THE GREAT ROAD TRIP
APRIL 27 - MAY 09, 2006
DAY 13, Tuesday, May 9, 2006
Left Kingman, heading north out of town, destination Hoover Dam. Lots of housing projects north of the hills, looks like Kingman is growning. Further north, many remote homes, some no more than campers on a large desert lot. All income levels, from dirt poor to near mansions. Arrived at Hoover Dam, and there have been a lot of changes since I was last there 24 years ago. (Damn! Has it really been that long??) They are building a bypass road/bridge south of the dam, to get through traffic off the road that runs across the top of Hoover. There was an inspection station a couple of miles south, where all traffic is pulled off and checked. I was waved through, I suppose I didn't look suspicious, even with all the antennas on my truck. New visitor center and parking structures since I was last here. Took the tour, it's not as complete as it used to be. You no longer enter at the elevators on the top of the dam. They did a great job on the new facilities, I'm very impressed. Hot as hell today! And the climb back upstairs in the parking structure was a bear! As I was walking towards the place where I parked my truck, a woman in a car pulled up next to me and asked if I was leaving. When I relied that I was, she asked where I was parked. I indicated just around the corner, and she said "great... you're my new best friend!" As we were getting close to making the corner to where I was parked, another vehicle pulled out of a stall, and she told the other woman with her "there's one!" I turned to her and said "oh, how fickle you are!" She laughed and replied "you know us women!", and pulled into the vacated spot.
Out of the garage, and on to the outskirts of Lost Wages... Las Vegas, then down I-15 towards home. I stopped in Primm (formerly called Stateline, years ago) at Buffalo Bill's. That stop set me back a couple of hundred bucks! The machine that loved me last time, stiffed me this time! And I couldn't find a hot machine for anything. The last machine I played was near the exit, and it let me play for an hour and a half on $20. It was a fun machine, lots of music and lights, and some extra features, with a theme of a 50's diner. It's amazing what they'll put on a slot machine. And what we'll play! I finally ran the 20 bucks out, and headed out. 6 hours later, I ended the trip at home, arriving about 10pm. Good to be home, I'm tired, and waterbed here I come!!
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