Day 9: The Vegas Intermission: Hunting for Horsepower in a Ghost Town
After battling a relentless onslaught of charging system failures and sacrificing three separate stators to the roadside gods, the crew earned a mandatory recovery day in Las Vegas. No highway miles, no high-voltage alarms, and no helmets—just a localized mission to get our broken squad back on two wheels.
Vegas had a completely different energy this time around, but a bad day on foot in Sin City still beats the best day waiting for a flatbed wrecker.
The Morning Log: Subways and Bike Shop Safaris
The morning kicked off on a highly glamorous note: breakfast at Subway. It was the only option within walking distance of Mike and Andy’s spot, so we grabbed some fuel, met up with Pete and Blake, and piled into the support rental car to begin the Great Las Vegas Bike Hunt.
Our goal was simple: find Blake a replacement motorcycle so he can finish this trip with his knees in the breeze.
[ THE LAS VEGAS RECON REPORT ]
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The Mission: Scrape the valley for a road-ready touring bike.
The Ground Covered: Five different motorcycle shops.
The Reality Check: The inventory shortage hit Vegas hard. Several of the promising rigs we flagged online had already been sold before we even parked the rental car. The few options left on the floor were priced a little too high for comfort.
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Empty-handed but resilient, we made a strategic retreat. We swung through a Chick-fil-A drive-thru on the way back, crushed some waffle fries, and spent the afternoon handling much-needed domestic logistics: taking a solid nap, washing the desert grit out of our clothes, and repacking the gear bags.
Pool Rules and Shuttered Casinoland
While we were out hunting for iron, Melissa and Bridgette took over the hotel pool. The resort was enforcing some absolutely crazy mask mandates on the deck, but the blazing desert heat made the cool pool water an absolute lifesaver anyway.
By the time evening rolled around, we hit the pavement to do some exploring on foot. We ended up wandering through the Mandalay Bay shops and tucked into a local Mexican spot for dinner.
[ ROAD CHEF REVIEW: MANDALAY BAY MEXICAN ]
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Location: The Shoppes at Mandalay Place, Las Vegas
The Vibe: Relaxed, vibrant escape from the casino floor.
The Verdict: Absolutely outstanding burritos. It was the perfect, heavy, comforting meal to cap off a long day of walking.
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Strolling down the Strip afterward felt incredibly surreal. Melissa and I were just here a few months ago, and the contrast was night and day. With the recent resurgence of COVID concerns, the city felt eerie and fairly empty. Walking past completely shuttered restaurants, dark shops, and even a few closed casino floors was a stark reminder of the times we’re riding through. It’s definitely not the usual high-octane Vegas, but it has a fascinating, quiet history of its own right now.
The Late-Night Play
We ended the night with some classic road trip chaos. We managed to track down a box of donuts for tomorrow’s breakfast, but in the shuffle of saying our goodbyes, we accidentally left them locked inside Melissa and Billy’s car.
As we call it a night, the master plan for tomorrow is still totally up in the air. Blake and Bridgette have officially headed out to the remaining open tables to see if they can win enough coin to finance a new Harley, and the rest of us are resting our feet.
We might be short one motorcycle, but the crew is intact, the bellies are full, and we had a great day off the asphalt.
Next Stop: Calico Ghost Town, California! Let’s see if our luck changes when we cross the next state line. Keep the shiny side up!