I thought we'd never get off the airplane last night. We had to circle about 15-20 minutes out and then when we finally got the okay to land, in theory, we had to circle some more and then on the ground we had to TAXI while the plane that was at our assigned gate was still there. They ended up changing our gate to another and we were way late by then. Not that it mattered to us, but many on the flight were trying to get on connecting flights and they were seriously miffed to say the least. The funny part was when we left Vegas the pilot was bragging that we had clear skies and a good tail wind and would most likely be home 20 or 30 minutes BEFORE schedule. Don't you just love it when pilots drink and drive!!
While in Vegas I went to see the Bodies exhibition at the Tropicana! It was AWE-SUM! I'm not kidding! I love that stuff! Everyone who can should go and see it ...... or at least every kid in school! To see a human heart that is perfectly preserved and NOT just a model left me speechless. The way they "splay" something like the muscles and ligaments made it all so much more clear than looking at pictures in books. The blood vessel and veins displays are almost like works of art. In fact, the bodies themselves are ALL like artwork. Leonardo da Vinci would of had a ball!
Just look at that picture! That's a real human body! Can you imagine how being able to see inside the body they way they do would of meant to medical students and such for the past several hundred years? Would anyone EVER start smoking if they could see an actual "black lung"? Not just pictures, but the real deal.....amazing! 'Course that's just me, going off on what a swell exhibit it was ...... the folks I was with all said "euuuuu" and wouldn't of been caught dead there......every pun intended.
We stayed downtown again. I really like Freemont Street for accommodations. You can hit plenty of casinos and spend not one red cent on taxi fares. You can walk back and forth and still not put out as much energy or shoe leather that you would just to walk from the front door at the Flamingo to the front door at Cesar's Palace. The food is okay and the gambling was good because you can still find some of the older style slot machines downtown. I liked the newest ones too.....the giant Wheel Of Fortune that nine people can sit around and when you hit the SPIN the whole wheel in the center revolves. My newest favorite though was something called "Gold Fish". I was winning, or at least not losing badly, until Saturday....then I went nuts and started selecting my machines unwisely and not getting out when I hit something. Sigh. I had a good time though and I take what I can afford to lose and never, ever even think about writing checks or using the ATM machines.
Oh, I forgot to mention, we stayed in the North tower of the Four Queens and it was very nice. I'd love to stay at the Golden Nugget, but it's gotten too pricey since the Landry folks took over. They manage to do that with most of the stuff they touch.....they pretty much ruined Luby's cafeteria with their high prices and changing the way things were done. They don't give old folks a break anymore and they cook with even more grease than the last owners did. Their motto must be "Lots and Lots Of Grease And Salt" means you can sell more expensive iced tea!
I love going to Vegas and I love coming back home. It's a great vacation, but I don't see how anyone would want to live there full time. If you did live there you'd get used to the unrelenting glitz and then what would you do for fun?
On one final note - if it's February, it's also time to wish Happy Birthdays to my baby girl Elaine, my son-in-law Bert and my bud Don! Happy Birthday, y'all!
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2 comments:
I love reading about trips to Vegas, and you are right about staying downtown, especially if you go to the Golden Gate Casino or eat at The Pasta Pirate at the California Hotel. But, what does spending a few days in the "Disneyland" area of a city that has a population of 2 million people have to do with living here? People who live here don't spend much time hanging out in the touristy spots. Fortunately, my relatives are opposed to gambling and drinking and do not come to Vegas. A lot of people move here and then get calls from all their long lost relatives and classmates coming to Vegas and wanting a place to stay.
Thanks for your comments and reading my blog! I'll have to try the Pasta Pirate next time...I've eaten at the Golden Gate. I got the $1.99 shrimp cocktail...I don't understand why it says ".99" on the advertisement outside. We walked down to Main Street and had a lot of fun there too. It's a beautiful building, every bit as good as anything on the Strip, but not as big (Thank God!).
I don't blame locals a bit for not hanging out with "touristy" folks! I'd rather not hang out with them either! I went to be relatively early Fri and Sat night because the noise levels and cig smoke got to me. I understand about the lost relatives ringing you up too, but I prefer to stay in a casino hotel and be able to have some privacy. I take earplugs and a sleep mask every where I travel....learned the hard way it's the only way to sleep away from home.
Take care....maybe I'll slide into your cab next time! I'm averaging 2 trips a year to Vegas these days.
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