While in Laughlin, we stayed at the Aquarius and the Avi. In Las Vegas, we stayed at Sam's Town.
One reason we make this trip each year is that we receive offers from the casinos where we've played in the past. For this trip, all of our lodging was complimentary except for the hotels on our way out (Holbrook) and back (Santa Rosa) and for our 3 night stay at the Avi. And our room at the Avi was minimal. All told, we paid less than $300 out of pocket for all of our lodging. We were also able to use points for many of our meals. As a result, these trips do not cost a lot. With gas prices low, our total fuel cost was about $180. So, our out of pocket cost for a 2 week trip was less than $600.
In the past, Sam's Town in Las Vegas has been one of our favorite casinos. However, I did not enjoy our stay there as much this time. First, they have reduced the number of good video poker games they have. Their inventory of Full Pay Deuces Wild has been cut by 60% or so. Second, I've never cared for their buffet. I find the food there poorly prepared and admittance is very slow. And this time, I found the clientele throughout the casino a bit different. In the past, Sam's Town attracted mainly senior citizens. It's always had a country/western theme. But this trip I saw a different crowd frequenting the place, and I wasn't always comfortable.
On our last trip to Laughlin, we scouted out the Avi. We liked the promotions they offered, and they had some games we felt we could play successfully. We did not play long enough on the previous trip to warrant any offers, but decided to stay there and pay the low room rate. We think we played enough this trip to earn us some future room and play offers. However, to be honest, I didn't really enjoy our 3 days there. The dining options leave a bit to be desired. There are a few fast food places and the required buffet and other casino owned eateries. But there was no place to get a decent cup of coffee. Also, I found the casino to be quite smokey. Everywhere we went, people seemed to be smokers, and heavy smokers at that. Seems the smokers at the Avi don't know how to use ash trays, either, as machine after machine was covered with a layer of ashes. You'd have to do some housekeeping before you could even sit down to play. Pretty disgusting stuff. But the Avi has a beautiful pool area, and it has a nice beach on a cove of the Colorado River. A negative for the Avi is that it is about 15 miles from the other casinos in Laughlin. However, just to the east across the river is Fort Mohave with a collection of dining, reasonably priced gas, and groceries. The Avi also has a pretty good RV park which might attract us when we are in the area with our travel trailer.
So, we were happy to get to the Aquarius. Ah, the Aquarius has always been our favorite place in Laughlin. First of all, they have the absolute best video poker on the river, hands down -- at least for low rollers like us. They also have good eating. For fast food, there is Subway, Panda Express, and McDonalds. We like McDonalds because their coffee is reliable and they post calories on their menu for food items. We love their little yogurt-based parfait. There is also a Duet's, which serves up a good cup of coffee much like Starbucks. Our last night there we enjoyed the seafood buffet. I'm not a big seafood eater, but Donna can eat her weight in crab legs, and I think she did so this time. There is also an Outback and a nice garden cafe where we can use our points. The Aquarius also has non-smoking sections. Our favorite place to play is at the Cove bar, which is completely non-smoking. We can sit at the bar, play some good video poker machines, enjoy a good draft beer, and look out over the beautiful Colorado River and the mountains of Arizona. It's fun to watch the river taxis, tour boats, jet skis, and other water craft moving up and down the clear waters of the river while playing some very good video poker.
The rooms at all the hotels are similar. We prefer to stay and play in Laughlin, though. It is a small town without the hustle and bustle of the much larger Las Vegas. I don't know if I will play again in Vegas. I probably will, but I'm just as happy to avoid it.
This blog follows Keith and Donna Cameron as they enjoy retirement. 01/24/05
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Friday, October 9, 2015
On the Road: San Angelo, TX, to Laughlin, NV (2015)
Normally on our trips to and from Nevada, we take scenic routes, which can add considerable time to our trips. This year, however, we went straight there and back for the most part. For us, that means we angle northwest from our home in San Angelo, TX, to hit Interstate 40 as soon as possible, which usually is in Santa Rosa, NM. From there, it is a pretty straight shot due west to Kingman, AZ, where we exit I-40 for the last 35 miles or so along an Arizona state highway.
I've reported our trips in previous articles (see the previous entry for links to these), so I won't repeat myself here. Instead, I'll simply describe the specifics for this trip.
