Great stops between Las Vegas and Los Angeles
Buffalo Bill's Casino - Primm, Nevada
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| Buffalo Bill's Casino - Primm, Nevada |
Our first stop was Buffalo Bill's Casino in Primm, Nevada. Primm is one of those tiny places that just pops a huge casino out of nowhere. You are driving along through nothingness, then boom out of nowhere a huge casino! No town surrounding it, just three (?) massive casino resorts. I looked up the population and it is around the 700 people mark. I guess they all work at one of the casinos or resorts. The carpark was full of these dune buggy style vehicles, music and people hanging out. There was race meet, very awesome for the young petrol head to see.
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| Clyde's Shirt, Buffalo Bill's Casino - Primm, Nevada |
The reason for our stop is not a bit of gambling, but to check out Bonnie & Clyde's famous car. One of our crew loves a bit of history involving the mob or mafia, so we had to come see the shot out car. But the casino itself is worth a visit too. There are fake full size trees inside! This place has a, you've stepped back in time vibe.
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| Buffalo Bill's Casino - Primm, Nevada |
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And now for the reason we came ... the car!
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| Bonnie & Clyde's Car - Primm, Nevada |
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| Bonnie & Clyde's Car - Primm, Nevada |
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| Bonnie & Clyde's Car - Primm, Nevada |
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| Bonnie & Clyde's Car - Primm, Nevada |
Understandably it is behind glass, but it doesn't make for the best photos but you get the idea. It was cool to see and very hard to imagine. The sheer number of bullet holes in this car is insane! Also the fact that it is still in such good condition is amazing. The infamous Bonnie and Clyde shootout happened in 1934, 90 years ago!
Note: I have just learned that the Buffalo Bill's Casino has closed in July 2025. You can still visit Bonnie and Clyde's car at neighboring Primm Valley Resort and Casino. It looks from the photos that it is no longer in the glass box, so you might even get a better view of it!
Peggy Sue's Diner
We wanted to visit an old school retro diner and Peggy Sue's was perfect! Located just beside the interstate 15 in Yermo, California. It was built in 1954 so definitely fit the bill.
The meals were huge and delicious. I had to get a piece of apple pie and a vanilla milkshake, because that's what you do right! The milkshake came in the cute tall glass I was hoping for and you also got the rest in the steel cup it was mixed in. I left there so full just on milkshake and apple pie! The rest of the family ordered meals and struggled to eat them all. Very generous portions. The cost came to NZ$160.34 (US$93.00 / €86.58) including tip, for three meals, apple pie, two milkshakes and two sodas.
Attached is a shop with all kinds of kitsch decorations, it is like walking back in time. Well worth a stop even if you are not intending on eating a meal. So many candy options and fun things to look at.
Unfortunately I didn't think to take any photos. But the map above will take you google maps where you can see the photos other people have taken!
Route 66 - What's left of it
Not really a stop but a nice change of pace and scenery from the interstate in the small section of Route 66 between Barstowe and Victorville. It took a little bit of looking and a couple of U turns to get on the right path but we found it.
We were planning on stopping at Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch but unfortunately it was closed. We saw a few cool murals as we drove but really that was it. A bit of a let down really I had expected a bit more. There is a website with full details on the Route 66 from Barstow to Santa Monica. We followed a similar route to LA but due to traffic the GPS sent us on varying paths along our way!
Total Costs of Road Trip from Las Vegas to Los Angeles
These costs are for one day of a 14 day car rental. I have not included accommodation as it is just for the one day travelling.
We travelled in December 2024, so costs are from that time.