Tonopah Nevada to Las Vegas - Interesting day!

Wednesday 7 November 2018

An update on the food situation at the Mizpah Hotel - very nice.

NY Cut Steak

Oats for breakfast to make for steak

Tonopah Nevada to Las Vegas is 211 miles (229 kms) and the road is excellent all the way. About 20 Miles out of Tonopah there's a small mining town called Goldfield which is amazing.  I've never seen so many old cars - every old house had at least half a dozen old beat up wrecks in their yards. So many in fact that there is something called the International Car Forest. The road out to it is atrocious with big holes and bigger rocks and was a bit scary. Especially when the GPS directed me down one road and there was just a big drop. I guess the road must have got washed out at some stage. It was a pretty precarious 86 point turn that got me out of that predicament and I was so glad to get back to the bitumen road.

Goldfield Nevada

Goldfield

Tree Forest

Tree Forest

I stopped at Beattie for fuel and a Subway and all was good till I tried to take some money out of the ATM using my Travelex Card. I'll never get one of these again. I've had all sorts of issues with it and each problem entails a 15 minute phone call to fix. This time Travelex thought the transaction may be fraudulent because I was in the desert. I pointed out it's a travel card and should be able to be used anywhere. Their only answer was try again in Vegas. Luckily I still had some cash on me and I'll keep it that way because the card cannot be relied on.  When I was in Los Angeles I was using it as my go to card for Uber rides. Every three or four rides it would reject payment.  The next time it would work again. GRRRR>

This is one of those casinos that
are out in the middle of nowhere

40 miles out of Las Vegas I got two flashing lights on my dash and a beeping noise. I pulled over and then the car wouldn't start. This car is a 2018 model with only 5000 miles on it so I thought it weird. 

I tried to call Enterprise Car Rentals but I had no phone signal. I ended up calling 911 and asked for the Highway Patrol to come. They were so nice. I didn't fancy being stuck out in the middle of the Death Valley, alone, with a broken car.  They turned up and the officer had a look around. It appears I had somehow kicked it into 4 wheel drive but we couldn't work out why that would cause the problem. He managed to fix it but I still have another hazard warning light on the dash which Enterprise can sort out when I get to Las Vegas.  It seems I have a history in my travels with the Highway Patrol and I think they are the most remarkable, friendly helpful people.

There's no other way to say it - driving in Vegas is scary. so much traffic - fast traffic - and so much roadworks which made my GPS not as helpful as it normally is. At one stage I pulled into a Mcdonalds for half an hour - not to eat - just to get off the road and chill out.

Las Vegas isnt pretty in the daytime but it's magical at night.

I'm staying at the Bellagio and it is probably the poshest place I've ever stayed - loving it.

I had a token gamble and put $20 in a poker machine and it disappeared immediately.  I think that will do me for now lol

Bellagio Lobby

Bellagio Book In

My room

My view - I'm on the 17th floor

My bathroom

Bellagio Foyer

Foyer

I was fairly pooped after my adventurous day and after going out for food and successfully getting some cash from the ATM I went back to enjoy my posh room.