Madison

November 01, 2021

Las Vegas - Nevada

As I approached Vegas it was already dusk. The city lights could be seen from a great distance illuminating the desert and turning it into an oasis of sorts. It was a splendid sight and one that took me by surprise. I had read about the elegance of the Venetian Resort but was taken aback by the grandeur of the entranceway and the pool of gondolas in the front. The inside included many shops, a marketplace to eat, as well as the one-armed bandit slot machines in the casino. The bells, buzzes, and lights expressed the hustle and bustle of the Vegas Strip.

Venetian Resort

As I waited in line to check in, the greeters were very professional and courteous. I was happy to see that it was a family-oriented hotel and that families were checking in at the same time as I was. I guess that is because I kind of expected to see men in suits with cigars heading in to gamble like one would see in an old Humphrey Bogart movie lol.

My room was easy to find, and it was large and decorated very fancy. It was on two levels and had a nice work desk as well as several television sets. There was even one television set and a telephone in the bathroom. When I took a shower, I was really surprised at how high the water pressure was. Up until this point in my travels, this was the most powerful hot shower that I had come across. Since this experience was in the middle of the desert, that seemed a little bit strange. A person would not expect so much water in the surroundings (even though it was the Venetian Resort).

The next day I found myself sitting by the pool and taking in some sun. After that, I explored the many shops downstairs of the casino before heading outside to take a few pictures. It was a clear sunny day. I used this time to relax and enjoy some of the good cuisines. My favorite food here was the pizza and chicken wings 😋

The next leg of my journey would take me into the Mojave Desert, so I decided to drink plenty of water before heading out on that sojourn.

On such sunny days in the Mojave even the thick-skinned lizards know to seek shelter in the shade of the rocks. Rocinante and I, on the other hand, forged forward slicing through desert heat continuing on our quest past the city of lights. An occasional tumbleweed would roll across my path as one would see in an old western movie. This made me ponder what it would be like crossing this vast expanse on horseback or perhaps in a horse and wagon as was done by many travelers who have gone before me to the great California Gold Rush.

I thought about how nice it would be to visit a real ghost town, so I pulled the car over and looked up where the nearest Ghost Town was using my iPhone. When I learned that there was a ghost town not far away, I headed in that direction. My next stop was the Calico Ghost Town. It was a real mining town that was established in 1881. I got to see some old buildings which were miners' shacks as well as a very old cemetery which I assumed was the resting space of some of the miners. I explored the area a bit and I met one of the workers from the ghost town who explained that the buildings had been rebuilt by an entrepreneur. He had restored the town to the best of his ability in order for people to have a better understanding of what life in the wild west was like. I felt fortunate to have had this experience and was glad that I added this little aside to my road trip :)