Early in the morning of June 22nd, I checked into the expansive Buffalo Bill's Resort, just a third of this property which includes The Primadonna Resort and Casino and nearby Whiskey Pete's. I arrived in town on vapors due to some of those delightful fiduciary situations and once checked in, a quick sale in the parking lot of a CD to Jackie and Jimmy earned me the fuel miles to head out to Las Vegas for our day's fun. But by catching a glimpse of the welcoming bed and acoutrements of the room, this was a vision that rolled around in my head throughout the day--it would be a comfortable homecoming, at least tonight.

Buffalo Bill's Resort and Casino is a huge place; upon walking into the place through the bank of front doors, this is immediately apparent. The high-intensity air-conditioning envelopes you and allows you to forget about the desert heat for a moment while you survey the surroundings.

The cacaphony of slots and piped-in music waft over the expansive floor and the smells of food drift over from a variety of eateries.

But room 300 was a sight to behold in itself.

With a scenic view of Desperado, there were two good-sized beds, furniture themed like cowhide and decorative fixtures that brought home the prarie atmosphere. After taking a wonderfully relaxing shower and charging up some batteries, it was time to head downstairs and check out the lay of the lands.

First on my list was to experience the Ghost Town Motion Theaters. Featuring Iwerks motion simulators, here you can experience the thrills of Colossus or Ninja at Six Flags Magic Mountain or take a journey into the Devil's Mine Shaft. These pods give riders a sensory journey through the magic of Showscan technology and offer plenty of shocking surprises for the riders.

The Adventure Canyon Log Flume is a water ride through the casino and out into the desert atmosphere that employs a novel method of getting its riders involved in the action. With a laser gun handed to you as you board, your duty is to pick off as many of the red-lit targets throughout the ride course as you can, a harrowing excursion that's highlighted by skeletons, bandits, vultures and animatronic characters. Some of these actually gave me a bit of a fright as I tooled through in logs that looked suspiciously like the ones that I had spent two years manhandling as an operator on the Timber Mountain Log Ride at Knott's Berry Farm. There is no huge drop and splash here, but you do get plenty wet, something that has to be quite refreshing on a hot desert day.

After embarking on the journey with still and video cameras rolling at the same time that my laser gun was firing at the many targets along the route, it was time to check out the newest attraction at the spacious resort and casino. Turbo Drop, built by S&S Amusements out of Utah, have concocted a monstrous 200+ free fall that stands like a lone sentinel outside of the main building. After being strapped into your seat harness, the ride shoots up to the top of the tall structure and hesitates for a moment before slamming towards the ground at negative 1 G, forced by air jets. The sensation is akin to a fighter pilot in a nose-dive and it lifts you off of your seat as you get a grand view of the surrounding desert.

Of the drop rides I've ever experienced, this one got a shriek of surprise out of me as we made the initial descent. After completing the plunge, the carriage bounces back upwards for a stomach-twisting after-shock before settling into place. This new addition to the Buffalo Bill's coterie adds extra value to the all-day wrist-band and offers curious thrillseekers a sublime thrill.

I had quite a few tickets left in my hand and all of the attractions had been conquered at this western-themed showcase. The only answer left seemed to lie in what has long since been a staple of the Las Vegas, or even near Las Vegas experience: gambling. Now, I'm not much of a gambler, because I hate to part with money, and all told, my spree at this particular resort lasted not more than five minutes and seventy-five cents. But while walking around the myriad slot machines and performance bars in the area, I got a good taste of what the spirit of Buffalo Bill's is all about.

Three restaurants flood the area with intoxicating scents and music flows from a bar in the rear of the complex while the blackjack tables, slots and roulette wheels keep a constant chatter going. The layout of the place is highly evocative of the somewhat nearby Calico Ghost Town, with its small-gauge trains and cacti, bad guys who perch over the bar and make comments towards the ladies, rivers, streams, textured walls, rockwork and of course, a host of attractions and a huge arcade that can accomodate all of the intensive non-gamblers who happen to be along for the journey.

Buffalo Bill's was kind enough to put us up for the evening and their hospitality was above par. Primm, Nevada has long since been building up a name for itself as a premiere spot for cooling ones heels and relaxing a bit before heading into the City of Sin for a spin. At the rate that it's going, the Primadonna Resort will end up becoming a seperate destination for families en route on highway 15--no longer a mere curiosity, but a world-class resort that offers not only the basic amenities, but a few extras that could only come from the wild and wooly terrain that is the Sierra Nevadas.