Day 24 - Surprise, AZ to Las Vegas, NV

6:00 came pretty early, but there was much to do. After a few things around the house we headed for breakfast. Why is it that we found the best place for breakfast on the last day. Not only great food, but a great price.

With the last of the bags in the car I shut off the water and set the hot water heater to pilot.

Although I don't like the drive from Surprise to Kingman, it was made bearable by scoring a Starbucks along the way in Wickenburg.

Once in Kingman we usually take Highway 93 north to Boulder, Nevada. Looking for something a little different, we headed over to Laughlin, Nevada. My thought was maybe I could get a few minutes in a Casino, but Barb pointed out there was too much traffic. So we ended up taking highways 163 and 95 to Las Vegas. Nice drive in the middle of nowhere, except for the town of Searchlight, Nevada. Not much to the town now, but it produced something like $7,000,000 in gold and precious minerals in three years between 1907 and 1910. Once having a population larger than Las Vegas, it's now in the low 500's.

Notable residents of Searchlight include Edith Head and Lt. William Nellis. Head was nominated for an Oscar thirty-five times and won a record eight times for costume design. Nellis was a Army Air Corp P-47 pilot, who was shot down three times in WWII. He did not survive the last. Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada is named for him.

Once again we lucked out and were able to check in early. This time at 1:10.

Dinner tonight was pretty good pulled pork at Famous Dave's BBQ. Maybe not up there with Jack Stack BBQ in Kansas City, but close.

302 miles today. With the 1,944 in and around Surprise and Tucson, we are up to 3,133 and nearing an oil change. Tomorrow we are off to Carson City, Nevada for an overnight.

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