Example: A friend of mine fed $20 into a slot machine and was happy when he walked away with $16. Happy? That machine just took 4 of your hard earned dollars in approximately 3 minutes. $4 for 3 minutes of entertainment…and I thought movies were overpriced.
I really wasn’t looking forward to going to Vegas. I’m not entirely sure why we went…I heard talk of a vote while I was asleep one day. Anyway, despite my hesitations, it actually was pretty cool. There’s lots to see and do- I didn’t realize before going that each hotel/casino is themed for the most part. There’s the Luxor with an Egyptian theme. Excalibur with a medieval/knight theme. Caesars Palace with a Roman theme. New York New York and Paris Las Vegas have obvious themes. Seeing the architecture, lights, and decor in each place was pretty neat.
We stayed at Sam’s Town a few miles from the strip. It has an old mining town theme and there was a 10-15 foot waterfall in our lobby. The hotel also had a movie theater and bowling alley, but I didn’t have time to visit either. We got to the strip at noon yesterday. We started at Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall and walked through The Flamingo, Harrah’s, and Casino Royale before turning around. Then we did Paris Las Vegas, MGM Grand, and Tropicana before crossing the street to Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, New York New York, and the Bellagio. I went to see the Pirate Show at Treasure Island after that- lots of cool effects and stuff blowing up. Then we headed over to Jimmy Buffet’s Margaitaville for dinner. The inside of the restaurant was neat- a volcano, Jimmy Buffet concerts being projected on to screens that look like boat sails, people walking on stilts, etc. A live band started playing as we were leaving. After dinner I went to the Venetian and Caesar’s Palace. I was probably in about half of the hotels yesterday. I guess I’ll have to go back some time to catch the other half.
By far my favorite part of the day was the water show at the Bellagio. I need to put that big fountain in my backyard so I can watch it every day. I saw it 3 times- Singing in the Rain, Fly Me to the Moon, and I Hope You Don’t Mind. It’s very Ocean’s 11 and quite relaxing. All in all, the Bellagio was my favorite stop for the day. Just past the lobby there is a butterfly conservatory and lots and lots of real flowers. The colors and the smells are awesome! The Venetian was neat too, but I was only there at night and didn’t stay long. I think that was everyone else’s favorite, though.
I was surprised by a lot of things in Vegas. First of all, it can be really cheap if you know what you’re doing and you don’t blow it by gambling. Our rooms were the cheapest we’ve had on the tour and they make my Top 20 list. There are also plenty of free shows and even gifts-I got a pack of cards from Sam’s Town and Tropicana. Second, Vegas is in the middle of nowhere! No matter what side you come from it’s desert, desert, desert, Vegas, desert, desert, desert. North, South, East, West it doesn’t matter- it will always be desert, desert, desert, Vegas, desert, desert, desert. Third, Vegas isn’t that big. All the main stuff to do and see is on the strip and it’s only a few miles long. Further out is downtown, but there is not that much there either. Don’t get me wrong, there’s lots to keep you busy, but it is all in a very compact area and not spread out like in other cities. And #4, I knew that Vegas was Sin City and “What Happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”, but I didn’t realize how accessible prostitution was. On every corner there are people handing out baseball cards with naked girls on them with a phone number to get a girl delivered to you. There are also flyers on all the light poles and moving billboards on lots of trucks, it’s everywhere! Sad.
That’s about all I have to say about Vegas. I had a good time. Lots to see, lots to do, just know what you’re getting yourself into.
For more pictures go to http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2024308&l=3ae8a&id=69102139.
