One thing that puzzles me in the US is the lack of roadside gas stations/food stops along the interstates. Most of the time you have to completely leave the highway, follow rather ambiguous signs through unknown towns looking for a maccas for a quick coffee/bathroom stop. I'm sure I have spent countless hours driving aimlessly around getting more and more desperate for my caffeine fix, adding hours to an already mammoth drive.
I was absolutely impressed with the Arizona landscape as you cross the border from Utah. Amazingly breathtaking. Unfortunately, the bane of my life was not being able to drive and capture the view on film at the same time. And all the best views were in areas where you are prohibited to stop or there just anywhere safe to do so. You'll just have to take my word for it - it was spectacular - like a mini Grand Canyon...soaring rock faces in hues if orange, gold and chocolate.
The highway only clipped the corner of Arizona and yet again I was in Nevada. It's funny, the USA has become a place where you can only smoke in designated areas - which I must admit includes the entire state of Nevada.
I made my way into Las Vegas. I managed to avoid driving down the crazy busy part of the strip, and found my hotel with ease.
Here, I was plenty surprised. I must admit I got an incredible deal off the net (under $30 a night) for my Off-strip hotel - looking to save some $$$ I figured I could endure a couple of nights in a Vegas-seedy room providing it was safe and clean. Wow. My suite was lovely. Two queen beds partitioned with their own space, a kitchenette and just generally comfortable. There was a free shuttle every hour to and from the strip and a restaurant on site that served some pretty decent food.
Once I had checked in and got a bit organised in the room, I headed out to the shuttle and set off for my first foray into the heart of sin city.
On my ride over, I got chatting with an older English couple who had been in Vegas for 2 weeks and asked them where they thought the best Vegas buffet could be found. They both agreed the MGM Grand. So Off I went.
All glitzy and glam, the strip was definitely a change after the staid Salt Lake. I am understanding that Vegas is still recovering from the 2008 financial downturn, which saw 48% of its staff lose their jobs. There were much fewer people on the streets than I expected.
When I got to the MGM Grand, I sought out the buffet and was rather dismayed that on a Sunday night, they were asking for $35 a head. I just wasn't THAT hungry so I looked around and found a rainforest cafe advertising $16 for a burger, chips and salad which looked really good. Once I sat down and had taken a little time to appreciate the ambience (a live thunderstorm and moving mechanical rainforest animals, I ordered my food and decided to treat myself to a tropical cocktail. I had an option to pay $17 for a cocktail with a souvenir glass, which I declined as I could do without the travelling with glass routine. The meal was enjoyable but I almost died when I got the bill. $29!!! Then I had to add tips...I really should have gone with the buffet.
After a wander around, I had a bit of a flutter with no great joy (those machines are tight - no real winning, even little bits) so I decided to head back to the hotel as I quite frankly was exhausted.
I had a nightcap and played some slots at my hotel which saw me win back what I had already played, so I was somewhat happy when I finally laid down my weary head.
I did have an attempted hustle whilst I was playing the machines. A guy come up and tried everything to let him show me around the time. We had a laugh about how I thought he was trouble, I gave him a cigarette and he finally left me alone.
One thing about Vegas. I know that times are hard, but in my humble opinion, they really have got a crappy business model happening which really isn't doing the town any favours. You see, the mob had it right. Affordable lodgings, meals and entertainment will lure in the masses, who will gamble away what they were going to spend anyway, so everyone wins. As it stands, people still come based on the romantic idea of the playground it once was, but I know for me I was pretty disappointed with the blatant cash grab by all. I'm not sure what you had to do to get a complimentary drink when you are gambling (a well-known long-standing tradition), but I can't tell you how often I ordered a drink which never came and overtipped, never to see that cocktail waitress again...hmmm
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