From virtually zero civilisation down in the canyon we once again hit up the bright lights of Las Vegas. Neither of us are really into gambling, but when you consider the fact that you can get a hotel room in Vegas for less than the price of camping it was a case of ‘why not’.
Our first trip to Las Vegas was rather brief, arriving late and leaving fairly early. However, we did get plenty of casino time! Staying in a D grade hotel/casino just off the strip we were able to walk to the fountains at the Bellagio and stood in awe as we watched a couple of shows. From the slow, sweeping movements of the water to Celine Dion’s ‘My Heart Will Go On’ to the electro dance mix vertical water cannons, we stood in wonder fascinated by the complexity and mega money invested into the fountains. Next stop was strutting through the Bellagio itself pretending we were part of George Clooney’s gang on Ocean’s Eleven (including the idea of robbing the casino). We walked all the way through to Caesar’s Palace, by which time we noticed that Las Vegas doesn’t really do clocks nor windows. I guess they don’t want you to know that it’s actually 10am and sunny outside and you have been throwing away your money for 17 hours! It constantly feels about 9pm anywhere indoors. Equally, you don’t actually need to go outside to see the sky, noting multiple ceilings in Caesar’s painted blue with a few wispy clouds. It actually got to a point where we couldn’t even find a door to get out! Eventually we made our escape back to the street and fresh air and continued to marvel at the bright neon lights and advertisements for naked women.
In the morning we drove the strip, not getting any less impressed by the lavish casinos and to find the ‘Welcome to fabulous Las Vegas sign’ to take the obligatory tourist photo. Us and every other tourist. There is an unofficial queue (rather British), but you can sneak to the side and if you can quickly get your pose on and a quick point and shoot you can snap a pic that almost looks like you are the only person there!
Just as we were heading out of town Hayden noticed a sign stating ‘next right Shelby American. So of course we took the next right. Any car enthusiast would know that Carroll Shelby is a big deal, he is the original custom performance vehicle manufacturer, and even as non-enthusiast I was rather impressed at the immaculate display of old cars as well as the view into the workshop where millions upon millions of dollars were being spent to customise cars.
We returned to Las Vegas just over a week later after our stint in the Grand Canyon and figured it was as good a place as any to spend Hayden’s birthday. This time we headed for downtown – Old Vegas. We stayed in a old motel around the corner from the Fremont Street Experience, a tunnel of TV screens five football fields in length that houses hotels, casinos, restaurants, three stages for live shows and a plethora of live street performers – many of them without permits and most of them half naked. We took in the display of extremely loose morals around us, watching fully grown adults turn into immature college students wearing yard glasses full of potent, fruity alcoholic liquid around their necks and staggering through the streets. It really is a place where anything goes.
In the daylight hours we visited Gold and Silver Pawn Shop, the home of the reality TV show ‘Pawn Stars’. Of course none of the actual TV gang were there but the shop certainly houses a bizarre and eclectic mix of items for sale, although it’s probably no better than the one across the road, just home to a few minor celebrities. We ate dinner at one of Las Vegas’ oldest diners, a 24 hour place famous for its shrimp cocktails. True to Vegas form it is part of a casino complete with dancing ladies on roulette tables. We threw a few dollars into the pokies, won 40cents, drank beers on the street, ate ice cream and weighed ourselves at the Heart Attack restaurant. Yes, it’s actually called Heart Attack and it stands to serve the most unhealthy, heart attack -inducing food, quite an unnerving concept if you ask me, especially as they say your meal is free if you weigh over 350 pounds!! Are they actually trying to kill people? Anyway, that is the reason they have these enormous scales out the front and I’m glad to say that the two of us combined did not reach the free-eating mark.
So it turns out Las Vegas is a pretty cool place even when your not gambling, having an Elvis wedding or throwing dollar bills into the undies of strippers (although it’s fun to watch those who do). It houses funky street art, a rich Art Deco history, tasty coffee shops and trendy bars. I guess there’s many a reason people flock to middle of the desert.
Vegas is always a good idea
