A friend recommended the KOA at Sam's Town.
It's about 20 minutes from the Strip but they have a free shuttle that runs until 9:30pm. I'm sure this is useless to "real" Las Vegas visitors. But for us early risers it worked out fine.
We got checked in, set up and took the 6 0'clock bus to the Strip. In my previous life I used to make it to Vegas at least once a year. Usually alone but sometimes with Mary Ann. I had told Carol that there were many places that I wanted to show her, but most of them had been torn down. I didn't know how prophetic that would be.
We got off the shuttle at the back of Harrah's. All the casinos have greatly improved their ventilation systems and not nearly as many people smoke as used to. But the stink was still overwhelming. We hurried but it still took 20 minutes to work our way through the casino to get to the street.
Buck Shepherd - You've let a few things slip about your previous life but we didn't know you were so famous. There is a statue of you in the center of Harrah's. I guess "Winnie" was before you met your Carol.
Please click on the pictures so you can appreciate the full effect. AND to see Buck's necklace to confirm that I'm not making this stuff up.
Out on the street, I almost dragged Carol to see the Pirate Ship Battle at Treasure Island. I remember it being "over the top" Disney. It was in a lagoon right in front of the casino and crowds stood on the sidewalk to watch it.
It's gone. Management realized how valuable that sidewalk frontage was and now there is a row of shops between the very narrow sidewalk and what's left of the lagoon.
To add insult to injury, they've built a Senor Frog over what was part of the lagoon. It IS Las Vegas, of course so this might be slightly different from the other locations. I don't know for sure. The other locations might also have two "Bikini" nights a week. But I don't think the others have the "Drag Brunch Every Saturday.
We didn't take pictures of the little shops, but to give you an idea, one of them was a Starbucks.
Some of the hotels haven't gotten money hungry enough to give up their grand entrances.
The Palazzo
The Venetian.
The Bellagio still has its large lagoon.
And its water show.
In all my trips to Vegas, I was always trying to convince someone that my gambling system was the only one that made sense. They seldom agreed. Carol was no exception. I believe that if you go into a casino saying,, "I'm not going to risk more than x dollars, pick a number, it doesn't matter. Let's say $100. So if I lose my hundred, I'm going to quit." That is exactly what will happen. Every time. 90% of the time, at some point before you lose your hundred, you will have been UP a hundred. But since you've already decided that you can afford to lose a hundred, you will keep playing until your down a hundred and then you will quit.
The proper attitude, in my opinion, is to look around at those luxurious surroundings, air conditioned, thick carpet, comfortable chairs, beautiful young girls bringing you free drinks and say, "These people are SO nice that I would really feel guilty taking more than $100 of their money tonight." And when you are up a hundred, pocket it and walk away. I tried to show Carol. I won a couple of times, but small amounts and I put it back into the machine. She didn't buy into my system, so after I'd lost $20 she was ready to quit. On our last night I told her, "I've got a dollar in my pocket, let me try again." I won $40. and walked away. THAT's the way it's supposed to work.
But we did spend most our time walking the Strip, enjoying the incredible buildings and watching people.
The Bellagio has a Conservatory and Botanical Garden which changes with the seasons.
One of the things I learned from 30 years in the insurance business was that it is very difficult to make good clients out of good friends. At some point you have to treat them like clients and most friends don't take that very well. But if you are Blessed, occasionally you can make good friends out of good clients. A LONG time ago, I insured a Cessna for Ann and Ralph Devers. When they retired to Las Vegas, I suggested that they change to an agent closer to them. But before that happened, they became good friends. We may only get together once in ten years, but we pick up right where we left off like we had seen each other yesterday.
Ann prepared a feast which was wonderful. But the company was even better. To top it off, she insisted that we take leftovers back to the Airstream. I told Ann that while we were in town, I also wanted to see Bev, a friend from completely different circles than Ann. Ann said, "She's my best friend in the world. We'll all get together." So lunch at a local's favorite place was arranged. With Bev and her husband Lynn.
Lynn, Bev, Carol, Tom, Ann, Ralph. The owner of the restaurant - well, actually, the owner's son came out and took the picture.
I looked up and saw this wifi symbol.
Is this the "cloud" that everyone is talking about?
Good times with good friends. Best of all, Carol liked them and she got lots of sympathy for being married to me from people that have known me for over 30 years.
God is Good.
Every Day.
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