Day 22 - Las Vegas, NV

This morning, I got up to see the sunrise over Lake Mead. It was spectacular and then I went back to sleep, however we had to pay for our campsite for last night. It was hot in the morning. We thought if we couldn't get tickets today for the Hoover Dam tour, we would get them for tomorrow.

MIL decided to stay behind as she was worried that there would be a lot of up and down walking. So we paid for the campsite and found out check out time was 12 noon and headed to the Hoover Dam. We went through a check point Charlie where the police only looked in our back seat. We had our windows open so they could see in. Then we parked in the garage and walked a short distance to escalators down to the visitors center. We had to go through metal detectors, put all out belongings into tubs that went through a X-ray machine. Of course, I forgot I had a business card sized letter opener in my pocketbook which was taboo. It was confiscated.

When we said we wanted the tickets for tomorrow, they said we had to take them for today. So I was worried about  getting back before check out time. But the tour was 1-hour long. The first half hour was the tour of the power plant and second half was the dam tour. Back in 1998 we toured the power plant but we couldn't tour the dam because our children had to be at least 16 years old. At that time the tour was more involved as no one ever conceived that terrorism would happen in the United States to the magnitude of what happened on 09/11/2011. Nowadays it is a shell of its former self. It was still cool and we enjoyed it very much. The tour ends out on the middle of the dam on the top, and in the heat. The sun is bright and then there is about a 1/2 mile walk back to the parking garage. We got back to the National Recreation Area at exactly 12 noon, however DH decided to go down to the marina there and then we took a different road back. From the campground, it appeared that the front row of RVs was right beside the lake. When in reality, there is a road and probably about 200 feet of desert type terrain leading to the water. When we got back to the motorhome we went began to pack up and make it travel worthy. I also made us sandwiches for lunch. The campground host came to see if we were leaving, and DH said we were.

We then headed to Las Vegas. DH's birthday was today and tomorrow night we are seeing David Copperfield at the MGM. The Gremlin was up to its old tricks. Google Maps was suggesting a different route to the RV Park at Circus Circus Casino & Hotel.

The Gremlin was taking us a roundabout way. So we get to the address on S. Las Vegas Blvd. and the Gremlin doesn't give any further directions. So, da da da da! Google Maps to the rescue! So it says turn right at the next corner, which there is a sign that says "Keep Right" in the middle of the road. DH makes the turn and Google Maps says, make next right. So we get to the driveway and the sign says Manor RV Park. DH says what is the name of the campground to me? I said all it says is "The RV Park at Circus Circus!" So DH drives right past the driveway in! Around the block we go again only this time because there were people waiting to cross the street and they were half in the street, DH didn't quite make the turn just right. And as w result he was going to hit the sign that said "Keep Right." I jumped out and at first I thought the sign was bolted to the street but I was finally able to move it back always so DH could successfully make the turn. I told him that my GPS was saying that Manor RV Park was the correct place. We pulled in and it was the correct place.

When we pulled into our spot, there was a guy sleeping on a bedroll on the grass next to our table with a cooler. MIL and I watched him pick up his supplies and place them in a gold car with a stake body trailer attached. He got in his car, then got out and walked apparently to the store as he came back with ice. While he was gone, the police drove past our motorhome but they missed seeing the guy. We locked up the motorhome and drove to a the casino parking garage as it was too far and hot to walk. It was similar to how we remembered once inside. We went to the Midway, and watched two showings of circus performances.

Came back to the motorhome with the full intention of going out on the strip at night after dinner but instead watched the Presidential Debate between Hillary Clinton vs. Donald Trump.