Road Tripping: Morning Drive

After grabbing a quick coffee and brushing as much of the sleep dust out of our eyes as we could manage, we packed it in and headed out. Since we were quite close to the tri-state area with the corners of Arizona, Nevada and Utah all within short distances of each other, we decided to try to hit the other two states if possible. 

There's a narrow canyon that the road runs through that marks the border of one of these states, so we headed that way first. North on the I-15. 

Road Tripping: Eureka Casino in Mesquite, Nevada

I'll be honest- we probably spent even less time inside the Eureka than we did in the other casinos. It was a pretty small place and by the time we got there it was well into the early enough hours that most people were asleep and the restaurants and bars were closed or operating with a skeleton crew. We were able to make a quick lap of the casino and see most of what there was to it, though these Simpson's machines near the bathrooms definitely got my attention! I haven't watched that show in years, for a wide variety of factors (not having cable television, moving overseas, etc) but it used to be one of my favorites. I've long since stopped watching weekly television outside of the Flash and a handful of other shows (that we now stream, anyway). So it goes. 

As we were wandering the casino, we passed a Japanese couple sitting at a machine together shouting and animatedly playing their chosen game. Antho noticed them when the man shouted "Bo-na-SUUU!!!" excitedly. While we don't personally gamble, we watched them play for a minute as the wife cheered him on and they navigated the screen together trying to figure out the system. I was tempted to say something, but I didn't want to make them uncomfortable, so we moved along before (I hope) we hovered for too long. 

We ended up crashing in the van not far from here. No one bothered us, and we only stayed for the evening, and by 8 or 9 am we were back on the road. 

Road Tripping: Casablanca Hotel & Casino in Mesquite, Nevada

Have you ever seen the movie Casablanca? 

I have to admit my lack of culture in this aspect because I for one have never watched it. 

I know, it's a classic! There are, like, so many references! 

And- and- and-

Stahp. Sorry, but I'm woefully behind on a lot of well-known "classic" films, and that's something I've known about myself and been comfortable with for quite some time. This inexposure to many movies makes it a joy when my friends bring over or find films I've never seen and introduce them to me for the first time. It's like an invitation for people to bust out their favorite movie, however obscure, and I can dig that. I have only just watched the Karate Kid movies recently, like within the last week or two, and it was a lot of fun. I get so many more references now! (Sweep the leg)

So what does this big, brilliantly bold blue building have to do with Casablanca? F**k all if I know, mate! Unfortunately, that's as much of a mystery to me as it likely is to you... unless it suddenly all makes sense with a familiarity with the film? If so, feel free to enlighten me! 

On top of looking like a set from the new Beetlejuice movie that's supposedly in the works (*sigh* I know) the Casablanca is one of the newer resorts in town. Shiny. Glossy. Sparkly. OoooOOOooh. 

It seemed pretty quiet when we approached, but it was around 1am by this point in the evening so perhaps I shouldn't be surprised. Even the Vegas strip can look like a ghost town at the right time of day/year. Aesthetically it's my favorite of the casinos out in little Mesquite, and kind of reminds me of the Artisan in ye old Vegas. The Casablanca is definitely newer and larger, with a lot of parking and a central bar area with a faux jungle and live music tinkering away. The music wrapped pretty shortly after our arrival, so we didn't get to fully appreciate them but Antho was enthusiastic about the prospect. 

We didn't linger terribly longer as we were growing a bit tired and wanted to try to get an early start the next morning, but we snapped plenty of photos, naturally. 

Road Tripping: Virgin River Casino

In an earlier post I mentioned that there's a bounty of casinos in Mesquite within which you can find an assortment of food and entertainment options, and I wasn't kidding. Once the sunlight had dwindled enough to make outdoor exploring less optically exciting, we made our way to the air-conditioned and neon-lit casinos. Virgin River Casino is right off the highway exit, located on 100 East Pioneer Boulevard and quite close to the town's singular Wal-mart shopping center, so it's a convenient locale to grab a bite or stop for a night if you're passing through the area. We debated getting food in any of the many restaurants available, especially the buffet, but opted out of it and instead wandered the casino to see what options were available. We talked about going back for the seafood buffet but it never panned out in the end. No worries, though, as there are too many seafood buffets in this world for us to ever successfully eat at them all, and how much do you really trust the seafood in a small landlocked town? They DO have an airport, so at least you know they can get stuff flown in fresh, so realistically it might not be all that bad. The arcade definitely stood out to us, though we quickly felt out of place given our age and lack of children. There were so many kids, guys. So many. Maybe I'm spoiled due to catching most movies late these days, when they premiere, so the casinos housing the theaters are rarely packed with adolescents during my brief visits. This wasn't such a time, though- it was early evening on a weekend night and most kids had finished school for the year and were excitedly beginning their summer vacation. These things, they happen. We didn't need to blow our budget on quarters, anyhow.

