Early start this morning - left Stovepipe Wells about 830 but temperature already around 95 degrees! Only couple of miles on to a series of sand dunes called Mesquite Flat Dunes - 150 ft of them surrounded by the Cottonwood Mountains! Amazing! Then after a salt creek area is the remains of the Harmony Borax Works dating back 120 years, and the "town" of Furnace Creek" with particularly impressive ranch style accommodation. The lookout at Zabriskie Point was an awesome view of the vibrant and varying colors of the hills and gullies. Death Valley was an array of continually changing landscape, always desolate but spectacular. Past the edge of the National Park and Death Valley Junction township we crossed over the nondescript state border into Nevada. The sprawling town of Pahrump sat in the next valley, an interesting reintroduction to civilization prior to the onslaught of Las Vegas. Incredible to view the skyline in the distance as you come around the mountains - then watch it materialize as the freeway and traffic intensifies! And the whole metropolis is enormous - so many residential estates, with heaps under construction and more to come! Found our hotel - The Excalibur - medieval castle themed on Las Vegas Boulevard. Checked in - our room is on the 25th floor overlooking the 4 pools! Had to then return our car to Treasure Island, a few blocks down the strip. We covered almost 1200 miles since picking the car up in LA!! Big effort! We then walked back to our hotel past and through various other hotels and casinos- some are joined by walk ways. Particularly spectacular were The Venetian with it's canals, gondolas and St Marks Square; the Paris with Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomph and Parisian streets and New York New York with roller coaster and skyline. Managed to book a show for tomorrow night then stagger back to the pool for a much needed cool off and drink. Had a late dinner in a ribs restaurant in our casino - but Raym has had it!! Not feeling 100% plus it has been a big and hot day!