Sin City Diary

[I don't think I expressed the state of nervous excitement well here. It was the first day that planes were in the air after September 11th, and it was also my first trip by air... ever. And it was the day I turned 30. Warning: all of the links in the diary are to external pages, and most of them very Flash-y (in true Vegas style). I've tried to link to the least offensive parts where possible, but you should probably turn your audio down if you're going to open them at work!]

Friday, 12:55 pm

Overall, our experience getting to our gate has been fairly easy. The line seemed a bit long to me, but D. tells me he's seen worse. Everything is sunny and warm, without a pall of nervousness that you might have good reason to expect. There was a man in line behind us whose flight to Phoenix had been cancelled twelve times since Tuesday. I don't know how it is that we've (so far) been lucky enough to have our own first attempt go so successfully.

We're having a little snack in the terminal shops. There are no plastic knives with the other cutlery. The man at the counter said that they're not even allowed knives for food preparation.

I was selected for hand scanning. Nerve-wracking, at best. [I was nearly in tears because I couldn't understand what the heavily-accented woman with the wand was telling me to do, and I thought it would go badly for me if I got any more nervous, which I could hardly help.] They also pulled one of our carryons for a (random?) test. There was a table set up next to the ticket counter, where two plastic-gloved guards thoroughly searched the contents of all checked baggage. Everyone was at least friendly.

Friday, 10:10 pm

Our flight took off exactly on time, with a paltry 27 passengers. I was more in awe of the whole process than scared, though sudden bankings and strange creaks were a constant source of brief unsettlings. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. Winds became stronger as we made our descent into Vegas (which seemed such a short time after we'd reached flying altitude!), and there was heavy turbulence.

Just as we were heading for the runway, the engines gunned and the plane abruptly nosed back into the air. I believe every passenger was breathlessly on the verge of total freakout. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the captain beeped on and explained that the plane ahead of us was unable to clear the runway in time, so we were just going to circle and descend again.

At least we got a really nice view of the strip.

The Luxor is amazing. After we oohed and aahed at our room for a while (even though it's only an East Tower room and not in the Pyramid) and unpacked, we explored the hotel. Wow. This is so much cooler than I'd imagined. The interior of the Pyramid is where all the entertainment is - Ra nightclub (way too trendy), two IMAX theaters, food, shops, the Blue Man Group, Midnight Fantasy (billed as a "tasteful topless revue"), arcade, and of course the giant casino.

We walked next door to Excalibur [where I'm glad we didn't stay, it's fun but extremely tacky] and had dinner at the Roundtable buffet. $9.99 and tasty. I even had a slice of chocolate "birthday" cake. We also made note of a very comprehensive liquor store there; good to know, as drinks at the hotel bar are tiny, expensive, and over-iced.

After watching a disappointing "dragon show" in the moat at Excalibur, we took the tram to Mandalay Bay. Beautiful, green and tasteful. We'll be returning for the Shark Experience [Reef].

Deciding to get tickets for the next Blue Man Group show, we took the tram back to the Luxor. At nearly $50 a pop (for crappy seats), we decided to deliberate a bit longer.

We'd earlier noticed an air hockey table in the arcade, and we can't pass one up without playing, even here in Vegas. D. won the first game, but the birthday gods must have been smiling down on me when I took the second grueling match. Then it was time to drink and waste some money on the slots. I've found that I love these quarter-eaters, even though my luck has been less than impressive.

Saturday, 9:10 am

Sleep wasn't in the cards for me last night, though D. slept like a mummy. The bed was sarcophagus-hard, and our neighbors are a large, loud group that stumbled in drunk around 1:30. I finally gave up at six, showered, dressed, and headed downstairs in search of coffee. It was strange to see that giant casino floor almost completely deserted.

Before I forget again. Last night we saw an Egyptian king and queen regally crossing the lobby. Very cool. We also saw one bride and groom (I've decided to keep tally for fun).

We want to go to the Star Trek Experience, but it's all the way at the north end of the Strip. Maybe there's a shuttle - we'll see.

Sunday, 10:39 am

We did a ton of walking yesterday. First we hoofed it (outside! gasp!) to Mandalay Bay to check out the Shark Reef. Very much like the Monterey Bay aquarium, especially the shallow pool where you can touch sting rays. The shark tube was neat, but not unlike the one at Marine World in Vallejo [save your money for the Eiffel Tower instead, if you've already visited Monterey and Vallejo].

Mandalay Bay itself is sumptuous, with a rich oriental feel. I've read that the posh Four Seasons sits atop the rest of the hotel.

We rode the tram to Excalibur, and from there the pedestrian overpass to New York. We enjoyed lunch at a deli in "Brooklyn," complete with smoking manhole covers. After strolling through Central Park, we crossed another overpass to MGM Grand. Mostly shopping; lame lion habitat with annoying fake roars blasting from a speaker overhead. We found a monorail that transported us to the mid-strip Bally's.

Bally's is pretty much all about the gambling. Though I did see a frill-less wedding "chapel" hidden in a far corner of the lobby.

