Las Vegas, NV

April 26, 2010

We can finally say that we've seen Las Vegas, no more shocked faces as we admit our failure to "see the lights"! The opulence, or at least an appearance of opulence, bombards the senses at every turn until, of course, you are approached by a homeless person who reminds you of how imperfect the illusion really is. We not only gawk at the setting, but also at the cast of characters. We've asked each other many questions:
How do they keep these rooms filled?
Can this many people really afford all of this?
Will that precious item in the Chanel bag really fit into your real world back home?
Will the Victoria Secrets' bag contents really fit your body!!?
Are we the only geezers walking around just looking and not spending?
Where do the homeless go in a city that never sleeps?

Enough social commentary!

We are as taken with the scene as everyone is. I got whiplash driving down the strip at night, not wanting to miss a single image. We lined up with everyone else to watch a Belagio fountain dance. I snapped pictures at every turn - we did miss the bronze, life-sized Ceasar and must go back. I put my $5 gambling budget in the slots and lost it all, but had a good time doing it. We have eaten at the buffets, and walked a million steps. We've been to Walmart and done the wash; so life goes on, even in Vegas.

Last night we went to the downtown strip, the "Old Vegas," and really enjoyed it. I had read about The Fremont Experience and wanted to see the canopy light show, Russell wanted to see Binion's Million Dollar display. So, after a quiet dinner at home, we headed back to the fantasy. What Fun! It is an Experince! The Golden Nugget is just as opulent, if not as big, as the uptown hotels. I have my picture with $1,000,000, we ate dessert, enjoyed a wonderful saxaphone player, and listened to the missionaries try to win souls - they carry large wooden crosses embellished with words of salvation and wear microphones. Fremont Street is the home of the neon and blinking lights that enchanted us in films like "Viva Las Vegas," and other such classics - Aladdin's Lamp, the Cowboy, a giant high-heeled tap shoe, and a near-naked lady high above the crowd - all are present in this Vintage Vegas.

The Fremont Street canopy is a half-pipe ceiling 3-4 blocks long and taller than the adjacent buildings that it connects. On the hour, all the blinking lights of the casinos stop, the side-show bands stop and the canopy goes dark. The Experience is about to begin! The ceiling transforms from a billboard to a light show, syncronized to '60's music with flashing images that take you back to when the music was new. They run film footage, psychedelic lights, even a shuttle launch that blasts across the entire display. We heard Don McClain's "American Pie" and a 3-song tribute to the Doors, music that all ages in the crowd could sing along and dance to. We wanted to stay until 10:00, when they were doing a Queen tribute. It was a situation of willing spirits and tired bodies. What happened to the kids who could dance all night long?

Our Vegas trip is far from over. We are staying another week and Kyle will be here for a trade show, Friday through the following Tuesday. Karyn will be here too! She has gotten tickets for "Phantom" and even knows a cast member!