27th of May - At 8 o´clock we left our camping site at Zion NP and drove off towards the city of gamble - Las Vegas. We would have liked to stay a day longer in the Zion NP in order to go on a hike through the Virgin River maybe, but our time did not allow a longer stay here. On our way we made a stop for getting gas and grocery shopping in St. George/Utah. The gasoline cost only $1.49 here, but the groceries were not necessarily cheap. It had become very hot. Well, the desert of Nevada became already apparent. Besides the heat, the very gusty wind made it difficult for Ronny to keep the motorhome straight on the freeway.
In Las Vegas we plunged into the traffic turmoil with our RV. We drove with the RV along the Strip, the traffic there was chaotic. You had to prevail against the jammed street, otherwise you had lost. But we had to get to our campground (Circusland RV Park) at the Circus Circus Hotel which has got a large parking lot for RVs. Full hook-up, excellent site directly at the Strip and all that for only $16 + tax - there´s nothing better.
After the formalities we went to the Belz Factory Outlet Mall, the probably most well-known outlet center of Las Vegas. On the way we made a stop at the supermarket since our supplies had shrunk. And then we went, always off the main streets, to the shopping center, which disappointed us however, not only concerning the size but also concerning the supply and the prices. We had been through in two hours without buying anything. The high dollar was to blame for it on the one hand, which let the best bargains become quite expensive.
So the afternoon went by fast and the best should still come
- the first night in Vegas. We started, of course, next door at the Circus Circus. One can hardly breathe for amazement of all the lights, the people, the noise and all the diverse impressions one has to cope with. A highlight follows the next. Past the Sahara with its 90° roller coaster, we went directly to the Stratosphere Tower at the north end of the Strip. Despite the $6 per person we went up on the tower. Awesome - there´s no better description for the view you have and thus you spend there quite a long time without realizing it, you just can´t take your eyes off. The roller coaster and the free-fall on the tower were unfortunately closed due to the strong wind. Thus we went back to the Strip up to the Treasure Island. Here the well-known Pirate Show takes place outside, which we wanted to see of course. It was supposed to start in only 45 minutes so that we decided to keep our good position and to wait. Unfortunately we waited in vain because the show was called off due to the wind. We felt the strains of the day in our legs and tired from walking we rather staggered than walked back and fell into our beds. A try at a gambling machine was out of question today but that should change.
28th of May - Today we could sleep a bit longer once again. After a good long breakfast and a few phone calls we went out on the Strip again.
The gambling machines in the casinos were already waiting for our coins. By bus we drove for $2 per person up to the south end of the Strip and got off at the Luxor. This casino with hotel, built as Egyptian pyramid, was of quite a managable size compared to some others. In the morning it was not so busy yet, only the music played differently in each corner of the casino. How can someone spend the night with that noise? Over a connecting bridge we went to the next casino, the Excalibur. Its central topic is the Middle Age. Here we gambled for the first time with five-cent coins. Anke had gambled away her first $5 very quickly, Ronny however had already won something. Thus we went from hotel to hotel
- from the New York, New York with its impressive architectural scenery, past the MGM, the Aladin, up to the Bellagio. This is one of the recent casinos, built in 1998 and known for its Italian architecture and flair. Very unique are the water fountains outside that take place every half an hour, always run to different music and which are particularly impressive at night.
The Ceasar´s Palace with its Forum Shops was also very
fascinating. The entire shopping complex is built in the style of a Roman street with various fountains for resting and with a faithful sky which seems to move when you walk. There are also laser shows with animated
statues on a fountain taking place - a bit trashy, but that´s Las Vegas. In the Mirage we tried it again at the gambling machines, of course only with five-cent coins, otherwise the fun does not last long. Anke had a bit more luck now, but at the end the jar with the coins was empty nevertheless. And thus we rather went on visiting instead of gambling. The Venetian did surely not only inspire us.
Here it seems as if you are really in the midst of Venice: faithful houses, squares, fountains, even canals with gondolas and singing gondolieres can be seen there. Meanwhile it was late afternoon and we weren´t far away from our RV park where we went for a short break.
We had dinner at the Circus Circus, all-you-can-eat buffet for $8 per person. The buffet was okay, nothing special,
but we tucked away as much as we could. Walking was a bit more difficult then, but what must be, must be. Vegas at night is still more fascinating than at day and so we went along the Strip for the third time. We watched the impressive breakout of the vulcano at the Mirage and finally also the Pirate Show in front of the Treasure Island.
Both are a matter of taste and surely not interesting for everyone. But at least one thing we found to be fascinating, the last performance of the water fountains of the day at the Bellagio to the song "Time to Say Good-Bye" were the perfect parting from Las Vegas. Since we were both very tired, we went back by bus again, gambled with our last coins at the Circus Circus and fell into our beds at 2 o´clock.
After the formalities we went to the Belz Factory Outlet Mall, the probably most well-known outlet center of Las Vegas. On the way we made a stop at the supermarket since our supplies had shrunk. And then we went, always off the main streets, to the shopping center, which disappointed us however, not only concerning the size but also concerning the supply and the prices. We had been through in two hours without buying anything. The high dollar was to blame for it on the one hand, which let the best bargains become quite expensive.
Our Tips
The Circusland RV Park is the best possibility for RV-camping directly in Las Vegas. With this good price-performance ratio it is fun to travel in a RV.