Elko to Laughlin, Nevada

Today was a short day made longer by my mistake. However, the hotel at Elko was nice, clean, and quiet. Just what I needed for a good night's sleep. I'm fortunate, Jackie, that I can sleep pretty much anywhere. 

I was on my way back to Wells about 6:45 a.m. (local time). We had a bit of rain, not heavy, but enough to use my wipers until 10 minutes or so out of Wells. The GPS gave me a little grief, sometimes I need to listen to my guy, as it turned me in the wrong direction. Thankfully, Wells is a very small community and I was soon heading south on Highway 93. I took that highway to Ely (pronounced eelee). After a short drive on Highway 6, I turned off on the 318 south to the I-15. I stopped in Ely for fuel, as there is little to nothing on this highway for miles and miles and miles...you get the picture. There are signs just outside the community of Lund advising that "no gas for XXX miles". I'd hate to figure that out 100 or so miles down the road. Fuel was $3.29 at the Exxon and I grabbed a breakfast sandwich and coffee at the McDonalds across the street. There was a Carl's Jr. in the Exxon but I have no idea what they serve for breakfast so went with the familiar.

At the end of 318 (no town), I turned west on the I-15 which took me into Las Vegas. I followed signs for the 11, 93, and 95. Let me just say, I'm glad it was Sunday! The freeway was busy, and some drivers are less patient than others with vehicles with out of state plates. I did okay, only once needing to get into a left hand lane to avoid an exit. I arrived there at about 1:30 p.m. and was out the other side on Highway 95 about 2:15 p.m. Keep in mind, in my small town, a traffic jam is four cars arriving at the four way stop all heading to the school to drop off kids! Regina is a bit more congested, but I know the city having lived there for nearly 38 years.

Again there were some incredible views, but I only captured a few photos from the car. After Ely, I only made one stop at rest area about 20'ish miles for Laughlin. The drive out of Ely towards Vegas, and the drive into Laughlin from the highway were both spectacular. No real pull-offs though so you'll have to take my word for it. 

While at the rest area, I had arranged for a hotel in Laughlin. When I arrived about 3:45 p.m. or so,  I found the Pioneer Hotel and Casino along Casino Row. It's a dated property but sufficient for one night, and the price was right. 

When I left Elko in the morning, the temperature was 46F/9C; Laughlin was 92F/33C. As soon I got into the hotel room, I changed out of my jeans and put on a pair of capris. Once I was settled, laptop plugged in, toiletries on the counter, and a call to my daughter, I walked over to the Golden Nugget next door. There restaurant, Claim Jumper, had decent reviews. I concur, the food was plentiful, the one beer I had was cold, and it wasn't horribly busy for the time I was there. Here is a photo of the cheese bun I was served (separate from my meal) - I did NOT eat it all. You'll see no photo of my dinner, which were two fish tacos and a bowl of fruit. But the tacos were delicious and the fruit was refreshing. I needed the walk back to my hotel...and I could have used another three or four miles to wear off what I ate.

I'm settling in for the night, watching a bit of football or at least for background noise. No, my Jays did not win last night. :(  I expect I'll be in the clubhouse with the other Canadians watching the game Monday night.

The remaining drive is about 4 to 4 1/2 hours from Laughlin depending on whether I stop along the way. I'll pick up fuel in the morning before I head out, though the price looks daunting. The lowest I saw on the way in was about $4.25 a gallon. Oh well, needs must. 

I'll stop and pick up a few groceries items on my way to the park. The previous owner of the RV is aware of my ETA as well. I'm not how quickly I'll get the WiFI hooked up - there are other things more pressing like electricity, water, and propane. In any event I'll post as soon as I can, most likely on my phone as I have the data. Be prepared for multiple typos. :p

Thanks for following along!