Las Vegas Part 2

Let's see...where did we leave off? Oh yes....

Next blog will have: Tour the inside of the Venitian and Bellagio. See the outside gardens at Mandalay Bay. Take a photo in front of the Las Vegas Welcome sign.

We'll start with the Vegas sign. The line was about 50 people long when we first showed up so we put it off a few days, then came over in the morning and there were still about 15 people already lined up so we stood off to the side, pulled out my selfie stick and took our photo.....finally! after all these years.

The ground is really not that slanted.

The inside of the Venetian casino/hotel is unlike any other. Classy, fragrant with the most beautiful painting on the ceilings ! The entrance is gorgeous !

Ceiling paintings at the entrance from the street.

Outside with the campanile tower

Entrance with the outside gondolas. 

Ceiling paintings

Ceiling paintings

Ceiling paintings

Entrance from down the hall

Ceiling paintings above the entrance

Ceiling paintings

Extra check in desk

Upstairs hallway 

You can see the people in line to register...and this was a Tuesday. The doorman said 1600 people were checking that day.

This nice man played for us while we danced next to him in the lobby. People stopped and took our picture while dancing. 

Look at these goofy tourists !

The Bellagio is one fantastic casino/hotel as well. The lobby is so colorful and the conservatory has a theme that changes periodically.

Close up of the lobby ceiling

Lobby ceiling....all glass.

Lobby check-in area. Look at the flowers behind.

Tulips

At the entrance to Mandalay Bay, there are some beautiful gardens and waterfalls which hardly anyone notices because they usually arrive via car or taxi and not see it at all but it's one of our favorites. It's based on a Thailand theme.

Mandalay Bay Hotel

....and a few extra photos from the strip....

Taken from one of the over-street walkways

Paris Hotel

Just a cool shot

From the top of the Eiffel Tower

And we all know what this is. The legs extend right into the casino...you can  see them inside.

Okay, that's all for Vegas. I'm way behind as we've already been to Zion NP, Kanab, and Lake Powell. I'll get caught up eventually.

Thanks for following !

steve/kim/katie

Viva Las Vegas !

Okay, quiz time: Who sang the song, "Viva, Las Vegas"? Answer at the bottom.

We had specific goals to do and see in Vegas.  I used to work for an engineering company and they sent me there many, many times to support their local work and to win new work. So, we've been there over 50 times but not for at least 5 years.

Goals:
One buffet a day !

WICKED SPOON in the Cosmopolitan

Some of the deserts

First round at the buffet

My desert choices

Kim's desert choices

BACCHANAL BUFFET at Caesar's Palace.

This one was disappointing. Too crowded. Food was average and crowd patterns were jammed.

BAYSIDE BUFFET at Mandalay Bay.

We went to see the outside gardens but wandered (?) in to get some food. This one is one of our favorites

STUDIO B BUFFET at The M Resort.

We went here as a last minute choice for our last night's dinner. Turned out to be very good.

Gotta love those deserts !

Next Goal: Eat breakfast at Trump Tower

This was the salmon breakfast plate....before.

So much to eat....after.

Breakfast restaurant

Lobby

Next Goal: Take a gondola ride in Venetian.

This is something we've wanted to do for years....finally got to it. Wonderful.

Our Gondolier, Rocco. You can request a song for him to sing. We asked for "Arrivederci Roma". He was terrific and then he sang about seven more for us.

Next Goal: Go up the Eiffel Tower

View looking north

View looking south

Paris hotel from the top

Arc de Triomph at the entrance to Paris hotel

Bellagio fountains in the background.

This tower is half-scale to the one in Paris, France.

Next Goal: see the Bellagio fountain show.

at 3pm during the weekdays, they start with Whitney Houston singing, "Star Spangled Banner", followed by "Time to Say Goodbye" with Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman. Here's the link. You should watch it.

https://youtu.be/Ov7_q2aKQl8

This is was the infrastructure for the fountain show looks like from above.

Next blog will have: Tour the inside of the Venitian and Bellagio. See the outside gardens at Mandalay Bay. Take a photo in front of the Las Vegas Welcome sign.

Answer: Elvis !

watch it !  https://youtu.be/ui0EgRsFVN8



thanks for viewing this blog...

steve/kim/katie

Not quite the entrance to Vegas we expected

First off, we traveled through Salt Lake City/Provo/Ogden area the other morning. Talk about freeway....about 80-90 miles before we finally reached the end and came out into the country again.  some gorgeous vistas of the Wasatch Mountains but who could look? I was too busy trying to avoid morning commuters anxious to get to work and large trucks barreling by. At least Kim got some  good photos.

Gak!!

Then we stayed at Cedar City for a night before heading down to Vegas early. We left at 8. Our plan was to get there around 11, get off at Sahara Blvd, head over to Las Vegas Blvd., turn on some Dean Martin "Aint' that a kick in the head" and tool on down the strip in our coach while taking in the sites.

First off, I forgot about the time change so we gained an hour. We stopped in the desert outside of Mesquite for a bit while Katie sniffed around outside for a place to pee, then we headed to Vegas.

Notice Katie in the window?

Kim took photos of the skyline as we descended into the valley. So far so good.

Then we hit construction where it all came down to a two-lane screeching halt. We finally reached Sahara, got off and began our month-long planning to head down the strip. Kim said she had to pee so I had to crawl a bit while traffic zoomed around me. I get close to the actual strip when a taxi comes up next to me, honks, and shouts, "Hey, you lost a tire off your trailer!!". I pulled way over to the right curb, put on my emergency flashers, yelled at Kim to come out and went back to see no tire on my trailer rim ! It was just scrapping along the street ! (Fortunately, we have two axles with four tires otherwise....).

Good thing I have local knowledge of the Vegas streets because I pulled into the far left lane while car after car yelled out, "No tire !". Kim kept saying, "Thank you" out the window as we finally reached Convention Blvd. where I took a left and pulled into the Vegas Skydiving parking lot.

Not quite the entrance into Vegas we'd planned.

Look Ma...no tire !

Our concern was that the other tire would now blow also...good thing it didn't.

scraping and grinding our way into the parking lot.

Katie is wondering what all the fuss is about.

But, all is well. I called for roadside service, he came out in 30 minutes, got my spare on and we went down the strip to our RV resort. Pant, pant, pant.

Time for an adult beverage !

steve/kim/katie