Moving on

Homes in Las vegus are enclosed by walls keeping their ecosystems protected from the desert.

From Las Vegas,Nevada we rode to Twenty-nine Palms, California. We travelled through more desert country, with no particularly scenic points of interest along the way.

The most interesting thing about the route is that it was used by the Rat Pack to travel back to their homes in Palm Springs after their gigs in Las Vegas .

One of many dry waterways.
The first leg of the journey ran down I-15. Once into California we took a left onto the Nipton Road (Route 164) followed by 2 right turns in fairly quick succession to take us across the Mojave National Preserve to Cima and Kelso.

We stopped in Kelso for lunch at the old railway depot building, now preserved as the visitor centre.

We continued south on Kelbaker Road. (We rode up this section of road a week or so ago when we travelled from Needles to Shoshone.).

Salt mining on the way.




We passed under I-40 and soon after turned right to Amboy. Heading south from there we passed the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center. Turning right at a T junction put us on the raod into Twenty-nine Palms. where we stopped for the night.


(The Rat Pack would have continued down CA 62 to Palm Springs)

An even more restful day in Las Vegas

We spent part of the day resting by the Hard Rock Hotel poolside, a luxurious array of pools, sand and numerous tents and outdooor seating at various levels. Shade cloths were strung across palm trees. It was too cold in the water for swimming, but a few people came to enjoy the warm autumn sunshine.

Gym facilities.

There are various pools.

Private outdoor facilities.

Imported sand, and numerous lounge facilities.

You can drink and gamble at the bar in the pool.Fountain.

Shade sails tied to palm trees.

After partying til late, we welcomed the opportunity to sleep in this morning. It was midday when we surfaced for brunch.

View of Las Vegas from our window.

We checked out some local eateries and decided the best value was to be found in one of the hotels eateries, and returned there for dinner. The complex also included various stores for shopping. Las Vegas is so spread out it is easier to shop at the motel complex you are in.

A rest day in Las Vegas

A couple of BMW riders we met in Oatman earlier in the week (Gary and Grant) invited us to have lunch with the European Motorcycle Owners group today. On our way there we took a ride up the strip (it's not nearly as sparkly in daylight but the structures are still impressive).

The BMW dealers are a few miles south of the main part of town.

When we arrived Gary welcomed us and introduced us to the rest of the group. Mimi's where we headed for lunch was about 400 yards away as the crow flies, but on the other side of the Interstate. so it was about a mile to ride there. Actually, we were the only ones who rode - the rest were all in cars (!).

Lunch was very enjoyable and we talked about bikes and rides and adventures . All too soon it was over. Gary very generously paid for our lunches - despite our protestations that we pay our own bill.

We returned to our hotel to catch up on blogs and rest ahead of tonight's Halloween party. Americans take Halloween seriously, and it's not just for kids.

The shops have been full of pumpkins and Halloween related merchandise for at least a month, which means there is no sign of Christmas decorations yet - as we get in Australia from early October. There is also Thanksgiving at the end of November, so this is a crowded season of celebrations for Americans.

We enjoyed the festivities long into the night.

A surprise, Hoover Dam and Las Vegas

It was only a short hop over the mountains into Las Vegas, Nevada this morning. However, we rode straight through there and the adjoining municipality of Henderson en route to Boulder City and the Hoover Dam.

There was a surprise in store for us when we arrived: the main road across the Colorado River no longer takes you across the Hoover Dam. An amazing new bridge takes traffic high across the Colorado River without having to wind down and up one lane switchbacks on either side of the Dam.

The Mike O'Callaghan - Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge opened less than 3 weeks ago on 20 October. Pedestrians can walk across the bridge from a carpark on the Nevada side of the river. It was jam packed when we were there and we didn't understand why until we learned the bridge had just opened.

The view of the Hoover Dam from the bridge is quite spectacular - and vice versa.

The water level behind the dam seems very low.

Returning to Las Vegas, we checked into our hotel and rested up.

After dinner, we walked to "The Strip", the main road with all the big casinos. It was crowded with people all ogling the ostentatious glitter and glam. An amazing place.



Everything is so over the top - for example, The Venetian casino is modelled on the Doge's Palace and has a pool out the front that is so big they offer gondola rides. on it

The Paris casino has its own replica of the Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower...

One of the casinos has a simulated volcano, while Bellagio's has a two hundred metre wide fountain that puts on a show every hour.

Here's some of the other casinos:

By the time we walked back to our hotel we were exhausted, but it made for a good night's sleep.

This young man works very hard to keep this place going. Many people were attracted to the area for its remoteness. The trailbike riders we met last night, loved the area and return regularly. We heard them leave at daybreak this morning prepared with GPSs and specialised equipment.


First priority was to fill the bike - even at these prices. Isolated places seem to be more expensive as importing of goods is far more difficult. There are few luxuries except for a clean bed and the restaurant, which fortunately does a good meal.

The road west of Panamint Springs, California was a squiggly red line on the map. The barman had told us yesterday that the 12 miles to the top of the pass was a favourite with motorcyclists. Although this was in the opposite direction to our destinatiion, we rode up and back before breakfast, to build up an appetite for food and more adventures in Death Valley.


At breakfast we shared a table with two other bikers who pulled into the cafe at the same time as we did, and swapped yarns before heading our separate ways.

Our route was west on 190. The road from Panamint Springs rose steeply as it crossed Towne Pass at nearly 5,000 ft before descending into Death Valley, taking us back through Stovepipe Wells and on to Furnace Creek.

Our first stop was a few miles beyond Furnace Creek at Zabriskie Point. A short climb from the car park leads to an overlook surrounded by barren, yellow, eroded landforms. Through a gap in the hills we could see across Death Valley. An incredible formation.

Further east on 190 we turned off to Dante's View. The road initially was fast and fairly straight, but towards the higher sections became tighter and steeper, culminating in a short stretch of tight bends and 12% grade that required 1st gear. At 5475 ft above sea level we were rewarded with panoramic views of the southern parts of Death Valley. Directly below us but hidden under the cliffs was Badwater. This was amazing and a must see for anyone in the area. You begin to realise how vast this area is. (These four photos join to make one view.)

From the car park there is a trail we followed for a short distance to take in some other perspectives of the landscape. Far below we could see the road we had travelled two days earlier. Once back on 190 we were soon out of the National Park.

We have greatly enjoyed the last three days. Death Valley is so beautiful and seducive. Like a siren's song it attracts you and draws you in, but at the same time you sense it is a dangerous and unforgiving place. Both heat and rapid floods make it this way.

We continued to Death Valley Junction, a motley collection of decaying buildings. Putting up some resistance is the Amargosa Hotel with the "Amargosa Opera House" and a cafe. We stopped there for lunch. The staff were a cheery lot, all dressed in Halloween cotumes and make-up.

As we moved on there were beautiful desert scenes.


Our destination for the night was Pahrunp in Nevada, a vast, sprawling, dusty town in the middle of the desert. On a peak high above and behinfd the town the first winter snows have fallen. Careful watering make parts of this town feel like a small oasis.