We joined our extended family for a resort stay in Las Vegas starting from Orange County using my Model S.

With three Supercharger road trips under our belt, one three years ago to San Francisco, one two years ago to San Luis Obispo, and one last year ago to Santa Barbara, plus my Supercharger Table, we had plenty of experience with electrically-powered road trips.

This trip was made more logistically complicated by a rendezvous in Lake Arrowhead at my in-laws' place and coordination of travel with several other extended-family members. From there we take our drive to Las Vegas.

So here's a picture log of our trip in my Model S.

Father's Day 2016 Once we packed up, our extended family enjoyed a pleasant Father's Day lunch in the Lake Arrowhead area, having three fathers in our party. Only then we headed down the hill and north, which turned out to be trickier than we expected, to pass by Silverwood Lake and through Hesperia on the way to I-15 and Barstow. Time Event Range Remaining 1:29 pm Departed Blue Jay 223 3:23 pm Arrived Barstow Supercharger 128 Range/Distance ratio: 1.12 Conditions: Mountain Driving, City Driving, then the Highway

After the first couple hours of driving, the kids needed a bathroom break, so we walked in the heat to the local Starbucks for some drinks and snacks as well.

Knowing the kids' limitations, stopping 120 miles away in Primm, Nevada, was already part of the plan, so I knew that I would have all the charge necessary in mere minutes here. As expected the kids needed more time than the car needed. Cost to Charge: $0

We didn't expect to encounter four traffic accidents on this leg. An initial crash was fairly far along northbound I-15 that caused a substantial back up and called in emergency vehicles, but that resulted in an earlier four-car crash that we did see, plus one on neighboring Yermo Rd, where many drivers self-diverted. Many of those got stuck in sand attempting to off-road. Then we could see southbound I-15 had an accident and emergency vehicles too. All this in 114°F heat!

These problems added almost an hour to our transit, and my daughter couldn't stand the unproductive slowness of the traffic for such a long time. It was great relief for all to stop in Primm. (Before arriving the car crossed the 50,000 mile mark.)

Time	Event	Range Remaining
4:02 pm	Departed Barstow Supercharger	232
6:40 pm	Arrived Primm Supercharger	78

Range/Distance ratio: 1.29
Conditions: Four Traffic Accidents causing Heavy Jammed Traffic, 114°F

After bathroom breaks, we rewarded the kids with some fries and drinks at the nearby McDonald's. The grownups got a few things too. Stopping at a Supercharger was a great relief to us so that we could take care of ourselves. Cost to Charge: $0

What if? What if we skipped Primm and kept going? Reading ahead, the next leg took 51 miles of range. We arrived here with 78 miles of range, so clearly the car had enough range to make the entire Barstow-Las Vegas leg despite four car accidents, 114°F heat, and horrible traffic without stopping at Primm. We stopped not because we needed to charge. Our decision to visit the Primm Supercharger is a clear example where humans' limitations, not the need to recharge, necessitated a stop. For our family a rapid "gas up and go" road trip is simply unbearable in any vehicle we've driven. By the way, the rest of the extended family, in their rented gas Suburban, had to stop for the same human reasons too.

Time	Event	Range Remaining
7:05 pm	Departed Primm Supercharger	178
7:44 pm	Arrived Las Vegas	127

Range/Distance ratio: 1.28
Conditions: Fast

Being late on a Sunday, traffic in Nevada to Las Vegas was easy until we reached Las Vegas Blvd. and "The Strip".

The Mirage is one of a couple dozen Las Vegas hotels with Tesla Destination Charging, an arrangement where Tesla provides the charging equipment for free to those who install the equipment and provide the electricity so that any Tesla owner can charge for free. This way I can charge at the hotel overnight just like I do at home. So I checked at the Mirage's North Valet, and asked them to plug in my car. Since I knew I would only do a little bit of local driving in Vegas, I configured the car to charge only up to 90%. From my phone I could verify that it did early the next morning.

The night before our return, I spoke with the valet staff to ask them to charge my car one more time, sometime that night. Meanwhile I set the car to charge to 100%. Late that night I could see the valet had done so, and where on the property (red triangle) they had done so, and the battery was nearly full.

Cost to Charge: $0 (included with the stay like other amenities such as WiFi)

My daughter was having so much fun with her cousins, so much so she expressed her disapproval to me when I asked her to leave the pool.

The family couldn't resist having a final lunch buffet at the Bacchanal followed by shopping at the Forum by other family members, including my daughter.

Valet parking at Caesar's Palace

With so much eating and perusing to do, our time grew late. Then we had one last stop in Vegas: the Las Vegas sign, with its enormous line.

So it was a while before we were leaving Las Vegas. Time Event Range Remaining 4:15 pm Departed Las Vegas sign 249 4:57 pm Arrived Primm Supercharger 199 5:40 pm Continuing Charge 257 5:59 pm Departed Primm Supercharger 260 Range/Distance ratio: 1.35 Conditions: Fast, 110°F

My daughter fell asleep on the way to the Primm Supercharger, so I stayed in the car while my wife, son, and the rest of the extended family explored the nearby Primm Outlet mall. It wasn't long before the car was fully charged with my daughter still asleep, so the Supercharger was essentially powering the air conditioner. Just before 6 pm she finally woke up, at which time I drove the car close to the family. Cost to Charge: $0

With the final bit of shopping behind us, we could make our way home again. Fully planning to charge in Barstow, I knew it was implausible that we would run out of charge by then, so I punched up the speed. Time Event Range Remaining 6:36 pm Departed Primm Outlets 258 8:15 pm Arrived Barstow Supercharger 76 Range/Distance ratio: 1.52 Conditions: Fast, 105°F

The whole family took a bathroom break at the local Chili's, and soon we took our goodbyes, since our vehicle was heading home in Orange County while the rest were returning to Lake Arrowhead. Cost to Charge: $0

But my kids demanded a meal at Chipotle. Using my Supercharger Table, I knew that 160 miles of range was easily more than enough to get home, so we unplugged and drove to the Barstow Chipotle.

Time	Event	Range Remaining
8:38 pm	Departed Barstow Supercharger	166
9:21 pm	Departed Barstow Chipotle	164
11:05 pm	Arrived Home	28

Range/Distance ratio: 1.13
Conditions: Fast, Hills, 95°F

Leaving so late, I knew that we wouldn't reach home until after 11 pm. I intentionally drove faster to reach home with low range to help rebalance the battery pack. I drove faster enough to make the navigational computer predict we would arrive with 10% of range. It turns out we arrived with 28 miles, which is above 10%. A full charge the next morning reached 260 miles of range, higher than when we left home.