June 26: Las Vegas

This morning we slept in a little later, since we were exhausted from the activities of the previous day and the extreme temperatures.  We had breakfast in the hotel, at a restaurant called Hash House A-Go-Go, where it consisted of one pancake 12 inches in diameter (I kid you not!); two slices of bacon, two over-easy eggs, and a side of fresh fruit which included bananas, apples, honeydew melon, raspberries, and blueberries.  Alexandra had a banana latte, and I a normal cup of coffee.  At 10:00 in the morning the place was already jumping with diners, and below, the slot machines and gaming tables were already fired up for action.  

We, however, got our car out of the garage and proceeded to Las Vegas Boulevard at Sahara Avenue.  From there to Washington Ave. we saw the Las Vegas Boulevard National Scenic Byway, 3.4 miles in length.  Unlike the Las Vegas Strip, where crowds and over-the-top spectacles exist, this section of Las Vegas Boulevard, which runs through downtown, feels much less contrived.  Tattoo parlors and bail bond offices mix with vintage neon and cutting edge outdoor light shows to create a cool Rat Pack vibe.  

We stopped at Graceland Wedding Chapel, a famous landmark of that area.  There is the choice of Elvis impersonators who can walk the bride down the aisle, and that same impersonator may even wrap the whole thing up with a rendition of “Viva Las Vegas!”  The chapel is over 70 years old and is one of the most prominent chapels for a wedding in Las Vegas.  Jon Bon Jovi was married there and in 2001, actually held a concert in the Graceland parking lot with 75 couples who renewed their vows with him!  Other musicians such as Billy Ray Cyrus, Aaron Neville and members of popular groups such as Def Lepard, Kiss, Deep Purple and The Thompson Twins have all tied the knot here as well.  Last year, Jay Leno stopped by.  The chapel offers fresh flowers, silk flowers, digital photography, limousine service, DVD recording technology and ceremonies broadcast over the Internet to make a wedding in Las Vegas memorable and an event to be cherished.  

Also on the same stretch is the Neon Museum and Boneyard.  We wanted very much to tour, but one of the guides informed us that the museum was not open due to a staff meeting today, so we were off.  At the corner of Washington Ave. and Las Vegas Blvd., was a museum we visited in its stead, the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort, the site of the first permanent Las Vegas valley settlement, built in 1885 to support the Mormons who came to irrigate crops with fresh water from a nearby creek.  Today the creek is gone.  It vanished after the city of Las Vegas’s water needs cannibalized the water supply.  However, you can still imagine the lifestyle of the people who were the first to call this oasis in the desert “las vegas” or “the meadows.”

Touring this museum, much of which was outside, was a bit of a state of mind over matter, as the temperatures soared to about 106 while we were there.  Afterwards we returned to the Strip and toured the hotel/gaming casino New York New York and then spent some time in the 4-floor M&M store, where we found a whole wall of different M&Ms and bought about a pound of them for future nibbling.  Returning to the hotel, we found ourselves totally depleted by the heat.  An hourlong nap solved that problem, and by that time it was past 5:00 and time for a light dinner before the performance of “Love.”  We walked over to The Venetian, a hotel/gaming casino that intended to duplicate the Doge’s Palace, St. Mark’s Cathedral, the Rialto Bridge, and the waterways of Venice.  We had dinner at a Latin American restaurant right by the “waterway” and the singing gondoliers who serenaded their customers.  We had fish tacos, tomato salsa, guacamole and fresh chips, eating lightly and quickly enough to get back to the hotel, change clothes and head to the Mirage (not the MGM Grand, as I had previously stated) to see a performance of Cirque du Soleil’s “Love.”  Acts, costumes, choreography, technology, and music brought about a vibrant experience to what is touted as one of the most celebrated shows in the world.  The three-time Grammy-winning “Love” is a Rock ‘n’ Roll poem inspired by the lyrics and songs of the Beatles, brought to life by world-class aerialists, acrobats, and dancers.  So many of our favorite Beatles songs were resurrected, and Alexandra and I mouthed all the lyrics, waved our arms during “Hey, Jude” and experienced a euphoria which is hard to describe unless you are a participant in such a “happening.”  Marvelous!

We have packed and have early flights tomorrow.  Alexandra returns to Indianapolis, and I to Dallas for five days, as I am leaving for Minneapolis/St. Paul and points in Wisconsin with Maureen Fromme on July 3.  You will be hearing from me again then.  Until then, and with best wishes, Sylvia