We usually make the 1,000+ mile trip to Laughlin in 2 days. On this trip, we traveled over 700 miles the first day to Holbrook, AZ, where we spent the night at the Lexington Inn. When traveling, we usually try to stay in hotels in small towns. Rates are usually better for the same quality lodging as you would find in larger cities. Also, getting on and off the interstate in small towns is so much easier than in larger cities. We also feel safer in small towns.
On our second day, we really only had about 5 hours remaining to Laughlin, so we decided to see a little of the country. I-40 basically follows historic old Route 66. We decided to detour from I-40 for much of our remaining trip to see the old highway. So we detoured through Holbrook, Flagstaff, Williams, and Kingman. We really liked the downtown area in Flagstaff, and hope to return in the near future and spend a couple of days there roaming the streets. Williams is also a picturesque town in the mountains of northern Arizona worth visiting.
About halfway between Flagstaff and Kingman, we detoured through Seligman, another picturesque town along the old highway. But instead of rejoining I-40 after passing through town as we had been doing, we stayed on Route 66 as it veered north from I-40 for the remaining 90 or so miles to Kingman. The old two-lane highway is well maintained. It winds through several small towns, such as Peach Springs and Valentine. There really was quite a bit of traffic on the old road, probably tourists like ourselves.
At Kingman, we then headed west for the final 35 or so miles of the trip to Laughlin.
On the return, we followed the same route without the detours along Route 66. Temperatures had dropped considerably for our return trip. It was early in the morning when we passed through Williams and Flagstaff, and the temps were in the 30s. We picked up heavy rain in the Albuquerque area. I had considered trying to make the trip home in a single day, arriving late at night. We've done that once in our travels. But the rain concerned me, and I was tired after not getting much sleep in strange beds for the past 2 weeks, so we pulled off in Santa Rosa and got a room in the Comfort Inn.
We woke to rain and temps in the upper 40s. After a good breakfast at the hotel, we climbed back in the truck for the remaining 400 miles to San Angelo. The rain continued until Lamesa, where we enjoyed a very good steak at K-Bob's Steakhouse. By the time we reached San Angelo, the temperature was in the lower 80s and all was dry.
As a side note, here is some information on gas prices. Texas had the lowest prices. We paid $1.82 in Levelland, Texas. Prices across New Mexico were decent. We paid $2.12 in Gallup both coming and going. Prices seemed to jump a bit in Arizona. We filled up twice in Bullhead City, AZ, and paid about $2.35 both times. Just across the river in Nevada, prices jumped about a dollar to around $3.35, though you could find it just under $3.00 in Las Vegas.
I've reported our trips in previous articles (see the previous entry for links to these), so I won't repeat myself here. Instead, I'll simply describe the specifics for this trip.
 |
| Our route to and from Nevada |
We usually make the 1,000+ mile trip to Laughlin in 2 days. On this trip, we traveled over 700 miles the first day to Holbrook, AZ, where we spent the night at the Lexington Inn. When traveling, we usually try to stay in hotels in small towns. Rates are usually better for the same quality lodging as you would find in larger cities. Also, getting on and off the interstate in small towns is so much easier than in larger cities. We also feel safer in small towns.
On our second day, we really only had about 5 hours remaining to Laughlin, so we decided to see a little of the country. I-40 basically follows historic old Route 66. We decided to detour from I-40 for much of our remaining trip to see the old highway. So we detoured through Holbrook, Flagstaff, Williams, and Kingman. We really liked the downtown area in Flagstaff, and hope to return in the near future and spend a couple of days there roaming the streets. Williams is also a picturesque town in the mountains of northern Arizona worth visiting.
About halfway between Flagstaff and Kingman, we detoured through Seligman, another picturesque town along the old highway. But instead of rejoining I-40 after passing through town as we had been doing, we stayed on Route 66 as it veered north from I-40 for the remaining 90 or so miles to Kingman. The old two-lane highway is well maintained. It winds through several small towns, such as Peach Springs and Valentine. There really was quite a bit of traffic on the old road, probably tourists like ourselves.
At Kingman, we then headed west for the final 35 or so miles of the trip to Laughlin.
On the return, we followed the same route without the detours along Route 66. Temperatures had dropped considerably for our return trip. It was early in the morning when we passed through Williams and Flagstaff, and the temps were in the 30s. We picked up heavy rain in the Albuquerque area. I had considered trying to make the trip home in a single day, arriving late at night. We've done that once in our travels. But the rain concerned me, and I was tired after not getting much sleep in strange beds for the past 2 weeks, so we pulled off in Santa Rosa and got a room in the Comfort Inn.
