Day 55 on the Monterey Peninsula
Wild Goose Coffee House

Not much happening today. The weather is warm and locals are out walking their dogs and enjoying the nice warm weather. I began a part time job last week. I'm working a couple of nights a week and the location is near my home.

Yesterday I drove to Carmel to attend the Carmel Art Association BBQ and Auction. Read about and see some photos on my art web site at http://www.solasendero.com/. I also posted a short video clip on youtube. See below.

Carmel Valley's Fiesta and Other Stuff

Day 35 on the Monterey Peninsula
Wild Goose Cafe, Carmel Valley

I've settled in the Monterey Peninsula area quite nicely, actually living in the Carmel Valley area. I've been here just over a month and don't plan to get back on the road anytime soon. Having been on the road for almost a year, I need a nice, long, break.

I've opened an art studio above a small grocery market and have named it "Sola Sendero", which means "single trail" or as I interpret it, "lonely trail." I don't speak Spanish and I'm certainly no expert, but from what I understand the word "sendero" refers to a small path or trail that is only wide enough for one person to walk. The word "real", as in El Camino Real, refers to a wider roadway where wagons amble along and traffic is constant. Whatever be the case, I liked the sound of "sola sendero."

My web site dedicated to my artwork and the studio is at http://www.solasendero.com/.

My plan is to keep this blog alive and kicking. It will be my hangout to write about whatever I wish. I'm closing down my blog "Writefinger" and merging the content here. Therefore, MyRoadArt will be my blogging site for all things other than art. SolaSendero.com will be my art-related blog and web site.

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Carmel Valley held its annual "Fiesta" this weekend. I sat in the sun for five hours listening to classic rock and smelling BBQ ribs. Kids were playing, live bands were in good form, and the weather cooperated. Below are a couple of pictures.

Photos: Downtown Carmel

A Weekend in Boulder City, Vegas, and GVR

Day 265 on the road.
Starbucks, Boulder City, Nevada

I'll be driving back to Laughlin this morning after spending the weekend here in Boulder City. After checking in at the Western Inn (thanks, Vincent, for the nice room), I saw that a festival of some kind was underway in the park near downtown Boulder City.

The Annual Jamboree in Boulder City was underway on Saturday, so I spent time walking around town and the park. The Jamboree is a big festival with an art sale, antiques, classic car show, food and entertainment. After a couple of hours I was ready to make the 30-minute drive to Las Vegas. I wanted to return to The Orleans and play some Omaha.

After playing cards at The Orleans Saturday afternoon, I went to The District at Green Valley Ranch where they were having an art festival and "wine walk." The District is an upscale mixed-use development similar to The District at Desert Ridge in Scottsdale. Both developments have an outdoor mall, commercial sites, office space, and condominiums. The District at Green Valley Ranch is connected to the GVR Resort and Casino, making the entire development a must-visit when you come to Las Vegas.

As you can tell, Saturday was a full day. On Sunday morning I worked a while at Starbucks, then returned to the poker room at Green Valley Ranch and played cards for a few hours. I really like the place and I think it's among my favorite places so far. The Station Casinos are all pretty nice, and are owned privately by the Fertitta brothers who inherited the business from their dad. Founded in 1976, the Station Casinos franchise includes eight major gaming and entertainment complexes and five smaller casinos.

Below are some photos from Saturday and my visit to the Jamboree in Boulder City and the art festival at Green Valley Ranch.

Old Town, Boulder City

The Annual Jamboree in Boulder City

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Fine Arts Festival and Wine Walk, Green Valley Ranch

Finally, an Update on My Weekend in Vegas

Day 263 on the road.
Starbucks, Boulder City, Nevada

It's been a wild and wacky week since my return to Laughlin from Vegas last weekend. I find myself today, Saturday, in Boulder City, 20 miles east of Vegas.

I spent last weekend at The Orleans and on the Strip, with the goal of getting to know the place. It was my second trip to Sin City, the last time being over 10 years ago. This time around I took the time to look around.