It was entertaining to explore the casino for a bit, but for a couple of kids from Vegas a casino more or less ends up feeling kind of like just another casino... unless there are some serious theme and architectural majesty going on, like the Venetian with its canals navigating below the walkways with their singing gondoliers or the elaborate paintings and statues throughout Caesar's- and even then, once you're in the actual gaming areas, they tend to blur into the next. Is that just me? Whatever the case, we tried to capture some of the more unique aspects of this visit. Enjoy!

More photos below!

Road Tripping: Sunset drive in Mesquite, NV

After cooling off in the sprinklers at Hafen Fishing pond and mowing down some snacks, it was back into the van and on to the road again. We enjoyed surveying the different homes and little ranches that dotted the neighborhoods we weaved through, but we quickly found ourselves running low on neighborhoods to explore. We even popped in to a little vape shop to get some ejuice, but they closed quite early in the evening- around 6pm, maybe earlier, I believe. In such a little burb it makes sense, though, as the only people working late shifts would likely be a handful of casino employees and vitally important service positions, like hospital staff at Mesa View regional hospital... Mesquite is a small town, after all, as I've said at least once or twice on the blog now. Small towns in Nevada often have a similar sort of feel, at least in so far as the ones I've encountered yet. Improbably little oasis of homes and businesses standing solemnly in the expansive, seemingly endless stretches of desert, connected to the rest of civilization by the rolling roads linking these little ports. While much of my life has been spent in Las Vegas (as well as Tokyo and Seoul), some of my educational years were spent in Boulder City, one of those little towns down the highway a ways. It wasn't so far from the city center, so I still felt connected to the urban hub, but there are towns quite far and remote that make you wonder what in heaven's name inspired humans to sit down and set up roots. Mesquite is relatively close to several other towns, like St. George to the North or Vegas to the South, so it certainly doesn't feel as desolate or disconnected as some of those small towns do, but I can see how it would lead the youngsters to feel claustrophobic with a yearning for adventure and escape. That might just be a natural part of youth, though, that need to stretch your wings and flee the nest. 

Road Tripping: Hafen Fishing Pond in Mesquite, NV

Upon actually making our arrival into the town of Mesquite, we had a fair bit of time free before we were obligated to be anywhere or do anything so we opted to use the time to explore. There are several casinos in Mesquite, like the Casablanca, the Eureka, or the Virgin River Hotel and Casino, if you're into gambling, buffets, bowling or arcades- or drinks, movies, live music... Casinos are pretty much a one-stop-shop for entertainment when you're traveling. A safe bet, as it were. At least, they are if you have money to spend and ample time to waste! We did explore some of the casinos later on, but while it was still nice and sunny out we figured it would be preferable to drive around the city and try to get a feel for the lay of it. Once you get away from the casinos, which tend to be clustered around the freeway exits like grapes on a vine,  it veers decidedly suburban. This makes sense, of course, as this isn't really a city built upon thriving masses of tourists, but rather a small town that takes advantage of it's proximity to transit hubs to feed their families and keep the town thrumming along. The residential areas stretch out into the edges of the desert, a diffusion of buildings unevenly distributed in pockets of new growth huddled together, blocks adjacent to vacant buildings dotting one of the larger streets.  There's not a lot of stop lights to be bothered about, and those there are proliferate in the business neighborhoods. Some of the neighborhoods were very new, but there's still many older buildings lingering around that have their own unique charms. It would seem that some of the money being brought in by the casinos has gone into the Parks and Rec department, because we found ourselves at the Hafen Fishing Pond which was a beautiful little park with a 2-acre pond sporadically populated with rainbow trout and catfish, alongside jogging/walking trails, playground, tennis courts... not to mention the miles and miles of open desert beyond, where BMX and ATV routes ran alongside the park's exterior. We saw several people dart past on the sandy paths, clouds of dust following their tires. 

