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Here it is, the thing I've been promising for a while. I had orginally though of posting a few of the pictures here but instead I'll just let everyone go see the photobook. Be warned, this is a rather long post. I tried my to not make it a play-by-play, stating the more interesting points, but whatever. Been a while, so also tried to stay as accurate as I could given time lapse.
Monday:
Around 1:00pm I finish packing my duffel bag, bloated from its contents, and my backpack which will act as a carry-on. Because I'm paranoid and have heard nothing by horror stories I shove a change of clothes in there next to the books I'll never read during the entire trip. I head to James' house at about 2:00pm or so, and his father drives us to the airport . After a few last words of good will and advice, James and I head alone into the modest terminal. Miraculously, we both make it through the screening process, and without an utterance of the magic words of bomb, or explosion, and the like. Although chances are at the small and scarcely populated area no one could have heard us, unless the middle-aged gentleman with the laptop was packing heat or the palm bush was an agent in disguise. So we begin the first waiting period that would make up a good portion of our travel time. The plane arrives, a little pigeon of a vessel with only 50 seats. It'd been a long time since I had flown, and being a small plane prone to being easily buffeted by winds, it was a tense flight to say the least. Although James managed to be even less relaxed than I was. Guess he regretted calling the window seat...
We get to our first stop, Atlanta, an airport so big we have to take several underground trams in order to get to our next terminal. The long wait here seems to go by fairly quickly, and we're soon in the First class seating of a nice big airplane, where we just manage to sit down before drinks appear. Although we're subjected to the worst movie in history, the flight is fairly smooth and we touch down just as night falls in Las Vegas. More trams, and then the first sight to behold is an army of slot machines silently brooding in a large hall. We get a cab to our hotel room, which is apparently on the very end of the strip, and not the good side, but it still has a really tall tower thing, so it's all good. The cabbie is Indian and responds politely to idle conversation, but only as needed. We check in, have a look around, and that basically ends our first day in Vegas as we watch tv before turning in.
Tuesday:
I awake at around 9pm, not quite used to the time zone change, and head out to have another look around while James is still in his bed. I came come back and he's dressed so we head out. This is where we meet a new friend that would be a constant hanger's on during the trip: dry heat. You can literally feel your skin baking, but it doesn't weigh you do like the humid heat we're used to so we press onwards thinking nothing of it. But the things we see are, to put it simply, beyond belief. I truly think the artists that designed these structures, paintings, and masonry rival those of any great art period. Beautiful fountains and buildings modern and different, yet familiar. We stop in Caesar’s Palace for a while, playing slots, relaxing, and trying to figure out how the complex sports betting system works. We end up giving up and moving on. Basically the day was spent casino-hoping, managing to get half-way down the strip before being too tired to carry on, and take a cab back. This cabby mostly ignored us, more interested in whoever it was he was speaking in a foreign tongue with on his cell phone. We head back up to the room and crash, not bothering to acquire a decent supper, as we only strayed as far as the snack machines down the hall. The rest of the late-afternoon/night/late-night is spent watching tv and otherwise chilling out.
Wednesday:
We play it smart, waking up late and heading out when things aren’t quite as brutal, though we’re still sore. It’s a long way to walk before we find something new. Still, the hotel/casino hybrids we visit now are even more massive and elaborate than the last. We come across a a large, two-story arcade with an Initial D game where you’re actually suspended in a car chase that leans, swerves and bumps as you do in the game. Unfortunately everything goes un-played, as we’re a bit pressed for time and the arcade uses a card system which we’re far too lazy to figure out. So the much beloved Star Wars arcade console is left not graced by my hands. We do splurge a few minute in the MGM playing video poker while waiting for the appearance of a descendent of the famed MGM lion. It seems a waste of time until we actually see how massive this animal is. We run through the rest of the casinos on the way back to the Venetian, taking a cab to our first Vegas show, the Blue Man Group. The cabbie is a rather quiet and intense man, who seemed to want nothing more than us being out of his vehicle. We hang around the Venice replica streets, listening to a three-man band and watching a large mass of an Asian tour group try to remain organized. We end up arriving at the destination about at the time we had hoped. About 15 minutes before the show a couple of ushers start talking to the audience. I can’t really make out all they’re saying but they start handing out a big roll of white paper, and having people take some then pass it on. I end up with a meager strand, not very enthused about the whole thing. The show was simply undescribable. There are no words that can thoroughly explain the experience, and if you have yet to see the show or a DVD of theirs, I’d highly, highly recommend you check them out. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my glasses and we were kinda high up so the smaller, finer details were lost to me, but I still really enjoyed myself. The paper I mentioned earlier came into effect as black lights came on, and later, a strobe light thing came into effect and huge strands of larger paper came pouring down from above. So together the two items made quite a thrilling show. At the end, the first row was completely covered in the paper, surprised they managed to get out easily. (For those worried, the paper was indeed recycled, and I think even made of recycled materials.) After the show, the three Blue Men were available for photo-ops, so James took the opportunity, brokering an alliance between these curious blue travelers and the human race. We took another cab back to our hotel. Our driver was a very angry little man that didn’t like waiting and other drivers, but was rather fond of four-letter words... After a few minutes of watching tv, I decide to make this the night I splurge on food and go in search of the Sushi bar based in our hotel. I sit at the bar in front of a friendly little sushi chef whom I think was Hispanic or Filipino. I order some sushi and a bowl of Udon noddles. When asked if I’d like something to drink, I figure ‘what the heck’ and opt for some sake. The sushi was decent, and the Udon was simply wonderful. For those of you that haven’t tried sake, though, allow me to share my take on it. First few swallows while it was still hot were fairly tolerable, having almost a sweet/spicy taste. But the more I had, and the colder it got, the more it started to taste much as I figure turpentine or mineral spirits would. (Stuff used to strip paint) I return to the room, having blown $25 for the whole meal.
