Let the REAL adventure begin!

We spend the morning re-packing our bags while watching Star Wars Eight : the Second Movie of the Third Trilogy(emo Adam Driver), and eating even more bready deliciousness from another Buddy V establishment in the form of breakfast egg-and-bacon sandwiches. We are trying to waste as much time as possible until check-out, so that when we finally leave and head over to the rental office, we *might* be just close enough to our pick-up time to be able to claim our rental van. First, we have to make it out of the hotel, which proves to be a challenge as EVERYONE seems to be checking out at the same time, and then clogging all the elevators - we discovered that if you happen to be staying on one of the lower floors, like us, and call the elevator to go UP, you can catch it BEFORE everyone else does, and if you don't mind riding all the way up the hotel and back down again, you at least secure a spot and wait much less long before you make it down to the lobby. It's a good hack - just don't tell anyone I told you. Next, we have to make it to the Uber pick-up spot, which, in a maze of hidden parking garage corridors and access tunnels, proves to be quite the challenge. Luckily, the Uber drives know where to get us because we have no idea where we are supposed to go, and the hotel signage is outdated and therefore useless. We do manage to connect, and in not time at all, we are at Indie Campers.

Fourth time renting, and things have become routine for us now. At the new rental office location, we find more vans, a very helpful leftover food shelf where we can shop for staples like salt, pepper and oil. Things we need but don't want to have to buy in large quantities, and are thankful others did. The tour of the van is easy, but always a good reminder of how the vehicle works, and lets us get a look at what it missing or broken. And we do luck out - there is a freshly-washed, beautiful burgundy-coloured van waiting for us at the entrance gate, two hours early! Now that we have our wheels, the REAL adventure can start.

But first, a few stops to stock up:

1 - Salvation Army, where I pick up some useful add-ons to the relatively well-stocked kits provided by Indie Campers, like a garbage can, a small 12-volt fan and a bathroom carpet in-lieu of a welcome mat to wipe our feet. Mario finds a brand new pair of Puma running shoes, and I score a lightweight cozy sweater. 

2 - Walmart, for all our other stocks, like food and paper products. I get a cheese grater, and we make sure to pick up another super-comfy plush blanket for the bed. It made the bedroom so much more cozy for sleeping last time, I could not pass that up. We'll see if this one also comes back home with us!

3 - REI, which is a dangerous prospect, as Mario loves their outdoor clothing, but I find out that we can buy our Annual Parks Pass here. Unfortunately, the holiday rush means that they are sold out, so we leave, mission unsuccessful.

We drive north out of Las Vegas as the sun sets behind us, rays of light beaming up over the mountains that surround this desert bowl. We pass Apex and the Love's Travel Stop, turning off the highway and heading towards the Valley of Fire State Park. 

As we leave the lights of the passing cars behind us, we find a gravel road leading to prized BLM land, and score a nice secluded spot not much further. It's only 5 pm. In the cold night air, we have a coffee while watching someone setting off fireworks in the nearby munitions testing zone, the surrounding mountains now only silhouettes, the sky full of stars.

We unpack our bags and I hang Christmas lights. For dinner, we have a healthy and filling burrito bowl for dinner, loaded with greens and topped with avocado and salsa, a welcome change to all the meat we've been consuming since the start of the trip.

And we make sure to finish the meal with a plate of Christmas cookies and cherry loaf, because it might not feel like it, but today is only the day after Christmas, and so we are still celebrating.