2,870 Miles

I have returned from Las Vegas and my 9-day cross-country trip, and believe me when I say that it was great. We drove 2,870 miles between New York and Nevada, and that includes Day 4, when we went from Oklahoma City, OK, to Henderson, NV. That's right - we went 1,180 miles in 18.5 hours. That's like half the country, folks. We reached hardcore road warrior status. Please allow me to share some of my memories.

Top 5 Best Experiences of My Cross-Country Trip:
1. The Hoover Dam - If you have never seen it, I recommend going. It really is immense and spectacular, even if the water-level is at record lows, and the bridge that they are building over the water to divert traffic from the dam is impressive in itself.
2. The M Hotel/Casino - A fantastic new hotel/casino in Las Vegas located way off the main strip, which keeps it from becoming a tourist trap like New York-New York or Paris. Great ambiance, great dealers, good food, great comps, and a self-serve kiosk with complimentary soda and water so you don't have to wait for a waitress if you don't want alcohol. Yes, you read that correctly. Four guys in their twenties played so much blackjack and poker that we got food comps. We hit the M three nights in a row.
3. The Fiddle & Steel Guitar Bar - Located in Nashville, we got to listen to some real Nashville country music in an easy-going bar. We weren't there for long, but it was a nice little Nashville experience.
4. Attending a Las Vegas wedding - Yes, I attended a wedding while in Las Vegas. No, it was not my own, nor one of my traveling partners', and none of the participants were intoxicated at the ceremony. This was a planned wedding of a friend of mine from college at the MGM Grand. It was short, sweet, funny, and the reception was at the buffet. Boom. It is now a story for life.
5. Standing on a corner in Winslow, AZ - No joke. We stopped. We posed. We took pictures. Talk about a conversation starter!

Top 5 Worst Experiences of My Cross-Country Trip:
1. Hooters Hotel/Casino - We stopped in because they advertised $3 blackjack, and since we were hungry we thought we would grab some food. Pretty shabby, and the food was not worth the price. Two of us ordered sandwiches, and they didn't even come with fries. This is America - what kind of scam is that?
2. Nevada Route 95 - Due to security restrictions, we could not take the rental truck over the Hoover Dam. Therefore, instead of taking Arizona Route 93, we had to take Nevada Route 95, which is a 55-mile straight road through the desert. Which we drove in the dark, at the tail end of our 18.5 hour day. It was brutal, and we were mentally fried. We could see other cars up in the distance coming towards us, but they were literally miles away.
3. Slots of Fun - Slots of fun is an old, dirty casino located across from the Riviera on Las Vegas Blvd. It is worn down and smelly, though you can play cheap blackjack and buy cheap beer. We were there for about 15 minutes.
4. The Music City Hostel - We stayed at this hostel in Nashville because my traveling partner has had good experiences with hostels in the past, and he likes to meet new and interesting people. It wasn't really my style, and even my friend was a bit disappointed in it. We slept, we woke up, we booked it.
5. Trying to get gas in Arizona - The area just past the Arizona state line when entering from New Mexico is heavily controlled by Native American nations, and this includes the gas stations. We must have stopped 4 times before we found a gas station that was open, accepted credit cards, and was less than $3.50/gallon. It was frustrating. I can only imagine getting gas in an Arizona city must be easier, but I cannot say for sure.