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S3's Bizarre Las Vegas Journey; So I DO have internet. Go figure.
Topic Started: Aug 8 2008, 11:05 AM (486 Views)
NewtypeS3
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The Rejected Spartan
Magical Photography Studio Tour
Huh. Internet that works at a decent speed.
And for free.
Go figure.

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Day 1: August 6th
Leaving from: Richland, Washington (for those curious on the route, Google Map that town with Las Vegas as the destination. Literally that route)

Well, my friend who I was traveling with (henceforth referred to as 'R2,' as he has named himself for internet usage) decided to sleep in. And seeing how he was the one with the car and ability to drive manual, it's not like I could help it. So, we left my house at 2pm-ish.
But we didn't leave town until about 8pm or so, thanks to the fact that we needed to...
-Hit the DMV and Court House to pay off the last of my friend's ticket and get it affirmed with the DMV, and renew my permit to make me a backup driver.
-Stop by his parent's house for some cash, snacks, a gas credit card (dear lord, that came in handy) and snacks. Also, for hearing a lecture for an hour or so - and hearing his mother ramble on about how she reserved the room... when she never did and R2 had to pay for the room.
-Hit Wal-Mart for a lube job and slight overhaul on the car.
-Head back to his place for his laundry.

So, we finally leave - and the sun is setting. Well, at least we were capable of making good time, seeing how fewer people drive at night - especially through Oregon and Idaho at 3am. And the fact that our Hotel's room wouldn't be free until 3pm on the next day.
We exit the state of Washington at around 11pm, making shocking good time already. Sure, we may be close to the border of the state, but exiting the city was hard enough. We head on down through Oregon - figuring we could probably make it to Idaho on our tank of gas, until I check out the milage and we figure we should top off the tank just in case before we enter the state.

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Day 2: August 7th
Initial Location: Baker City, Oregon

Unfortunately, we've just found ourselves in Baker City, also known as 'the land that time forgot.' Hotels looking right out of the 1950's (all of them advertised 'Cable Color TV,' just to try and express what I mean), and the only gas station we see is right from the 1960s, where you need a card issued from the station to try and fill the tank. From one pump. Luckily, we stumbled across a Shell station just before leaving Baker City and saying 'fuck it all' - and we learned something else. Oregon is a self-service state, meaning that you don't get to do anything at the pumps at all... making almost all the gas stations not open 24 hours essentially 'fucking useless.'
This became particularly annoying when we thought about topping off the tank in Ontario, OR before entering Idaho - where there wasn't a single station 'open' at all! Finally out of range of any good radio stations, though, we did pick up a pair of decent speakers for my laptop ($10 for the speakers) so we could listen to music on my computer after plugging it into a power inverter that runs off the car's power. Yay there, considering neither of us are that fond of country music.

Entering Idaho, it's about... 2am, at best. Pitch-dark, we find ourselves yawning slightly as we continue along the road. Gas has dropped somewhat in price as we hit Nampa, seeing gas for a good 10 or 20 cents lower per gallon than it is at home. Honestly, we figure it can't get much lower than that, thanks to current prices - though our own mental states are a touch impaired as the sun is finally starting to rise and I'm more than a touch tired.
Our map starts getting a little fucked up, though, as we near Twin Falls, Idaho. It tells us to go around and find a string of numbers that's supposed to actually be a road... but as I look over our state atlus, I find that we didn't need to get off the damned highway at all. It would have been shorter to stick to the same damned road as it cuts through the city of Twin Falls and continues on the same damned route we're supposed to hit. Fuck you, Mapquest and Google Maps, for trying to send us in an almost literal circle five times.
As we leave Twin Falls, we see a sign that I probably should have snagged a picture of - a road sign declaring that we were heading South, but that the North version of the road was heading off to the left... meaning that the US Interstate system no longer respects the actual meanings of 'south' and 'north.' I'll try to snag a picture of it on the way back.

