The Venetian, Las Vegas

Posted on April 11, 2016April 11, 2016 by Dusty Roads

Its our last day in Vegas. In the morning we’ll check out and head for the airport. No time for any last minute sightseeing. We still need to use our tickets to Madam Tussaud’s and we want to do a quick load of laundry so we don’t have to carry dirty clothes home. Polo Towers as a time share, has coin operated washers and dryers throughout the building. Too bad a lot of them didn’t work. Eventually we found a floor with working machines. Then with clean clothes packed into our suitcases we could head out to explore knowing that task was behind us.

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The first thing we did was head for the bus stop at the Hawaiian Marketplace. Instead of buying a ticket for the Big Bus, we bought the less expensive ticket for the city bus line. Known as the Deuce /SDX it runs frequently up and down the strip 24 hours a day.

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I wanted to show Sandy the Venetian so that was our first stop.

DSC_2513 copy Of course with our late start we arrived around lunchtime. It was such a beautiful day we decided to eat at Burgers and Beer. Turns out this is a Mario Batali restaurant. I wouldn’t have guessed as I always think of him as an Italian Chef. We managed to get a table with a sun umbrella because we were willing to wait. It was a good thing because it was very hot in the sun. We passed our time watching the Gondolas cruise the exterior canal.

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When I was here in 2015 the outdoor canal was closed but it makes a beautiful setting with crystal clear water now that it is open again. I was disappointed to learn that the exterior canal and the one Joe and I rode inside the Grand Canal Shoppes do not connect. I was hoping for one long ride.

After lunch we headed inside for our Gondola ride. We lingered a bit at the entrance to admire the waterfall and huge glass butterflies.

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Then it was into the little boats to be serenaded by our gondolier, a lovely young woman with an amazing voice. She had an accent and told us she was from the “real” Venice and that we really needed to go to her country to experience the Real Thing.

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As we headed back to the dock we passed another gondola and I recognized our gondolier from last year.

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Nice to know there is some longevity to these jobs.

Dinner and A Show

Posted on April 8, 2016April 8, 2016 by Dusty Roads

OK , I messed up. I’ve already told you about the Brazilian Steak house. We actually went to a terrific seafood restaurant before the Jersey Boys and to Pampas before Vegas The Show. But no worries I can tell you that the seafood was good too.

We were in the Miracle Mile Shops. There were 2 seafood restaurants and Pampas Brazilian Steakhouse all in the same corner of the mall. It’s kind of funny when you think about it. Here we are in the middle of a desert and we’re going to eat seafood.

We debated between Ocean One Bar and Grill and The Oyster Bay Seafood and Wine Bar. I’ll probably get it backward but I think we settled The Oyster Bay Seafood and Wine Bar. The service was excellent, the wine was delicate and smooth and my scallops were exquisite. It was an excellent choice. I think Sandy was pleased with her meal as well.

The show, Vegas the Show, was at the Saxe Theatre which wasn’t far away. The Miracle Mile Shops is laid out in a big circle.

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When we finished dinner we headed to our right and the theater just past the Hilton Grand Vacations, still on our end of the circle.

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Vegas the show is the story of Las Vegas from it’s early years, through the Rat Pack, Elvis and Mr. Las Vegas, Wayne Newton. There are traditional showgirls and comedy skits. It ends with newsreels of the changes that have taken place over the years, the destruction of the old casinos to make way for the new.

I’d seen the show with Joe and thought it was worth seeing it again.

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With our canes Sandy and I were allowed to go to our seats in the elevator instead of up the long flight of stairs. As expected I enjoyed the show, especially the magician/ comedian skit. I don’t remember that from last year.

Like the Jersey Boys, no photography was allowed so I just had to sit back and enjoy the show. Sandy said it was good but not as good as Jersey Boys.

We’re Not Done yet!

Posted on April 6, 2016April 6, 2016 by Dusty Roads

Back at Bally’s we waited for the Big Bus to pick us up so we could continue our exploration but it was getting late.

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The bus stops running around 6:30 and we’d yet to make a complete circuit. We have tickets to Madam Tussaud’s but it doesn’t look like we’ll get there today.

