I know it seems odd for someone who has spent an aggregate of 20 years in Southern California, but until this past weekend I had never visited Las Vegas. It's even odder considering that family members who live in Washington State have visited Sin City, and I've never gone. Part of it is that gambling is a habit that I never picked up (and I'm probably the better for it). But Amy is at a work-related event there this week; and I flew out with her and stayed there for the weekend.
I had a blast. Las Vegas is a spectacular desert mirage, a gloriously elegant cheeseball where all the world's arts and culture, its visual spectacle and audio enchantment, are all bent to the task of separating suckers from their bucks -- whether at the tables, in the bars, or in overpriced shops. Part of the charm is that Vegas has branched out into entertaining non-gamblers like me.
We spent the first night at the Stratosphere. On Saturday, we took in a couple of trademark Vegas cheap buffets (one at the Stratosphere, one at the Flamingo); headed up to the tower of the Stratosphere, and bought drinks at the highest Starbucks in the world; headed over to Star Trek: The Experience at the Hilton, which we enjoyed immensely (despite the cosmic price); and ended up at Caeser's Palace, where I sipped a martini in a lounge while a jazz duet played. On Sunday, after a continental breakfast (a must after all those buffets), we went over to the incredible Bellagio, a treat for the eye throughout.
Amy still has the digital camera in Vegas, so some photos I took with my cell phone are below.
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