Viva Las Vegas

Nevada

I like US Hostels - they give you free pancakes each morning for brekkie. With my fill of those I was ready to go walk the Strip - or as much of it as I could manage in a day. I took the Mustang to the Mirage and got parked up. You walk in the place and see a huge aquarium with a bucket load of fishes. Then on past Caesers Palace and into New York New York. This place replicates as much of NYC as possible; mini versions of the buildings, stores selling the NY merchandise and best of all; those New York taxi rides in what I found from experience to be quite accurate - the Manhattan Express roller Coaster gives you a thrill ride from start to finish.

I wandered in the Luxor, the Bellagio, but as I wasn't gambling, I found the shopping taking most of my attention - so I decided to leave the casino's and concentrate on bargain hunting instead. Pretty soon I had a couple of bags on the ends of my arms. I'd checked out the Coke and M&M shops - to see just how much stuff other than soft drinks and candy you could sell with a brand on it - turns out there was a whole load!

After the filling breakfast I'd gone most of the day without food - so went for a treat by way of a rack of prime ribs. I was hungry - but I was served: bread & butter - nearly a whole loaf, a large salad, a bowl of baked beans, a bowl of coleslaw, then the main course of course. I left much heavier than when I arrived so went about burning some cals wandering some more casinos, and malls. I found the one in Aladdins with the sky painted on the ceiling - complete with on the half hour thunder and rain storms. I'd just about had enough so headed back to the car and the hostel in Downtown.

I got washed and then headed downstairs to meet a limo tour I'd booked thru the accomodation - a ride in a stretch jeep (not a Hummer) around the Vegas sights and sounds before heading back into New York New York for the Coyote Ugly night - unfortunately I'd left my ID at home, so was refused entry, so along with a dutch guy in our party - we found some beers and then put a couple of bucks in a video blackjack machine. I came out 25c up. Check me out - 1st trip to Vegas and leaving on top of the game!

We met back up with the tour and headed this time to a bar called the House of Blues. Far from the best club I ever went to, it was good fun and a few of us partied hard until the early hours... a certain someone forgetting that he had to be up extra early to get in a days transit and sightseeing!

So I managed to get myself out by about 10.30am, sadly missing todays pancakes. But that was Vegas done with and I was headed North up highway 95 through Nevada. I managed to work out the cruise control in the car which made things way easier as I gunned it along past the sand, rocks and Spring Mountain range. The heat was starting to take it's toll as I neared Death Valley desert so I took some time out to plan the days route properly over a bottle of ice cold water at Nevada Joes.