Rust 2 Vegas An Epic US Road Trip
Photo by Marko Fleming
Rust 2 Vegas
An Epic Rust 2 Rome Road Trip
Words & Photography by Mark & Rachel Peru, with additional photography by Marko Fleming
When we first met online 14 years ago, we spent hours talking about our passion for travel, and particularly the classic American road trip.
Years later, when the time was finally right, we booked a trip that would take us from North Yorkshire to the open highways of America on Rust 2 Rome’s bold new Rust 2 Vegas rally. What followed was over 2,000 miles of highways, mountain passes, iconic views, history and pure, untamed adventure.
Mark and Rachel are both in their 50’s but have no intention of retiring or slowing down now. They are ready to explore more cultural, meaningful and adventurous experiences.
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Vegas Baby!
We landed in Las Vegas in the evening and met our host Marko Fleming, the founder of Rust 2 Rome. It felt as if we had known Marko for ages, following his journey on social media since his first European “Banger Rally” back in 2006. The premise of Rust 2 Rome is simple - buy a car for £1,000, make it roadworthy and then join likeminded intrepid, travellers on epic road trips across Europe and beyond.
This trip is slightly different as you can book your own rental car so you can choose something to suit your needs.
As adventurous travellers and car fanatics, this sort of holiday is right up our street, and we’d agreed that we’d do a trip like this as soon as we could. We looked at other companies and events, but many were for specialist car clubs, supercars or classic cars that were out of our budget.
This year, following the sale of our house and to celebrate Mark’s upcoming 60th birthday we were finally able to pull the trigger, so we booked the “Pioneer Trip” on Marko’s new Rust 2 Vegas event.
As were embarking on a 2,000-mile journey and wanted to create content along the way we needed something comfortable, capable, reliable and big enough for our gear, clothes and camera equipment so we went for a Jeep Wrangler from Turo which is like Air BnB for cars. The booking process simple - choose your dates, location and view the cars available; you can also arrange either to pick up the car from your arrival airport or as in our case, have the car delivered to your hotel or other suitable location. You manage your booking through the Turo app and communicate directly with the vehicle owner to make any changes easily.
Jeep Wrangler from Turo
Getting Our Kicks on Route 66
Day 1 to 4 - Las Vegas to Williams
Vegas really is the “City that Never Sleeps” with its 24/7 Casinos bars, clubs, upscale shopping and non-stop partying, it’s an assault on the senses – one that should be experienced first-hand; if you’ve visited before, you’ll know exactly what I mean. Words simply cannot describe the vibe, but this city is not for the shy, retiring type.
We left the buzz of the City behind us and were soon on the road following Marko’s 1959 Cadillac, and in just over an hour we arrived at the Hoover Dam.
This iconic structure was constructed between 1931 and 1936 to control the Colorado River, creating Lake Mead the largest reservoir in the US. The dam prevents flooding, provides irrigation water for agricultural use, and generates hydroelectric power for public and private utilities in Nevada, Arizona and California. The Dam Tour is recommended for the full experience.
The Hoover Dam – An incredible feat of engineering
Following a bite for lunch at the Hoover Dam Café we hit the road again, driving through the incredibly picturesque Kaibab National Forest, a 1.6million expanse surrounding the Grand Canyon; a rich diversity of nature and wildlife, ideal for hiking, camping and other outdoor recreation.
Our destination was Williams, Arizona - the last town on the historic Route 66 before it was bypassed by an Interstate in 1984; the town is known as the gateway to the Grand Canyon and now thrives on tourism, catering to the many road-trippers, bikers and outdoor enthusiasts who pass through.
We loved it here, such a welcoming and friendly town – the locals really go out of their way to make you feel at home; it’s a real taste of Americana with a historic railroad, western shops and motels.
The Canyon Club on Railroad Avenue is a great spot for a relaxing drink after a long day on the road; the locals love their karaoke, have a go if you think you’re good enough to compete with the locals!
The Red Raven restaurant is also an excellent spot for dinner with a good menu choices, extensive wine list and delicious salty-rimmed Margaritas; booking is recommended as it’s very popular.
Otherworldy Landscapes
Day 5 to 9 - Williams to The Grand Canyon and Salt Lake City
Leaving Williams after a leisurely breakfast, we had a drive of just over an hour to El Tovar, a historic hotel overlooking the south rim of the breathtaking Grand Canyon. It’s a running theme through this blog, but it really is hard to find the words to describe the stunning views and scale of the Canyon from this vantage point. The Canyon is a geological marvel, stretching nearly 280 miles in length, 18 miles wide and over a mile deep, carved by the mighty Colorado River over millions of years. The colours are beautiful, deep reds, oranges, purples and greys, changing all the time as the sun moves across its landscape.
There is also a deep cultural and spiritual Native American presence, with the Canyon and surrounding areas being the original home to several tribes including the Hopi and Navajo people. Driving through this incredible landscape, you can envisage Indians on horseback, tending the land, corralling wild horses and bison; you completely understand how they lived their lives with utter respect for the land they inhabited.
