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Published: September 12th 2009
View from the top
The Stratosphere Tower has immense views of the StripAs a fan of glitz, kitsch, bright lights and the odd bit of gambling Las Vegas has always been a destination on my must-see list. It didn't disappoint. From the first glimpse of the city miles away in the distance as we drove through the seemingly endless desert my excitement was soaring. Vegas is everything I expected - big, brash, bold and over the top.
We met my parents at the airport (they had come out for 12 days to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary) and headed to the Stratosphere. This is the hotel with the tower that has all the crazy rides on the top. We didn't go on these after finding the rollercoster at New York, New York to be a bit scary.
It was fabulous to have a proper room after hostels and motels and we had a great view of the Strip. I just wanted to get out there.
Walking along the Strip and seeing the vastness of the hotels and the elaborate designs was just amazing. The free nightly shows like the Bellagio fountains, the Mirage volcano and the Treasure Island sirens were spectacular.
Obviously we
had a flutter or two in the different casinos in the hope of winning big and saying goodbye to hostels forever but unfortunately that fantasy didn't come true. Mum did really well though to win over $200 in a slot machine. It all went back in of course!
It was well over 30 degrees in Vegas even in the middle of the night. Luckily there are plenty of casinos to pop into for a bit of air con comfort.
We went to see Jubilee at Bally's which was a showgirl-type revue featuring a cast of beautiful half-naked ladies and men. The costumes, well the headdresses and jewellery, and sets were so glam and over the top. I loved it.
We also attended Tony 'n Tina's Wedding at Planet Hollywood. This is a show in which the audience (us) are guests at the Italian-American wedding. This was the most unusual and funniest show I have ever been to. The room was set up just as a wedding reception would be and the actors interact with the guests as the evening unfolds. It was hilarious. Simon and dad ended up dancing with the bridesmaids while I was roped into
doing the leg-kicking New York, New York last song of the night. There was a buffet, band, fights, throwing of the bouquet. It was brilliant.
The premiere for the movie The Goods was also on at Planet Hollywood so we ended up watching stars including Will Ferrell and Jeremy Piven walk down the red carpet. As a movie geek and celebrity stalker I was in heaven. It was all just so exciting.
Simon, dad and I took a chopper flight over the Strip at night. It was like Christmas up there with all the lights. Afterwards we drove down the Strip (or rather stopped and started because the traffic is horrendous) while listening to Viva Las Vegas - it had to be done!
Some people say a weekend in Vegas is long enough but 5 days wasn't enough for me. I could've stayed there all week, it's a real buzzing city and the energy is just immense. We loved it.
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sandra simons
non-member comment
perhaps we should go back there for a week. i could have stayed there for longer too. loved vegas.