Last Day in Vegas

Last Day in Vegas

Took a bus down to Freemont Street and wandered around there for a few hours. A welcome respite from the strip, although still gambling machines everywhere! Bought a few souvenirs for people back home, and wandered back to the Stratosphere. Spent a bit of time sitting in the sun at the pool and tried to pack as the shuttle was booked for 8 am.

Wandered up the strip as it was getting dark to join the nighttime tour. Went right up the strip to the sign and then back down the other side looking at the lights etc. Photos on my camera so will have to wait until I can download them to post any.

Then back on down to Freemont for the 9pm Freemont experience. Wow certainly some interesting characters out. Back in the hotel and asleep by 11pm in preparation for getting up early to get to the airport in the morning.

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Grand Canyon

In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt visited the site and said: "The Grand Canyon fills me with awe. It is beyond comparison—beyond description; absolutely unparalleled throughout the wide world... Let this great wonder of nature remain as it now is. Do nothing to mar its grandeur, sublimity and loveliness. You cannot improve on it. But what you can do is to keep it for your children, your children's children, and all who come after you, as the one great sight which every American should see."

It was definitely worth the early start and long day to see this very incredible part of nature.

Confusing directions as to which entrance to meet the tour bus started the day. When I finally found the right place to wait right on 6.10am I was thankful that three other people were there as well so I hadn't missed it. However by 6.25am we were all wondering, especially when someone told us we were at the local bus stop not the tour bus stop. So Maureen rang the company who told us to take a cab to the central meeting place. Maureen, Rita, Mariusz and I all raced to the taxi stand, it seemed every type of transportation was at a different entranceway at the Stratosphere and made our way to Planet Hollywood.

When we got there and registered there were five large buses being filled. The four of us were all directed to Bus 6 which hadn't been filled. After such a frenetic start to the day it was cool we all ended up on the same bus as we'd already met.

Finally our driver arrived and took us to a small minivan that only seated 15 instead of one of the larger buses. Even though it was quite cramped it made for a good trip with lots of laughter as we were all seated in close proximity.

We were all pretty underwhelmed by Hoover Dam. It might have just been that the water was extremely low, but we stopped for 20 mins and it took us all about 2 mins to take any decent photos!

Back on the road we headed through real boondocks until we got to a little tearoom with restrooms up the back fence line.

We were given our packed lunch as we pulled out at 9.45am. Turkey filed roll at 9.45 didn't really appeal to me so I just ate the cookie!

Arrived at the Grand Canyon terminal and everyone else headed off on the shuttles to the three stop points while I headed to the pre booked helicopters. After another long wait queuing had a helicopter ride down into the canyon, landing by the river bed. It was after midday by then and really really hot. My overwhelming impression was of the immense vastness.

Back up the top and onto a shuttle. Skipped the ranch which was stop 1, which the others tell me was mostly a good move! Went straight to the skywalk.

Met Maureen, Rita and Sam all together there. They had been waiting for a while and were group 30 to go out on the skywalk. I was 33. They called out group 21, so we were in for another long wait!

The skywalk is this short walk on top of strongly reinforced glass built right out over the canyon. You walk around and look down and you are standing right over this immense rock. You aren't allowed to take anything out there with you- cameras, phones etc, and you have to put special slipper things over your shoes. The cynical amongst us would say that is so there professional photographers can take photos and then sell them to you at exorbitant prices.

Well, it worked! I bought the USB stick with 10 photos of myself out there for $60!!

Having always been not great with the whole height thing, this experience was quite amazing. And I'm proud I managed to do it by myself. Although I drew the line when the photographer suggested I lie down on the glass!

Then I just had time to get to the third stop, which probably had the most amazing views of all. Met Mariusz there and he took some photos for me which are probably the best photos on my camera and phone! (And I told him I'm going to "borrow" some of his once he posts them coz they are so much better than mine!)

Again there was this feeling of immense vastness as you look out over the canyon.

