It seemed to be impossible to leave the hotel lobby without trying our luck just one last time. Yup, I lost another $1.
Seeing the city in the harsh morning light is a bit sad. unlike the night before when the casino was full of people having heaps of fun, the morning showed that apart from a few tourists, the casino patrons were mostly older, definitely unlucky gamblers.
The city itself is still impressive even without the fabulous night time display. The casino buildings are designed on specific themes – ‘Circus Circus’ is a huge (I mean REALLY huge!) big top, ‘New York New York’ has a replica Statue of Liberty as well as one of the Chrysler building. It even has a replica of the Brooklyn Bridge. There are massive statues all coated in gold, water displays that are illuminated at night and because the traffic is so busy at night, there are escalators that take you to and from overhead walk bridges across the roads.
We left the city and went for a tiki tour around a man made lake called Lake Las Vegas.
A new Ritz Carlton hotel had been built on the lakes’ edge and on the surrounding park like grounds were many beautiful new homes. The whole development was obviously strictly planned as all the homes were built along the same type of designs.
The really strange sight was seeing miles and miles of little chicken netting fences lined with small rocks. They were about a foot high and I couldn’t figure out what they were for. I thought there must have been flocks of miniature sheep or something wandering the hills. I was wrong. They were actually turtle fences! Yup. Turtle
fences.
They were built to stop the desert turtles from crossing the road and being killed. The little fences led to crossing tunnels, which were built under the road. Lucky turtles!!
I can’t see DOC taking up this idea for our possums and rabbits!
The city itself is still impressive even without the fabulous night time display. The casino buildings are designed on specific themes – ‘Circus Circus’ is a huge (I mean REALLY huge!) big top, ‘New York New York’ has a replica Statue of Liberty as well as one of the Chrysler building. It even has a replica of the Brooklyn Bridge. There are massive statues all coated in gold, water displays that are illuminated at night and because the traffic is so busy at night, there are escalators that take you to and from overhead walk bridges across the roads.
We left the city and went for a tiki tour around a man made lake called Lake Las Vegas.
A new Ritz Carlton hotel had been built on the lakes’ edge and on the surrounding park like grounds were many beautiful new homes. The whole development was obviously strictly planned as all the homes were built along the same type of designs.
The really strange sight was seeing miles and miles of little chicken netting fences lined with small rocks. They were about a foot high and I couldn’t figure out what they were for. I thought there must have been flocks of miniature sheep or something wandering the hills. I was wrong. They were actually turtle fences! Yup. Turtle
fences.
They were built to stop the desert turtles from crossing the road and being killed. The little fences led to crossing tunnels, which were built under the road. Lucky turtles!!
I can’t see DOC taking up this idea for our possums and rabbits!
Miles and miles of turtle fences!
Lake Mead is the reservoir created behind the Hoover Dam, and has become increasingly low over the years due to climate changes. A fabulous huge boat ramp and boat storage area is now rather useless as the lake has dropped too low for it to be used.
What does one actually do with a boat ramp to nowhere I
wonder? I'm guessing whoever's in the car that you can
just see at the bottom probably isn't there for the fishing!
who pulled out the plug?!
Our next destination took us over the Hoover dam on the Colorado River. Being built on the border between Arizona and Nevada means that it actually crosses the border of two times zones as well. There are clock faces on the intake towers set for both Pacific and Mountain time zones.
Since Sept.11 the dam has become one of the ‘protected’ sites in the States. They are building a massive bypass so that in the future the dam can be closed to traffic.
Since Sept.11 the dam has become one of the ‘protected’ sites in the States. They are building a massive bypass so that in the future the dam can be closed to traffic.
The dam with the construction of the new bypass bridge
visible behind. It doesn't actually have a sign hanging off it
saying 'new bridge'. Photoshop and I are really quite clever!
Wow! Definitely worth the slow ascent up to the checkpoint. All cars are checked for terrorists carrying bombs, which mean that traffic travels at a crawl. We were pulled to one side because the back of the truck has a cover and they had to check inside. We must have looked rather dodgy!
The dam itself is really quite beautiful. It is finished in an elegant Art Deco style which was gorgeous to see.
Hours of travelling through the desert - it’s incredible to see such massive distances around you. There is no way you could see clearly so far into the distance anywhere in NZ.
Even the road kill here is interesting! I’ve seen 2 coyotes and a deer so far and I even smelt skunk ‘pong’. He either had a really close call or didn’t make the road crossing!
Our stop for the night. A town on Route 66 called Williams.
Hours of travelling through the desert - it’s incredible to see such massive distances around you. There is no way you could see clearly so far into the distance anywhere in NZ.
Even the road kill here is interesting! I’ve seen 2 coyotes and a deer so far and I even smelt skunk ‘pong’. He either had a really close call or didn’t make the road crossing!
Our stop for the night. A town on Route 66 called Williams.
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