Viva Las Vegas

They say Vegas is weird, wacky, excessive and "out there" but try doing it on Halloween night!!! Not sure where to start.....

Like most people say, you can't successfully describe Las Vegas. Ridiculous extravagance and some seedy aspects. Wonderful free shows and endless casinos. Every hotel makes you walk through their casino to get to whatever you are going to do. There are video poker games in laundrettes and petrol stations.


The "miracle mile" shops across the road are not only a real mile of shops but contain a recreation of a European middle ages town complete with fake sky.

The hotels bang on about being "green" but you need sunglasses at night because of all the lights. Anyway enough on that.

Arrived on Wednesday,checked in and spent about 2 hours exploring the hotel. They have what they claim is the worlds largest chocolate fountain which is pretty cool. They also have conservatory with talking trees and amazing water features.

At this point I realised that we would need a month to see what all the other hotels have to offer so we produced a shortlist. I doubt we will see those either.

Saw the Cirque du Soleil production called O. Amazing show performed in and around a 1.5 million gallon pool. We had front row seats which they warn you are "wet seats" but say you will only get a light mist. Not exactly true as the performers seem to think it is amusing to dowse the front few rows.

On Thursday I went to the Atomic testing museum while Sue went shopping at a factory outlet.

The Bellagio fountains are fantastic and we can watch them from our room with the soundtrack on the TV. The Bellagio buffet is something else again with all the Alaskan King crab you can stuff in plus a myriad of other dining options. Lots of wasted food though.

The volcano at the Mirage is pretty good but we were disappointed with the Pirate show at Treasure Island...a litlle too "funky" perhaps for us old people.

The drag racing (the starting point of this whole trip) was great with excellent weather and dozens of top cars. An added attraction is Nellis Air Force base is close by and during the day you can see F18, F15, B52s and other aircraft flying low overhead as they take off and land. One day I estimate there were at least 40 fighters going out to play and later that evening returning. Being at a racetrack also means food which in the USA comes in a bewildering variety of fried options. They have a moondoggie which is alternating hotdog and cheese on a stick coated in batter and fried, an onion bloom which is a onion cut to open like a flower, coated in batter and fried, a funnel cake which is donut batter in round shape fried with icing sugar on top and "toasted ravioli" which is pieces of frozen ravioli, you guessed it, fried. Add in the usual hotdogs, fries and burgers and you have a gourmet paradise.

Went to the Fremont street experience on Saturday night. Great show and well worth seeing if you ever come here. As it was Halloween the streets were packed with costumed party goers. Heaps of fun with much weirdness but no problems. Returned to the hotel to find Roman soldiers playing blackjack, Elvis chatting in the lobby and the Tin Man and Dorothy by the roulette table. Only in Vegas!!

Going to shoot machine guns today and then drive through the Red Rock Canyon and off to some factory outlet shopping :-( and if we get back in time go up the stratosphere tower and sample their extreme rides. If we have any energy left may check out the casinos (Luxor, New York New York etc) down the other end of the strip otherwise I will have to leave it till next time (if there is a next time).

Off to the Grand Canyon on Tuesday.