Lots of fun in Las Vegas NV

Sunday, March 22nd, we drove from Desert Hot Springs CA to Las Vegas NV in about 4 hours in the truck, and had lunch along the way at the Mad Greek, in Baker, a wee town in Nevada I believe. Ate Gyros, pita wrapped around yummy meat.

Arrived in LV at 3:30 PM, our room cost us $39 each nite at the Riviera, and we had a king bed room on the 6th floor. No mini fridge though, guess we weren't paying enough. Cost $3.50 extra daily to use the safe in the room which we did, but they wanted $9.95 per day to use the WiFi internet, so we didn't do that.

Went to Circus Circus across the strip from our hotel, and had roast beef dinner, and watched a free circus act, then back to the Riviera as we had tickets to see Ice, a gorgeous skating troupe from Russia. They put on a wonderful show, the stage was an ice rink, and there was a runway that came right out into the audience, so they skated by us quite often. Fabulous show- kind of circus things, but stretched the boundaries of what you can do on skates -hugely. Can you picture skating on stilts? They also did incredible balancing acts, and were so graceful and pretty.
Fantastic, and we told them so when we met them doing promos the next day on the strip.
Only 50 degrees, though sunny, what a change from Desert Hot Springs.

Monday it reached 62 and was windy.
Had breakfast at the hotel, and spent the day on the strip going in and out of casinos. Bought tickets for "Barbra and Frank, the show that never was" - that's Streisand and Sinatra, for Tuesday.

Also bought tickets for Phantom of the Opera for that very night, at the Venetian, it was a super show, we're very happy we went to it. Show wasn't sold out, also wasn't cheap either. We were so delighted to see it, wonderful music and effects, the stage presentations there are unbelievable. Specially built for the productions.

Di gambled and occasionally won, Lary didn't win but he tried. We only play penny machines, and normally spend less than $40 a day, so we're not high rollers at all.

Had lunch in the Creperie at Paris- the casino, it's such a fabulous complex, every time we're there we enjoy it so much. Shops are to die for, and the atmosphere is incredible, the Eiffel Tower is right there, 1/2 size of the real one, the base of it is inside Paris on the casino floor.

Tuesday it was 70 F.
And we spent the day searching out different bead shops in the truck, and stocking up a wee bit. Didn't hit the big ones though. Enjoyed the day away from the strip. Ate at a Greek restaurant, and talked quite a bit with a lady bead shop owner from Mexico, she was very interesting. Her hubbie had been Hawaiian.

Went to Ethel M chocolate factory, but we arrived at 3:30 PM or so, and production had stopped for the day. Chocolates were very expensive, we had the free samples, and then walked around the wonderful desert gardens specially planted at the back of the chocolate factory. Most things are for very dry climates, some native, some not.

We ate ice creams there, and then we got a call from the Rogoway Gallery down in Tubac, AZ saying that the artist had accepted our offer on a beautiful desert painting, which we both adored, so that made us very very happy indeed.

They will ship it to us at the beginning of May, their cost. The subject is Pinnacle Peak in AZ, and it's an oil painting. John Horejs I believe is the painter, his work is in many corporate offices around the world, so we feel very lucky to have had our offer accepted.

We went to the "Barbra (Streisand) and Frank (Sinatra) show, the concert that never was" at our hotel that evening, it was very amusing. It has been on for about 5 years, the two who do it are super and it's very funny, too. The Barbra Streisand lady kibbutzes about and makes it amusing. The pianist is terrific, so talented, he also sang and played beautifully. Bought the photo they took of us, $35, so stupid. Last Sept the photos were $20 at places, now the frames are ritzier, and they charge way too much.

Played the slots Lary won $35.

Wed March 25th sunny and 75 F.
Walked miles and miles today, had lunch at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, delicious lunch and well run restaurant. They always seem busy at that chain, and good value for money.

We looked at both Wynn and Encore, they are newer casinos and very high end, theme of both seems to be "red" and a big oriental presence in both. Sleek bronze colored glass exteriors, and wonderful inside. Wynn has a waterwall, so neat, and being new everything was shiny and fancy. Butterflies set into the floor, carpets, etc. Incredibly lavish interiors too. Worth a trip to look at them. We kind of drifted up and down the strip, walked our feet off. Nice that it's not so hot this time.

In the evening we took the Deuce double decker bus $3 per trip to Fremont Street, downtown Las Vegas, and waited for their neat sound and light show outside on the ceiling of their "strip". First one was American Pie by Don MacLean, next was Queen, next was Kiss. They are on the hour at night. We ate inside Binions Casino, very old and we were downstairs in a very old part, but good food and service. Lary turned $5 into $25 in the slots. Somebody on the bus said that the downtown casinos were more generous than the ones on the strip.

Thursday 26 March, sunny and 70 F. Very windy day. Pool outside was closed.
Took the Deuce bus south along the strip, and walked back, eating lunch once more at Paris, more crepes. Yum yum. Ate dinner in our hotel, at the buffet, not impressed, Lary enjoyed the roast beef, but the rest was lame and overpriced.

Lary impressed himself and Di by turning $5 into $108 at the slots in our hotel, a big win considering they were penny machines with penny bets. I think Di broke even, some of the slots start to give you free spins and free plays, that's what Lary did to win his large amount. He was a happy camper indeed.

Friday 27 March, 70 degrees in Vegas.
Got up and had breakfast in the hotel, then checked out and had a bellhop take our bags down, we didn't have wheels on our bags, and they were quite heavy, though Di had consumed all the Jose Cuervo Margarita drink we had taken with us, to lighten the load, of course!!!!!.

Stopped in a bead shop north of Las Vegas and Di got some beads, very nice elderly gents owned it, they were both in their mid to late 70s and had opened the shop 5 years ago, they were both bored with retirement, having both worked their whole lives at Sears. They are expanding into the store next door to them, too.
Lovely shop, very well organized, and I found some nice things.

Back to Desert Hot Springs at about 1700. There had been a windstorm by the look of it, our bedspread and kitchen floor were covered with sandy grit. And the electricity had been off for a brief time as the stereo clock was flashing, but thankfully the fridge was still working. We had turned off the water coming into the trailer, and turned off the propane too, but left the electricity on for the fridge. All well other than the grit which Di vacuumed. Lary seems to be getting a cold, or it could be allergies due to the windy weather.

Good to be back, we feel we have DONE Las Vegas for now, time to give it a break. It was a super trip though, and the room prices were great. Bellman said that about 1/2 of the hotel staff had been laid off, how awful for them. When we returned to the trailer we had another offer for rooms at Circus Circus for $28.95 per night mid week, so there are some deals to be had on the internet, and with your players cards.

But when you went into the malls inside all those big beautiful casinos there were people buying lots of things, loaded down with bags. And we heard lots and lots of different nationalities speaking everywhere. Interesting place and economy.

Fun to be in Adult Fantasyland for a few days.