Roads: In Nevada, US 95 is being widened to 4 lanes, from Searchlight to18 miles north, with occasional delays. Hoover Dam still has some post-9-11 restrictions on large commercial vehicles. Nothing else reported in the Tri-state area currently.
Latest road info:
California: http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/statemap.htm has an interactive map you can click on to check your route. By phone, instate call 1-800-427-7623; from out of state, 916-445-7623.
Nevada: http://www.nevadadot.com/traveler/construction_projects/construction/district.asp?district=1 or by phone, 877-NV-ROADS
Arizona: http://www.azfms.com/HCRSv3/arizona.html gives you an interactive state map with current road and weather conditions. Info by phone, 1-888-411-ROAD.
Weather
Forecast as of 5 p.m. Monday:
Wednesday, partly cloudy, highs mid-70s, lows mid-50s.
Thursday, breezy, partly cloudy, highs in the mid-80s.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: partly cloudy, lows mid-50s, highs mid-70s.Latest regional weather is available from the Las Vegas National Weather Service office at: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/lasvegas/index.shtml
Events & Entertainment
Bikes, babes, music - there's so much going on I put the schedule on a separate page, arranged by day and hour.
Other Business
In the hours after the casino shootout late Friday night last year, with wild rumors flying about van-loads of bloodthirsty motorcycle outlaws converging on Laughlin from every city in the West, local authorities saddled up and made ready like it was the Second Coming of Pancho Villa.
The Mohave County sheriff's armored car was staged in Oatman, and Laughlin was "locked down" occasionally through Saturday - the river bridge blockaded, with heavily armed police manning the barricade. As it turned out, the threat didn't live up to the rumors by a long shot. The violence was limited to three alleged outlaws killed in the shootout, another dozen wounded, and another shot off his motorcycle and killed in the dark of night out on I-40.
One gent, allegedly an Angel involved in the casino action, was arrested, then released. The police continue to investigate. Note there have been no major outbreaks between clubs since the April '02 casino shootout; however, an alleged Angels chapter president was shot dead outside a bar near Phoenix one night last month, and an alleged Mongol was stabbed to death near Reno, Nevada a few days later.
Police say they don't know if these events have any significance beyond the violence of the outlaw life.
Laughlin-area law enforcement is confident there won't be another showdown at the River Run this year, citing the increase in police presence and surveillance. The number of uniformed Metro cops assigned has more than doubled, to 300, including a hand-picked 70-member "flying wedge" rapid response team - which sounds like what used to be known as a "riot squad". Anybody getting violent is likely to be ruthlessly dogpiled.
The true number of plainclothes cops at the event is anybody's guess. The number being given out is 200.
Some federal officers from Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) will be manning checkpoints leading into Laughlin, with dogs trained to sniff out concealed weapons. It's been reported that several casinos, not specified, are banning club colors this year - check with your travel agent. Mobile, "floating" checkpoints will be set up for DUI and vehicle checks. Metro detectives say they're ready to charge at least 10 people they say were involved in the '02 shootout - if they show up this year, they'll have to be pretty slick to avoid getting collared.
Minors under 18 have to be off the street, or accompanied by a parent or guardian, from 6 p.m to 5 a.m.
Things'll be more laid back on the Arizona side. Visible police presence will be about as usual, but I expect more undercover activity - everybody from the FBI to the state Alcohol Control Board, just "hanging out".
The Mohave County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) is putting more cars, marked and not, on road patrol. Every year around this time I have to remind myself there are speed limits out there - but it's a good season to enjoy the scenery.
Last year's uproar doesn't seem to have affected the River Run at all. Vendors are up from 700 to 820, and motorcycle traffic is already way up on Route 66 heading into Oatman. And why not - when 50 to 100,000 motorcylists get together in a place like this, there's a lot of great riding and partying ahead. See you.
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