Our Las Vegas visit is winding down.
This city that never sleeps is over the top in so many things.
I wanted to take a stroll down the Las Vegas Strip. Walt always agrees to the things I want to do. Four miles later I am not sure that he was very happy that he had agreed. We parked at Treasure Island to start our walk.
Though the pirate ship decor remains the free pirate shows have been discontinued.
D B Cooper lives on the Las Vegas Strip. Every now and then he comes alive and scares the onlookers.
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Nice sculpture of Siegfried and Roy complete with lion, Montecore, who bit and dragged Roy in a 2003 show that ended their careers.
Water is plentiful in this desert oasis along the Strip.
This volcano at the Mirage erupts 2 or 3 times a night.
Unlike our last walk along the strip this time it was clean and fresh and almost free from characters that make us uncomfortable.
There is something interesting with every step.
Caesars Palace is one of Las Vegas's largest and best known landmarks.
It may have more statues than the original in Rome.
These are the fountains that Evel Knievel attempted to jump across and failed causing him to spend a month in the hospital.
The Caesars Palace complex is a Greco-Roman fantasyland.
Planet Hollywood is now owned by Caesars but like most Las Vegas Hotels it has undergone multiple owners and changes. The hotel rooms now each have movie themes that feature actual props and memorabilia from the films.
The Paris Las Vegas is an entire Parisian complex that has a replica of the Eiffel Tower, the sign in the shape of the Montgolfier balloon, and a replica of the Arc de Triomphe. The front of the hotel hints of the Paris Opera House and the Louvre.
In front of Bally's is a large shopping area including several restaurants.
We found a spot to sit down by Margaritaville so I could listen to the music. Jimmy Buffett's music always makes me smile and the crazy books he has written make me laugh.
If we hadn't already eaten we sure would have tried this. We do like his TV show.
The Flamingo has been around since 1946 and is one of the few that remain that I remember from our Las Vegas stop in the early 80's. We stayed at the Sands and it is long gone along with many others that have been absorbed into the mega hotel/casinos of today. Bugsy Siegel originally opened the Flamingo and I read a book about him and the mob, ending with Siegel being shot and killed. What I found interesting is that Del Web , of over 55 communities fame, was Siegel's construction foreman on the Flamingo.
Harrah's Las Vegas has a Mardi Gras and Carnival theme.
If you are coming to Las Vegas to stay in a hotel how do you chose which one? As we walked along I thought "wouldn't it be fun if we had the time to go in each one and explore their lobbies and all the interesting things they have?"
So without getting to go into each one I chose to wander around and through the Venetian a bit.
The Venetian was built where the Sands used to be. The hotel used Venice, Italy as its design inspiration and features architectural replicas of various Venetian landmarks.
You can take a gondola ride floating around the hotel, under bridges and they say you even get a live serenade.
The interior is gorgeous. Not having seen all the hotels this is my second favorite. The Bellagio is the winner in my book.
Soothingly elegant.
The marble floor was hand-fitted and modeled after the floor of the Church of Santa Maria del Rosario in Venice.
The Palazzo is part of the Venetian Complex.
Here we are back at Treasure Island and our car. A little weary from our long walk but for me a very fun day. Check with Walt and get his opinion.
Glimpsed on our way back to GypsyII.
Ginger and I went to a painting event. It was so very fun even if I do not have any artistic talent. We laughed and painted to our own inner selves completely ignoring what our instructor said. Ginger really went astray using totally different color and style and I feathered everything instead of blending but we had a great time.
On our last day in Las Vegas we were excited to go to granddaughter Lyndsee's volleyball tournament. What a happy coincidence that they were in Las Vegas and we got to see her and Mom Cynthia.
These girls were on fire. Not a loss on the day.
It is hard to believe that just two weeks after this Lyndsee was terribly ill, admitted to Phoenix Children's Hospital and diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. It has really thrown me for a loop. I spent the first night after we found out awake most of the night going over and over in my mind trying to make sense of why?????? Why this beautiful, athletic, smart, funny girl should have this bump in her road of life. I wondered if it was somewhere in my family. My mother told me that my grandmother had diabetes. But I am sure it was type 2 and she was only ill just before she died and she died at 74. But that really doesn't matter. What matters is that Lyndsee is strong and has an amazing support group of family, friends, teammates, coaches, church members not to mention two loving puppies that will be there for her and she will find her new normal in due time.