In fact, I spent 26-hours straight on the Strip without any sleep (dumb idea, but it was fun). I checked out of The Orleans on Friday morning at 10:30 a.m. and didn't check back in until Saturday afternoon. Below is a snapshot of my 26-hour marathon on the Strip.

My 26-Hour Marathan Tour of the Strip

Friday, 10:30 a.m. - Checked out of The Orleans, drove around downtown Vegas, headed toward UNLV, stopped at Starbucks near the campus.

2 p.m. - I left Starbucks and drove toward the Strip.

2:30 p.m. - Arrived at the Bellagio parking lot. Visited the Poker Room, but did not play. Walked around the casino for a while.

3:25 p.m. - Drinking coffee at the Cypress Street Market, in Caesar’s Palace, after walking there from the Bellagio.

4:30 p.m. - Walked down the Strip from Caesar's, went across the street to the McDonald’s located across from the Mirage. I ate a Caesar salad and a grilled chicken wrap. I watched a homeless person who was asleep on the patio, and was wondering if that was going to be me in a few years.

5:15 p.m. - Walked to the Wynn Casino, toured the place, then stopped at The Café for some iced tea.

6 p.m. - To the shuttle bus from the Wynn to the monorail station located at the Convention Center, just a few minutes from the Strip. This is a good tip: the Wynn has a free shuttle that runs to the monorail and back, around the clock. You can actually park at the Convention Center, then catch the shuttle to the Wynn or any one of the six other stations located along the Strip.

6:10 p.m. - Arrived at the monorail station at Convention Center, and purchased a 24-hr unlimited ticket for $9. A one-way, one-time ride is $5.

6:45 p.m. - Arrived back at the Bellagio. After taking the monorail to the Bally’s station located across the street, it was a short walk back to the Bellagio.

7:40 p.m. - I walked to the Poker Room at the Bellagio to play some poker. The room was too busy and the wait too long, so I left. On the way out, I watched Sammy Farha play blackjack at the $300 minimum-bet table. I departed the Bellagio parking garage, having decided to drive to Green Valley Ranch in Henderson.

8:12 p.m. - Arrived at the GVR Casino Resort parking garage. I was familiar with the Green Valley Ranch Casino after watching the entire series of television shows featuring the staff of the place. American Casino, a reality television series for the Discovery Channel and Travel Channel based on the daily tasks of various casino employees, was filmed there in 2004. Several episodes of the hit show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation have also been filmed on site.

8:45 p.m. to Saturday morning, 3:45 a.m. - I played poker at GVR poker room, mainly $4-$8 Limit Hold'em.

Saturday, 4:03 a.m. - Departed the GVR parking garage.

4:30 a.m. - Arrived at the Mirage parking garage, back on the Strip in Vegas. I hung out in the Mirage and visited the poker room, the retail shopping mall, etc. I almost fell asleep in the sports lounge, and was warned by security that "no sleeping is allowed in the casino." I told the security guard I was just "resting my eyes." He didn't smile.

5:15 a.m. - Departed the Mirage. I was getting very sleepy and tired. I could hardly hold my eyes open. Therefore, I made the decision to drive to a Starbucks for a pick-me-up.

5:30 a.m. - Arrived at the Starbucks on Flamingo, near The Orleans. I surfed the Internet, read the local papers, and tried my best to stay awake by drinking lots of coffee.

6:30 a.m. - Arrived at The Orleans for a breakfast buffet. I received a free breakfast for becoming a club member, so I feasted on eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, waffles, cereal, fruit, and orange juice.

7:45 a.m. - Arrived at the Starbucks on Tropicana, one block west of The Orleans. I had to kill some time before I could check back into my room.

12, Noon - Left Starbucks.

12:30 p.m. - Checked into my motel room.

1 p.m. - Finally went to bed and got some sleep.