Then it was back to mindless and onto the shuttle heading back to Las Vegas. Lots of laughter and looking at photos for the first couple of hours, then the driver put on a video of a Las Vegas comedian for the last hour back.

By the time we got back to the hotel after 6pm I was pretty thirsty from all that heat. Some of the others went off to do the nighttime tour but the bar beckoned, especially as I still had another night to catch the nighttime tour. Mariusz and I headed to the pool for a couple of drinks. We were a bit disappointed they close the whole pool area at 7pm as it's a really nice spot to sit and relax in so we headed off to the top of the tower for a look at the lights of Las Vegas and a few more drinks.

Maybe I should have eaten that Turkey roll at 9.45am because by 10pm, the combination of heights, no food, margaritas and lights made me feel pretty weary!

But a great day experiencing one of the natural wonders of the world.

That's two natural winders in the last four months. Which one should I experience next?

“It’s hard to imagine a bigger desert oasis than Las Vegas.” - Cinnamon Stomberger

Finally arrived in Las Vegas about 11pm Friday night. Flights all good until the last one out of Phoenix which was delayed over two hours because of thunderstorms in Las Vegas. Did make the flying over lightning pretty spectacular.

After a good sleep felt completely fine by Saturday morning. Spent the day meeting up with relatives and relatives of relatives, wandered the strip for a couple of hours looking at some fairly spectacular casinos and shopping areas, then back for a night show at our casino.

Everyone else left this morning so I went on a tour of a few casinos. There is some seriously extravagant opulence in this place. Went into some amazing places. Below are a few: the obligatory sign photo, inside the Wynn where there are amazing flowers and merry go rounds and things like parasol pools! Next down is the Venetian, this is all I side a casino with the sky painted on the roof. Caesars Palqce- again all inside. And the Bellagio with these incredible flowers. ( No Alleyne, I did not manage to steal you a gambling chip as requested sorry!)

Inside the Venetian

The 25 degree weather dictated a roof-top cocktail and swim by mid afternoon, then a trip to the top of the stratosphere tower to see some pretty amazing views of Las Vegas.

Last night I tried out a pokie machine- probably as brave as my gambling gets! Tried a titanic machine but it being my favourite movie didn't help. Lost $20 in about 3 minutes!

On the way back from dinner tonight I tried my luck on a "wolf" machine because it reminded me of the wolves off Game of Thrones. Put in $15, played for about 15 minutes and cashed out with $17. will use that tomorrow night!

Off to the Grand Canyon tomorrow on a tour. Pick up is at 6am so alarm is set for 5.30am and going to try and get to sleep a bit earlier tonight as it will be a very long day.

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In The Air Again

I'm not quite sure how I find myself sitting in a lounge at Auckland Airport about to depart overseas for the sixth time this year, visiting the fourth different country since January.

 

For someone who in 46 years had been to Australia three times and lived in Fiji for 18 months, all of a sudden in the last nine months the floodgates of travel have been opened!

 

Melbourne, Finland and Poland in January.

Melbourne, again, in February.

Brisbane in May.

Cairns in July.

 

And now, pretty much on a whim decided in the course of a weekend off to Las Vegas and San Francisco for 12 days.

 

There was a purpose to the Las Vegas part which is no longer, but no regrets about making the decision to go.

 

Nervous? Yes

Worried about doing it all completely by myself? Absolutely.

But, regrets about going? No.

 

"No single decision you ever made has led in a straight line to where you find yourself now. You peeked down some roads and took a few steps before turning back. You followed some roads that came to a dead end and others that got lost at too many intersections. Ultimately, all roads are connected to all other roads."

― Deepak Chopra, The Book of Secrets: Unlocking the Hidden Dimensions of Your Life

 

So I head off, hoping to meet up with a couple of relatives I haven't seen for a long time, meet new people and see a few more parts of the amazing world.

Will try to keep this as updated as possible!

 

 

 

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