Sweden, or if I did or did not in fact boost the truck belonging to the girl who operates the mechanical bull, upon leaving one night.

I can say that it was pretty darn warm in Vegas though, and I had to get Hailey used to being misted with water to stay cool.

On the way out of town I Gas-buddy (another new verb-to-be) the cheapest fuel, then because of the usual zip-code fiasco, my fuel calculation begins.  I take the number of litres the truck says we have used, convert that to US gallons, then multiply it by the diesel price on the pump, then I go inside and ask for that exact amount, not rounded up or down.  This often takes a little while, but I am not in a hurry and I figure if I spend 15 minutes parked at the pump, walking back and forth to stand in the Slurpee line, that is the price the station is willing to pay for the inconvenience of their pumps.

I got a surprise phone call early that morning; the usual “Can we speak with Mr. ____”.  I always ask who is calling before saying if Mr.____ is or is not available.  Turns out it was Mastercard security inquiring if I have in fact made a surprising number of electronic purchases online in the last little while!  Nope!  So my card was unceremoniously reduced to useless plastic, after all that time spent memorizing the number!  While this would have been quite inconvenient had I had another 3 months on the road, as it turns out the new card should arrive at home shortly before I do.  In the meantime, Visa has stepped in to do it’s part supporting the economy of the US.  Incidentally, the last use of my card was at a parking machine at the airport in Vegas.  Maybe there was a skimmer there?

The map and I decided that we would get off interstate 15 at the earliest opportunity, which is highway 93, which incidentally terminates in my former hometown of Jasper Alberta.  With temps in the 90’s, having all the windows down sometimes does not do it.  Sadly, we had to resort to the A/C quite a few times during the past week.  Only an hour or so north, we saw a National Wildlife Refuge campsite at Upper Pahranagat lake.  All the campsites are waterfront, and there is an amazing variety of waterfowl and shorebirds.  Lots of bats come out at sunset, to thin out the bug population.  Right now, from the camper window as I type, I can see dabbling ducks, diving ducks, wading shorebirds, Canada geese, a muskrat feeding about 50 feet away, and a variety of songbirds and a lizard in the nearby poplar tree.  There are plentiful shade trees, but I still managed to find satellite coverage between them.

And it is FREE!  The one disadvantage though is that it is really close to the highway.  Traffic is down significantly at night, but it is pretty much constant during the day.

Since departing Vegas, it becomes legal to post photos again.

 

Even though Hailey is outside on her leash, I think we had better get on the road before one of the inhabitants of the shallow end of the wildlife gene pool falls victim to her patience and cunning.

And, very unusual for me, this brings my blog right up to date.  I will publish online before packing up the satellite dish for moving.  So, if there are any other bloggers or readers camped here, you’d better come over right away and say hello, because an hour from now we’ll have the A/C on northbound, till sadly we don’t need it anymore!

And I’d better take some photos today, or there won’t be a post for a while!