The drive to Vegas was shorter than we thought. We passed through a ‘mini’ Vegas – packed with casinos of course. Then we were on the outskirts of Vegas proper. It was only about 10.30am, so we had plenty to time to find a hotel before we would be able to check in. We topped up with the cheapest full we had seen so far (3.85 a gallon – we worked out the hard way that it is cheaper to pay cash than credit, by a couple of cents a gallon) and then found a McDonalds to book some accommodation. Hooters – as we had found out earlier – did prove to have some of the cheapest accommodation and was one of the only places where Betsey would fit into the parking spots (she is quite high). We still had a few hours to kill, as check-in in the US is not until 3pm. On the plus side checkout is usually 11 or 12 in the morning. Being Vegas, it’s 12!
We drove down the road to a big shopping area – the stores are so far apart that you really need to drive between them! We went to Best Buys and checked out a camera – a really nice one. We couldn’t decide whether to get it or not, but I had decided I wanted a nice one before Grand Canyon, as my little digital Olympus just doesn’t do landscape shots justice. We had lunch in a pretty dead shopping mall (not sure where all the people were? Recession?!)– Panda Express with a mega Dr Pepper (really, why did they get rid of this in Australia?! Even Will likes it and he didn’t last time he was here!) and thought about the camera. A quick pop into a few shops for some new summer tops (Vegas was soo hot after being in the mountains) and then we headed back to Best Buys to but IT. As proud owners of a Nikon DLSR 3100, we also bought insurance for two years in case I drop it (this thing looks seriously awkward!). Thanks to Nicole for inspiring us last year with her awesome photos across Europe – that’s how we decided on a Nikon! As an aside, the guy who sold us the camera and told us how it works, etc. looked like a Mexican version of my brother!
Then we checked into Hooters and had showers – ahh bliss. Same deal as the Holiday Inn – lots of trips to the ice machine. Then we played with the Nikon and practised taking photos of pens, books, the TV, out the window, etc. And watched TV for the first time in quite a while! Will was watching some random kids’ show, which was kind of like Ben 10 – and it was referring to Tasmanian devils! We thought we’d heard wrong, but no, these kids were in Tassie, making friends with’T-devils’ and then the bad guy captured some to make into killer robots. Of course he lost and the devils reverted to their scavenging selves and wanted to eat pizza. Too funny! Once it had cooled down a bit we were ready to go for a walk outside(we were seriously melting – after the mountains and snow, Vegas was about 35 degrees Celsius. Mid 90s for all you imperial people).
As an aside, it has been interesting talking to random Americans about the imperial/metric system – most of them think that the USA needs to catch on and go with metric! I think they all realise how logical metric is and how darn confusing the imperial system is. What’s a yard?? An ounce? A pound?? (somewhere where you take stray dogs… or not!) They might be working on introducing it here, who knows. It’s a slow process… inch by inch J.
So off we went into the still dazzling sunshine (about 5 o’clock). We walked past the MGM hotel and the huge lion out the front, the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty with its scary looking roller-coaster and headed along the Strip. Lots of people, many holding ‘yard glasses’ of margaritas (see crazy imperial system again. I think the ‘ounces’ varied in those plastic glasses/things that hens have on hens’ nights at bars). We walked along for a while and marvelled at the shiny, plastic civilisation that is Las Vegas.
We admired the huge hotels and then it was time to eat! Very unimaginatively we went to ‘The Outback’ steakhouse, mainly so I could see what it was like! My advice is: give it a miss. Sure, the didgeridoos and dot-paintings reminded me of home, but the prices were also just like those at home! Will did have some tasty ribs and my burger was pretty amazing, but the service there was shite. First the waiter came to us thirty seconds after we’d sat down to ask if we’d like to order our food (umm, let me just open the menu first) and then it took him ages to come back to take our orders. Then I hadn’t quite finished eating and he was already clearing the table. Rude. I made sure Will didn’t tip him much and that he didn’t get a ‘see you later.’ Isn’t that what tipping is all about – getting good service? Obviously they pay waiters too much there that he could afford to be rude! Outback experience: check. Again: never.
Afterwards we went to M&M World (I’d seen lots of people with yellow bags…we had to go there!). So, I was expecting a small store… but that was not the case! There were lots and lots of M&Ms and M&M paraphernalia! (I did look around for Kristen, as she usually supplies the M&Ms at parties in Horsham, but I didn’t see her!) I didn’t know you could buy so many different items for merchandise for this candy. Four floors of nothing but!!! FOUR FLOORS. Absolutely nuts. And there are several different types – more than in Australia. Like all good tourists we had to try some – peanut butter, almond (possibly my new fave) and pretzel (interesting) as well as the usual varieties – peanut, mini and plain. But these ones came in a range of new and unusual colours, like white, pink, black and purple. The plain and peanut were arranged by colour, so you could see the range. It looked awesome! I just wish I could afford M&M PJs and mugs and plates and shower curtains and glasses and…
A little bag of M&Ms later and we were on our way back to Hooters, admiring the lights and glitz and drunk people that makes Vegas what it is.
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