Had I realized just how uninhabited it can be along the way, I probably would've avoided the steering wheel-clenching, sweat-inducing 30 minutes I had looking for the next gas station over each ridge after my low fuel light had been on for what seemed hours. The fact that it was 114F outside didn't help either. But, luck prevailed and I found a remote station to fill up and make it the rest of the way to Vegas. For that convenience I paid the wallet lightening price of $4.29/gallon...for regular.
Closing in on Vegas, I noticed that it just kind of rises out of the desert like an Oasis. A neon oasis at that. But, the Sahara provided a cheap ($40/night) rest stop right on the strip. After the sun set and the temp dropped about 30 degrees, I set out for a stroll down the strip. I decided to check out some of the casinos as a means of free entertainment for the evening, including the Wynn, Venetian, Bellagio, Paris, Alladin and Caesar's Palace.
The Venetian was definitely my favorite. While it's still a casino, it seemed to recreate an Italian facade in a non-cheesy way as much as a Vegas casino is capable. I walked along its Gran Canal with gondola rides and storefronts along the way ending at a replica Italian plaza. If you're heading to Vegas in the future, I'd highly recommend checking it out. For some additional free entertainment, I checked out a couple of "shows" at the Bellagio's grand fountain in front of the casino. About every 15 minutes, the iconic fountain (featured in the end scene of the Ocean's Eleven remake) puts on water shows with water spouts timed to the music.
Calling it a night, I headed back to the Sahara where I was lured in by a $3 Blackjack table (yeah, big spender). I slapped down my $15 and took my chances with lucky number 21. For probably the first time ever in Vegas, I came out on top. After about an hour of playing I went to bed $10 richer than when I arrived. In Vegas, I'll take what I can get.
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