Thursday:
Once again we wake up kinda late and prepare to head out. There’s not much on the agenda today, just one real stop before our trip is basically over. Earlier in the week I had convinced James that we need to participate in a total geek-out, fulfilling our nerdly obligations by going to The Star Trek Experience, so we go to the Las Vegas Hilton where it’s hosed. (Just assume I made some dirty Paris Hilton joke so we can go ahead and move on.) The place was pretty cool, but not quite as decked out as I had hoped. We kinda blaze through a Trek props museum, and get to the line of the first ride we paid for; Borg 4D, or something. Due to the limit of photography I unfortunately couldn’t take any pics, but it was still pretty cool. Actors in Starfleet garb direct you around a mock research center when the Borg attack. Got to watch some dude get pulled through the ceiling and then saw some ok 3D show, so was pretty fun. I say any ride you can be assimilated and then walk away from is a good one. We go ahead and catch our second ride, and we’re lined up in a similar fashion as you would when about to enter a simulator ride. Instead of all going according to plan, though, the lights go out, and a huge rush of air blasts us from the front. When the lights come back on, there’s a Starfleet officer behind a console in front of us, and a teleporter beneath us. Impressive, in my mind. Get to walk around a mock Enterprise, and then really ride a simulator, so I enjoyed this one about as much as the first. We eat an early dinner at Quark’s, which is good but pricey. I pick up my first souvenirs on the way out and we catch a cab back to the hotel. This cabbie is an older man that’s chatty compared to the others, and it’s probably the most pleasant ride of the trip. I do some more souvenir shopping and retire to the room for more tv and conversation.
Friday:
Another late awakening before getting ready and packed. We decide that the Vegas Airport will probably be hectic so we make our way there rather early. The cabbie we have this time is rather old and quiet, and drops us off at the wrong airline terminal. Good thing we gave him a lousy tip. We check in at break-neck speeds (1st class is simply awesome) and end up sitting at our terminal with a few hours to spare. I decide to throw a bit more money into a video poker machine while James busies himself with his writings. A few dollars lost, I occupy myself with various things before the plane arrives. Another first class treatment as we jet across the desert to out first stop, Salt Lake City. Having the window seat I was able to notice the geography; vast amounts of dead land, small lakes, and countless odd circles of green where I assume some kind of farms or grooves were. We get to Salt Lake with plenty of time to spare and nothing to do. We walk around the airport a bit, or at least we let the moving walkways do the walking for us. A late bite to eat and the plane arrives, last one out that night/morning with our passengers being the only ones around. Another long flight across the US, with only the newer Harrison Ford movie and a sandwich to occupy a rather bored and tired self. There were some storms close to us so it was kinda a bumpy flight. The Atlanta airport is still pretty quiet, as it’s quite early and nothing’s open. Which makes food unlikely. I had hoped the sushi stand would open up in time for a snack, but even when it did I found it was mislabeled and only had health food. To sum the rest up, we wait some more, fly some more, then finally arrive back in Tallahassee, where we’re picked up. Overall, the trip was enjoyable and if anything, I now have the Vegas experience with me and the ability to say I’ve been out west and stood within the boundaries of two more states. A bit of advice for those interested in planning a trip there in the future: while there’s plenty to see and do, just remember the things that Vegas is known for and if you’re not too interested in those things, or don’t have enough money, you’re going to be spending some time doing nothing. For some people, though, that’s part of what it means to be on vacation. I leave you with a list of Vegas stereotypes that I noticed were either true or found to be somewhat false.
Things that are true:
1. Sin is everywhere. Instead of newsstands, there are smut stands everywhere and migrant workers hand out handfuls of cards with censored naked women instructing you to give them a call. There are mini-casinos in between big casinos, and alcohol costs almost cheaper than a cold drink.
2. Dry heat is in fact, different than humid heat. Not as oppressive, but it’s still the desert, and much hotter by degrees than Tally. Also, it’s more dangerous as it can be deceptive, because you don’t really sweat.
3. Outside the strip, it’s pretty dangerous. Every day the news had a story of some person being murdered with no signs of forced entree to their home, or some creep stalker found under a bed having been then for days.
4. Money is the name. A lot of money went into making these places, but don’t worry, they get it back...
5. Casinos have their own malls. Most are larger than the Tallahassee Mall.
6. Oxygen bars do exist. Saw several on our trip.
False Stereotypes:
1. Food is more expensive than suggested. Perhaps the most depressing false stereotype. While restaurant chains are about the same price, you’re probably not gonna find a cheap meal. Most places are kinda higher-classed, and those great buffets you always hear about are indeed nice, but be prepared to drop about $13 for dinner at one. Cold liquids are actually cheaper at convenience stores.
2. Shows actually aren’t that hard to get into. Perhaps a pleasant surprise was our ability to catch a pretty big show, the Blue Man Group, by acquiring tickets a mere day before the show. So I assume this goes for other more popular shows as well. If you know one you want to see for sure, by all means, book in advance. But I assume that if you wanted to get your schedule loose you’d be able to find something decent.
3. There is no such thing as a free lunch...in casinos. All those little fun treats you hear casinos handing out like free meals and drinks exist...just not for you. You’d have to meet a certain requirement, namely being a high-roller or at least seeming like one. For the casual gamer, forget it.
 Ryo Crimson · Thu Aug 31, 2006 @ 05:50pm · 0 Comments |
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