Date: Sun, 14 May 2000 09:21:30 -0700 (PDT)

Mile 2947, Las Vegas, NV

Daryl: We're at a Kinkos in Vegas, about to leave for California. We're a day ahead of schedule, and we've cut Yosemite from our plans. This will give is two nights in San Francisco and three in Seattle. I'd rather be in Yosemite, but all the campsites there are filled.

Since Texas, we've endured insane winds camping in Gallup, New Mexico (far enough south that the wildfires didn't affect us) and waded through the throngs of tourists at the Grand Canyon. Last night, we saw Vegas, but stayed out of trouble and went to bed early.

We slept at the Luxor, the big hotel shaped like a pyramid. According to billboards, the Luxor has more rooms than there are in the entire city of Amarillo, Texas. It also sports a 40 billion candlepower beam, shooting straight into the sky from the point of the pyramid. It's hard to believe mankind has actually built something like Las Vegas.

Brian: Everyone should come to Las Vegas. Once. At the same time, it is the most depressing and rejuvenating place I have ever been to. Thousands of people, with no idea how to have a good time but with plenty of cash, flocking to a desert and blowing off steam. It's nice, around 11 pm, to see the happy folk laughing and smiling and having fun. Around 2 am, the eyes are sagging, the walking has turned to stumbling, and everybody looks like they need to go to bed. Looking forward to San Fransisco, where the people (k)no(w) how to have a good time without giving away good money.

Ryan: Hmm what to write, Having a great time. Grand Canyon was great, we didnt make it to the bottom, cuz it was getting to dark, so we had to turn back but we did see some gi-normous condors. Tim got a lot of poop on his shoes, and we ate burritos. Last night was just a real swell time. Walked the strip, gambled, (prostitutes, and binge drinking had by all but us). Yesterday we had the opportunity to ride this incredible state of the art roller coaster at NY NY casino/hotel, however no one wanted to fork out the cash, however the day before these guys were plenty willing to pay the same amount to see a gaint hole in the ground:( Well today we have a 12 hour drive or so to SF so gotta bounce--

New Mexico blows, literally. We had to endure 60 mph winds in our little nylon tent. We stayed at some park called Red Rocks. But alas no John Tesh concerts. On the road, Daryl made us waste ten dollars on a stupid hole in the ground called Meteor Crater. If that is Arizona's legacy from space they have a pretty crappy state. Although Daryl and the others like natural beauty, I love Las Vegas. They have beds, TVs, and all you can eat shrimp. During our lunch buffet yesterday we even got to see a couple just married digging into the chicken wings and macaroni salad. It was so touching. Well I guess we're back in camping. Dirt sucks.

--Tim Swift, CNN, Las Vegas

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