Now in Nevada, we find a podunk town that's named... Jackpot. Welcome to Nevada, everyone. Where all hotels are coated in neon lights - and even the smallest town has a gambling parlor.
As we pass through the Nevada desert (which looks like Washington, Oregon and Idaho all had a collective baby, abandoned it, and the baby then got road maps tattoo'd on it - all pointing towards Las Vegas), we stumble across a town called 'Wells,' which is apparently a massive truck stop - seeing how they have two Flying J stops and a half-gas-station-half-McDonald's just off the highway. But what really caught our eyes was this:
Posted Image
That's $3.67 per gallon of gas. In a country where gas often goes for over $4. Needless to say, we stopped to top off our tank and grab breakfast - McGriddles at the McDonald's.
Just after Wells, though, we came across what is most certainly the 'hell' of the United States: a 100% straight road, heading for miles in one direction without a turn... or a change in speed. About midway through, at the point where a shallow turn is found, we came across a bathroom break - but stuck in the middle of an RV park with nothing but sand all around in any direction. There's only one guy running the place, and he comes off as distinctly 'one screw loose.'

Fleeing from the place, we finish off the damned route as we hit the town of Elly... only problem is, we're trying to look for a route 6 - and there's nothing signifying a route 6. At all.
In the entire town.
Except for one tiny sign facing the opposite direction that we only find after leaving the town once on the wrong road. And then we finally find the REAL route 6 once driving for a good 20 minutes down one road through the suburbs of the damned town. Whee.
Taking a turn off of Route 6 onto backroad 318, we slice off several hours on our trip - and I get to drive manual for the first time. Aside from a distinct feeling of panic, I at least get to drive for the first time in a few months. It's not that bad - but the main problem is timing in the first place. Oi.

Either way, we finally get a cell-phone signal again once we hit Las Vegas around 1pm.
Then we spent an hour in traffic trying to get into Las Vegas off the highway. Insane drivers, psychotic levels of freaking construction and confusing directions from both Google/Mapquest AND the city itself don't help.
Then we spend another hour trying to get to our damned hotel - their directions being even worse than Mapquest. I'm serious. Luckily, it's about 3:15pm, so our hotel room is here.

And our hotel room is freaking huge - two King beds, a couch, four chairs, two tables and a bathroom larger than my own bedroom. In fact, the room might be as large as my house.
Having arrived, we unpack and then basically fall asleep on our respective beds damned quick, seeing how we drove for the past day or so. <_<

---------------------------------

So yeah, I'm in Vegas and I have some internet. Yay me - maybe I can catch up and post in some of those RPs now at the end of each day. <_<
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ZetaStriker
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It's Like You're Carrying the Weight of the World~
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Sounds like an adventure. 3.67 for gas sounds like a pretty awesome find on the way there though. It's only just hitting 3.85 over here.
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Posted Image Ovan
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ねぷは..自由だ!!!

wait I thought you were in CA. The damn thing is around 4.50 a gallon over here.
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ZetaStriker
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It's Like You're Carrying the Weight of the World~
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Move away from LA then. XD Prices have been dropping quite a bit for the past 3 weeks or so. This past week it went to 3.99, then 3.94, and it was at 3.85 yesterday. It's still 4.09 at most non-Arco stations though. XD
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Lowe Gear
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HNH

Lowest gas around here is $3.42.

Anyway, have a good time, say hi to Snazo for me, and don't trust the one-armed bandit. XD
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Hiromu Shinbo
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[Pending...]
Wow... and I thought petrol prices over here were bad...

Just make sure you're getting fuel that ISN'T loaded up with ethanol. Kills the engine quicker... although some newer engines are being made to cope with it... but still <_<

Anywho, enjoy and take care as always S3 ^_^
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NewtypeS3
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The Rejected Spartan
Magical Photography Studio Tour
Well, now that I'm home, I finally have a chance to update this sucker. :lol:

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Date: August 8th
Location: Las Vegas, Idaho