We were happy just to have found such a lovely little park, but when the sprinklers came on it was a bonus awesome surprise. Riding in the van all day, despite the opening of many windows and utilization of fans, didn't leave feeling super great. A quick sprint through the sprinklers woke me right up and cooled me off considerably. We also chatted with a friendly gentleman with an adorable little dog, who told us a bit about the park and nearby area. There were families playing on the little playground near the parking area, enjoying the weather, too. Can you blame them? It was warm, but not the full brunt of summer heat yet, and with the waning sunlight it was growing even more pleasant. 

More photos below~

Road Tripping: Welcome to Mesquite, Nevada

Mesquite, Nevada, is a small town. Like, very small, with a population of roughly 18,000 people. It's a quiet little place with a single school for each grade level, and most of the kids I interacted with at the Virgin Valley High School Grad night I was drawing at boasted of how they were going to nearby Dixie university if not jetting off on a mission trip somewhere. There was a Wal-mart, where we stopped to refuel and use the bathrooms and several casinos as are mandatory of most towns in Nevada (except Boulder City, because they're special- literally no Casinos allowed within their city limits). We stopped at their local vape shop for some juice, and the guys working there were extremely friendly and pleasant to interact with. There's a LOT of truckers coming through and a lot of stop-over traffic from people traveling the highway, so we weren't surprised to find that most of the casinos (and gas stations) had designated truck lots for their overnight stays. Antho and I enjoyed our little visit, and had fun exploring the town though even in our short stay we found we quickly ran out of things to do. There was a lovely park we found, which I'll be posting about soon, and their recreation center was quite nice with pool slides and things, but that comprised the bulk of our options. There's a movie theater, and arcades inside the casinos, but they were crowded with kids or cost too much (time and money). I can see why many of the high school graduates had plans to leave and strike out for bigger cities, even if they're only a short drive down the road- making it a safe option. A lot of kids from Vegas tended to go North when I graduated, up to Reno (still in state, but far enough to feel like freedom) or the Pacific Northwest (because f*ck Vegas summers, guys). I get it. I don't blame them. I can also understand why new families would choose to move here, to get away from the bustle and crime in the cities. Did you know Vegas ranked high in the top 10 worst places to live in the US recently? We weren't number 1- but we weren't far from it. Pretty sure we were beat by Detroit and Flint in Michigan, and one other city I'm not remembering right now. It was due to our levels of crime...

Speaking of crimes, most people who hear about Vegas are probably familiar with the recent incident at Mandalay Bay. While I don't want to dwell on such traumatic, terrible things here on my blog, I will say that the man who perpetrated the shooting was from Mesquite. Make of that what you will. 

Road Tripping: Heading to Mesquite, Nevada

On the road again! Cue a catchy little jingle or your favorite classic rock tune, because we packed up Vanti and headed out for an adventure for a couple days. You may have noticed that we made a stop in Glendale, Nevada, from the posts about the moos and bonus goats, but that was certainly not our final destination on this journey. For this particular fated evening, I was scheduled to make an appearance out in Mesquite, Nevada, a bit further down the road yet from Glendale. I hadn't realized at the time of accepting the gig that the destination was quite so far from our little metropolitan center in Vegas, and it took a wee little planning on our parts to make it work, but it was well worth it! Mesquite itself is a pretty small town, another 30 minutes or so past Valley of Fire heading North on the I-15. I was pleasantly surprised by how close it actually was, once we got moving on the freeway. While Vanti is a big girl, she's got a strong engine and can really get hauling when she's on the open roads! The drive out to Mesquite is full of familiar desert scenery, at least for me as a native Vegas kid, but there are some odd bits along the way. Keep an eye out for a giant bowling pin, would'ya dude?

The van has a bed in it for camping, so we didn't bother booking a room anywhere for the night. We planned to pack it in and head out towards Utah early the next morning, as the event I was going to took place late in the evening into the early morning. We left Vegas in the afternoon and the drive was pretty smooth- minimal traffic, no major construction... like I said above, most of the drive was familiar, especially the first majority of it since we've gone to Valley of Fire several times together now. Once we passed that fateful turn off, however, it got more interesting so that's where these photos pick up from. There's plenty more to see below, so keep scrolling!

