Tinsel Town

Sunday 19th October we drove from Phoenix to Las Vegas via Hoover Dam which is right on the Arizona/Nevada board. It is a massive dam. They are currently building a new bridge to go over the river just below the dam. We were there on Sunday afternoon with a lot of other tourism but the main problem is that the road over the dam is the most direct route into and out of Nevada from Arizona. The traffic heading for Arizona was banked up for miles and mile and miles.
Las Vegas is overwhelming. After happy hour we dined at an Italian restaurant Casa Di Amore (House of Love!!!); very nice food, fast service and entertainment too. We then headed for “The Stripe” walking from our lovely motel “The Desert Rose” passed Hooters and the Tropicana over the road to Excalibur and down The Stripe too Caesar’s Palace. On the way we stopped to take in the Fountains of Bellagio. Check out the link it will give you an idea but does not really do it justice. http://www.bellagio.com/amenities/fountains-of-bellagio.aspx We wandered through the Caesar’s Palace which has fantastic ceilings – in one section it looks like you are walking in a village with the sky above. We then crossed the road to the Harrahs before heading back up The Stripe and to our motel – never thought it would be a good thing to see a Hooters sign but after over 8 kilometres it was a very welcome site!
On most corners there are Mexicans (probably “illegals”) flicking a fist full of girlie cards and handing them out to any male who would take them – most of the cards end up on the ground a few metres away. Trucks drive up and down The Stripe day and night advertising how quickly they can get their girls to you.
There is a lot of money in this city but they do not spent very much of it on cleaning up the streets which are littered with these cards, glasses and bottles. There is an amazing amount of building going on.

Monday 20th October we missed the complimentary breakfast so we ate in our apartment. We then headed down the road to the Liberace Museum just a short 2.2 miles away (you do the maths) only to find that it is closed on Mondays! They did not tell us that in the advert!!! So, back down the road to the motel for a very well deserved lunch and some R&R. Did I mention that it is still bloody hot in Las Vegas at this time of year?
After numerous changes we decided to check out “The Metalist” at Hooters (after happy hour naturally). A magic comedy – this guy plays with your mind. $7.95 plus taxes of course will get you into the show and also get you a drink of your choice – not bad. The show went for 90 minutes and however he does it, he is very clever. We then headed up to the Tropicana for a buffet dinner and the 10pm show – Folies Bergere the longest running show in America. This was a traditional Vegas show complete with the glitz and the glamour, huge head dresses, minimal clothing and bare breasts. The show was a celebration of women over the last century. Very Vegas.
After this show we headed back to the car to take in the rest of The Stripe without killing ourselves. We also took a glimpse at the downtown area. We were too late for the laser show so we cruised around – some of you may remember the waving cowboy? Back up The Stripe to the motel and bed – it was very good to be horizontal.