VEGAS, Baby!
- Mandy Watson
- Jul 4
- 9 min read
Sin City, here we are!
After a mammoth trip already, from the Canadian Rockies, to cruising Alaska, road tripping Vancouver Island, Seattle, through Oregon, Salt Lake City, to the amazing canyons of Arizona, Utah and Nevada - we FINALLY arrived in Vegas, for - can you believe it ...?
A REST!
We have already been travelling for nearly two months, and its been quite hectic -
(if you have read the last four blogs),
we have covered a lot of miles, and seen some extraordinarily gorgeous places;
we now get to enjoy putting our feet up for a few days, to see how Vegas has evolved since our last visit - waaaay back in the year 2000.
Yes, it's been that long.
And yes, Vegas has evolved - and may I be daring to say, in my opinion -
maaaaaybe not for the best?
Some will disagree, but I actually loved the iconic days of old -
the gawdy neon flashing lights, the ones that draw you in like moths to a flame,
like the classic signs of the Stardust, Sahara and so forth.
A lot of the biggies that were so synonymous of the glory days of Vegas are now gone,
even the Mirage is going and Treasure Island is next.
I used to love the pirate ship days where they put on a whole battle in front of the entrance,
just for your free entertainment, and to ultimately lure you inside the hotel.
And who remembers the erupting volcano in front of the Mirage?
Not to mention the white tigers of Siegfried and Roy, that ended so sadly...
I digress...
I guess I was a bit disappointed with all the traffic and construction
the F1 preparation was causing,
so much so that we couldn't enjoy the gorgeous Bellagio dancing fountains from The Strip, due to the temporary F1 grandstand.
But, its Vegas, and be sure there's ALWAYS something massive going on somewhere.
THAT SAID, I will no longer be a negative Nellie, and instead, I'll let you know how we enjoyed a few fabulous days, experiencing the new, and reliving some old whilst we could.
We chose to stay for the second time, at the quirky, some might say tacky,
but I like to say themed - towered castle of the 'Excalibur Hotel and Casino'.
It is well located on a corner along with New York New York, and MGM,
and the shuttle bus drops you right to the door, so it worked well for us.
Plus it was cheap!
The difference between this place and MGM, was $800 Australian dollars, over just 3 nights, so we used that saving to book the Fairmont Hotel in Whistler for two nights right before we were to fly home.
Seemed like a great compromise to me.
First thing we did do, was to plan our nightly entertainment, and get those bookings sorted.
We decided to finally pop our Circ De Solais cherry - yes, we have never gone to one,
so where better than to go and see the original 'Mystere' at Treasure Island,
seeing that it is the next iconic Vegas Hotel to be torn down.
We also were really encouraged by a dear friend at home, (thanks Nessie!),
to go to the amazing 'Sphere', to see The Wizard of Oz, so that's next...
Our final night will see us at the arena production in our own hotel,
that of the Knight's Tournament, (which we saw last time we were here),
and is always a lot of fun, with the mandatory dorky but inclusive crowd participation.
Hey, its got horses, so I'm in!
Now we can relax, cruise around, take our time, and soak in all this city has to offer.
First stop for us is ALWAYS Caesars Palace.
So iconic.
And it still is.
We stayed here for Trev's birthday way back in 1994 - that surely seems like a long time ago,
and certainly a lifetime for our youngest kids, as they weren't even born then.
We always love a stroll through The Forum, an ancient Roman styled promenade,
where you really enjoy the sensation of wandering the streets of Italy,
all the while the domed sky above changes gently from day to night.
Something that isn't uncommon now, but back in the day it was very unique and
quite special.
After we had exhausted our window shopping energy in Caesars,
we simply enjoyed a stroll along The Strip, taking in all the sights,
some crazy, but all 'very Vegas', and still, very safe.
Some, or I should say - many cities, sadly feel less than safe these days;
but The Strip seems now just as easy going, and as family friendly as ever.
It was cool to see the Pirate Ship, still outside Treasure Island, but alas, stuck in time,
and in cement, with no buccaneers flying from ship to ship
amidst plumes of theatrical smoke.
We consider ourselves lucky to have seen it back in its hey-day.
Once inside Treasure Island , there is a really cool country bar called ' Gilley's',
which we poked our heads into, and what fun that was!
I'll tell you the truth, we aren't really country music fans, but the bar was huge,
had a great vibe, and everyone was into the line dancing.
Do it. Don't do it.
It's still fun to watch with a bevvy, and enjoy the band.
I'll say it here, I'm a secret and possibly pathetic fan of a bit of Achy Breaky Heart,
especially in this environment.
I guess my daggy secret is out...
Whilst we're talking progress, we admired the very early sight of the giant guitar being built in front of what was the former Mirage Hotel - and soon to be home to the newest
Hard Rock Hotel with surely what will be the world's tallest guitar.
We MAY have to return.
We'll see. ;)
Now, its off to the circus...well, my favourite kind of circus,
the one that only humans are featured!
An absolute spectacle and feast for the eyes.
Loved it.
Afterwards, we got suckered in, and we did throw some money through the slots,
(or 'pokies' as we call them in Australia),
but surprisingly we did hit a few minor jackpots!
And I do mean minor.
