North America

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Howdy, the gun slinging, Stetson wearing foursome are heading to the Wild West with an itinerary taking in the states of Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana, Arizona ++and starting in Las Vegas. The trip started as Jane and Pete coming to Jane's cousin's 50th birthday bash, us deciding to come along too as we did this trip about 15 years ago but on a coach tour which had been brilliant but not enough time in all these wonderful places, so now we have a month and with 4 cameras at the ready, don't accept any invites to view our holiday snaps as you will be there for days. By the way, the cousin decided to go back to UK for his birthday so we altered our itinerary, the cousin then changed his mind and decided to have it here, has now moved to Phoenix and may come and meet us on the route somewhere, confused? We were!



Arrived at Terminal 5 with loads of time to go through all the airport formalities and a couple of drinks before making our way to the aircraft, we were flying economy plus thank goodness as it is 10.5 hours. Just settling into our seats and PANIC ! Jane couldn't find their folder with all the paperwork, OMG! Pete had left it at the bar, there was no time to go back for it so in panic ridden confusion, we were trying to work out what was in there that we couldn't replace and Pete gathering his stuff to get off the flight and Jane going too. A very calm BA steward who has probably seen it all before calmed them down and persuaded them to stay on board as the chances of getting another flight in the next day or so was minimal. Bless him he brought us all a glass of champagne to calm.



Smooth flight, even quite nice food and a good range of films. Just before we got into Las Vegas the pilot gave his little local report, the time was 8pm and the temperature was 35 degrees, about 104 ...that's hot hot hot! Picked up our hire car, very fortunately they didn't ask for paper copies of the driving licence as Pete's was in the lost paperwork and off we went. The traffic was heavy, it was dark but a short journey brought us to the Luxor hotel, shaped like a pyramid, with lifts that go sideways and a huge bedroom with a bath that seats 4 in the middle of it, it's a crazy place.



1st June

We hit the strip, Las Vegas Boulevard. Since we were last here, it's changed quite a bit with new hotels, some hotels rebuilt, more pedestrian friendly with bridges crossing the wide roads, large designer shopping Malls and one side of the street which wasn't really developed, now is. It is a ridiculous place attracting all sorts of people with slot machines everywhere with people just ploughing in more and more money. The gaming tables also very busy, particularly people playing craps... We couldn't understand what was going on at all, you must need to do a course for the slot machines, they were all a mystery to us.



There are loads of shows you can go no see though many don't have performances on a Monday but we had got into see one of several Cirque Soleil shows that are on here and this one was all done to Michael Jackson music. It was good though not like the performances we have seen in London, there was far more dance in this. Later we took a bus ride to the far end of Las Vegas Boulevard as we wanted to see the Stratosphere tower and it was an opportunity too see all the lights of Las Vegas and glimpse some of the shows in front of the hotels. The Stratosphere is the one that has the roller coaster and swing thing hanging off the side of the top of a very tall tower.... Not to mention doing a leap off the side of the building down some wires, must be bloody mad, no amount of anything would get us up there! We ran into Elvis during the day, glad to see he was alive and well and living in Vegas.

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Photos

Ellis and Tim Pink Cadilac
So glad to find him alive and well

Stratosphere Hotel
With rides on the roof

Comments

[Priscilla Turner]

Wow
Hello you amazing twosome, sounds fantastico, so enjoy reading your blog. Have a lovely time, as if you need encouragement. Lots of love P xx x