June 13 2025 Day Eight

June 13, 2025 – Las Vegas Nevada – Day 8

 

I’m in Dick’s Last Resort in the Excalibur on the strip in Las Vegas and need to cool off from today’s ride. They have a lot of fun at this bar so I’m sure it’s going to be a good night. Right now, some lady here for her bachelor’s party is getting a lap dance from the fatter in your face DJ who’s doing a great job, both with the lap dance and keeping the music going. It’s one of those places where they like to harass the customers, so they have these big white cone hats they write on that the customer has to wear. I’m hoping to be except since I’m sitting at the bar, but you never know. 

 

After my fun last night at the One and Only, I still woke up at what I thought would be a good time since I don’t have far to get to Vegas, but thought what I’d do since my bike is half packed was to see about leaving my gear at the front desk of the hotel and going back to the Harley shop this morning to get an oil change. I figured I had plenty of time according to the room clock which read 8:36 that a quick breakfast and then getting by cloths packed would give me plenty of time to get to the shop at 10:00 when the open. Well, I made my way to the breakfast bar and unfortunately the guy was closing the doors and pointed to the sign which said breakfast was served from 6:30 to 9:30. A check of my phone and sure enough, it was 9:40 and I’ll have to go without. 

 

I guess I’m behind for a start today, but I have all day and am going to spend an extra night in Vegas that I can catch up on any sleep or comforts that I need. Took my shower for the start to the day, packed my stuff on the hotel cart and put it in the back room to recover later and made my way to the Harley shop. The same lady was working the service counter so my first attempt was to apologize for how I was the day before and ask if they could still fit me in for that oil and filter change and she was great to oblige. Now, it gave mt time to talk with others in the shop and map out what my trips coming up should be on my way to Salt Lake City and the guys at the Service desk were great help. I tried using the Harley map and to go thru Lake Mead and Hoover Dam, the directions kept showing me going thru Vegas and then out to the sites I wanted to see. With a little inginuity per the service advisor, he suggested I make my first stop at Overton and that worked cuz then the app mapped out going thru the Lake Mead National Park to the Hoover dam and then into Vegas. 

 

I did also ask where I should spend my Sunday since I’m heading toward Salt Lake City, my choices are Bryce Canyon or Arches National Park and they said the Arches for sure. Ok, I was able to map that out and I took advantage of the booking app I’ve been using on this trip to find a cheap stay in Moab for Sunday night. What a difference with all this technology because not only I can book rooms for cheap either the day I get to a town or in this case far enough in advance that I get a room cheaper than finding what’s left when I get into a town. I guess I’m set for some more of my trip toward Salt Lake that now I just have to wait for my bike, which is also getting a bath and a well deserved one at that. I’m sure many of the bugs covering the front still come from Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado. 

 

Bike’s done and I’m going to be on my way, so I set my bike’s map to get me going on my trip and this app is a little sticked that even though I listed this Harley shop as my start, the bike wants to take me in a circle to reach my first way point. I drove around the lot a number of times and I could see the way point right in front of me, but it never did register that I reached it. It looked like it was in the building, and I did have the lady at the service desk help me out, but not luck. I should’ve gotten a picture and mentioned earlier, she was good looking probably something in her 20’s. Yea, I could have been nicer than I was then a grumpy old bastard. 

 

I made my way back to the hotel where I started and got the bike packed easily, but it is already hot around these parts. According to the bike it was already 103 and is just going to get hotter the further south I go toward Vegas and sure enough it did. I always knew heading south and it’ll get hotter, but I guess around these parts that’s not the only factor, it depends on whether you’re riding thru desert area or not. On the road and my first stop is Overton and the bikes directions indicated I had reached my first stop, and I did see a hardware store so decided to make a stop. My ear plugs with a wire had broken and from what I hear, hardware stores should have everything you need – Right Pat? Sure, enough they had ear plugs with a string so I’m good to go for the rest of my trip, as long as I don’t lose them or break them. 

 

The trip thru Lake Mead national park was nice, but hot and I did notice I might have to think about gas not knowing what was toward the dam. I did make a stop when I saw a Ranger and he told me I was probably within 25 miles of gas, that I don’t have any concern, but wanted to make sure. The funny thing about the stop and the thing I noticed on my way down from St George is I’ve been thru Utah, into Arizona, into Nevada, back into Arizona and then back into Nevada. Well, with that not only came a time change, but at my stop for gas toward the Hoover dam, some guy admiring my bike started talking to me about bikes and asked how I got away without wearing a helmet because Nevada is a helmet state. For me, I was from state to state that I didn’t know so asked Siri and sure enough Nevada is a helmet law state. There was a ranger parked at one of the gas pumps so we asked him, and he verified, and I told him the ranger I asked about gas didn’t mention anything and his reply was it must be a new guy. I did ask what he fine was, and he said $400, that a thank you to the guy talking bikes cuz he just saved me some cash. 

 

Too the Hoover dam and it is quite different than what I saw some 19 years ago. Just as hot, but with the new highway going over top and all the other roads around, it’s a bit of a pickle making sure I’m on the right road. I did eventually find parking in the parking ramp next to the visitor’s center after driving around a number of lots before asking someone where the visitor center parking was, but eventually made my way to the right spot and the entrance isn’t too biker friendly. A sharp turn in since these ramps have the wrap arounds and it’s a painted cement which isn’t too sticky. By the time I got to where to pay the guy was waving me to the right and I could see it was motorcycle parking that I don’t have to go any further and then can pay him. 

 

Spent my time taking pictures around the dam and now I figured I need to make my way to the Excalibur to get unpacked, cool off and see what Vegas has to offer me tonight. The bikes map wasn’t too helpful because at one point it was showing me going off path to where I was heading and hit said it was redirecting but couldn’t figure out the directions. Eventually the map was done that I had to pull off and use my apple map to get me to the Excalibur which was about 20 miles back from where I was at. I did eventually find my stop, but had no idea where to park, but eventually found the main entrance and thanks to security even though I came in the wrong way and wasn’t supposed to be there, she let me park my bike and get checked in and my bike unpacked before parking it for the night. 

 

I was able to get a cart from bell service to haul my stuff to the room and he mentioned how they had just fired all the staff, so they don’t have people providing that service anymore. Not exactly sure why that is cuz I’m sure it’s not a government job, but little help from bell service going forward. In my room and now all I must do is find the parking ramp to park my bike. After talking to a number of security people they pointed out what to look for on the other side of the building that I did eventually find it. My room key didn’t get me in like it was supposed to, but someone did open the gate for me, and I found my way in where someone said I’d see other bikes park and sure enough, I’m in the right spot. 

 

Ok, time to shower, get some food and see what Vegas has to offer tonight cuz tomorrow I get to sleep in. I did have beers at Dick’s Last Resort and although nothing on the menu for a bigger meal interested me, I did have the fried pickles which were just enough for the night. After closing my tab, I did decide to walk around the strip a bit and nothing like I remember years ago when you could actually walk the strip. Now, because of the traffic there are all these walkways of the road you have to take to get from one side of the strip to the other and when outdoors, it’s still hotter than all hell. They could’ve probably done a better job of how the strip was too be developed and left all of the traffic off the main drag where people want to walk. Now getting from casino to casino, is quite the chore, but who am I to judge. 

 

More on Vegas since I get a day of relaxation and no bike riding.