Day 13 - Laughlin, Nevada

We had originally planned to include Las Vegas in our travels, but opted instead for Laughlin, Nevada, a smaller more toned down version of “Sin City” about a hundred miles from Vegas. Laughlin’s casino “strip” runs along the Colorado River and includes some of the usual suspects such as Harrah’s and The Tropicana. Our hotel used to be The Flamingo but has new owners, has been completely remodeled, and is now Aquarius. There are a lot of advantages to staying in the smaller, usually older motels such as the price point and the ability to drive right up to your front door. But it’s a pleasant change to throw some luxury into the trip and particularly pleasant to pay no more than we have on average for the motels. You gotta love Expedia. 

We probably would have got more out of our stay in Laughlin had it not been so hot. The temperature has been over 100 – a dry heat, not humid, but very, very hot. So, consequently, instead of walking around town and exploring our surroundings, we’ve been inclined to stay where it’s air conditioned: our hotel room, the casino and the outlet mall across the street. Later in the day, we did get out and took a boat ride on a pontoon water taxi down river to Harrah’s, the last hotel/casino on the strip – and back.

Not every locale is going to wow us with its beauty or educate us with its history or culture. But, in Laughlin, we stayed in a wonderful hotel and met some interesting people including a couple a little older than us who live in downtown Ottawa on the Rideau Canal and spend winters on their boat in Florida. Although they seemed like regular folk, I felt we were rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous.

Until tomorrow. . . .