We woke to rain and temps in the upper 40s. After a good breakfast at the hotel, we climbed back in the truck for the remaining 400 miles to San Angelo. The rain continued until Lamesa, where we enjoyed a very good steak at K-Bob's Steakhouse. By the time we reached San Angelo, the temperature was in the lower 80s and all was dry.
As a side note, here is some information on gas prices. Texas had the lowest prices. We paid $1.82 in Levelland, Texas. Prices across New Mexico were decent. We paid $2.12 in Gallup both coming and going. Prices seemed to jump a bit in Arizona. We filled up twice in Bullhead City, AZ, and paid about $2.35 both times. Just across the river in Nevada, prices jumped about a dollar to around $3.35, though you could find it just under $3.00 in Las Vegas.
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
2015 Nevada Trip
For the last several years, Donna and I have traveled to Nevada this time of year. We just returned from our annual trip. This year, we visited both Laughlin and Las Vegas.
In the past, we've varied our routes in order to see new country. After making the trip so many times, we've taken just about all the different routes we can, so this year we more or less made a bee line for our destination.
In the next few entries, I'll recount our travels. In the meantime, you can select the following links to view our previous trips:
In the past, we've varied our routes in order to see new country. After making the trip so many times, we've taken just about all the different routes we can, so this year we more or less made a bee line for our destination.
In the next few entries, I'll recount our travels. In the meantime, you can select the following links to view our previous trips:
Friday, October 2, 2015
Grey Foxes at San Angelo State Park
On several of our recent early morning walks at San Angelo State Park, we've seen 1 or more gray foxes. In fact, back in August I recounted an incident when we spotted a gray fox for the first time at the park (see "We Like to See Wildlife."). Since then, we even saw a small fox cross in front of us when we were walking on the O. C. Fisher dam recently. It had a small rodent in its mouth, and headed down the dam and found a secure place where it could enjoy its feast.
I've not been able to get a photo yet of a fox. By the time I get my camera out, it's usually too late. But most of our sightings have occurred in the area of coordinates 31.469303, -100.512099. If you plug those coordinates into a GPS or Google Earth, they will take you to a rapidly decaying paved road little used today except by park employees and bike riders and hikers/walkers. Near the location provided by the coordinates is a track heading off west, and we've seen 1 or more foxes scamper down that track more than once. I've never followed that track, but from looking at Google Earth, it appears there is a small earthen dam near there, so they may stick close to that man-made pond for water and to catch other small critters that may lurk nearby.
Our sightings have occurred early in the morning, perhaps 30 minutes or so after sunrise. It looks as though the foxes are generally moving from higher ground to the east, crossing the road we are on, and heading towards the pond.
Perhaps one of these days, I'll catch a picture of those illusive little rascals.
I've not been able to get a photo yet of a fox. By the time I get my camera out, it's usually too late. But most of our sightings have occurred in the area of coordinates 31.469303, -100.512099. If you plug those coordinates into a GPS or Google Earth, they will take you to a rapidly decaying paved road little used today except by park employees and bike riders and hikers/walkers. Near the location provided by the coordinates is a track heading off west, and we've seen 1 or more foxes scamper down that track more than once. I've never followed that track, but from looking at Google Earth, it appears there is a small earthen dam near there, so they may stick close to that man-made pond for water and to catch other small critters that may lurk nearby.
Our sightings have occurred early in the morning, perhaps 30 minutes or so after sunrise. It looks as though the foxes are generally moving from higher ground to the east, crossing the road we are on, and heading towards the pond.
Perhaps one of these days, I'll catch a picture of those illusive little rascals.
Sunday, September 27, 2015
A GPS App to Map Our Hikes
I'm still learning how to use my Smartphone. At the same time, I'm trying really hard to not become a Smartphone junkie. Still, there are a few apps I see that can be quite useful.
One of the first apps I downloaded was a GPS app to map our hikes and walks. Since I'm not trying to promote one app over another, I won't list the app I downloaded, but I will tell you a little about it.
Actually, the app will do more than simply map my hike. It will provide generic caloric information regarding food, track gear, and perform other calculations and information related to "workouts". But I'm really only interested in data related to hiking.
