On the Road Home from Las Vegas

It does not take much to remind me why driving cross-country is the best way to travel whenever possible, and the drive from Las Vegas across Nevada, briefly down into California, and on into Arizona, New Mexico, and finally Texas has some especially beautiful stretches. Highpoints include the Alpine stretch around Flagstaff, Arizona, and the painted desert in the far eastern edge of the state; the mountainous valley in which Albuquerque sits; and the austere, nearly empty deep desert north of Roswell, with massive Mount Capitane sitting off to the west for a very long time during the drive south down NM-285.

Teabagged in Searchlight, Nevada

SEARCHLIGHT, NEVADA -- My wife and I had the unpleasant experience of being stuck in a traffic jam deep in the desert east of Las Vegas, Nevada, as a result of a Tea Party rally taking place just outside of the little town of Searchlight. During our slow drive past thousands of cars parked alongside both sides of the road, we had the opportunity to get a good look at the Teabaggers.

Restaurant Advisory: Wendy's (Lake Havasu, Arizona)

LAKE HAVASU, ARIZONA -- Avoid the Wendy's at the exit for Lake Havasu off of I-40 in Arizona! While the employees are in no way unpleasant, they are almost completely indifferent to doing their jobs properly. Suffice it to say, a fast-food establishment that can't bother to get their fries hot has nothing going for it -- and one that tells customers that the fries are hot and fresh and then gives them cold ones instead, as the people at this Wendy's did to me, should simply be avoided. Also, we had to struggle for cup lids that fit and specifically talk to FOUR separate employees before we could get what we needed.

There are plenty of other places to eat at this intersection. Choose one of them.

Staples (North Las Vegas, Nevada)

NORTH LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- Had a perfect experience at this Staples in North Las Vegas, which both completed three jobs for me in just 45 minutes and mailed me my flash drive when it accidentally got left behind.

Think Twice About 'the Deuce'

LAS VEGAS -- I am currently in town covering the GAMA Trade Show for some of the various publications I represent. The place I'm staying is more than two miles down the Strip from Bally's, where the trade show is being held, and I have thus had to figure out how to get to-and-from there each day.

God bless Las Vegas, the city does have a couple of different sorts of public transportation available -- a monorail and "the Deuce," a bus that runs up and down the Las Vegas Boulevard -- and I eagerly considered or tried both of them.

I had to reject the monorail almost immediately, both because the nearest station was the better part of a mile away and because of its cost -- $5 for a one-way trip! While it might be be fun to ride once or twice, it is not economical or generally convenient and is really nothing more than an expensive novelty.

The bus looked much more promising, especially as it has some good price options: $3 for a one-way trip, $7 for 24-hour unlimited use, and $15 for a three-day pass. It is often so crowded, however, that it is impossible to even get on it! And, thanks to advances in scooter technology, all-too-frequently some fat slob holds up operations by trying to maneuver his rented Rascal onto the bus, delaying things once again two stops later when we wants to ride off the bus.

In the end, driving was what worked best for me. The trip was quick if I generally stayed off the Strip and parking at Bally's was convenient and free.

Live from the GAMA Trade Show!

LAS VEGAS -- I am currently on the ground at the GAMA Trade Show, which I am covering for my own Skirmisher Online Gaming Magazine, Skirmisher Update, and new "d-Infinity" quarterly magazine, along with Brutarian magazine (which runs "The X-Phile," a parnormal column by yours truly).

If you are interesting in keeping track of or commenting on what I am doing at GTS, go to http://skirmisher.com/forum/index.php?topic=2105.0. And if you are going to be at the show, reply to the post at the above link so we can meet and chat a little face-to-face!

Travel Advisory: Picacho Market, Picacho, Arizona

Avoid this gas station at Exit 212 off of I-10 in Picacho, Arizona, about halfway between Tucson and Phoenix! The fact that their gas cost about 10 cents a gallon more than anywhere else we stopped in the previous two days was bad enough -- but then, when I went to the bathroom to wash up, I discovered that it was equipped with a coin-operated lock that required a quarter to open!

I am pretty sure that making paying customers pay again to use the toilet and wash their hands is illegal in some states, and certainly should be illegal in all of them. And, at the very least, it is sleazy. Stay away from this one; no sense giving your money to jerks.