USA 2004

Palm Springs to Las Vegas

We get up around 10am and cruise around Palms Springs looking for a place to have breakfast. We stop off at a diner and have a typical American breakfast (scrambled eggs, bacon, small sausages, French toast, pancakes and thin coffee until we can't drink any more).

We then drive via Yucca Valley to Joshua Tree National Park. As we can already admire the Joshua Trees to the right and left of the road from Yucca Valley, we decide to save the USD 20 for the national park and continue on our way to Las Vegas.

We don't use the major highways, but drive part of the old "Route 66". We have the road almost all to ourselves. Not a car in sight for miles and it's always straight ahead. As we are on the edge of the Mojava Desert, the vegetation is also very sparse and of course it's not cold either.
But suddenly in the middle of nowhere - Las Vegas. We cross a hilltop and then the city is at our feet.

We arrive at our Mandalay Bay Hotel (already booked in Germany) at around 4.30 pm. This is located at the southern end of Las Vegas Blvd and is therefore a good starting point for exploring the city.
To check in, you first have to go through the casinos and then the reception is in one corner. This is the case in all large hotels in Vegas. Our room is on the 19th floor and is really nice and spacious, but unfortunately we don't really get anything out of it. We freshen up briefly and then set off to see Las Vegas at night. The size and dimensions are hard to put into words. You just have to see it with your own eyes. We walk from Mandalay Bay to Caesar Palace and take a look at the water games at the Bellagio on the way.

Gallery: Las Vegas