BagOfNothing.com

• If you are looking for crappy service and hospitality check out the Monte Carlo, they will stop at no means to disappoint.  Just when you think they can’t disappoint you any more, they will certainly surprise you.
• On the flip side, if you want the absolute best service you can ever have by a waitress and are looking to feel appreciated and adored, stop by Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio at the Venetian and request Sarah.  I’ve eaten there twice in my life and each time I was fortunate enough to have her as my waitress.  She is such a delight and so absolutely wonderful it makes you want to name your child after her.
• Random fact: Of the 25 largest hotels in the world, 18 of them are on the Vegas Strip.
• It must be a sign of aging, but the crowd and atmosphere now gets on my nerves.  I use to enjoy walking from hotel to hotel; however, the Sunday crowed is much more pleasing.
• When people come to Vegas they forget to walk to the right, urghhh.
• Of the three times I’ve been to Vegas, it has rained twice.  I thought it doesn’t rain often in the dessert.
• Every time I see those Hispanic people on the Strip thumping those little escort cards trying to pass them out my heart just breaks.  For them to be doing that degrading humiliating act, in their mind, that is a step up from the quality of life they were living before.
• I’m not a parent, but I see wayyyyy too many baby strollers in the Strip and the Casinos.
• My feet hurt.
• We watched two shows last night.  The first was one of my childhood idols, David Copperfield, the second was one of those Cirque shows.
• While crossing the street yesterday I heard someone yell my name.  Turns out it was one of my old high school friends that I haven’t seen in over ten years.
• I saw Pete Rose yesterday.  I almost took a picture with him, but then I noticed he was wearing some really ugly white boots which left me no respect for the man.  You can go ahead and bet on baseball, but I draw the line at ugly boots.
  
• It’s time to hit the road again.

This picture is of WifeGeeding’s first ever time to drive in a state. other than Texas. She’s been all over the world, but has only driven in Texas.

A really big arrow landed on my foot.

Right before Hoover Dam I saw this one tree alone in the desert, which kinda reminded me of the Joshua Tree.

I mentioned all the security around Hoover Dam yesterday, it turns out they are building one gigantic bridge over (or right in front) of the dam.

• You really start to feel like you’re on a roadtrip when you finally get out of Texas.
• Interesting sign right before you enter New Mexico reads, “Now Entering Mountain Time Zone.” It must be interesting for people that live on this boarder and commute over it frequently.
• The speed limit through much of New Mexico and Arizona is 75 mph. Texas is 70 mph in the day and 65 mph at night.
• The McDonalds off Route 66 not only has the nicest McDonalds restroom I’ve ever seen but also has free WiFi.
• When you are in a totally different area of the country it’s always interesting to check your car radio presets and see how the same station number plays totally different music. It’s rap in DFW and tejano in Santa Fe.
• Caught my first ever New Mexico sunrise and it was beautiful – heck, New Mexico is very beautiful to drive through and that is what is making this roadtrip so much fun. You don’t catch this stuff when you fly. Sometimes it’s nice to sacrifice time over experience.
• My first observation about Arizona is that you see a plethora of tumble weeds. Heck, I thought tumbleweeds only existed in the movies and cartoons, but you see them tumbling over the highway and I have to do all I can to convince WifeGeeding when she is driving to not chase after them with our 4Runner.
• Arizona has a lot of signs that tell you what the elevation is, can anyone tell me why the driving public needs to know the elevation?
• Arizona was an interesting drive as you see nothing but desert, then when you hit Flagstaff you see mountains with tall pines and snow, then it’s back to desert but with much larger mountains.
• This long road trip is great stress relief therapy. WifeGeeding sleeps a lot so the solitude and serenity along with all the beautiful scenery makes one really aware of God. I also kinda feel like Tom Hanks in the end of Castaway.
• Audio books are awesome along with instrumental music. Amazingly I haven’t listened to oneU2 song.
• I learned a few things from the NM traffic signs. You can dial # and a three digit number to report drunk driving and picking up hitch hikers is illegal.
• The weather has been interesting through AZ and NM. The temperature has been in the low to mid 50’s and there has been a lot of wind which actually makes it hard to drive. I have no idea how the big rigs do it.
• The rule in the car is that whoever is driving controls the music. WifeGeeding made me listen to an old Brittney Spears album – I’m trying to figure out what I did to tick her off.
• I’m sure I’m not the only one that gets frustrated when traffic doesn’t work in your favor and you have to release the cruise control.
• Like a lot of the roads in Texas, the shoulder has grooves that when you run over them makes a loud noise so people can correct their driving . A lot of sections of the highways in AZ and NM go a step further and have grooves between the white lines that separate the lanes.
• We came really really close to visiting the south rim of the Grand Canyon, but decided against it for several reasons even though I’m the one that has never been there. First of all we have a lot planned for this trip and visiting it will cause us an extra day of travel. We also thought that one day when we have little Geedings running around we would make this a family adventure. Also, WifeGeeding had a very hard week at school and I’m a little afraid she is going to pull a Thelma and Louise or throw me off.
• The advantage of having a wife that doesn’t have her left eye – when the sun is shining bright on the driver’s side it’s her turn to drive.
• U.S. 93 goes right over Hoover Dam and there are random security checks of vehicles – and the traffic is horrible. But the scenery is spectacular.
• This type of road trip gives me an appreciation for Lewis and Clark and makes me want to read up about them.
• I was able to rig my cell phone to my computer and use it as a modem. As a matter of fact, when WifeGeeding was driving I was able to book our Vegas hotel room online. The email confirmation was sent to my email, which I was able to check on my phone and provide the confirmation to the hotel check-in dude.
• WifeGeeding and I just finished walking up and down the Strip which means I’m too tired to post any pictures right now, maybe in the morning.  We’ll be here until Monday morning.

• Texas is one large state, you can drive for over six hours and still be in the same state as opposed to many of my friends who live on the East Coast.
• Driving through Decatur made me think of my bloggin friend Barry whom I’ve never actually met. I finally got to see the courthouse he’s always talking about. Also, Decatur has what I think is the largest yellow warning sign in the road.
• One of the best features of West Texas that I have forgotten about is how beautiful the sunsets are.
• The land here is flat, flatter than my high school prom date. It’s also interesting to see the change in vegetation as the trees here aren’t very tall like in North or East Texas. Oh, and it’s very windy, which is probably why all the trees are short with small leaves.
• Everything is bigger in Texas, especially in West Texas.  Most of the folks in Texas know where this chair reside . . . The Big Texan Steakhouse.  Home of the 72 ouncer – if you can eat it it’s free.
  
• I wish I would have gotten a better angle on this car, it has the longhorns on the hood just like Boss Hog’s car.