Las Vegas

Monday, September 8th, 2014 - Day 111

The morning we were to leave Zion I was, for some reason, anxious to get going.  I knew some rain was on the way, and had heard rumors that the interstate to LasVegas had some hair raising spots, so I felt the earlier we started the better. 

 By 9AM we were heading down the road. and I mean “down”.  We were amazed that a major interstate could be so steep with huge rock cliffs soaring up a measly few feet from the edge of the  road!

It’s one thing when you have the road to yourself and the speed limits are in the teens- quite another when you are sharing the road with semi-trucks and speeding twenty-something’s weaving in and out of traffic! Yikes!

The weather-alert radio came on, warning of a flash flood watch in the Vegas area.  The warning was to expire before we got there, so we were not too concerned.  It was not even raining!

Norm and I finally had an appointment to get the refrigerator properly fixed there in Las Vegas so we were heading there first.  

Internet photo of I-15 flash flood damage. We had just driven over this section of highway!
 Boy, we are sure glad we missed this!

The RV repair shop was a block away from our campground, so that worked out very well.  When we arrived about noontime, the fellow behind the desk said, “Did you just come down I-15 from Zion?”  “Why, yes” we replied. “Well, about an hour ago, that road was wiped out!  A flash flood washed out the road, and they are re-routing traffic hundreds of miles on a rough two lane road!"

Wow!  How lucky that we left when we did!  

We went to Las Vegas RV Resort to wait for the results of the repair. About 4 hours later, we learned that the repair facility discovered that the problem was the switch installed as part of the safety recall. The refrigerator was working perfectly, so it was just a defective switch. Therefore, we did not have to empty the refrigerator for a 24 hour test!  I was concerned about all our wonderful organic food.   It would have killed me to throw it out. Luck was still with us!

 The service people managed to get the factory to overnight the part so we could spend as little time here as possible.  Las Vegas was on my “bucket list” of things to see, but the 97 degree heat and the intense sun was not only killing me, but Norm was suffering as well.  People may argue that it is a “dry heat”, but I am sorry.  You put your head into a convection oven, it’s darn hot!!  I draw the line when you can’t touch the door handle of the car without receiving a 1^st degree burn! Florida may be the same, but that is why, for the past 3 years we have left it for cooler climes during the summer months.

Our first evening here we decided to try the number one rated buffet in the land of buffets - Las Vegas.  At $55.00 per person ( plus tax, tip and beverages ) the Bacchanal Restaurant inside Caesar’s Palace should be very special. 

I am sure the majority of my readers have been to Las Vegas, but those uninitiated, like myself, may also find it odd ( well, I am not so naïve that I was not surprised ) that they seem to always drag you through the smoke filled, noisy, crowded casinos to get you to the restaurants!  They do that with their museums as well.

Oh, the beautiful deserts!  We had to try them all!

After walking a couple of miles among the smoky rooms filled with slot machines, roulette tables and whatnot, we finally found this high-end buffet.  I love to “people-watch” so Las Vegas is certainly good for that!  I was so shocked at the variety of people in line!

There was a group of 8 in front of us that were really weird!  Purple hair, tattoos all over their bodies, and piercings that would have had to interfere with their eating!  One girl was either very drunk or high. Some diners were dressed in business casual, but most looked like they were going to Walmart.

The food here was out-of-this-world!  There must have been over 75 different varieties of culinary delights!  From fancy little gourmet hot-dogs,( I wonder why someone would pay that much and choose the hot dogs or pizza ) sushi, huge crab legs, giant shrimp cocktail to incredible soups, mussels, clams, etc not to mention a large assortment of interesting  concoctions in miniature casseroles.  Of course Norm and I had to sample many of the unbelievable desserts!

After dinner Norm and I waddled out of there marveling at the indoor mall at Caesar’s Palace.

The gorgeous painted ceilings were amazing!  It was hard to believe
this mall was inside a huge hotel!

It had been a long day, so we drove back to the RV (which was about a ½ hour drive).

It was unbearably hot so our choices here in Las Vegas were limited.  A drive to see Hoover Dam was decided, so we took our trusty picnic lunches and headed out.  We took the tour which was quite interesting, but Norm had already seen it, and I had seen other large dams, so I was not overwhelmed.

The water in Lake Meade, that feeds the dam, was extremely low

The huge turbines inside the damn that make the electricity.

I did notice that Las Vegas seems to be full of lecherous men!  The guide at the dam was extremely inappropriate to all the young ladies, making them feel very uncomfortable.  The men at the RV park were also “dirty old men”!  Norm said this is what Las Vegas is all about- sex and money!

Our last day was spent dropping off the RV to have the part installed, then driving downtown to get cheap tickets for a show.  There were so many to choose from!  Neither of us had seen Jersey Boy’s so we got tickets for that, then had to hustle over to the Paris Hotel to get our seat assignments. 

I had purchased discount tickets to the local “Hop on Hop off” tour buses through Travelzoo.com.  I know I read the small print to these tickets a million times before purchasing, but the ad was very misleading.  Nowhere did it say that the night tour ( which is what we purchased them for )was only available for 7PM.  Well, guess when the show started?  Yup!  So, that was wasted money!  I called Travelzoo and complained, but they would only give me a $10.00 off coupon.  I felt cheated.  Oh, well.  You gamble, you lose here in this gambling town! I gave them to the gate guards to hopefully find someone to utilize these expensive tickets!

We headed back to get the RV, to get a quick nap and a shower to then return for dinner and the show. 

The only photo I was allowed to keep on the camera
was this one taken from the lobby.  Which was fine. 

The show was terrific! Funny story - we were told not to take flash photo’s during the show, so I was surprised when an employee ran up to me, angry that I had taken a picture!  I checked and my flash was not raised, so I couldn't figure why she was so upset, demanding that I delete any and all photos I may have taken!  She stood over me to make sure they were all gone. “Copyright” or something she mumbled.  Jeez, the actors weren't famous or anything! I felt like such a criminal!   She had a fit when someone else took a picture of the sign after the show was over!  Photo police!   My pictures were terrible, so no great loss.  I just took a picture of the sign outside the door.
 

After the show we walked outside checking out the “must see spots”.  The crowds on the sidewalks were unbelievable. You could hardly make your way through the swarm of people. We watched a water show outside the Bellagio, then took a stroll inside to see the gardens (which was under construction) The Italian glass flower decorations on the ceiling of the lobby were really beautiful.  It was about 10pm, and we were starving so we decided to eat there at the Bellagio.  Of course the route was through their more glamorous casino.

We watched several "performances" of dancing water to music.
Extremely enjoyable, on a gorgeous night.

 These casinos were not what I expected.  There were no richly dressed woman, sipping martini’s while draped over the arms of hunky men wearing tuxedo’s and cowboy hats  at all!  Where are they?  Norm says they are in the back room, where the high stakes gambling occurs. I wonder how he knows that? Perhaps I really don't want to know.

I took a lot of patience to get this photo with the full
moon at precisely the right spot over the sign!

After having our fill of food, drink, flashing neon lights and hordes of people, we headed back- yearning for the quiet solitude of a walk through the woods where the cry of a solitary falcon overhead is all that is heard.  I must say we have gotten very spoiled over the last few months.

The next day we left Las Vegas to hopefully get some relief from the crowds and heat.