Our two days in Vegas have been interesting...personally I am a bit Veagassed out! Yesterday, after a long drive from Bakersfield we arrived and checked in at Stratosphere...looked at the tower and set out for the outlet centre for some shopping!!! After a few false starts finding the place we finally got there at 5pm...and got in a good 3-4 hours before arriving back a bit tired and grumpy all round. So we headed back up the tower and viewed the lights of the strip..okay, but just neon lights really!!! Today we headed out up the strip on the monorail and saw the Titanic and Bodies exhibitions at the Luxor... And the Ziegfried & Roy secret garden (big cats) and dolphin habitat at the Mirage. All great, if you didn't have to troop through the casinos to get to them. No matter what you do here you can't escape the ringing of the slot machines, the desperates at them and the tables from 9 am and beyond, the spruikers trying to get you to take cards for girls as you walk down the street, and the hoardes of people trawling from casino to casino in the streets with their giant cocktails, beers and spirits in hand...unbelievable! Still, we also managed to catch some 4D rides, check out M & M World (4 levels of all things M & M) and walk through New York, Paris, Rome and Cairo all on one day...only in Vegas! The saving grace was a delicious Italian dinner tonight with a lovely Californian Pjnot Noir and a calm, charming and wonderful waiter (originally from San Francisco who only moved here because he and his wife couldn't afford to buy a house in SF) all of which was a breath of fresh air after crap food, overbearing wait staff and beer and soda as the only drink choices with meals! I was in heaven. Then back up the tower to watch the crazy people jumping off it, riding off it's side and spinning out the side of it...all at almost 900 ft above the ground! So, that was Vegas...only coming back if next time we stay at MGM Grand!! The only place that I felt calm and settled in all day...so although I am glad I have had the Vegas experience I won' t be leaving my heart behind here...just lots of cash!
Onwards tomorrow to Boulder City, Lake Mead and Hoover Dam...sleepover in Kingman, the heart of Route 66...looks like the roof of the car will be down tomorrow!!