Memorial day weekend, Marie had just picked up Claire from the airport, so we loaded up the mighty Altima, left work around 2pm, and headed to vegas. Sat in traffic for a couple of hours, seems a few people had similar ideas :) Stopped in Bakersfield for a bite, then on through the Mojave by night. Wide open roads, light traffic flowing very well, we cruised through Barstow, then rejoined the highway coming up from LA. Traffic again. Not as bad as leaving the bay, but not fantastic either. Cruised on across the border, lit up like in the movies. Eventually pulled into Vegas around midnight. A bit of confusion looking for our hotel, (One very plush Hampton Hotel, one clean, cheap and comfortable Hampton Inn) but we unloaded, and quickly headed across the road.
MARGARITA'S - 99c read the sign. Tasted more like an alcoholic slurpee, and the venue was about as classy as a leagues club on a sunday arvo. Went back to our hotel, and got the hotel bus to take us to "The Luxor" a black pyramid place, egyptian themed, with a bit white light shining up into the sky stuck on top. Found out quite quickly that everyone was lying about there being cheap drinks all round in Vegas. You have to be playing games to get free drinks. Had a good sticky anyway, and a few drinks, watched Mike earn his free drinks the hard way, then wandered next door to "Excalibur" a medieval / sherwood forrest themed place. Discovered a drink that Claire liked, fruit daquiris, and also that great vegas custom of big drinks, for a reasonable price, with the fancy glass a souvenir. Stumbled home out of excalibur around dawn, still swigging the last of our daquiris. Had a bit of a run-in with some wacko's in the carpark on the way back across the highway to our hotel, but no problems really.
Slept in, got up, tequila's by the pool, then across the bridge again (We were in a hotel that had about 500m of bridge over the freeway between us and the strip) to visit New York New York. Big gaming floor, with a good viewing station. Marie has got an addiction for pulling pokies. Spent the day wandering up one side of the strip via New York, New York, ?????, Bellagio, then across the road looking for food. Fantastic all you can eat buffet at Bally's, made up for a crusty old casino, then back towards home down the other side of the road. Paris, (more souvenir glasses, perpetual dusk decor) Aladin, MGM grand. Got home around 11.
Bed? hah! Showers all round, then back on the bus to the other end of the strip, Marie harassing Luis, our bus driver all the way, (he was a sneaky liar anyway, with made up names, made up plans and made up history, we eventually talked some truth out of him, but we'll never really know) Treasure Island, (crusty old casino) The venetian, played some casino wars, felt saucy about being given a $100 note by marie, and had put it all out, got up to $160 and like most tourists, got greedy and lost it again. Left with what I started with, plus a free drink. Mike again earnt his the hard way. Eventually wound up in Caesar's palace, sitting in a booth drinking all manner of concoctions prepared by our out of the way barman, (we had him almost to ourselves) and steering the topic away from the age of Marie and Claire when we were interrupted by our friendly german security guard. Chatted to him for a good 45 minutes, with him telling us how many people he'd kicked out that night, and Marie practising her German on him.
Sunday night, we went to a show, "Splash" at the Riviera, which was an interesting enough show, ice skating, juggling, daredevil bike riders etc, but a scungy casino, then went looking for rides. Rode the Coney Island Express at New York New York, (excellent) and arrived at Circus Circus too late. Walked the long walk up the strip to the Stratosphere, again, arriving too late to ride their roof top coaster. Bussed back down the strip to get to one of our pick up points and finally bed. Up again, for something different for a change. Joy rides over the grand canyon, then dropped back at the hotel, and off for the long drive home again. Ahhhh.
Desert |
Excalibur |
New York, New York and MGM Grand |
Floor of New York, New York |
The Bellagio |
The Bellagio |