Bonus Goats in Glendale, Nevada

Goats are, without a doubt, one of my all-time most favorite out of the animals. I mean, penguins are stupid cute and wobbly, dolphins graceful and mischievous mysteries, sloths adorably slow-moving little hang-out buddies, but goats have something special in their weirdness. Not only are their pupils unique in their big, goofy, boggling eyes, but their legs seem to be spring loaded with their silly acrobatics sending them catapulting all over the place. They come in such a wide variety, too! Big, gamboling beasts with flat faces and draping meat-curtains for ears, or tiny little dwarf varieties. Their color patterns are as unique as their phenotypes, with all sorts of unique markings distinguishing one goat from his buddy. There are goats who, for whatever strange accumulation of the genetic lottery, are prone to fainting at the slightest startle- then there are big, scary goats who would f**k you up like a roided out bro-ham at a college bar late one Saturday bleeding over into Sunday morning.  The goats we encountered in Glendale, luckily, were of the tamest and friendly manner, happily trotting up to us when we stepped foot near their pen. They were more than happy to let us take photos as long as we paid them in scritchins, because everyone loves a good scratching behind the ears. They were surprisingly quiet, only bleating at us once during our entire encounter...and that sole, singular bleat came when I started to walk away from the pen in an effort to try to photograph the horses gathered nearby. The horses were decidedly less friendly to us and noped out of the vicinity as soon as I showed any actual interest in interacting with them. Their loss- more love for the goats! They were in a pen behind the same little convenience store from the cow post, which was itself directly in front of a ranch of some kind. We didn't want to trespass on anyone's private property, so we didn't explore beyond the lot, but I like to think that given their proximity to such a public place the goats get lots of love and affection from random humans throughout the day. They certainly were receptive to our attention, and when it was time to get back in the van the goats seemed sad to see us go... but perhaps I was projecting my own personal sense of sadness at leaving such a cute lot of friendly faces behind. I'm always pleasantly surprised to encounter goats, whether they're in a petting zoo or a parking lot, and I'm very much excited for the day when I might be able to have my own. Is that weird? I guess. But I don't mind. Goats are awesome!

Moos in Glendale, NV

Don't get me wrong; I love all animals. While I'm not currently a vegetarian (as you might have noticed from posts about eating live shrimp in Noryangjin and making bossam at home) I have been in the past, and even tried veganism for a while. I absolutely understand the reasons for not eating meat, and when I encounter cows out in the real world I always get excited and the car is almost always inevitably pulled over so I can run over and try to forcibly project my adorations on to the cows standing there, minding their own business. Most of the time, the cows could udderly care less about this silly human female flopping about and gesticulating wildly at them while making strange cooing baby-talk noises. They're busy doing cow stuff. Understandable, right? Since most cows you're liable to encounter along the roadside like this are going to be working farm cows,  they likely have a working relationship with the humans they know- and unfortunately, a lot of times that may involve some level of primordial fear in the instinctual awareness that their human's endgame involves eating them, forcibly inseminating them, or stealing their milk. I mean, that's life- I get it. I've been to dairy farms and giggled as the calves eagerly licked and sucked at my thumb in search of milk, but these sweet beasts are often viewed as a resource, a trade good, not a cogent and affectionate animal with intelligence similar to a dog. It bums me out to think about the conditions that most grocery store meat cattle are raised in, as I know a lot of it is far from the idyllic pastural scenes here... In a perfect world, I would buy my meat directly from the farmer who raised that cow, and the bovine would have the most pampered lifestyle of luxury and relaxation up until it's final moment, which would be swift and painless... but until we get to a point where we can bioengineer a sentient source of meat who provides their bodies willingly (as in The Restaurant at the end of the Universe by Douglas Adams) , it's always going to be a bad proposition for the cute little cows. Personally, I don't eat much beef. I will, every once in a blue moon, and a bit of liver and onions is a major power meal for me when I find myself lagging, but I'd much rather have fish or chicken any day.  I don't know the fate of these particular cuties, but they were pretty unenthusiastic about my excitement at their existing here. There was even a little bubba! So cute. Goodness. 