Connected to Bally's is Paris. Spectacular! Out on the casino floor, it truly feels like you're walking under a blue pre-dusk sky. A half-size Tour Eiffel shoots through the sky/roof (which you can ride to the top, but we didn't feel like parting with that much cash for a short daytime view).

After about six hours on our feet, we retraced our steps (have I mentioned how freaking hot it is here?), grabbed some snacks, and chilled out in the room.

Evening was pretty much a blur. We went downstairs and visited the replica of King Tut's tomb (only a little cheesy). Then over to the Excalibur comedy club [Catch a Rising Star]; three very funny guys. After a pathetic two Long Islands (well, they were strong), things got a little fuzzy. Somehow we made it down to the Aladdin [actually the Desert Passage below the casino], which has a lovely outdoor Middle Eastern market feel.

Famished, we stumbled drunkenly back down the Strip and into the über-hip streetside Seven. My Mediterranean BLT was scrumptious. I was still suggestible enough to try the salmon tartar, which, surprisingly, wasn't bad. The waitstaff kept fussing over an eight-seat table nearby tagged "reserved." We were hoping someone famous might show up, but it turned out to be a very drunken boa-wearing bachelorette and her disgustingly thin entourage.

The walls here are paper thin, so we've been blessed with the ability to hear every word and bodily function of our dumb frat-boy neighbors. It's at least provided a few laughs.

A few minutes ago, an endless stream of Vegas police, fire, and medical vehicles sirened parade-like down the Strip. D. thought it might be related to some news event we hadn't heard about yet, but the TV doesn't seem to support that.

Sunday, 10:37 pm

We saw "Mysteries of Egypt" at the IMAX this afternoon (after a disgusting little breakfast of Baby Pan! Pan! and Crazy Bread at Little Caesar's [which we don't have in Sacto] in the coziest, peaceful little corner food court I've ever visited). The film was nicely done, I thought.

Having seen several signs for something called the "Secrets of Luxor," D. decided we should check out the sub-lobby mystery. Turned out it was yet another of a half-dozen gift shops sporting tacky logo clothing and plastic scarabs and "marble" pyramids with "carved hieroglyphs." Dammit.

I haven't seen any stupidniers I could give anyone with a straight face.

We wandered the Strip some more (sober this time) until it was time for the next show at the Tropicana Comedy Stop. Wouldn't you know, the headliner turned out to the the same guy [Mike Saccone from Cybill] we saw last night at the Excalibur! At least he was still funny.

Now it's off to bed relatively early to make it to the airport on time in the morning.