Well, thanks to an actual early bedtime, I got up rather early this day. Despite having an alarm set up for about 8, I got up at 6am and spent time writing the first freaking entries for this thing.
That said, my traveling companion didn't get up until much later on - apparently all the driving did a number on him. I don't blame him, but hey, the day was wasted away as we finally left the hotel room at 11am. The only real thing I was antsy over was the fact that we'd promised to leave earlier so we could visit Sanzo by about noon-ish.
Either way, we arrived at Sanzo's place around 12:30pm, and for those who arne't in the know, me and R2 both have known Sanzo since High School, so it was kind of a reunion. Sanzo also gave me a pair of presents from her - a Samsonite Briefcase (for my future career as a teacher, so she says - which is rather cool) and a sword (a little worn, but a nice display straight-edge Japanese sword).
Anyway, we hung out at her place until Sanzo had to head off for work at about 6pm or so, catching up with her and her family in what we'd perhaps missed in the past two or so years. However, once Sanzo left, me and R2 had to head off and do something on our own - so we decided to drive down to the strip.
Sadly, our hotel and Sanzo's place are stuck on the edge of North Las Vegas, with the actual Strip located deep in the center of the damned city... with few roads actually making mention of where to go. However, we just follow the big buildings and head south... which will screw us over later on.
Parking at the southern end of the strip at the Mandalay Bay, me and R2 decide to hit a McDonald's for dinner. Not bothering to check the menu, I order some McChicken sandwitches... and only after I get them do I notice that the local brand of McChicken is the 'hot and spicy' variety. My mouth begins begging for relief, but I'd forgotten to grab any drinks yet. Whoops.

After that fun debacle, me and my friend headed over to the Hilton... or at least tried to find it. After all, Star Trek: The Experience is located there - and we'd just found out it'd be moving on September 1st. So we get to the Hilton... and find out there's a line to enter the experience.
Hopping into line, we wait for a good 20 minutes... and see a PSP-dispensing-machine as we wait. Apparently, Vegas is catching up with Japan's dispensing machine technology. Either way, when we try to enter... we're asked for tickets for a private party scheduled for 7pm. And when we have none, we're kicked out of line, of course. Oi.
So we head back home, not really knowing what the line was for. At all.

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Date: August 9th
Location: Las Vegas

Not really having a choice in the matter, we head over to Sanzo's for a BBQ to celebrate her little brother's 16th Birthday. In this case, BBQ doesn't mean burgers or steak - but anything they can figure on cooking, including fish, beef, pork, fried rice, pizza, shrimp... the list goes on and on. I was in heaven, especially considering Sanzo's a damned good cook. Not much actually happened at the BBQ itself, aside from a few dozen rounds of Smash Brothers Brawl between those under 25 at the party and the eating of cake and food, though.
Around the end of the BBQ, at about 8 or so, we decided to head out to the strip again - hitting the Star Trek experience for once so we can actually get in... we hope. This time, luckily, we're allowed in - but the 'rides' are closed down for the night. However, at least we can explore the Experience. As it turns out, the whole Experience is a massive tourist trap - stores line the outside, with Quark's Bar inhabiting the center of it all. That said, at least the merchandice was cool looking - including stuffed bears that look like Spock, or are dressed in other-era uniforms, and much of it was all on discount.
However, the Experience was closing soon, so we kinda hopped out after a while and drove over to the New York, New York for some walking down the Strip and exploring.

Here's a word of advice... you know how all the casinos are themed on the outside?
...they're not themed so on the inside. Instead, they're almost literally cookie-cutter with the slot machines and other various gambling games. After so much goddamned hype on the whole thing, it's literally dissapointing so see such a lack of creativity go into the project after the building's done.

That said, we spent until about 10pm on the Strip total, and then called it a night. Spending time in the hotel until about 2am, we took Sanzo home and then called it a night for actual sleep ourselves - and it was a pretty damned late night, to boot.

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Well, two more days to go... and I'll continue it later. My arms are cramping up. ><
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PrayerReverie
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Junk Guild Squad

Of all the weekends S3, it just had to be the Gold Patron Party for the Star Trek: Las Vegas convention.
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The Commander</span>
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Pancake Crystal Brain Elderly

No offense S3, but you drive all the way to Vegas and then eat at a McDonalds? Go see a show or eat at a theme restaurant or go on Fremont St or something.
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SanzoGenjo_NightingalePriestess
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Actually, we went to have dinner at Terrible's Casino during one of those days. Cant remember which >_>
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