By Leonard Seelig-

Like many places across the world, Covid has greatly impacted those so-called pass-through places where travelers stop on their way to the destination they wish to end at or another point in their journey.  

During the initial impact of Covid, such a trip took place to the Nevada desert. The journey started with flying from Los Angeles to Las Vegas on a plane that maybe had around twenty-five people aboard, picking up a rental car for a drive up and down the Las Vegas Strip, and then taking the drive back home across the desert. This may seem like an odd plan to undertake, but it provided an eye-opener for what was to be experienced. 

 While the closed resorts and casinos of Las Vegas were startling to see, what was viewed along the way home provided an impact that will be remembered. 

Those that have taken the drive up the I-15 to Las Vegas have noticed the town of Primm on the Nevada side of the border. It consists of three resorts, an outlet mall, R.V. Park, and two 18-hole championship golf courses around ten minutes south on the California side. One of the busiest California Lottery outlets is across state lines, a few feet from the casinos.  

Over the years, Primm has been hurt by the events of the word. Things like economic times and 9-11 have had their impact there. Covid turned it into an abandoned place during the Covid closure.  

The drive through Primm was meant to stop for food and explore what was there. Prices for rooms and meals there are realistic. There have been many stops there in the past, and they have always liked going there. This trip was different. While it was a given that the places were closed, the hope of finding a table to sit and eat maybe inside the gas station or outside was dashed. The only place open was a fast-food place near the freeway, and the meal had to be consumed inside the vehicle. The parking lots were not just closed but fenced off as well. The was a sense of silence and not just quiet. Previous events impacted Primm have had their impact, but the closure closed it up, at least during that time. While open, not all the resorts and features have reopened to this day.  

Primm deserves a trip to see and explore with its activities and attractions. They have done that on a few occasions over the years, even staying in one of the hotels. Traveling up the I-15, it is the first place you see with the lights and the slots, and on the way home, it is the last before crossing over state lines. It will not mean a mile trek from the car to your room if you stay the night there. The atmosphere and the cost of things are down to earth. Primm does have its history. There is a sense of relaxation there. It could be compared to what Las Vegas once was decades ago, a type of pit stop and destination in one

Source: By Pam Price