Goodbye Las Vegas.

 Goodbye Las Vegas. Sayonara till we meet again. Lovely memories.

Back in Las Vegas

 Back in Las Vegas for two days after having travelled to different terrains in California. Thanks to Varun who drove 2000 miles. We crossed deserts, fertile farmlands, mountain regions and flat wastetlands and saw  lot of the other regions and landscapes in this state and are amazed at its diversity. Now back in Las Vegas and I prefer just sleeping and am amazed at the energy and spirit of the  people in the hotel who never sleep. People can be found gambling through out the night. This is true of the other hotels too. Drinks  are provided free by the hotels while you gamble at the casino. Varun told me that often Oxygen is also pumped into the air so that people do not fall asleep. Not a great fan of gambling, I prefer just hitting the bed after traveling for such long distances and recuperating before I catch a flight back to Washington DC.

Fermont street during the day

 There is enough life in Fremont street even during the day time minus the neon lights. The performers continue to perform. Found a Michael Jackson performing. I was amazed to see the casinos crowded from morning ten itself. These really invite people to spend time here in the cool air condined environment and avoid the  hot outside temperature. May be this is my problem but I fail  to understand the kick people get through gambling . One just has to see the amount of money that exchanges hand here, mostly to the Casino owners I think, in the name of entertainment.

Hot creek geological site

 On 23rd August, 2017, reached , Hot creek geological site that is, another attraction in Mammoth lake region. One can see hot water spring with boiling water coming out and the vapor spreading in the nearby area. This is due to a volcano under the ground and the hot Lava about three miles in depth under the earth pushing this upward. The water is blue due to the reaction of Sulphur di oxide with water. A geological wonder nestling among the mountains and trees. I can only imagine how soothing this site would be when in winters with snow all around and bitter cold, there is blue water boiling amidst all this whiteness.

Lake Mammoth city

 Our hotel is located in Lake Mammoth city in California, Sierra Nevada mountains and this is such a beautiful town nestled in between rocks, trees and lakes. The whole area is very picturesque and most of the views  outdoor look like picture post card views. It is dotted with lakes all around it and a spread of trees as far as the eye can see. There is heavy snowfall in the months of November and lakes freeze and the whole area becomes white.

Bodie Town

 

Bodie was a booming town during the gold rush and, in its heyday from 1877-1881, had a population of nearly 10,000 people. The town was abandoned when the gold ran out, and in 1962 it became the Bodie State Historic Park. Ever since it has been preserved in a state of “arrested decay”.  Though Gold was discovered here  in 1859 , it saw a lot of gold mining from 1877 onwards. Slowly a town built in this area. This town has been left as such and today is a ghost town that gives a peep into history and  how life was in  those days. Here the past is preserved to showcase to the future generations a slice of life of an era gone by. Bodie  is a ghost town in the Bodie Hills east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Mono County, California, United States. It is about 75 miles (121 km) southeast of Lake Tahoe, and 12 miles (19 km) east-southeast of Bridgeport, at an elevation of 8,379 feet.