But it sounded like we had won the jackpot, so we had some fun with that.
Walking back along the Strip at night, is always an eye popping experience.
Not as many buskers these days, but always plenty of bikini clad girls on platform shoes with an array of feathers gracing their backsides.
To be honest, most of them, sadly for Trev, weren't worth paying to take their photo...😬, sorry loves, just how it is.
I'd rather photograph the architecture.
Oh, and guess who enjoyed the New York New York Rollercoaster?
Heck yeah, Baby, I'm a thrill-seeker from way back.
It was a hoot!
A good solid day's effort I reckon!
Time for a well earnt rest, and sleep in.
Can't believe we're actually spending 4 days in the one place!
That's a rare thing for us when we travel.
---
Day two was to be an easy going day, just walking, eating, window shopping,
exploring new hotels,
attacking the occasional margarita and indulging in gelato.
No guesses who had what there...
Hells Bells, this vacay is coming to a close, so best we squeeze in a few more calories
before its over, right?
Trev did find his favourite pink donut...
The highlight for our day, and possibly for our whole time in Vegas, was tonight's entertainment.
We had tickets to The Sphere, to see the highly acclaimed Wizard of Oz.
Now, this is where I came a little 'unstuck', expectation wise.
And this, for once, is a good thing!
For a change, I didn't over research in what we were seeing,
I was happy to be pleasantly surprised.
All I found out was that the Sphere, is exactly that - A giant dome set back a little from the strip, so just be warned, don't think you can easily walk there in a hurry unless you are staying nearby.
Utilise the cheap shuttle bus or just grab an Uber or Cab.
Ok getting there, but good luck finding one after an event...
Anyway, we weren't late, and once inside,
we were gobsmacked at the size of this establishment.
Just so very unique, and incredibly 'Vegas'.
The Eagles are the resident entertainers there, but as we saw them years ago,
before Glenn Fry sadly passed away,
we chose to see Oz instead.
And, BOY oh BOY, what a production!
Here I thought we were just going to be seeing a theatrical performance.
Little did I know that the entire domed ceiling played the movie,
(like an IMAX theatre on steroids) ...
with incredible definition and detail, considering it was originally filmed in 1939.
It truly was a 4D experience, with wind and slight debris flying around during the tornado, the place even shook. We were sprayed, had snowflakes, even autumn leaves in our hair.
It was the best movie experience of our lives.
Felt like we were inside a giant orange.
No photography was allowed inside, but even having a look at images online,
there's no way to convey the curved experience of the ceiling.
It truly needs to be experienced in person.
As we left, now it was dark, the outer shell of the sphere was a calidascope of imagery. Super cool.
A must do experience whilst in Vegas.
Absolutely unforgettable.
Worth every cent.
---
Day 3 was time for us to experience a little of the 'Old Vegas',
and head way away from the Strip, and down to 'Fremont Street'.
It's like where Old Vegas has chosen to exist,
despite the allure of the multi billion dollar hotels along The Strip.
So glad we went, although we weren't quite sure when we got off the bus,
it seemed as dodgy as hell down there,
but once we saw what we were looking for - it was no problem at all.
It had its own charm, so we decided that we must come back again in the evening.
Its Vegas after all, and you have to see these places fully lit.
No, not us lit, just the places. 🤪
We had purchased a three day shuttle bus pass when we first arrived, and at only $20 each,
it saved us time and money during our stay.
The buses depart every twenty minutes, so if you miss one, either keep walking,
or just chill and people watch for a bit.
Never boring in Vegas.
If travelling down, and back from Freemont Street, allow plenty of time.
I think it took us maybe an hour and a half to get back to our hotel, as there was a lot of traffic due to F1 construction traffic.
Wait till we come back for the night shots.
Wish now I went on the zip line!
But this was just a little taster.
We had to get back, for yes, another show...
When in Vegas, right?
But we'll head back later tonight.
The clock doesn't matter here one bit.
Back to Excalibur for the show. Dinner was included in the ticket,
so one less thing to have to figure out. I was there for the entertainment anyway.
Its all about good knights, versus evil knights, and they divide the crowd into sections, so you know who to boo and hiss, and who to cheer.
A simple, yet effective format for a fun and lively experience.
Who doesn't love a good joust?
As we watched the early show, we now had time to head back down to Fremont Street,
to REALLY see it.
Under lights, especially the amazing ceiling.
IT WAS F A B U L O U S!
Everything was about Halloween, even the band members were dressed up.
And HERE is where all the buskers/street entertainers are.
It had a very 'Times Square' vibe about it.
And how's this place for a restaurant?
Themed as a heart attack, all diners are given hospital styled smocks to wear -
the whole place is themed.
Hilarious.
Kind of like how fast food is for you anyway???
😉
So there you have it - three nights in Vegas, done fairly well in my opinion.
Tomorrow we fly back to Vancouver, to visit with friends that we had met 8 years ago,
in Macchu Picchu no less!
Time for an overdue catch up, then our last two days of this mammoth two month trip
will be spent in the beautiful Whistler Village, before we head back to Australia!
Time to celebrate Christmas with our family,
before we head off in February to South America.
No rest for the wicked!
Until then, its
CIAO!
M x
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