I tested the app on one of our recent walks. We try to walk anywhere from 3 to 6 miles every other day. Of course, sometimes the weather prevents our doing so, or perhaps out health might restrict us. But when all conditions are good, we are pretty good about keeping to this schedule. In the past, I've used Google Maps to measure distances at the places we walk. On the morning of the test, we decided to do our favorite loop walk at the state park (San Angelo State Park). According to Google Maps, this loop is right at 5 miles.
The GPS determined our starting location, and I pressed the button to begin. It began tracking our movements almost immediately. During the walk, distance, duration, current pace, and calories burned were recorded.
As an example, here are our stats for the walk.
I can save my hikes and, I suppose, can even post them, even though I've not tried this yet. I have pulled up other hikes/walks in our area, though, so others are definitely using this feature. I had hoped that I could record waypoints with this app, but I've yet to see how to do this.
And one final feature I've not utilized but is of interest to me is the tracker feature. If I understand this correctly, this feature will allow others to track my location. This could be useful, especially considering my age. By activating this not only on my device but also on my wife's and my daughter's, they could locate me. So, were I to go on a lengthy hike in the backwoods one day and not return at the expected time, they could track my location. But I need to study this more and ensure that it is secure enough. After all, I don't want just anyone tracking me.
One of the first apps I downloaded was a GPS app to map our hikes and walks. Since I'm not trying to promote one app over another, I won't list the app I downloaded, but I will tell you a little about it.
Actually, the app will do more than simply map my hike. It will provide generic caloric information regarding food, track gear, and perform other calculations and information related to "workouts". But I'm really only interested in data related to hiking.
I tested the app on one of our recent walks. We try to walk anywhere from 3 to 6 miles every other day. Of course, sometimes the weather prevents our doing so, or perhaps out health might restrict us. But when all conditions are good, we are pretty good about keeping to this schedule. In the past, I've used Google Maps to measure distances at the places we walk. On the morning of the test, we decided to do our favorite loop walk at the state park (San Angelo State Park). According to Google Maps, this loop is right at 5 miles.
The GPS determined our starting location, and I pressed the button to begin. It began tracking our movements almost immediately. During the walk, distance, duration, current pace, and calories burned were recorded.
As an example, here are our stats for the walk.
- Distance: 4.92 miles
- Duration: 1:31:29 (1 hour 31 minutes and 29 seconds
- Pace: 1 mile every 18 minutes and 36 seconds (18:36)
- Calories burned: 697
I can save my hikes and, I suppose, can even post them, even though I've not tried this yet. I have pulled up other hikes/walks in our area, though, so others are definitely using this feature. I had hoped that I could record waypoints with this app, but I've yet to see how to do this.
And one final feature I've not utilized but is of interest to me is the tracker feature. If I understand this correctly, this feature will allow others to track my location. This could be useful, especially considering my age. By activating this not only on my device but also on my wife's and my daughter's, they could locate me. So, were I to go on a lengthy hike in the backwoods one day and not return at the expected time, they could track my location. But I need to study this more and ensure that it is secure enough. After all, I don't want just anyone tracking me.
Monday, September 21, 2015
We've Gone Over to the Dark Side
Donna and I resisted for a long time. I guess we were among the last holdouts. But we finally gave in to our baser desires and crossed that line and joined the dark side.
Yes, we bought two smartphones.
Since retiring, we've been living on fixed incomes. We've done everything we know of to keep operating expenses down. I resisted smartphones because (1) the phones themselves are more expensive than the old flip phones we used, and (2) the plans are more expensive. I also feared becoming a smartphone zombie; you know, one of those people obsessed by their smartphone to the point that they lose all face-to-face social skills.
Because we are traveling so much in our trailer lately and plan to travel even more over the next few years, we finally decided it might be advantageous to get some smartphones. I do see a great need to be able to check highway routes while on the road, not to mention look up RV parks and other information.
So, we've spent the past couple of weeks learning how to use the phones. We've been downloading the apps we think we need, and we've been learning how to use them.
And we're really trying to become smartphone zombies. Now we can go out to eat and text each other from the same table. It surely beats talking to each other, don't you think.
Yes, we bought two smartphones.
Since retiring, we've been living on fixed incomes. We've done everything we know of to keep operating expenses down. I resisted smartphones because (1) the phones themselves are more expensive than the old flip phones we used, and (2) the plans are more expensive. I also feared becoming a smartphone zombie; you know, one of those people obsessed by their smartphone to the point that they lose all face-to-face social skills.
