I actually felt pretty fresh after yesterday's antics and after saying our "goodbyes" to family, we left Beautiful Lane at 11am. It was going to be a 287 mile drive so the intention was to drive without any stops...
That intention vanished after Chot kept pleading to stop for a toilet and magnet break! He wants a magnet for each state he visits. After that though, we drove - totally excited about getting to Vegas a quickly as possible. Chot booked the cheapest room he could find on the Strip - $180 for the Imperial Palace. I did try and convince him that we should just splash the cash, but he was sensible.
The road was no less amazing than what I had seen in my previous two weeks. Huge slopes, cutting through the mountains and opening up to some amazing scenery. I kept bugging Chot to take pictures but am not sure if these do the landscape any justice.
Our final stop before hitting the Strip was Hoover Dam. I had heard that it was something that cannot be missed. I had also heard the same of the Grand Canyon but decided that as we were so close that we should stop. Chot had also never seen it so I figured little bro should get some education on what would otherwise be a heavy night of drinking. So, Hoover Dam in a nutshell - a dam that no longer works. To be honest it was pretty ordinary and we were both cursing the extra 45 minutes we would lose for Vegas - especially as we hit super heavy traffic on approach to the Strip.
We finally hit the strip at 18h45 - gave the car to the valet - checked in - changed - and out by 19h45. Yes - one hour (most of which was used by Chot to clean his teeth after having 4 wisdom teeth extracted some four days previously). It was the last we would see of the hotel room for the next 12 hours!
What do I love about Vegas! What isn't there to love. You can pick up a drink in one hotel and walk with it down the strip, into another casino or even into a restaurant. Anything goes and this convenience is really attractive.
So drink in hand we left the Imperial in search of food. Here's where my newly found obsession with PF Changs kicked in. Chicken fried rice was all I wanted - and was happy to wait one hour for a table to satisfy the craving. Whilst waiting, we played in the nearby casino...some Black Jack, Deal or No Deal and other random editions of Black Jack.
After food it was straight into the Cosmopolitan casino. It recently opened and is the place to be at the moment. We decided to try and get into its club "Marquee". After some more Black Jack and a failed attempt to follow about 100 females into the VIP area, we settled in line and paid the $50 cover.
The club is like the best I have ever been to. So busy and such energy and the rest is history.
Guess what though?! At 6am I wanted to eat chicken fried rice. We got dropped off at this Korean restaurant. I am sure they fed us dog steak but cannot be sure. We quickly left and walked home in the freezing cold (got a little lift from total strangers) and in bed by 8am.
What a night. Another thing I can check off the list. Smashed Vegas with my little brother.
Later today we will head to Santa Monica. Time to sleep and get ready for the 281 mile drive.
I have covered around 2,500 miles on this adventure to date. Click here to see my journey so far.
