las vegas

As Paul and I trudged down the Las Vegas strip in the 109F heat ten days ago, the phrase ‘Only in America’ came up, and he noted how differently this phrase is used depending to which country it’s being applied. (If you can't handle gross generalizations, skip to the next paragraph.) In England when someone says, ‘Only in Britain,’ it’s in reference to something embarrassing, shameful, or disparaging about the place. Friends of ours have just moved to China where they seem to apply OIC (only in China) to things that are backwards or inconvenient. In Bulgaria, it almost always references something corrupt, dodgy, or just plain illegal. When one says, ‘Only in America,’ it refers to something over the top, excessive but impressive, or relating to a guilty pleasure. Vegas is all three of these.

We arrived at 08:00, and our shuttle stopped at numerous hotel/casinos on the strip before depositing us at the somewhat shady and past-its-prime Sahara Hotel and Casino.

the strip by day

our hotel

This ride took us past all the places we planned to visit: the sinking ship at Treasure Island, the volcano at The Mirage, the gondolas at The Venetian, The Eiffel Tower at Paris, the Statue of Liberty at New York New York and more. The attention to detail in the creations and recreations of these places is remarkable. We were duly impressed, delighted, and pleased.

Our friends, Budge and Kirsten Franz, were staying at The Venetian, one of the best examples of re-creation on the strip. The Doges Palace never looked so good. I’ve been to Venice several times, and it’s always been under scaffolding, probably will be for another ten years. Not here. Here, it serves as the main entrance to the Hotel/Casino with the Rialto Bridge connected to the arched balconies and leading to the tower on St. Mark’s Square and a pristine ‘river’ for the outside gondolas.

the venetian entrance

The foyer boasts barrel vaulted ceilings and marble floors that bring to mind the inside of the Vatican, and the shopping area flanks a canal with gondolas compete with singing drivers.

the foyer with check-in at the end near the fountain

The shopping area has a ceiling painted to look, very effectively, like the sky just as the sun sets, and the lighting is set to match. Walking into this area has an immediate effect on the psyche. It’s fantastic. The place is truly over the top and excessive.

shopping, eating and gondola rides inside the hotel/mall where it is always sun set

We watched the real sun set from the Franz’s suite and had our first look at The Strip at night. Cheesy, gaudy, and extreme waste are just a few descriptives that come to mind. It’s a real guilty pleasure.

the ship of the sirens

the sinking pirate ship. the deck is almost completely submerged and it tilts on its side before the show is over and it's resurrected. all this occurs in front of the hotel and is free to passers by.

the volcano at the mirage hotel and casino

Over the course of our stay, the seedy side of The Strip began to take an equal standing with the spectacular side. I would have liked to stay at a 5 star like the Venetian, but staying at The Sahara made our visit more realistic. Our casino waitresses were all past their prime, their uniforms cut wider in the hip and lower on the thigh. Apparently, a fat convention was being held at The Sahara as we had a disproportionate number of obese people roaming our halls and beaching themselves at our pool. The place reeked of cigarette smoke. The Nascar shop and restaurant adjoin the place, attracting people with missing teeth and incomprehensible grammar. We rode the bus to The Venetian because the walk in the heat was deadly, so we saw the homeless and the drunks, both visiting and local.

When the sun was well set, we left the cool of the casino and joined the masses on The Strip, lit up like a birthday cake for someone turning 1000. Was the Hoover Damn built just to power this place? It was party central and fun even for a sober pregnant lady.

the fountain show at the bellagio with caesar's palace in the background

paris hotel and casino

mgm grand hotel and casino from the excalibur

excalibur

The bus ride back to our hotel at 02:30 wasn’t pretty though. Most everyone on board was dealing with the consequences of their excesses. It is true that as long as you are gambling, the drinks are free. That's all drinks and any kind of gambling, even penny slots. Getting sick and fighting were the two most popular activities at that point.

I’m glad we went. Seeing the Franz’s was the best part of the trip. Las Vegas ranks among the top five ‘Only in America’ cities, and I’m glad we went. But I don’t need to go back.

paul, me, kirsten and budge