Road Trip USA 2022
Hoover Dam
Today, the first stop is Hoover Dam. When I was at Hoover Dam in 2004, work had just started on the new bridge over the Colorado River and the main road was still crossing the dam. So there was something new to see.
On the way to the dam, the landscape becomes increasingly barren. And just like back then, the wind is quite strong and unpleasantly warm. First we stop at the parking lot west of the dam to walk to the “new” Mike O'Callagan Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge. Here we have to hold on to our hats, as the wind is now really strong. The view of the dam is fantastic, but also requires some effort, as it is 270 m down. We then drive over the dam once and park directly behind it to walk across the dam. Even if it doesn't seem too far, you should take enough to drink and apply sunscreen, because the sun burns relentlessly. When you cross the dam, you also cross the border from Nevada to Arizona and thus also a time zone.
From the top of the dam, we get another idea of how impressive this structure is, especially when you consider that the dam was built in the 1930s.
Now we continue on to Las Vegas, which is only about 50 km away. At first it seems unlikely that a metropolis of millions is nearby when you see the surreal and hostile area around the Hoover Dam.
Fabulous Las Vegas
After about 12 miles you can already see Las Vegas in the distance. The city is much bigger than I remember it from 2004. But it seems just as unreal as it did back then.
The first thing we do, of course, is head for the "Welcome Las Vegas" sign. We take a few snapshots and then drive down Las Vegas Boulevard to get a first look at the hotels and casinos that Las Vegas stands for.
We then drive to our hotel. We have booked two nights at the Tuscany Suites & Casino. This is easy on the travel budget and you can walk to the Las Vegas Strip at Bellagio level in 10-15 minutes.
The "High Roller" Ferris wheel and Las Vegas Sphere are also only 10-15 minutes away. Unfortunately, the Sphere was still under construction at the time and we could only guess what it would become.
At dusk, we set off to see Las Vegas at night and immerse ourselves in the sea of lights. So we walk south from the Flamingos to the Luxor. In between, we have a bite to eat and just take in Las Vegas at night. We then take an Uber back to our hotel.
If you don't visit Las Vegas at the weekend, the accommodation is much cheaper. At the weekend, you can easily expect to pay three times the price. In addition, the city is not as crowded then, as many Americans visit Las Vegas at the weekend.
Neon lights and themed hotels
The next morning, we drive to Fremont Street, park at City Hall and have breakfast at the MTO Café, which is apparently no longer open today (08/2024). From there, it takes us less than 10 minutes to reach the world-famous Fremont Street and immerse ourselves in what I think is still the most authentic Las Vegas. Here you can still find incandescent and neon lights and, of course, the completely illuminated roof structure. By the way, if you like old neon lights, I recommend the Neon Museum in the immediate vicinity. Unfortunately, we didn't make it due to time constraints, but from what I've heard so far, it's definitely worth a visit.
Also just a few minutes' walk away is the Downtown Container Park, a mixture of food stalls, art galleries and entertainment. Unfortunately, it was not freely accessible on this day due to an event.
To get another view of Las Vegas from above and take in the scale of the city, we drive to the Stratosphere Tower. On the way there, we stop briefly at a typical Elvis wedding chapel - just for a photo.
We then take our car back to the hotel and walk along the Strip in a northerly direction. We can't miss a detour to the Venetian Hotel. It is really impressive how a Venetian canal and the gondolas on it have been integrated into the hotel. A great side effect is that everything is air-conditioned, which is very pleasant when the outside temperature is well over 30 degrees.
Opposite the Venetian is the Mirage. It became famous thanks to the Siegfried and Roy magic show with its white tigers. The hotel, which had a major influence on today's Las Vegas, received its last guests in July 2024 after 34 years and has to make way for a Hard Rock Resort.
Another hotel with a long tradition is Cesars Palace. It's worth taking a look inside here too. At dusk, we are back at the Bellagio, which many people will probably know from the movie “Ocean's Eleven” with Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon and others. And of course we don't want to miss the fountain show.
To round off the evening, we have a few drinks on the terrace of the Beer Park in the Paris Hotel.