Because we are traveling so much in our trailer lately and plan to travel even more over the next few years, we finally decided it might be advantageous to get some smartphones. I do see a great need to be able to check highway routes while on the road, not to mention look up RV parks and other information.
So, we've spent the past couple of weeks learning how to use the phones. We've been downloading the apps we think we need, and we've been learning how to use them.
And we're really trying to become smartphone zombies. Now we can go out to eat and text each other from the same table. It surely beats talking to each other, don't you think.
Friday, September 18, 2015
Movie Review: A Walk in the Woods
I've read Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods twice (see "Good Reads: A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson" from June 2013). I really enjoy that book. It relates the author's attempt -- with his friend Stephen Katz -- to hike the Appalachian Trail (see "The Big 3 Hiking Trails of the Continental U.S.A." from June 2013). So when I learned that there was a movie being made by the same name of the book, I was eager to watch it.
Donna and I went to see the movie recently. I was entertained by the movie. After all, I'm a fan of Robert Redford; I have been since I first saw him in The Chase, which also starred Marlon Brando and Jane Fonda. Jeremiah Johnson ranks up there as one of my favorite all-time movies, as much for the scenery as for the story. But Redford -- who is cast as Byrson -- is pushing 80 years old. When Bryson published his book in 1998, he was under 50 years of age. That's a big age difference, and it made me wonder just how accurately the movie would follow the book.
Well, the movie does not accurately follow the book, nor does it pretend too. The movie is only loosely based on the book. If you are a fan of the book, you will see many, many deviations from the book, such as the scene with the bears. But the spirit of the book does find some life in the movie, and the movie takes on a life of its own.
Basically, Bryson (Redford) and his childhood friend Stephen Katz (Nick Nolte) set out to hike the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. They are old geysers, and part of the movie deals with both of them facing the reality of their lives. As in the book, Katz is the central comic figure in the movie. The scenery is beautiful and made both Donna and me want to find a trail and set out.
Don't look for the movie to even follow the basic plot of the book. It doesn't. But it seems to work. I had hoped that the movie would deal more with hiking the Appalachian Trail, such as gear, trail shelters, and trail life, but it dealt with these only briefly if at all. And if colorful language upsets you, this is probably not a movie you need to watch. I was put off with the language, and I did not see that it really contributed to the plot at all.
But I enjoyed the movie. I find it harder and harder to find movies that entertain me these days. So many veer way off into a fantasy world of unbelievable, choreographed stunts that I'm frustrated by the whole thing. At least A Walk in the Woods stayed grounded.
Donna and I went to see the movie recently. I was entertained by the movie. After all, I'm a fan of Robert Redford; I have been since I first saw him in The Chase, which also starred Marlon Brando and Jane Fonda. Jeremiah Johnson ranks up there as one of my favorite all-time movies, as much for the scenery as for the story. But Redford -- who is cast as Byrson -- is pushing 80 years old. When Bryson published his book in 1998, he was under 50 years of age. That's a big age difference, and it made me wonder just how accurately the movie would follow the book.
Well, the movie does not accurately follow the book, nor does it pretend too. The movie is only loosely based on the book. If you are a fan of the book, you will see many, many deviations from the book, such as the scene with the bears. But the spirit of the book does find some life in the movie, and the movie takes on a life of its own.
Basically, Bryson (Redford) and his childhood friend Stephen Katz (Nick Nolte) set out to hike the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. They are old geysers, and part of the movie deals with both of them facing the reality of their lives. As in the book, Katz is the central comic figure in the movie. The scenery is beautiful and made both Donna and me want to find a trail and set out.
Don't look for the movie to even follow the basic plot of the book. It doesn't. But it seems to work. I had hoped that the movie would deal more with hiking the Appalachian Trail, such as gear, trail shelters, and trail life, but it dealt with these only briefly if at all. And if colorful language upsets you, this is probably not a movie you need to watch. I was put off with the language, and I did not see that it really contributed to the plot at all.
But I enjoyed the movie. I find it harder and harder to find movies that entertain me these days. So many veer way off into a fantasy world of unbelievable, choreographed stunts that I'm frustrated by the whole thing. At least A Walk in the Woods stayed grounded.
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