♠ ♦ ♥ ♣ ♠ ♦	[I don't think I expressed the state of nervous excitement well here. It was the first day that planes were in the air after September 11th, and it was also my first trip by air... ever. And it was the day I turned 30. Warning: all of the links in the diary are to external pages, and most of them very Flash-y (in true Vegas style). I've tried to link to the least offensive parts where possible, but you should probably turn your audio down if you're going to open them at work!] Friday, 12:55 pm Overall, our experience getting to our gate has been fairly easy. The line seemed a bit long to me, but D. tells me he's seen worse. Everything is sunny and warm, without a pall of nervousness that you might have good reason to expect. There was a man in line behind us whose flight to Phoenix had been cancelled twelve times since Tuesday. I don't know how it is that we've (so far) been lucky enough to have our own first attempt go so successfully. We're having a little snack in the terminal shops. There are no plastic knives with the other cutlery. The man at the counter said that they're not even allowed knives for food preparation. I was selected for hand scanning. Nerve-wracking, at best. [I was nearly in tears because I couldn't understand what the heavily-accented woman with the wand was telling me to do, and I thought it would go badly for me if I got any more nervous, which I could hardly help.] They also pulled one of our carryons for a (random?) test. There was a table set up next to the ticket counter, where two plastic-gloved guards thoroughly searched the contents of all checked baggage. Everyone was at least friendly. Friday, 10:10 pm Our flight took off exactly on time, with a paltry 27 passengers. I was more in awe of the whole process than scared, though sudden bankings and strange creaks were a constant source of brief unsettlings. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. Winds became stronger as we made our descent into Vegas (which seemed such a short time after we'd reached flying altitude!), and there was heavy turbulence. Just as we were heading for the runway, the engines gunned and the plane abruptly nosed back into the air. I believe every passenger was breathlessly on the verge of total freakout. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the captain beeped on and explained that the plane ahead of us was unable to clear the runway in time, so we were just going to circle and descend again. At least we got a really nice view of the strip. The Luxor is amazing. After we oohed and aahed at our room for a while (even though it's only an East Tower room and not in the Pyramid) and unpacked, we explored the hotel. Wow. This is so much cooler than I'd imagined. The interior of the Pyramid is where all the entertainment is - Ra nightclub (way too trendy), two IMAX theaters, food, shops, the Blue Man Group, Midnight Fantasy (billed as a "tasteful topless revue"), arcade, and of course the giant casino. We walked next door to Excalibur [where I'm glad we didn't stay, it's fun but extremely tacky] and had dinner at the Roundtable buffet. $9.99 and tasty. I even had a slice of chocolate "birthday" cake. We also made note of a very comprehensive liquor store there; good to know, as drinks at the hotel bar are tiny, expensive, and over-iced. After watching a disappointing "dragon show" in the moat at Excalibur, we took the tram to Mandalay Bay. Beautiful, green and tasteful. We'll be returning for the Shark Experience [Reef]. Deciding to get tickets for the next Blue Man Group show, we took the tram back to the Luxor. At nearly $50 a pop (for crappy seats), we decided to deliberate a bit longer. We'd earlier noticed an air hockey table in the arcade, and we can't pass one up without playing, even here in Vegas. D. won the first game, but the birthday gods must have been smiling down on me when I took the second grueling match. Then it was time to drink and waste some money on the slots. I've found that I love these quarter-eaters, even though my luck has been less than impressive. Saturday, 9:10 am Sleep wasn't in the cards for me last night, though D. slept like a mummy. The bed was sarcophagus-hard, and our neighbors are a large, loud group that stumbled in drunk around 1:30. I finally gave up at six, showered, dressed, and headed downstairs in search of coffee. It was strange to see that giant casino floor almost completely deserted. Before I forget again. Last night we saw an Egyptian king and queen regally crossing the lobby. Very cool. We also saw one bride and groom (I've decided to keep tally for fun). We want to go to the Star Trek Experience, but it's all the way at the north end of the Strip. Maybe there's a shuttle - we'll see. Sunday, 10:39 am We did a ton of walking yesterday. First we hoofed it (outside! gasp!) to Mandalay Bay to check out the Shark Reef. Very much like the Monterey Bay aquarium, especially the shallow pool where you can touch sting rays. The shark tube was neat, but not unlike the one at Marine World in Vallejo [save your money for the Eiffel Tower instead, if you've already visited Monterey and Vallejo]. Mandalay Bay itself is sumptuous, with a rich oriental feel. I've read that the posh Four Seasons sits atop the rest of the hotel. We rode the tram to Excalibur, and from there the pedestrian overpass to New York. We enjoyed lunch at a deli in "Brooklyn," complete with smoking manhole covers. After strolling through Central Park, we crossed another overpass to MGM Grand. Mostly shopping; lame lion habitat with annoying fake roars blasting from a speaker overhead. We found a monorail that transported us to the mid-strip Bally's. Bally's is pretty much all about the gambling. Though I did see a frill-less wedding "chapel" hidden in a far corner of the lobby. Connected to Bally's is Paris. Spectacular! Out on the casino floor, it truly feels like you're walking under a blue pre-dusk sky. A half-size Tour Eiffel shoots through the sky/roof (which you can ride to the top, but we didn't feel like parting with that much cash for a short daytime view). After about six hours on our feet, we retraced our steps (have I mentioned how freaking hot it is here?), grabbed some snacks, and chilled out in the room. Evening was pretty much a blur. We went downstairs and visited the replica of King Tut's tomb (only a little cheesy). Then over to the Excalibur comedy club [Catch a Rising Star]; three very funny guys. After a pathetic two Long Islands (well, they were strong), things got a little fuzzy. Somehow we made it down to the Aladdin [actually the Desert Passage below the casino], which has a lovely outdoor Middle Eastern market feel. Famished, we stumbled drunkenly back down the Strip and into the über-hip streetside Seven. My Mediterranean BLT was scrumptious. I was still suggestible enough to try the salmon tartar, which, surprisingly, wasn't bad. The waitstaff kept fussing over an eight-seat table nearby tagged "reserved." We were hoping someone famous might show up, but it turned out to be a very drunken boa-wearing bachelorette and her disgustingly thin entourage. The walls here are paper thin, so we've been blessed with the ability to hear every word and bodily function of our dumb frat-boy neighbors. It's at least provided a few laughs. A few minutes ago, an endless stream of Vegas police, fire, and medical vehicles sirened parade-like down the Strip. D. thought it might be related to some news event we hadn't heard about yet, but the TV doesn't seem to support that. Sunday, 10:37 pm We saw "Mysteries of Egypt" at the IMAX this afternoon (after a disgusting little breakfast of Baby Pan! Pan! and Crazy Bread at Little Caesar's [which we don't have in Sacto] in the coziest, peaceful little corner food court I've ever visited). The film was nicely done, I thought. Having seen several signs for something called the "Secrets of Luxor," D. decided we should check out the sub-lobby mystery. Turned out it was yet another of a half-dozen gift shops sporting tacky logo clothing and plastic scarabs and "marble" pyramids with "carved hieroglyphs." Dammit. I haven't seen any stupidniers I could give anyone with a straight face. We wandered the Strip some more (sober this time) until it was time for the next show at the Tropicana Comedy Stop. Wouldn't you know, the headliner turned out to the the same guy [Mike Saccone from Cybill] we saw last night at the Excalibur! At least he was still funny. Now it's off to bed relatively early to make it to the airport on time in the morning.	♦ See the photos ♦ ♥ See the scrapbook ♥ ♠ The Official Guidebook ♠ ♣ The Official Budget Agent ♣
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