VEGAS, BABY!

Friday 4/11/14
We pulled out of the South Campground at Zion National Park at 7:30, heading for Las Vegas, NV.  Greg's brother Anthony, nephew Chris, his wife Shelly, and their son Sean are all there with Chris' hockey team from Soldotna AK.  We are going to hook up with them for the weekend and watch some hockey (among other things).  We got to Vegas at 11:05 and went directly to the Ice Center for Chris' 11:15 game.  They lost :( and I forgot the score.  After the game Greg and I drove around looking for the rental car office to pick up a car.  After driving thru the Strip traffic (multiple times) we finally found the Enterprise office we were looking for.  Grabbed the car and we headed to our RV park; Greg driving the Rig, me driving the Jeep Compass.  We're staying at the Riviera RV Resort about 15 minutes from where Anthony and the gang are staying (Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino).  It is over 90° by 2:30 so I took advantage of the nice showers since it had been a couple of days without one at Zion.  Back at the ice center for another game at 4:30.  The ice arena was only 8 miles from the RV park but it took us almost an hour to get there because of all the traffic.  I DO NOT miss big city traffic.  This was their 3rd game and they lost it (they lost all 3) so now they are out of the tournament.

Anthony's humongous turkey pot pie

Friday night in Vegas....whatever shall we do?????  We went back to the Golden Nugget which is on Fremont street which apparently is part of old-time Vegas.  On the street right outside the hotel, Fremont St. is blocked off for a long distance (maybe a mile or maybe only a 1/4 of a mile; I couldn't tell).  It is for pedestrian traffic only with a million casinos, hotels, restaurants, sidewalk acts to include several singing groups.  There were people in all sorts of costumes and panhandlers asking for money.  The lights were amazing and along the skyline above the street was a canopy that flashed lights as well.  Every hour on the hour at night all the lights along the street go out and only the canopy lights flash with some type of display for about 10 minutes.  It is totally incredible.  All I can say is Vegas is for young people and those who don't need any sleep and for people who aren't afflicted with migraines or seizures (the lights would totally set you off!!!)  We had a great time walking around and people watching.  I lost 10.00 gambling but got a free drink and Mardi Gras beads.  We ate a late dinner (got seated at 9pm!) then walked around all this amazment.  We weren't even on the actual strip and there was so much activity going on.  Greg and I left about 12:30 to get back to the RV, the rest of the gang (except Anthony) stayed up until 5:30 IN THE MORNING!!!!  I can tell you that by the time we got to the RV it was 1 am and it took exactly 30 seconds for me to fall asleep!

Fremont St. in the daylight

On Fremont St. during the day

SATURDAY 4/12......Greg and I up by 7:30 and had laundry done by 9.  I wanted to get back to the hotel and lay out by the pool.  By the time we got there it was a little after noon.  We had to circle the hotel a couple of times until Anthony could come down with a room key so we could get a parking spot in the hotel garage.  Got in the hotel and the pool area was so packed that there was no way I'd find a chair, let alone find one that was in the sun!  Gave up my dreams of a tan and went with Greg and Anthony to get some lunch.  Had a nice sandwich at a bistro a few blocks from the hotel and got to walk around the area for a little while before meeting up with the others (not until after 2pm).  We hung out in the casino of the hotel for a while watching Shelly win tons of money.  I lost 50.00 playing slots and spent another 4.50 on a Starbucks latte;  I'm finding it hard to part with our money when I can't see an immediate return on my investment!  Later in the evening we all drove over to the real Las Vegas Strip and parked close to the Flamingo Hotel and Casino which happened to be next to another pedestrian walk area called the Linq.  This area also houses the tallest ferris wheel in the world-- the High-Roller -- our destination for the night.  After walking around the walk area and checking out the Flamingo (watching the end of the NCAA hockey championships) we met for dinner at the Yardhouse and then headed to the ferris wheel.  There were about 25 in our group (Chris' hockey team and wives) so we got a group discount (a little less than 35.00 each).  The ferris wheel has at least 20 "pods" that hold up to 40 people each.  Our pod only held our group of about 25.....we had a blast.  The ride itself lasts 30 minutes.  There's a bar before you get on so you can get a drink (they don't allow you to bring in outside beverages) and restrooms!  The ferris wheel never stops.  It moves so slowly that you can easily get on and off as it is moving past the platform.  It reaches a height of over 500 feet and you can see all of Vegas.  Did I mention we rode this at 10:00 at night?  The lights from the city were fantastic.  Unfortunately the camera battery died so we didn't get many pics, but we had a blast!

