We played Vegas tourists our last day in town by walking/busing our way up and down the strip. The weather had warmed and the wind had finally died down making Sunday a lovely day for a ton of outdoor touring.
NY NY was our first stop since its directly across from the MGM grand. The impressive exterior was matched by an impressive, albeit stereotypical, NY City interior complete with NY style deli, mini megatrons/Time Square and building facade interior painting. Moving right along we made our way back outside to head to what I consider one of the tackiest looking casinos on the strip, Excalibur. I say tacky, but I was determined to get a picture with it, and can honestly say the city would certainly be missing a key component of tchotchke if they ever took away this eyesore. We made an exceptionally fast loop through the casino but were sure to notice the massive playing-card-kings-heads used for pillar decorations. Its the little things that bring a touch of class.
Next we hit up the Luxor to check out a falsely advertised free shark tank only to find it wasn't free at all. Opting to spend money elsewhere we checked out the fish tank near the reception desk then continued onward along the strip to Paris. Just like NY NY this casino's attention to exterior/iconic detail blows my mind. How can you not love a massive Eiffel tower that is built into the ground level of the casino? We dined on a fabulous lunch in Paris before hopping back on the bus to make our way to the Bellagio to check out its conservatory.
Its interesting to observe the difference between the traditional casinos and their "flash-bam-pow" pizazz vs the ritzier casinos which still have a bit of flash but in a refined beauty sort of a way. Not to say one is better than the other, but the difference in ambiance between the Excalibur and the Bellagio is worlds apart. Walking through the Bellagio we admired the somewhat whimsical entrance before making our way to the gorgeous array of flowers and, butterfly room on display in the conservatory. Upon exiting the conservatory, to the right of all this natural beauty stood the worlds largest chocolate fountain. The fountain consists of three, multi-level chocolate fountains, each pouring separate chocolates (white, milk and dark). I am the first to admit I LOVE chocolate, but chocolate fountains just give me the heebee-jeebies. I couldn't bring myself to take any pictures of this record breaking creation because there is just something odd about that much flowing, and at times coagulated, chocolate.
Back on the road we again boarded the local bus and headed to an older part of town where the classic and "new-retro" neon signs are displayed in all their glory. Although not fully enclosed, overhead was what might be considered a metal/mesh canopy designed to hold the lights which are a part of the nightly light show. We were there mid afternoon so you really couldn't see any suggestions of said show. The considerably smaller casinos that lined the street, which had long ago been blocked off to car traffic, had quite less glam, lower ceilings and a considerably smokier atmosphere than their mega-vegas competitors up the road. They also seem to cater to a bit of a different, biker/older crowed than the scantily clad drunken youth of up-town. Interestingly enough, the older casinos of this area had less dressed cocktail waitresses compared to the MGM Grand's waitresses whose mini-suits, devoid of any femininity besides the short shorts, almost made them feel awkwardly out of place.
Having soaked in all the signs we could bare it was time to hop back on the bus for a quick stop at the MGM before heading to The Mirage for dinner and Love, a Beatles themed show by Cirque. We enjoyed a frosty brew with our delicious burgers at BLT burger, which were fabulous, before taking in one last tourist experience before the show. Jonathan's parent's made their way to the volcano, which I hear was terrific, and after hearing the "boom" of fake cannons, we ventured outside to view the Pirate Show at TI (The hip new re-branding of Treasure Island). Not to be a party pooper, but I found the pirate show a little disappointing. I was hoping for some good ole fashion pirate fighting and yes of course I could expect some sexy wench pirates, but it was almost all "sirens". Given the crowds I should have known better than to expect a cheeky, silly pirate show, but a bit disappointing nonetheless.
Back inside we found our seats in the circular theater and enjoyed a beautiful show consisting of a rather unique mix of Beatles music, dance and acrobatics. Loved the authentic UK ushers! Seeing that we had to get up at 6:30 the next morning we called it an early evening around midnight and headed back to our rooms.
Our trip home was thankfully uneventful, despite the flame painted hearse appearing behind us in the middle of the desert after departing the city of sin. We wound back through the Joshua Tree Scenic Highway and made it back to Phoenix in a little under 5 hours. Having dropped off Jonathan at work I picked up Mr. Jackson and made my way back home. I think its fair to say it was a good trip had by all, but as always its nice to be back home, reunited with the hairy family.
Back on the road we again boarded the local bus and headed to an older part of town where the classic and "new-retro" neon signs are displayed in all their glory. Although not fully enclosed, overhead was what might be considered a metal/mesh canopy designed to hold the lights which are a part of the nightly light show. We were there mid afternoon so you really couldn't see any suggestions of said show. The considerably smaller casinos that lined the street, which had long ago been blocked off to car traffic, had quite less glam, lower ceilings and a considerably smokier atmosphere than their mega-vegas competitors up the road. They also seem to cater to a bit of a different, biker/older crowed than the scantily clad drunken youth of up-town. Interestingly enough, the older casinos of this area had less dressed cocktail waitresses compared to the MGM Grand's waitresses whose mini-suits, devoid of any femininity besides the short shorts, almost made them feel awkwardly out of place.
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