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We climbed aboard determined to ride the rest of the route. We’d get off where we started at the Hawaiian Marketplace so back we went past the Hard Rock Hotel and Cafe with it’s Gibson Guitar, the Wyndham, the Miracle Mile Shops and Planet Hollywood. DSC_2412 copy

At the Excalibur we interrupted a photo shoot with the costumed staff.

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Then it was past the Luxor and the Sphinx, Las Vegas’s nod to Egypt.

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Finally we approached the McCarren airport, not the commercial side but the section with the private planes and there it was. The famous Las Vegas Sign! We got to see it coming and going!A wedding party was posing for pictures in front of the sign.

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I wonder if they were married in the nearby Wedding chapel?

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The bus did a U-Turn and we were heading back down the strip.

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We waved to Leo the MGM Lion and then we were back were we started. Just time enough to head back to the Polo Towers and then it would be time to go back out for dinner and a show.

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Big Bus Continues

Posted on April 4, 2016April 4, 2016 by Dusty Roads

Soon after our stop at the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop we pulled into Circus Circus.

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Circus Circus is the start/end point for the tours. Here you can change buses to go into the Fremont Street Experience, another route to malls and shopping and a return to the Strip.

We had about a 20 minute wait which meant it was approaching lunch time. We road the Big Bus until Bally’s where we hopped off for lunch at Johnny Rockets in the Food Court.

Tummy’s full, we walked to the High roller outside the Linq.

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This was familiar territory because Joe and I stayed at the Linq last year when we were in Vegas. The bus stop for the High Roller is closed due to construction and this stop at Bally’s is the closest one currently operating.

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Up to now Sandy had been insisting that she didn’t want to ride the High Roller. Sandy doesn’t like heights. The High Roller isn’t like a normal Ferris Wheel with an open seat. It’s an enclosed observation pod. Very Star Wars !

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But I wasn’t having any luck getting my point across. She had to see it to understand and once she walked under the huge pods she decided that it might not be such a bad experience.

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The whole rotation is only 30 minutes and it will be the fastest 30 minutes you’ll ever experience. It didn’t take Sandy long to get comfortable and was soon standing right near the windows to take pictures of the Las Vegas sights.

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The Big Bus (Las Vegas)

Posted on March 30, 2016March 30, 2016 by Dusty Roads

We’ve wandered along the strip, been transported back in time with the Jersey Boys, visited the engineering Marvel that is Hoover Dam and floated on a chocolate high and we’ve only just begun our Las Vegas Adventure.

Today we wandered through the Hawaiian Market Place. I’m not sure why it’s called the Hawaiian Market Place but its right in front of Polo Towers so it was an easy walk and right in front of the Hawaiian Market Place is the bus stop.

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We’re looking for the hop on – hop off double decker tour bus. Like the trolley tours in Boston, you buy a ticket for the day and can get on and off and ride the whole day. With the wisdom of 20-20 hindsight we should have bought the 2 day pass but we really had no idea and settled for a one day which was $42.00 each.

Being picked up at the Hawaiian Marketplace meant that we were starting in the middle of the tour route. The original plan was to ride the whole route and then do it a 2nd time getting on and off. It didn’t work out that way.

The guides on the tours were all good. Pointing out the sights and telling us little tid-bits about each landmark.

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Trump Tower stands alone surrounded by empty lots. There is no casino and no smoking. Some say Trump was denied a Nevada Gaming License others say he has one but chose not to put in a casino. Snopes.com , the internet truth finder, say the rumor that he was denied a license is false. The Donald was approved for a licence in February 2004.

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The Wynn is a beautiful property, very elegant and sophisticated with lovely landscaped grounds. I was particularly interested in seeing this as Steve Wynn is trying to build a casino complex in Everett, MA. I say trying because every time he gets a green light someone throws another challenge in the way. Most recently the Town of Somerville sued because of traffic concerns.

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The bus took us into the old section of Vegas, where it all began, also known as the Fremont Street Experience.

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The Rearing Horseman marks the entrance to The Freemont St Experience in old Las Vegas along with the iconic Golden Nugget. The Golden Nugget was originally built in 1946, making it one of the oldest casinos in the city. Our guide says the largest gold nugget in the world is on display here but according to Wikipedia it was display until 2013. Since we didn’t hop off here I can’t say one way or the other. Maybe I’ll check it out next trip . The Hotel is built around two aquariums so that would be fun to see.

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