The road stretched out in front of us once more, disappearing into the horizon as we gradually drew closer and closer to Monument Valley. Yet another iconic and breathtaking view; red sandstone outcrops or buttes, rising from the valley floor. Simply magical.
This land belongs to the Navajo Nation, straddling Utah and Arizona it is the archetypal image of the Wild West – the area has been used as a backdrop for dozens of Hollywood films and is a cinematographer’s dream.
As we approached the buttes, we took an unmade track off the usual tourist road. Orange dust enveloped us as we drove along the potholed, rock-strewn trail; after 15 minutes or so we arrived our checkpoint – a shack called Linda’s Fry Bread, selling authentic Navajo and Mexican food and a local fried bread, delicious with garlic and herbs.
The view from this vantage point is astonishing, it’s one of those almost spiritual places like Machu Picchu, in the silence, you feel so insignificant as you take in your surroundings.
From this experience, you can understand why the Navajo believe this ground is sacred and spiritual.
We had a 2-night stopover in Salt Lake City, a day off from driving and a chance for Marko to carry out some work on the fabulous 66-year-old Caddy which did not like the heavy, slow-moving traffic on the highways leading into the City.
Salt Lake is another iconic American City, the capital of the State of Utah, founded in 1847 by Mormon Pioneers driven from the east by conflict and persecution.
The city is bordered on 2 sides by mountains which provides a stunning backdrop to the City.
The downtime was a welcome rest from driving and an opportunity to explore the City, bars, restaurants and shopping districts ahead of an exciting trip to the Bonneville Salt Flats the next day.
The Salt Flats are a vast and dazzling, densely packed salt pan in Northwest Utah, known for land speed records, stunning views and photo opportunities on the surreal landscape. Of course, we took the opportunity to drive on the flats, which was great fun.
The hottest place on Earth
Day 10 to 12 - Salt Lake City to Ghost Towns & Death Valley
Leaving Salt Lake and back on the road, this time to take in some of the more remote, and near deserted mining towns in this part of America. Our first stop was Tonopah, a once thriving boomtown and silver mining area in Nevada; now known for ghosts of the past and the reputedly haunted graveyard and Clown Motel. Mining prospector Jim Brown found a large silver deposit in the area in 1900, and the town quickly developed around the industry but like many mining towns it was subject to the boom-and-bust cycle declining rapidly; it is now a quiet town with a few historic hotels, buildings and shops left for visitors to explore.
Tonopah is also known as the site for the testing and development of the F-117 Stealth Bomber aircraft.
The next town was Goldfield, once the largest city in Nevada - with a population of over 20,000 in the early 1900’s - it is now a shadow of its former self due to the high cost of mining, and a devastating fire that destroyed much of the town, the boom was short-lived and by 1910 the population was down to 5,000. Now widely known as a ghost-town it has around 200 inhabitants today.
Despite this decline, there are still many buildings of interest, including the Goldfield Hotel, featured in the 1971 film Vanishing Point.
These towns are a fascinating part of the area’s history and hopefully will continue to attract tourists and exist in some form in the future, it really would be a shame for them to disappear completely.
Wandering their empty streets feels like travelling through America’s own memory - haunting and oddly beautiful.
As we continued our journey, once again we found the scenery and landscape breathtaking – long stretches of arrow straight roads disappearing into winding hairpin bends up and over hills into the far distance.
With the ghost towns behind us, we headed out on the home stretch towards the forebodingly named Death Valley. Place names like Badwater Basin, Furnace Creek and Devil’s Hole conjure up images of its inhospitable environment and indeed, this is America’s hottest and driest desert, widely thought to be the hottest place on earth during the summer months. And yet there is a vast array of animals, plant life and diversity in over 3,000 square miles with lots to see and do, camping, off-roading, hiking - it really is an amazing playground for everyone to enjoy.
Homeward Bound
Day 13 - Death Valley to Las Vegas
Death Valley was a fitting end to our trip; although looking at our 2,000-mile route on a map of the USA, it was only a tiny portion of this huge country, so plans are already being hatched for another journey to explore even further.
We rolled back into Vegas in the late afternoon sunshine, the songs of the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix and Bruce Springsteen from our specially curated Americana playlist still ringing in our ears.
The ’69 Cadillac and more modern Jeep had done us proud. After a few hours rest, we ventured out to the Las Vegas Strip for a burger and a few drinks to celebrate completing our epic road trip, and to plan our next adventure.
Photo by Marko Fleming
Special thanks go to the Rust 2 Rome Team - Marko, John, Carla and Alan Fleming for being such great company, we will be forever grateful and will never forget this incredible adventure.
Rust 2 Rome
The Details
Trip: Rust 2 Vegas
Organiser: Rust 2 Rome
Duration: 13 days / approx. 2,000 miles
Ideal For: Adventurous couples, car enthusiasts, and travellers who prefer dust to decadence
When to Go: Spring or autumn for cooler desert temperatures
Don’t Miss: Las Vegas Strip • Hoover Dam • Williams • Margaritas • Grand Canyon • Monument Valley • Bonneville Salt Flats • Death Valley • Route 66 • American Motels • Salt Lake City Cathedral
