Day 331, 31 May 2013, Las Vegas, Nevada - via Route 66 (stopping at Barstow, California), Anaheim, and, eventually HOLLYWOOD! We are sad to see the back of the crazy, glittering, bright light city that Elvis sang about. But the weekend inflow of drunken college kids meant "the end is here, and so we faced the final curtain..." (Ol Blue Eyes - My Way). Aside from anything else, if we see any more stand out, stand up and cheer shows, then American Express will start comping us the hotel room to stay even longer.
We'd have to say we both came to Vegas with a preconception or two about the city. Some could say, it's not all about gambling... there're resorts, shows, The Grand Canyon, etc. In fact our favourite statistic of the week is that only 5% of people admit to coming to gamble - but 87% of people admit to trying their luck by the end of their stay. So the system, she works. The sweet nectar at the heart of Vegas - the classy hotel rooms, the world class shows, the magic of Cirque du Soleil, Penn & Teller, The Rat Pack, David Copperfield and yes, even Fleetwood Mac is nothing more than Mother Casino's way of luring the punters in to spread the pollen dollars from casino, to casino, to casino. Go large or go home seems to be the gambling motto of many - but even a dollar or two into a slot whilst waiting for a show keeps Vegas thriving. Some casinos are magical - witness the indoor canal and blue sky of The Venetian, but in some, the fighting odours of cigarette smoke and industrial strength air freshener ensure the dream fades and the venus flytrap nature of the flower is exposed the second you're in the door. Why pray tell all these eloquent references to nature and pollinators and sweet, sweet nectar..? Well that's what a DisneyNature movie called the Wings of Life will do to you, on a bus, for 6 hours...
PS - 9.30 pm approx - made it to Hollywood, ecstatic to be just down the road from the Walk of Fame, the Handprints at the Gruman Chinese Theatre and around the corner from some neighbourhood eats... Pizza. Bath. Book. Bed. Hollywood Boulevard isn't going anywhere...