Solartaxi goes to Vegas!01.08.2008

So after leaving Los Angeles we rolled into Barstow, California for a night. We stopped at a roadside campground sometime after dark and had just enough time to make it to the swimming pool before it closed for the evening. Unfortunately it was only 5 feet deep, at the deepest level; but we did a few races and enjoyed what we could. It was beautiful to be under such a blanket of stars; in completely juxtaposition from the light pollution in L.A., where you'd be considered lucky if you could gaze on more than ten stars. The group split up for a bit and wandered around this mix of desert climate and Mediterranean terrain. The wind was blowing a soft breeze that carried the hot winds through the trees and made them dance for us. Louis met a guy name Dave who showed him around the solar sites earlier. All of us slept outside, on lawn chairs, with sounds of crickets and other hymn-sounding insects that crept and crawled all around us. It was good to be out of the city.

Even by day break the next morning, the peace remained and I don't believe any of us would have been in a hurry to leave if we didn't have people to meet and things to do. So, needless to say, we packed up and rolled on down the road ... again. Destination: Las Vegas, Nevada. It was a unanimous group decision that Louis gave to the rest of the team to decide, so obviously we were all excited to roll through the Vegas strip.

The itinerary was simple: go pay a visit to the Springs Preserve, a 180-acre land site that represents one of the richest and most unique cultural and biological resources in Southern Nevada. We met with Jim Johnson, head of Public Relations and Marketing, who gave us a tour around and explained the efforts that went into the complex sustainable buildings that help promote environmentally-conscious desert living. It was rather shocking to see the reality of the area - such an extremely harsh environment and an explosive population growth in 50 years. This Preserve is wonderful, not only visually, but also in its methods is spreading awareness. We hope to see the methods they used in building these sustainable buildings spread throughout the area. Good luck to them!

As for us – well it was time to get out of the heat. We aren't used to dealing with this kind of weather and we just wanted to find a place to rest our heads, cool off, and relax. Louis had a place to stay with Dave and Michelle, so it was Erik, Thomas, Frank, and I left to find a place to buckle down for the evening. The result? The Monte Carlo on the Las Vegas strip! Yee-haw! We had an interesting experience trying to film a short scene in front of this hotel (which didn't end up happening) so in the end we got a room, chilled out, and then we were off to enjoy some of the Vegas nightlife. Of course for Europeans the exchange rate is excellent, so why not try their luck at the tables? They quickly learned Vegas is not the place to go to actually win money. Surprise!

All in all it was a good evening, and a nice short stay in Vegas. Not a day longer for us, though, as the reality factor was lacking and there was no room for the message the Solartaxi brings around the world. Aside from a couple biodiesel busses and propane taxi's, the area doesn't seem to have the attitude in line with ours. Maybe in a few years time there will be an awakening in the area… until then, the taxi rolls on towards Colorado (but not before a drive-through wedding for the film!)