AJ's Day out 4: Sunset

As with all good things in life, unfortunately, it all must inevitably come to a close eventually. Antho's day out, which saw him wandering through Harrah's, the Linq Promenade and the Flamingo's Wildlife Habitat before eventually winding back to the Linq for sunset was a fun ride and the photos have been fun to find. It's always illuminating to see the world through someone else's eyes and photography is an excellent medium for doing so. I'm glad I handed off my camera to Antho and I hope you enjoy seeing these photos, as I have.  This is our Vegas, not the one you're likely to see advertised in the glossy print advertisements that bombard any freeway facing our city for 800 miles or so around, or the adverts that pop up on Facebook as you're planning your trip. Every experience is what you make of it, really, isn't it?

Another way to gain a different perspective, quite literally, is to hop on the 550-foot tall High Roller Observation wheel that stands proudly (and often quite colorfully) at the end of the Linq promenade. Antho and I rode it back when it first opened, years ago, but I don't think I got photos. We'll definitely make it back up there again in the future! It's not terribly expensive and they have all sorts of package deals and promotions depending on where you stay and what you want to do in the observation wheel itself. There's even an open bar package, though inevitably that's going to cost a pretty penny for the unlimited flow of booze. I imagine that's more for the, ahem, high rollers themselves who have the bankroll or the luck at the tables to consider the cost insignificant.  Personally, we don't have that kind of money, but if you do then have at it! There are so many things to do in this city, and so many ways to have fun, at any budget. Antho opted to spend most of the evening relaxing and people watching as the sun sunk behind the horizon and he waited for my shift to come to an end. It wasn't a bad day, not at all.  

Vegas: AJ's Day out part 3: Flamingo Wildlife Habitat

If you're at the Flamingo hotel and casino here in Vegas and wanted to see an actual, say, living and breathing Flamingo instead of the silly stuffed animals and artificial replicas that profligate the area, you're in luck! While I can never seem to find it on my own volition or haven't tried hard enough to yet, Antho is adept at finding the way to the Flamingo's Wildlife habitat. It's not far from their buffet, so once you're in the hall where the buffet is you should see the large glass windows and doors leading to the habitat. Once you step through those doors you'll be in a lush oasis where the soothing tones of trickling water mingle with the laughter of tourists and other visitors to the area, with conspicuously high humidity compared to the rest of the strip thanks to all that lovely water splashing around. The signature flamingos are there, along with pelicans, ducks, koi, catfish and many other beautiful creatures big and small. The habitat is open 24 hours as far as I'm aware, though the animals aren't going to be active for that entire duration, naturally. Everyone has to sleep sometime! During the busier hours of the day there will also be trainers around with some parrots, who will kindly pose for a photo for you if you'd like. We've seen at least one person get pooped on while posing, though, so pose at your own risk. 

 

It's free to enter, though I believe the photographs with the birds will cost you. There are certain times of the day where you may be able to participate in, or at least watch, as the animals are fed, which is always entertaining. Pelicans are especially goofy when eating, due to their expanding throat/chin pouch that they have. Nature, you crazy! It is neat to see all the diversity there is, though, and this is an extremely small slice of the sheer biodiversity existing on our planet. While the flamingos and many of the long-term residents have had their wings clipped to prevent an escape, there are many other birds who simply stop by to enjoy the scenery. I imagine it's especially lovely to come outside and enjoy a coffee in the early hours, as the animals and humans begin to rouse from their slumber. There's certainly plenty of options for grabbing a bite or a cuppa inside the casino, and there's a small cafe just inside the doors adjacent to the habitat itself. 

Lots of photos below, taken kindly by our lovely Antho Jay (or AJ for short) as ya girl Nau here was working at the time. Nice of him to capture these moments and adventures for us, right?

Enjoy!

