Laughlin, NV & Bullhead City, AZ
Imp, is Laughlin still the happening place? About 15 years ago we went there quite often. It was fun but so much calmer than Vegas (Which I also love). We hope to make it back again one of these days. When we weren't in the casinos we would go over to some of the pawn shops in a nearby town. Bullhead City or ?? the name escapes me right now.
Lin, glad you asked! BHC is the presently burgeoning area, just across the river from Laughlin. There are now 10 resort hotels in Laughlin, each employing on average over a thousand persons. The past recessionary period has left a great number of speculatively-built home units and apartments vacant in the Laughlin area. So, there, many bargains exist. Laughlin was seriously over-built. OTOH, Bullhead, better established, though it, too, experienced zero new dwellings being built, nonetheless
doubled in population during the decade 2000- 2010. 20,000 to 40,000. Laughlin had about 1200 residents in late 1980's, today sports about 9800. Benefits abound to Nevada residents, tax-wise.
We are favored here, in BHC, with the Laughlin/Bullhead City International Airport. That alone would seem to impress. But, regularly scheduled air flights here stopped when airline deregulation occurred, over 20 years ago. Despite no service here, 238,000 folks deplaned here in 2014! Two carriers, Sun West and Republic, are contracted with the Riverside Hotel and Harrah's, respectively, to fly excursion flights from a wide variety of non-metropolitan area cities, like South Bend, IN. These tours are very attractively priced. Our friends Gary & Vonda have flown in twice since we are living here. The fare was $249 round-trip, which includes shuttle to the hotel, overnight stays, and return to the airport. Most are 3 night, 4 day trips.
It IS calmer than Vegas, to use your descriptive word. I lived in Vegas in the '70s. It was wonderful, then. Now, it is untenable, IMO. Too big, too congested, too inconveniencing, too much! Laughlin/BHC sports the Colorado River and Lake Mohave. Vegas is close to Lake Mead, 20 miles or so, but we walk along the shoreline of the river here, almost everyday, for exercise.
Why have you not returned? This magnificent river area beckons! Today we spotted 5 Canadian license plates, early this year, as those folks make their annual winter trek to escape bitter cold. There are a number of nature-oriented areas here, Big Bend State Park being one.
(Advertisement off!). Seriously, this place is Seniors' Paradise! They estimate that the population of BHC DOUBLES over winter, to nearly 80,000, half being transient winter visitors, "snowbirds". We were them, my wife & I, 2010, and 2012. Then, we threw in the towel in Missouri, and here we now live! We love it! imp
