August 19, 2003 4:10 P.M.

Do You Recognize This Road?

There is only one road between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. It is basically a divided four-lane highway, bounded on all sides�by nothing. Or not much, anyway. On a good day (and on this road there are very few good days) you can make the trip in 4 � to 5 hours. But�if you reach your destination without having encountered, passed, or been stopped by�weird accidents, road improvements, breakdowns, severe wind, occasional winter snow in the mountain passes, or even stranger things, - you have a story to brag about.

It never ceases to amaze me that there is no other road, no other way to make this trip, except by flying. And many of the drivers do it by �flying�. I guess the Casinos are calling them home; sometimes to an eternal one if they don�t slow down.

There are no passenger trains between these two cities. And in spite of the fact that there is nothing but wide expanses of blowing sand, mesquite and sagebrush, for hundreds of miles, - in all the decades since the freeway system was established, it has not utilized any of that terra firma to widen this route. There are a few passing lanes over the mountain ranges, but otherwise, you take your life in your hands when trying to dodge the hot-shot coming up on your left at 100 mph, and make it around the caravan of Albertson�s eighteen-wheelers in front of you in the slow lane.

For decades there has been talk of a �fast train�, or a monorail. Yeah. Right!

There is no mistaking where the state line is. Approaching from the vast empty spaces of nothingness on the California side at night, you crest the last hill to be stunned by the blinding neon lights of casino complexes on both sides of the road; gigantic billboards brilliantly flashing with animated advertisements for prime rib dinners. Buildings are lit with a carnival atmosphere which only casinos can exude. They are erected as close to the state line as is legal, and the only thing on the California side, is a small structure selling California Lottery tickets. And that is run by the MGM Grand out of Vegas.

On the other hand, when you are returning to California, as you cruise up the velvety smooth highway approaching State Line from Nevada, you suddenly bump and slow as the roadway becomes noticeably more rough and jarring as you cross over. California is not particularly interested in Nevadans coming onto their turf. NV sweeps you in. And, by the way; they have added more lanes to their stretch of the highway, almost right up to the border.

Oh yes, the photo at top has a story behind it.

When you travel this route on a weekend, the goal is to �beat the traffic�. Leaving late on Friday, or returning on Sunday afternoon after getting away to Las Vegas, is vehicular madness. And making this run on holiday weekends is a nightmare. Traffic can come to a halt and back up for many miles in a very few minutes� time. And it does so, regularly.

So�;BEAT THE TRAFFIC!

We had made exceptional time on this trip. We had left early in the day Friday and were only about 45 minutes away from our destination, when up ahead the red taillights began to come on. As far as the eye could see�cars were slowing to a stop.

My son switched on his traffic scanner. This is a loose version of what we heard. Bear in mind, we were at a standstill and the car thermometer was reading 124 degrees outside.

(One California Highway Patrol car to another): �Cal Trans said they weren�t going to repair the pot hole today during the traffic hours.�

�It�s right at State Line. Too late to call it off now�they have dug it all out and it covers a big area.�

�How long do they estimate it will take to complete the repairs? Cars are already backed up for about eight miles.�

�Don�t know for sure. They ordered cement from the factory in Sloan, and the plant has broken down. They had to reorder from some place back toward Barstow. Not sure when it will get here.�

(Long Silence)

�Where are you? I thought you were on your way over here (near State Line).�

�My car is heating up. It isn�t running right.�

(Another long silence)

�You out there? Do you need for me to call for a tow?�

�Yeah. I�m close, but completely stopped now. Engine quit.�

�About how far are you?�

�About 2 miles south of State Line. About where the traffic is going into one lane.�

�We�ll send a tow and bring you here.�

(About ten minutes later) Three very large loads of cement roar past our �parked� car, on the right shoulder of the road heading downhill toward State Line.

The cars continue to edge forward at a �stop and go� pace, evidently feeding into that �one lane�.

It is very hot outside. But we are okay. Only problem is that when this whole thing started, we were down to a quarter of a tank of gas.

Good news, it is mostly downhill. Coast!

An hour and a half after it all began, the traffic begins to open up. By the time we reach �Pothole Zero�, we can�t even tell exactly where it was. Guess they did a good job of patching it.

California in foreground; Mountains are in Nevada, over State Line.

Well, we saw some sights along the way. Dry lake bed out in the distance to the right. Wild burros roaming the hillside at Mountain Pass. It wasn�t all bad.

Just a normal day on I-15 between L.A. and Vegas.

And here is why we were going. Makes it all worthwhile.

Next installment: The trip to Hoover Dam in 118 degree heat. (Some people never learn.)

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