Vegas: AJ's Day out part 2: Linq Promenade

The Linq Promenade is a pretty great one-stop-shop if you want to hit a LOT of Vegas moments without having to go too far. Not only do we have the High Roller observation wheel towering over the city offering amazing views at the end of the pavilion, but there's the Brooklyn Bowl concert venue that constantly has a rotating event schedule bringing all sorts of incredible talents to the city, an In-N-Out burger for your favorite west coast burger chain (one the late great Anthony Bourdain loved above all else), or you can opt to grab some Fish n' Chips from Gordon Ramsey's restaurant... or if it's late and you're feeling peckish, you could always get your sugarfix from the Sprinkles Cupcakery's 24-hour cupcake ATM! There are fountains shooting up glistening streams of water droplets with light show effects, showgirls sparkling and sashaying as they ask for a photo (and a tip, of course), VR-entertainment rides and more. There's no shortage of bars or restaurants, from Western to sushi, and you could spend an entire day in the promenade before going back into the adjacent casinos. You can't miss them- there's a ginormous flamingo standing guard at the doors to the Flamingo itself! There's always something new to see and something exciting going on down here, so it's never a dull day or night whether it's the both of us or just Antho who gets out there and explores. Antho (or AJ for short) has gotten some good practice behind the lens, and I think the results are noticable. I don't know if the dude above was cognizant of the fact he was being photographed, but he certainly took to it well.

And it's a feeling many of us an relate to- that happy In-n-Out zen you find yourself in as your focus draws towards the deliciousness going into your face and away from the external world. Not all of us look that cool while eating. Way to go, dude bro.

The contrast of cultures, events, restaurants and all else extends to the murals decorating the walls of the Promenade, too. Fire and ice. Yin and yang. Life is all about balance, right? Letting Antho take the camera and go out exploring while I worked felt right, and I'm glad that it happened. Perhaps this brings more balance to our creative flow. 

Whatever the case, there's plenty more photos below!

Vegas: AJ's Day Out part 1: Harrah's

Have you ever been to New Orleans for Mardi Gras? We certainly haven't, at least, not as far as we're aware. I might have popped down to Louisiana for a visit as a very small child, but I don't think that really counts since I can't remember it. It's on my bucket list, though, especially since I have several friends online who've lived there and expressed quite clearly their affections for the city and it's people and culture. Anyway, this post isn't about Mardi Gras or New Orleans, not really- it's a collection of photos from when Antho recently set loose on the Strip with my camera and not much to do. You see, Antho is such a sweet, doting boyfriend that on his days off or the days he get out of work early he'll typically head down to the region of the Strip I happen to be working and hang out and explore until I get off. That way, if something comes up (like I get ravenously hungry but can't rush off to get food somewhere) he'll be there to help me out, and can head back out to enjoy people watching where he'll be out of the way until I'm free again. Recently he borrowed my copy of Slaughter House Five by Kurt Vonnegut for a casual afternoon of reading in the pavilion, enjoying the sunshine and background sounds of human conversation as throngs of tourists passed by. Me? I was resolutely inside for the duration of this lovely day, as ya girl's got bills to pay and work to be done. Antho volunteered to take my camera along, though, for posterity's sake and to share his adventures with me in hindsight. It's pretty humbling, too, for me to go through these photos as he's a pretty good photographer for someone who spends the vast majority of his time around a camera in front of the lens instead of behind it modelling our tie-dye, though he is required to play photographer part of the time. It's fun to go through and see things from his perspective, though, which is one of the greatest gifts photography has to offer. It's the best way to put yourself into someone else's shoes, and the old adage about how "a picture is worth a thousand words" will indubitably ring true for as long as humans have the capacity to view and reproduce photographs.  

Harrah's hotel and casino here in Vegas is geared towards a Mardi Gras theme, I think. To be fair, I've never been to Mardi Gras nor put any exceptional amount of effort into researching the meaning behind the casino's aesthetic. That being said, it's an extremely convenient place to stay for any visitors as it's right in the midst of some of the most popular tourist spots. The Linq Promenade and High Roller are literally right next door, and the Flamingo is next to that. Across the street is Caesar's and not far from that are Mirage, or Bellagio, depending which direction you go. Vegas is, of course, geared towards being exceptionally tourist friendly in the main corridor here, so the pedestrian access is pretty good though if you have mobility challenges you may need to plan ahead. There's constant construction going on around the area, so there's always some new obstacle or thing to look out for. This translates to there almost always being something new or exciting to do, though!

When you aren't tripping over stray traffic cones or getting elbowed by large packs of people, you'll see just how much detail goes into these buildings. Vegas is basically a theme park for adults, after all.