Sunday 27 June 2010

US Tour - Day 17 - Vegas, 26th June 2010

Bit of a lie in today. It's Strip day. Weather is starting to get really boring now, hot, hot, hot.

We venture out into the sun and head across the street to Walgreens. It's a Boots like offshoot of Walmart. It's probably the only place on the Strip that you can buy anything 'normal'. Most other shops are boutique shops. We'll be back later to make some purchases but for now we make our way into the Venetian hotel.

Once again we are hit by the wow factor. As we step through the doors we are met with a ceiling covered in Michael Angelo type paintings. Wandering through, the ceiling changes to one of blue sky and fluffy white clouds. At this point shops down the walkways become old venetian style buildings. It's really quite a good effect. Just round a corner we are confronted with the canal, complete with gondolas and singing gondoliers!



We wander round some more marvelling at what we are seeing, when the walkway or street opens into a big piazza. All this inside the hotel complex. A group of singers sing some traditional Italian songs.

Before we know it we have completed the circuit and cross over into the adjoining hotel, the Palazzo. This isn't a themed hotel, so nothing to report other than more designer shops. We make our way back outside and continue along the Strip. We venture into the Casino Royale. Sounds grand but is anything but. However, at the back they have a Subway so we stop for lunch. This is a first for Cath, she's never had one before. A veggie delite for Cath and Italian BMT for me, are washed down with lemonade.

Next stop on this tour is the Paris hotel. The entrance is under the legs of the scaled down Eiffel Tower! Once inside, similar to the Venetian, the walkways are made to look like streets. Whilst in here Cath decides to have another go on the slots. This time the machines aren't so friendly and she's down a couple of dollars.

We start to make our way back to our hotel, via the Forum shops at Caesar's Palace. Again this is a themed building. Fountains with prancing horses and massive roman serving wenches holding up the 3 floors are what greet you. Like everything in this place it's grand and way over the top.



There's another visit to the slots on our way through our hotel and we book a table in the BB King's restaurant for 8pm. There's some blogging and photo downloading before it's time to get ready to go out again. This time we are off to the Treasure Island Hotel to see their show but first we re-visit Walgreens and buy some snacks and root beer.

The TI show lasts about 15 minutes. Story goes; pirate gets lured to ship by sirens. They hold him hostage and his crew mates sail up in another ship to rescue him. Sirens won't let him go, so there are a few blasts of cannon fire, which the sirens ignore. In return they sing and dance and that stirs up a storm that sinks the pirate ship. Pirates end up swimming to siren ship and everyone lives happily ever after. Firework finale. We again have a quick go on the slots in TI, then get the tram back to the Mirage in time for dinner. BB King's has a live blues band playing. It's a bit noisy for us oldies but very entertaining none the less. I have a pulled pork sandwich, with fries, Cath a baby spinach leaf salad. A large blue moon beer sets me back $10!!



After dinner there is another play on the slots. It's my turn to play this time. I'm up nearly a dollar when the wins dry up. I decide to quit, retaining my dollar stake. Cath says she'll buy me out and gives me the dollar, then precedes to win $4. Who's a mug, eh?

Winnings claimed we head back to our room. We have to be up at 3:50 for our trip to the Grand Canyon, pickup 4:35.

Neill

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