Ready to jump on the bikes... we think!

Here is a few day's update. Trouble finding a WiFi hotspot.

Sunday Jan 7/06

We are in Ely Nevada at the old Nevada Hotel. The Nevada Hotel, when it was built in 1929, was the tallest building in Nevada and the first fire-proof hotel. Apparently it was a popular stop for the Hollywood elite on their way to Sun Valley, Idaho. Over the years it has lost a bit of its lustre (actually a lot of its lustre) but is cheap, cheerful and an interesting place never-the-less.

Jenny did well in the Casino last night. She walked away from with $75. from the “extra loose slots” ?? and Dave came away with 15 bucks. They are buying breakfast!

Yesterday we ran into a variety of road conditions, snow and ice covered to bare and dry. The VW seems to be handling the job of pulling the loaded trailer. The little diesel has lots of torque but the fuel consumption is higher than normal and the diesel fuel price is high $2.50 to $3. per gal.

We are about 4 hours from Vegas now. Next report from the Luxor..

Monday Jan 8/06

Vegas! What can you say about this place that has not already been said? It is over-the-top, like Disney World for adults. After supper, at the Luxor Hotel, we jumped on a city bus (double decker) for a ride to the far end of the “Strip” and walked back to the hotel. It took a few hours of bar and casino hopping (we got lost a few times) to make it back.

The weather is quite nice here now. Clear skies and highs of 20C are in the forecast. It is about 500 Klms to Yuma. We are not going to get an early start and we still need some gear before we start out on the bikes so it could be a bit late before we get to the Lone Palm RV park.

Tuesday Jan 9/06

We didn’t get out of Vegas until mid afternoon yesterday. After a leisurely brunch we packed up and spent a couple of hours shopping for gear that we still need. No luck finding what we need yet.

We decided to stop for the night in Lake Havesu City, a few hours short of Yuma. Interesting place! The city was created by P. McCullough Snr. (chainsaws, small engines) After flying over the area he purchased 13000 acres at a land auction and planned the community around Lake Havasu (created by the construction of Parker Dam). Part of the construction created an island in the Lake so he bought London Bridge and shipped it from England and reassembled it as a functional bridge. Needless to say it is a haven for “snowbirds”.

Wednesday Jan 11/06

Finally made it to Yuma and we have unloaded the bikes and are getting ready to go. Nervous excitement has hit us all. We are heading for Mexicana and straight south on Hwy 5 to the Sea of Cortez.

We spent an extra day looking around for a helmet, riding pants and rain gear. When we asked for rain suits down here we received some strange looks. I guess they don’t know the word “rain”! They also don’t allow tent camping at any campgrounds in Yuma! One campground hung up on us when we asked about tenting!

It is sunny and cool this morning … coffee is almost cold now. Better drink it down and get this trip underway.