So where were we? Oh yes, a ghost town and out of place animals. Once we came out of Red Rock Canyon, we drove towards Blue Diamond Road because we wanted to stop at the Bass Pro Shop on the way home. We noticed this cool looking entrance on a road off to the right. It said, welcome to Bonnie Springs. We thought, what the hell, so we turned down the road.

At the entrance we were greeted by a dirty cowboy who looked like he smoked crack right before we drove up. I mean cowboys are generally dirty people, but I don’t think there was much crack smoking on Brokeback mountain. He freaked us out, but we still gave him the $20 entrance fee to go in and see what this place was all about.

Both of us kind of imagined it to be like Ghost Town at Knott’s Berry Farm in Southern California. You know, an old western town that looked cool but had all the amenities of a modern city, behind the facade. It wasn’t, AT ALL. It was a run down, dirty looking, nothing open, waste of desert space.

And really, the petting zoo!!?? OMGosh…that was a rough one. Animals from all over the world in the middle of the desert, hot, smelly and miserable looking. They all had food, water, and shelter from the sun, but how well can a Canadian Lynx feel in the 110 degree desert? How about deer? We don’t have deer in Southern Nevada! Hell we have nothing in the desert but scorpions, desert tortoise, and the occasional snake. I was in shock, and I even broke down when I saw a wolf that looked EXACLTY like my dog Mandy I had when I was growing up. She was hot and miserable looking, and I had just had enough.

We stopped at the restaurant/bar on the way out to have a beer. We were both hungry, but neither one of us could fathom eating at the restaurant. We just kept thinking of the dirty animal conditions, plus the bartender had the personality of a house plant. I can hardly blame him though. Imagine his call home when he told his family that he was a bartender at Bonnie Springs after moving to Las Vegas. Of all the places he could be serving up drinks, and there he was. HA! Poor guy. I felt bad for him.

Needless to say, we have no plans of ever returning to this waste of desert space. I’d actually like to completely forget we ever went there, but the eyes of those hot and miserable animals will haunt me forever. I know it.

We did take one picture though. There was a plywood burro that had a sign that said “photo memory opportunity” so we had to take a picture. The fake smile tells all. You know when they say that there is more to do in Vegas than gamble? They didn’t mean Bonnie Springs. Trust me.

Bonnie Springs, Nevada, PETA, desert

On this day..

• As Smart As You Are, I Bet You Didn't Know... - 2006
• Podcast - 2006
• What do you want to do with your life? - 2006
• Trail Fire - 2006
• Advertise on A Baby eBay Auction - 2006