Las Vegas and Grand canyon

Our trip to Las Vegas,Sin city, was intended as a stop over destination for the trip to

Grand Canyon.


There is a famous line about Vegas:

“Remember,what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.Except for herpes.That’ll come back with you” 

The sense of expectancy was high as the aircraft circled low over the Vegas perimeter. Nothing much could be discerned with the heat haze above town.Arrived comfortably at 5:30 in the afternoon and proceeded to public transportation.After the cool SFO  were greeted by the extraordinary warmth of the city... Engaged in small talk with the cab driver and asked about the temperature and he coolly mumbled "100,105 maybe". He explained the topography generally and said Vegas gets into trouble every time there is a flash flood.That's because inside the Mojave  dessert the city is within a bowl with dry hills surrounding it, and without proper drainage for water it is a mess.

Checked in at BALLYS HOTEL in the center of the Strip.Walked out of room a while later and used escalators to get to the Blvd.Stopped and took this pic.

The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately 4 mile stretch of Las Vegas Blvd. Many of the large hotels/casino,and resorts are located on the Strip.The hotel room count totals to  over 60,000 rooms.We walked along with many other tourists observing the enormous size of each hotel,the architecture, the signage and the landscaping and wondered how much money is to be made by the Hotels, primarily  over gambling in the casinos and then through conventions, concerts, shows, nightclubs,shopping and so on to afford this lavish design and maintenance.The mayor of Las Vegas must be getting hefty utility bills every month.

Entered CAESARS PALACE HOTEL and went to the Forum shops area.

It was swathed in historic Roman architecture.Statues of Roman Gods were everywhere.
Resembled a giant movie set of Cecil B.DeMille with artificial sky dome and all that.
The Forum shops area is a great place to wander and lose yourself.Other than statues there was an exotic fish aquarium,world renowned restaurants and stores of Louis Vuitton, Ferragamo,Versace and so on that you will not have any problem with splurging.

Fountain of Roman Gods

Among the shops around the fountain on the right was the Trevi restaurant and the idea of food was tempting.Managed to get seats in the crowded place and ordered Beer and Pizzas.

Did not mind the wait given the wonderful ambiance and took our time over the meal.Eventually we left Trevi's and ambled along trying to figure our way out to reach TREASURE ISLAND hotel for our evening show.In effect we were lost!

Had to run and weave through the crowd and barely managed to reach the venue.Whew!

The in-house ads for the show said "Words don't do it justice.How true,seeing what they can do in a custom built theater with a stage 120' wide and 70' deep.It is an incredible space with an enormous dome,brilliant light and sound effects and superior engineering that allows the performers to fly in space.

Mystère, is a Cirque du Soleil* show.It combines high energy acrobatics with inspiring imagery that thrills.One unbelievable act followed another including beautiful aerial manoevers that leaves you spell bound.I am really at a loss for words to describe the experience which at times brought tears to my eyes.And just to stop that Mystère

introduces comedy between sequences that involves the audience.

Mystère's intricate lighting system consists of over 1100 lighting instruments and other gizmo to create the dream-like world. The lights  draw about 30,000 watts of power at every show.And you thought your Power bill was high!!
Tickets are expensive but the experience is top shelf and worth every cent.

Next morning: Got down to the lobby to get some fresh coffee from the Cafe at the lounge where the Casino is located.As I passed through  could see weary Patrons sitting in front of the slot machines waiting to hear the jingle of coins.Their expression and body posture conveyed it all.

Sidewalk cafe at the Hotel was a good choice for breakfast and saw this fixture there. 

Those are the three important members of the Rat Pack*; Dean Martin,Sammy Davis Jr and Frank Sinatra who were closely associated with Vegas in the  50's/60's performing at various centers.They featured in Ocean's 11 in 1960.

A view of the Blvd.

Walked along the Strip  with the sun blazing down and entered THE VENETIAN HOTEL.                                                                                 

The mural on ceilings,lobby decoration and outdoor gardens around the terrace pool were very picturesque. Found an area beautifully arranged with flowers,attractive masks,and a waterfall to enhance the looks.The La Piazza San Marco from Venice has been replicated and with Gondoliers singing "Volare..O..O..Oh" in the canal nearby it was like being in Venice I should imagine.

                                                                   

Continued walking in the mid-day heat and came by this rockery and posed for a pic.

