Saturday, July 22

Off this morning at 10:30. 104 degrees. Headed west through the Mohave Desert. Went on a ghost town search up into the hills on the rough bumpy gravel roads. Zelda really is a great help on these remote unmarked roads. Saw a town called Nelson which is yet another old mining town in the middle of nowhere, with people living side by side with old abandoned houses and buildings. Gotta keep asking myself “Why?”

Came back down out of the mountains and headed west towards Nipton and then we took off along another of Zelda’s back roads to Primm and our hotel, Buffalo Bills. Primm is a cheap way to do Vegas. You can stay there, in a really nice room in a new hotel for as little as $25. It is about a 20 minute drive from the strip. There is another place even closer to Vegas as well. It is called Jean, but it only has two hotels, Primm has three and they are all connected by tram.

Checked in, kids swam in a buffalo-shaped pool then we pigged out on a casino buffet. Waddled out of there with startch and beef sloshing around in our stomachs, and went to see Pirates of the Caribbean. Outstanding movie.

There is a rollercoaster at Buffalo Bills and Kendra and Carmyn went on it. Kelsey and I were too smart! Anyway, Kendra said afterwards that it was the scariest, bumpiest, jerkiest rollercoaster she had ever been on and that the whole ride she had her eyes closed and was screaming in terror! Even her hair barrette fell out! Sounds like a cool ride!

Much cooler here, only 105, almost balmy!