Sin City and the surrounding countryside
In 2009 I began working intermittently in Las Vegas, Nevada.
I had travelled there before several times over the previous 12 years, but from 2009 I needed to stay around a bit longer and make more frequent trips to Las Vegas itself and also to other cities in the USA.
I will admit that I am not a big fan of Las Vegas, probably because I have no interest in gambling, but I do recommend anyone to visit the place at least once as it is like no other city on earth.
The large famous strip casinos are fascinating the first time you see them, but the old downtown area is my personal favourite as it includes the amazing light show known as the Freemont St experience.
There are also two fascinating museums in the downtown area. One tells the story of the the mafia in the USA and in Las Vegas in particular. The other one charts the development of neon lights and has many old examples in an outside park.
Once you have visited Las Vegas, my advice is to get out into the surrounding area. Some of the most beautiful and unique landscapes in the south western USA are within easy drives of Las Vegas.
When I have been in Las Vegas for extended periods I have sometimes had friends to come and stay over the weekend. We have made road trips together around Nevada and also into neighbouring California, Utah and Arizona.
The first such road trip was with a friend from Canada in November 2009.
- We drove out of Las Vegas via Red Rock Canyon and Pahrump.
- We headed up US95 through Beatty (where we were stopped by a policeman for speeding).
- We continued up to Tonopah and stayed the night there at the Jim Butler Hotel.
- We drove on US6 through Warm Springs and had lunch at Ely (Steam Railway).
- We drove via Modena (56) to Cedar City Utah and stayed the night there.
- We drove through the amazing Zion National Park and finally back along I15 to Las Vegas.
The next one was in February 2010 with the same friend from Canada and another friend from London.
- I drove out along I15 to LAX to rendezvous with my friends.
- We stayed near LAX and accidentally participated in a birthday party for a local at a bar near the hotel.
- We had a little tour of LA (Japan town and Pasadena) and set off north.
- We stayed in California City on Route 14.
- We drove up 178 to Ballarat and then across Death Valley to Beatty.
- We continued on up US95 to Tonopah and stayed the night at the Jim Butler Hotel.
- We drove on US6 through Warm Springs and then down via Rachel to US93.
- We drove back through Coyote Springs to Las Vegas and the Hoover Dam.
In April 2010 another friend from Blackpool visited.
- I drove out along I15 to LAX to meet him and we stayed near LAX.
- We set off via Pasadena and Victorville.
- We drove up 178 to Ballarat and then across Death Valley to Beatty.
- We continued on up US95 to Tonopah for lunch.
- We drove on US6 through Warm Springs and then down via Rachel to US93.
- We drove via Crystal Springs to St George Utah and stayed the night there.
- We drove through Zion National Park and finally back along I15 to Las Vegas.
Four years later in June 2014 the same pair from Canada and London visited again.
- We drove on a Friday night down US93 to Kingman.
- We continued on historic 66 via Oatman to Needles and stayed the night there.
- We drove from Needles down via Joshua Tree to Palm Springs.
- We continued via Warner springs to the coast at Carlsbad and stayed the night there.
- We continued north up the coast stopping in LA for a while.
- We continued north to Ventura and stayed the night there.
- We returned to Las Vegas via the Angeles National Forest CA2 and I15.
Finally in July 2016 the Canadian visited again by himself.
- We drove out on US93 to Kingman and along historic 66 to Seligman for lunch.
- We continued on to Flagstaff and then down past Sedona to Camp Verde.
- We stayed in Camp Verde.
- We returned to Sedona and then drove to Prescott AZ for lunch.
- We went north on US 93 to Kingman and then back to Las Vegas via Searchlight and US95.
Trains To Beyond 