Greg with High-Roller in the background

High-Roller in the background

platform for getting on and off

Inside the pod with the party people!

coming up on 500 feet above the city

high above Sin City!

SUNDAY 4/13/14.......This morning is windy and not as hot.  Greg went for a short run; I went to the pool.  I was not going to miss out on sunning today so I decided to take my chance at the RV park pool.  I had the whole pool to myself for almost an hour then it was only 1 other person.  I got to lay out for 2 hours before we met up with the gang for an afternoon golf tourney.  It was another late night for the party people so we met at the golf course at 1:30 for a 3:00 tee time.  We are playing "best ball" with teams of 4.  Greg and I are paired with Anthony and Sean (Chris' son).  Both of them actually play golf; neither Greg or I do.  The rules of the game went as follows:  each team gets a 5 card draw to begin with; after the game additional cards are added to your hand depending on # of pars and  birdies.  The best 5 card hand from all the cards you wind up with wins 1/2 of the pot (each person pays 10.00 to play + they can "buy" mulligans and throw-ins for 5.00 more dollars per mulligan and throw-in).  The team with the best score at the end of the game wins the other 1/2 of the pot.  To mix things up again, on 1 hole, we had to draw a card to see which club we would use for each shot we make.  For example, if I draw an ace, then I'd have to use my putter to drive with, then a new card is drawn for my next shot, say a 5, then I'd use a 5 club.  Since we don't play, it didn't matter to Greg and I what clubs we used.  Another hole, one person on the team drew a card and this was the club we all used for the entire hole.  For another hole, we had to use our putter like a pool cue.  I was so proud of Greg, he knows how to play pool; he sank that ball from a long way from the hole.  We used Anthony and Sean's shots for almost all the holes.  My drive was used once and Greg had several putts that were used.  We played really fast so we could get all 18 holes in.  There was only one other team (out of 5 teams) who finished all 18.  Even as good as our team was we didn't win -- either pots-- but we had a good time.  Greg and I finally got into the "swing" of it by the back 9.  Maybe that was due to a couple of alcoholic drinks.  Not many pictures today because on the 3rd hole I accidentally shoved the camera in a whole on the golf cart that I didn't see and it fell into the front fender and we couldn't get it out.  Fortunately an employee retrieved it after we were finished playing....whew!  Oh yeah, as warm as it was during the day, as soon as the sun went down, it got COLD!  I was freezing while waiting for the other teams to bring their carts in (the club house was closed so we had to wait outside for everyone).  Had another late dinner and Greg and I booked it back to the RV.  Greg changed the oil in the RV once we got back (under cover of darkness because oil changing is prohibited in the park).  It was after midnight before bedtime again.

Greg getting pointers from Anthony

Look at that form!

Anthony and Sean after a great game!

  On MONDAY 4/14/14.... we left the Riviera RV park about 10:30.  We don't know where we are going next....so we went to Walmart to get groceries.  We ate lunch in their parking lot while we discussed out options and Greg helped me get the shellec off my finger nails.  I let him know that it saved him about 50.00 for him and I to do this, but he reminded me that I had already lost 60.00 gambling not to mention the money we put into the pot for the golf tournament.  Oh well, I got the dreaded polish off.  By the time all of this was done (we're still in the Walmart parking lot) we decide to spend another night in Vegas.  This time we drove out to Nellis AFB and got a nice spot in their campground.  We scratched our heads:  "why didn't we stay here for the weekend?"  It was a few more miles out of town and with all the late nights it wouldn't have worked as well for us.  We decided to head for Bryce Canyon in Utah tomorrow which is about 4 hours from here.  For dinner Greg grilled ling cod (from our freezer, caught in Alaska) and we had quinoa, brussel sprouts, and brocolli slaw.  I tried to stay up to see the lunar eclipse but only made it until 10:30; Greg hit the bed much earlier than that.  We have a long drive tomorrow so I can nap!