Now I'm sure a number of people wouldn't even consider this as a roadtrip, as this route is used all the time by legions of people for a casual getaway to Vegas. However this was my very first solo trip to another state, and I was making stops along the way, thus the "sub-roadtrip" series was born!

Around 10:00am PDT I departed from my San Juan Capistrano, CA residence, using the usual network of freeways to direct myself upon Interstate 15, the most common route to Las Vegas, NV for the SoCal locals. I'll be meeting a group of friends to hang out while the crowds are light.

It wasn't long until I reached Barstow, CA around 12:30pm. The primary goals in this town were A) the very first Del Taco fast-food restaurant to ever open, and B) the Barstow Train station. For the former goal, there are 3 Del Tacos in town and it's not the one you'd think. (The original one is not close to the freeway.) I've always been a fan of that chain so it was something sentimental. For the latter goal, it was a quick 5 minutes to the station. Here there are dozens of tracks running through the north end of town. Since this is a major line for the BNSF rail, it's virtually impossible not to see any trains coming through. Pretty sure I only stuck around 45 minutes or so, but there were dozens of freights and cars going about their business.

Time to move on to the next via point. I arrived in Baker, CA around 2:00pm and once again feasted my eyes upon the World's Tallest Thermometer. Being that Spring just began a day earlier, it was only displaying a chilly 78, quite the far cry from what it was displaying the last time (and at night)! I took a few pics and moved on.

Less than an hour later, I'm crossing the state line into Nevada, zipping past the border casinos of Primm, NV for the lazy folk who don't want to drive any further to gamble. After another 30 minutes the skylines of Vegas come into view. I pull up to the Imperial Palace around 4:00pm and check-in to a cozy and cheap hotel room before going out to meet my friends. We're sticking around the south end of the strip by Flamingo Road, keeping to Paris, Bellagio, and Caesar's Palace.

No driving. Sticking to the main strip and walking up and down the sights. (more journal entry to come)

Spent days 2 and 3 hanging with friends and cruising about the town, not much to report as far as a journal entry. There was a quick limo ride to Old Town Vegas but that's the only memorable highlight.

Some people love Las Vegas, and others not so much. Personally I think it's cool for a little while checking out all the digs, but after 48 hours I'm pretty much over the whole scene. I'm not a nightlife person and this is definitely not the town for those kind of folk! I also kept gambling to a minimum and pretty much came away with an extra US$8. (Yippee!)

After the final dinner, I left the hotel in the early evening, found a gas station at the north end of town and filled up for the ride home. Not much to do for this route since the sun is below the horizon. It's nice when the I-15 corridor is wide open and minimal traffic. Made it home by midnight, all without stopping.