Las Vegas

Coming from the east, Las Vegas rises like a mirage out of the desert. It is HOT here. The high today is 114 and it doesn’t matter if it’s dry heat or not, it is pretty hot. Our first experiences were strictly business. We needed to get the oil and serpentine belt changed on the Jeep. Then it was time to find some food. We listened to the advice of our friends and used the GPS to locate an In and Out Burger near the car garage. It was quite good. I would compare it to a Checkers or What-a Burger.

After that we checked into Treasure Island Hotel and Casino. We picked up a map of Vegas then made our way to the room. We hit the pool for an hour or so then headed back to the room to rest a little and Skyped with the Clines before hitting the strip.

After taking a glorious shower that didn’t involve shower shoes or a timer, we emerged from the room ready to see what Vegas had to offer. We headed toward the song and dance show at the Treasure Ship here at TI, but quickly left that because it was so crowded and not very interesting. We made our way down the strip to The Mirage where we saw their volcano erupt then to Caesar’s Palace and walked around the shops and hotel there. They had a lot of impressive fountains and the ceiling is painted like a sky. It’s so big and the way it’s laid out that it makes you feel like you are outside.

We ate supper at the Cheesecake Factory in Caesar’s. Don’t worry, it serves food besides cheesecake. Then we made our way down to the Bellagio to get a look at their fountain show, blown glass chandelier and conservatory. This was by far our favorite part of Vegas. The fountain show happens every 15 mins and we could have sat there and watched it over and over. The chandelier was amazing. It was huge and very beautiful. The conservatory was a huge garden with lots of plants and flowers. Kate liked it a lot.

We both took a dollar and played a slot machine in the Bellagio. Sadly, we didn’t hit it big, but it was fun to pull the handle and see what happens. I guess I can see how it would be addictive to some people but I knew I was going to lose so I never had high hopes. After the Bellagio, we made our way back to our hotel around 1:00am. We got into bed and slept until around 10:00am. We got packed up, checked out and headed out for Sequoia National Park in California.

I haven’t written a whole lot about Vegas simply because I wasn’t very impressed with it. The hotels were impressive in size and scope and we did really like the Bellagio, but other than that it seems like a town of excess. Too many people spending too much money on everything you can imagine. They also allow smoking inside so that was pretty gross. Overall, I’m glad we came to satisfy our curiosity, but I won’t be coming back if I have anything to do about it.

~Andy & Kate