I woke up at 7 p.m. on Saturday night. I visited the Strip for a couple of hours, mainly checking out Hooters and the MGM Grand. I stopped at a CoCo's restaurant and bought a cheeseburger, which I took back to my room. After eating dinner I went back to bed. On Sunday morning I checked out and then prepared to drive back to Laughlin.

Photos from the Strip:

(Above and below: photos taken at the Bellagio, in the garden area.)

(Above: the fountain at Caesar's Palace.)

(See the homeless man? I'm on the patio of McDonald's eating a salad and trying not to feel guilty.)

(Above: at the Venetian.)

A video clip of my walk along the Strip is below, and is posted on YouTube.

On my way back to Laughlin Sunday afternoon, I took the 15 mile detour to Boulder City to see Lake Mead and Hoover Dam. It was great fun to see the dam, though the traffic was horrible. It took a while to wind my way through the mountains to the location of the dam.

Once I recovered from the all-night tour, and a side trip to Lake Mead and Hoover Dam, I drove back to Laughlin and checked back into my room at the River Palms. I spent last week at the Palms playing $2-$6 Spread Limit poker and hanging out with my new friends in the poker room (Tim, Steve, Adrian, Terri, Marilyn, and the gang). Yesterday, Friday, I decided to come back to Vegas for another road trip. This time I've decided to return to Boulder City, near Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, just 20 miles east of Vegas.

I met Vincent a couple of hours ago, the owner of the Western Inn, here in Boulder City. He's a retired military veteran who purchased the small 16-room motel near downtown about six years ago. The value of the property he's sitting on has more than doubled, and he told me when he reaches 60 years old in a few years, "I'm going to sell and live in an RV and travel the country."

My room is spacious, has a kitchenette and breakfast area, with appliances, and has the best rate in town. So, I told Vincent I've found my new weekend home whenever I come to Vegas. He also has an affordable weekly rate.

I drove to downtown Boulder City and immediately liked it . Boulder City was basically created to house the workers who built Hoover Dam. Now, it's a small and friendly community with a thriving antique and art district. Almost half (48%) of the population is retired, according to Vincent. No gambling is allowed within the city limits and the police run off all homeless people and drug addicts. I like this place very much. (Do I want to move here? Anything is possible.)

In Boulder City this weekend is the 23rd Annual Spring Jamboree, so I lucked out and found the park area in the center of town full of tourists checking out the events: antique show, car show, art show, music, food, and all kinds of fun stuff. I'll post some photos and video clips as soon as I can.

In the meantime, my plans for the rest of the weekend include visiting The District at Green Valley Ranch and playing some Omaha Hi Lo Split at The Orleans in Vegas. I'll be back in Laughlin on Monday.

Westgate, Baseball, Fountain Hills, Art, and the Mountains

It's Easter Sunday and all is well. Another Holiday spent on the road. Starbucks is open, and quiet. I've set up my "office" to get caught up on a few things.

I attended the Fountain Hills Art and Wine Affaire yesterday. Fountain Hills is a few minutes from Scottsdale as you go east toward the mountains. Fountain Hills is actually on the eastern slope of McDowell Mountain. After the festival I drove further east and north to see the McDowell Regional Park. I took a hike (doing what people usually tell me to do when I'm at Starbucks--"...take a hike, buddy,...I want your table."). The camp was full of RVs and tents for Easter weekend, so I was unable to stay the night.

I made a video and posted it on YouTube, below, of my trip there.

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On Friday, I went back to the site of the Super Bowl in Glendale: Westgate City Center. What a great place to hang out. I had lunch on the patio at the Fox Sports Grill. (See my video clip here.)

Notice the "Before" and "After" photos below. I took the first photo during a Super Bowl party when the plaza was packed with football fans.

"Before" during the Super Bowl:

"After" when I was there Friday:

Westgate City Center, the lower level plaza.

The photo below was taken by a L.A. Angels fan at the Rangers game Friday night.

Fountain Hills Art and Wine Affaire, Fountain Hills, Arizona

McDowell Mountain Regional Park, north of Fountain Hills