Day 6

Las Vegas, Nevada to Victorville, California; 211 miles
OLIVIA: Well, I just hit my head really hard, and now it hurts and i'm kinda dizzy so i'm gonna keep this short and sweet. Vegas was amazing, and I really want to go back. The Mojave I have decided is a fake desert because it has lots of plants, no visible cacti and not that much sand, plus it has mountains. !!!! We went to some great outlet shops, and had quite the adventure finding a starbucks. oh, and the forum shops at caesars palace were also really neat. i saw my first FAO schwartz, and FAO schweetz (look it up!) I'm currently watching Pirates of The Carribean on TV, so I'm going to get going and get some ice for my head. Goodnight everybody

SCOTT: Before we leave Las Vegas completely, Olivia and I realized that part of our reaction to it was context. We had spent a few days wandering around natural goodies, often where you could see for miles -- if not farther -- and your eyes and brain could soak in and savor things, dwell on them, commit them to memory. Las Vegas, particularly along the strip, doesn't give you a chance to really see anything or focus on it. You're constantly bouncing from one excess to the next. And it never ends. You never soak anything in, you never pause on anything, because you might miss the next big thing. After Las Vegas, it was on to Calico, a ghost town -- if that's possible when the old buildings have been taken over by touristy shops -- that once had 5,000 or so residents working in its gold and silver mines. Decided to call it a day in Victorville so we could do laundry, replenish our reading materials and just relax a little. The temperature is cooler here, and when we reach the coast Thursday we may even have to wear more clothes. Maybe it will be cool enough to put the top down (don't get to say that too often). Good night, Kim and Cindy and Billy. Good night everyone who used to work at The Times...