Trip #4. Day 6.

Day 5- Wednesday 20, 2011

Miles: N/A
Weather: sunny and warm

3am and I'm wide awake listening to the sounds of Vegas outside our room.  I wake up my other half, whom has stolen all the blankets(as usual.)  The sounds of sirens awoke me a couple times during the night, come to find out someone had robbed the Stratosphere during the night.  I was kinda bummed we had slept the night away, but my body definitely needed the rest.  We turned on the t.v. and decided to head to Ellis Island, a couple blocks off the strip, for breakfast.  Before leaving I had printed out a list of all the "deals" in Vegas, and Ellis Island had a few graveyard/breakfast specials.  We walked through the somewhat sketchy neighborhoods to the casino and arrive around 4:30am for some biscuits and gravy.  The 3.99 meal tasted like a 3.99 meal, worse than cafeteria food but still able to ease a hungry tummy.  We make our way back to Bills just in time for sunrise, close the curtains and fall asleep for a couple more hours. 

Once we wake up for the day(again) around 9am we throw on the swimsuits and head for the Flamingo pool.  Since Bills does not have a pool, admission is included into the pool next door for free.  We walk in and see all the stuffy, rich folk sitting poolside afraid of a little water.  Me and my thunder thighs make our way to the water, which is a little more than chilly.  But coming from Indiana a little cold water cannot frighten me off.  About an hour and a half in the pool earns me a nice sunburn, I start to resemble Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.  We head back to the hotel and change for the afternoon adventures.

First stop- Imperial Palace for the Auto Collection Showroom.  A beautiful collection of around 200 cars includes former owners Elvis, Johnny Carson and presidents of foreign countries.  A hot pink 1951 Mercury strikes my eyes, causing a slight love affair with a chopped, slammed, gorgeous piece of hot rod.    What a wonderful piece of work, only such thing can make a woman weak in the knees.  Once Jerry peels me away from the auto museum we head to the Miracle Mile shops at Planet Hollywood for lunch and some shopping.  We stop in a small restaurant for a bite to eat, check out a few art galleries, chug a Corona and do some browsing through shops I could never afford.  We head down the street to catch a show at Treasure Island featuring the sirens.  It was a pretty good show, cheesy but cute.  Next stop-Fremont Street.

Fremont is hopping tonight, with more tourists and performers littering the street than the daytime.  We head straight for dollar margaritas, chugging them down like water.  We catch a magician playing tricks with cigarettes and sugar packets, he's definitely good for a few laughs.  I am in complete awe of the surplus of rockabilly boys and gals surrounding me.  Greaser boys + pompadours + rolled up jeans = heaven.  See, Viva Las Vegas(a rockabilly car show) starts the day we leave Vegas.  I am utterly disappointed  by this fact(Debbie, if you're reading this, I may need a few days off April next year.)  By this point, I was feeling the pressure of too many alcoholic beverages and decide it's about time for dinner.  We head to 4 Queens for some $8 prime rib, vegetables and potatoes.  It was the most delicious meal a drunk person could ask for.  After dinner we hop back on the Deuce, headed for Bills.  About 2am we hit the sack, last night in Vegas was a blast.  One thing is for sure, next time to Vegas Fremont Street is the way to go.

Trip #4. Day 5.

Day 5- Tuesday 19, 2011
Miles:  N/A
Weather: sunny and warm

Woke up about 10am, ready to go!  We grab a bus pass to ride the Deuce down the strip towards the old school Fremont Street.  We stop off at the Sahara Hotel and Casino, which is slated for demise on May 16th.  It opened the doors in 1952, and has been home to many performers such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sonny and Cher, Jerry Lewis and Johnny Carson.  A couple dollar hog dogs and High Life's slide down the tube in delight.  We hop back on the bus headed for Pawn Stars, home of another History Channel favorite.  There was a short line to get into the shop, but it does not deter us.  Once inside, I realize how much the shop has changed since January last year.  The tacky souvenirs have taken over what was once space filled with one-of-a-kind antiques and collectibles.   It was busy, and rather disappointing that my man Chumlee was not on site.  We head across the street to another kitschy antiques store.  It was slam packed with pretty much junk from floor to ceiling.  We walk a few blocks, losing our way back to the bus station.  Once we find someone with the bus they tell us it'll be another 45 minutes until the next bus arrives, and that we'd be better off walking. 

So in mid-80s weather we sweat our way to Fremont Street, thirsting for one or two or five margaritas.  Good thing they're only $1 at Freemont.  Some famous Shrimp cocktails follow at the Golden Gate casino, along with some deep fried Twinkies at Mermaid's Casino.  Talk about a massive sugar rush!  We wander from one end to the other, bouncing in and out of all the casinos and decide to head back to the hotel for a early evening nap.  We make it back to our room about 8pm and set the alarm for an hour later.  Bad part, we don't wake up.  I guess this is our bodies playing catch-up with our minds.

Trip #4. Day 4.

Day 4- Monday 18, 2011
Miles: 619
Weather: sunny and warm
Lowest Gas Price: 3.77 (Glenwood Springs, Co)

We check out of the motel after a great nights sleep around 9am and hit the road. The landscape from the Colorado area, through the mountains and plateaus of Utah are gorgeous. My eyes can barely believe the beauty around me, can this really be in America? The colors of the mountains glow with specs of red, yellow, orange and brown. We stop at many lookout points and learn quick facts about what we see. The oldest sediment of the mountains are actually the smaller ones, while the larger mountains are the youngest. For hours all we see is pure beauty. The roads are quite, no traffic at all.  This is such a change from everyday life, it's nice to take a step back and see the things that surround us in our own backyard.

We (finally) roll into Vegas about 8pm Mountain time. The lights from the city are absolutely breathtaking, I love the view from the distance. After fighting a little bit of traffic we hit our hotel, Bills Gambling Hall. It is right next to the Flamingo, in the heart of the strip. We check in and dart straight to our room. It was clean, bigger than expected and had a view of the Bellagio fountains right from our window! Once we got changed and settled in we hit the strip. First stop, the casino bar to catch the final minutes of the Bulls game. I enjoy the sights of my new boyfriend, Joakim Noah. *sigh* After a few margaritas, the Bulls put up some last minute shots and beat the Pacers. Bellagio, here we come.

We waited about ten minutes for the first show, Time to Say Goodbye by Sarah Brightman. I freaking love this song and am so glad to hear it. There is nothing more romantic than the sight of the illuminated water dancing so in sync to an absolutely stunning song. We decide to wait another 15 to see the next show. While waiting we spot some local police taking pictures in front of their cop car. They had a camera crew with them, so I figure they were either with Vegas Jail or Cops. They seemed to enjoy the attention. The second show begins, blasting some Luck be a Lady from Mr. Las Vegas, Frank Sinatra.

After the show we wander around the strip, taking in the glory that is Vegas. The lights, the sounds, the smell of Cigars, the hookers, the cards for hookers at every corner. Ahhhh....Vegas, you rule. We dart in and out of casinos, grabbing drinks and throwing a dollar or two in the machines. Thankfully, neither of us are gamblers. We hit Hooters for some midnight $.25 wings, they hit the spot! After a short hike back to our hotel room, we hit the pillows about 2am. Goodnight, Vegas!