Reached CIRCUS CIRCUS at the other end of the strip,braving the heat and sat down for some entertainment from the clown and acrobats.Took a bus back to the center and waited outside at HOTEL BELLAGIO for the fountains to erupt.Oh what a sight that was!

You may dance the night away in Vegas, but you'll still marvel at the moves of the Fountains of Bellagio. These fountains were simply fantastic.It's one of the most breathtaking free attractions on the Strip -- it's gorgeous and ever-changing. At the Fountains, not only can you watch a spectacular dancing water show, but the style changes every 30 minutes during the day and e very 15 minutes after 7 p.m.

3 PM as we entered PARIS Hotel with the imposing replica of Eiffel tower,541 feet high and the famous "Around the world in 80 days balloon".Heard that the view from the top of the tower was "a must watch" in the evening and so  picked up tickets at the counter.Paris as the name suggests is a recreation of the famous city with its monuments and streets. Needless to add that it looks better than the original given the mellow lighting and the artificial sky dome. 

                                            

                                                                             

We had Pizzas at the side walk Cafe and shuffled along the promenade to Ballys,both hotels being connected through common ownership. 

7 PM :  Went to see the play Jersey Boys at the Paris theater and later to the top of Eiffel Tower and not only got a 360 deg view of the brightly lit city at night but also the view of Bellagio fountain showing off its brilliance, a slice of which we had seen in the morning.So here we go. From 50 storeys high.

I was humming......I love Paris in the Summer.. when it sizzles as we walked back to our hotel that evening and feasted on quesadillas and Mexican draft beer at a Tequila bar

Next morning: Got picked up at 7:00 for our trip to Grand Canyon by road. 275 miles 5 Hrs, 6 including Rest Room and lunch stop.

The tour kicked off from Planet Hollywood hotel nearby,a pedestrian breakfast pack was handed over and Leo the Bus driver cum guide hit the road at 8:00.The first attraction on the way was Lake Mead which supplies water to the Hoover Dam.Went over the by-pass built to span the Colorado river and had a glimpse of both the river and the Dam.Leo said "Sorry,I cannot take you to see Hoover dam on this tour" Ever since the new by-pass came into operation in Oct 2010,the old route which used to go over the Dam has been disallowed.

We were now in the state of Arizona.After a short rest stop and Leo continued on US 93 till the town of Williams via Route 66

The “super-highway”, Rte 66 in 1926, represented unprecedented freedom to travel across the American West.The original paved highway was a narrow two-lane road that spanned over 2,300 miles from Chicago to California.
Travellers discovered Williams as a place to visit before the Grand Canyon to view Motels,Gas Stations,Steak houses etc from back in the day which have been revitalized  and the store fronts of Main Street are preserved as a designated National Historic District.

Route 66 will be ingrained in the American pop culture thanks to Steinbeck who proclaimed the highway as Mother Road in Grapes of Wrath. And these lines from a song of 1946

 

If you ever plan to motor west,

travel my way, take the highway that's best. 

Get your kicks on Route.. sixty-six.

                                      

After lunch at Williams it was a 45 minute ride to  GC NP. Tour of the GC commenced from this point on the right from where a short trail leads to the RIM and you marvel at the wonder of geology.

A grand landscape opened in front and overwhelmed the senses.The combination of size, color and dazzling erosional forms have to be seen to be believed.

Grand canyon, located in northern Arizona and eroded by the Colorado river is 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide,and a mile deep.


 
The majestic vista is geologically important because the layers of ancient rock is so beautifully preserved and exposed in the walls of the canyon.

The layers  stack together like a drunken staircase that leads to the river's edge. A mixture of minerals gives each layer a distinctive hue of yellow,green,or red.

Walked along the RIM enjoying the many forms and colors that unfolded.The light and shadow effect and the contrast with the blue sky above made for a grand spectacle.The Colorado river which had caused it all lay supine at the bottom.

Many canyons form as rivers cascade among mountain peaks,but GC sits incised into an elevated plateau.It is not hidden under a mass of vegetation. That's its beauty and cause for wonderment!

Visited tourist attractions that displayed Indian artifacts as also saw the  pictorial display of  pioneering efforts made by the early Spanish explorers and those of later expeditions to GC to bring it to the notice of world at large.

Most reluctantly boarded the Coach for our return journey and reached Vegas at 9:30 PM

Well! I have covered almost everything about this trip barring some visits the next morning in Vegas and our disastrous attempt at making money at the Slot machines,before our return to cool SFO.



Cheers !