Las Vegas!!!
Trip Start
Jul 17, 2008
1
21
24
Trip End
Aug 17, 2008
Las Vegas,
Nevada,
United States
Friday, August 8, 2008
Our drive through California to Nevada went very well. The terrain was very changeable from the time we left San Diego. We made several climbs and descents. We passed through no agricultural land along this route. We exited from San Bernardino into the Mojave Desert 3 hours into our drive. When we left San Diego the temperature was in the mid 20's. As we got closer to Las Vegas it was quite amazing to watch the temperature climb. When we arrived at our hotel at 12:30 PM, the temperature was 40! We stayed at the Excalibur which is on the South end of the strip. The location was great for us-across from the MGM Grand and between New York, New York and the Luxor. We hadn't been to Vegas before and were really unsure as to what to expect and were all quite impressed with the sheer size of the resorts and their facilities. We were all checked in by 1PM and decided to waste not time. We explored our hotel, MGM Grand, New York, New York and the Bellagio. The Bellagio is one of the most impressive and expensive hotels on the strip. Maybe next time!! (LOL) The neat thing is that no matter where you are staying you can check out any of the other hotels shops, casinos, restaurants and shows. The heat was incredible and we needed to make several water stops along the way. Many of the hotels are connected by trams and walkways so it's fairly easy to stay out of the heat. Before dinner, we spent a couple of hours at the pool. The Excalibur has 3 large pools and a large hot tub as well. We managed to find some shade in the pool area and judging from the major sunburns around us some others should have done the same. They have a live band every afternoon at the pool from 4-8.
Albert's audition
After dinner, we took off on foot and walked down the strip to check out a few shows. Many of the hotels have free shows that run at various times throughout the day. We went to the Bellagio to watch their fountain and light show. It was spectacular. It's like watching fireworks done to music with fountains of water. We proceeded to Caesar's Palace for their show which is a show with statues that come to life. Conveniently, every entrance to every hotel routes you in through the casino. The penny and nickel machines provide great value!! When we left Vegas we were down $1.82. (high rollers!) Unlike many others, we did sleep at night.On Monday am, Albert and I got up at 5:00AM and were exploring the strip by 5:30. It's quite sad and amazing to see the number of people gambling at that time of day. The place never closes. Many of the bars and restaurants are open 24/7. You could get a steak dinner after 10 at our hotel for $8.95. The girls were up and ready by 9AM and we began a day of exploration. The temperature was again over 40 by 10AM making water a necessity at all times. We made every effort we could to stay indoors and make use of any inside connections when available. We toured several hotels and checked out some of their shops etc. Jennifer's favourite hotel is Caesar's Palace. Erin and I choose Paris Las Vegas which is complete with a ˝ size replica of the Eiffel Tower. Albert's choice is the Luxor. The building continues in Vegas. They are building several new hotels including the Tahiti Hotel and there are actually several high rise condos that are being built right on the strip. By 3PM, we were ready to have a cold beverage by the pool. We had dinner at the Rainforest Café which was really neat. The whole restaurant is designed to feel like you are eating in the middle of the rainforest. They have animals that come to life and every 10 minutes a thunderstorm erupts-pretty cool. After dinner, Erin attempted to get on the roller coaster that is in the middle of New York, New York but the line-up was way too long. We took the bus down the strip to Treasure Island to see their outdoor Pirate show. It's really well done and worth the trip down. We also checked out the Venetian hotel that is complete with its own canal and gondolas. In bed by 11:30-ready to begin our return to Ottawa.
