After enjoying lunch at NYNY, Meg (see photo) and I having beer and pizza at Sirrico's and Glen and Mike pigging out on pastrami (2 inches thick) and beef/ cheddar sandwiches at Greenberg's Deli, we took the monorail on one last trip down The Strip. Mike had bought a wallet at Madam Tussauds Wax Museum shop and his friend, Ben, wanted one, too.
Did you know?
1) That The Strip is not actually within the city limits of Las Vegas
2) The first casino on The Strip was built in 1941 and was called El Rancho Vegas
3) The Strip runs from the now-defunct Sahara Casino to Mandalay Bay (coincidentally the monorail's north and south termini but the train itself doesn't run down The Strip)
4) The Sahara was the last vintage 'Rat-Pack' hotel and hosted The Beatles in 1964. It closed in 2011 after 59 years in business
5) In 1995, when Dean Martin, a member of the Rat-Pack, died, the lights along The Strip were dimmed. In 1998, they did the same for Frank Sinatra
6) The Strip is the second highest-grossing gambling centre after Macau, China
7) Las Vegas means "the meadows" which Spanish explorers called the area because of its water supply
8) Ironically, Mormons were the first to settle here but they left in 1857. By 1905, Vegas was a railway town because the steam trains needed its water. Mining ventures in the surrounding mountains also used the town as a base.
9) Gambling was legalized in 1931 which saw Vegas's tourism industry grow but it was the Manhattan Project in the 1940s that propelled its development
10) The fastest way to and from the McCarran Airport is not the cheapest. Ask for the most direct route
We left NYNY mid afternoon figuring we'd have a leisurely meal at the airport after going through security. I had booked Glen and myself on WesJet so we could fly home with Meg and Mike. Apparently, WestJet flies more people into Las Vegas than any other international carrier (Air Canada is second).
We departed from the new terminal 3, opened in 2012, but before taking off, we enjoyed a wonderful meal at the Las Vegas Chophouse & Brewery. It was a delicious way to end our Vegas adventure eating our way through casear salad, chicken picatta, crab cakes, a prime rib sandwich and a club sandwich with mashed potatoes. All washed down with Stella and Longboard beers.
Glen and I boarded the plane first and missed seeing Meg and Mike pass us. The plane took off early so I assumed they were sitting in the back. I slept for an hour and was still pretty groggy when we landed at midnight. We used our Nexus cards but it took several goes before the machine recognized us. Iris scanning is not all it's cracked up to be. Meg and Mike actually reached the luggage carousel before we did.
Meg had arranged for a limo to pick us up and the driver was there waiting. I've never driven in a stretch limo before. What can I say? I sure could get used to it. It was a fantastic way to end our holiday.
Two days later, Glen and I were in Kananaskis Country gazing at this view (photo below) from our hotel room. The contrast with the glitz of Las Vegas was awesome!
Did you know?
1) That The Strip is not actually within the city limits of Las Vegas
2) The first casino on The Strip was built in 1941 and was called El Rancho Vegas
3) The Strip runs from the now-defunct Sahara Casino to Mandalay Bay (coincidentally the monorail's north and south termini but the train itself doesn't run down The Strip)
4) The Sahara was the last vintage 'Rat-Pack' hotel and hosted The Beatles in 1964. It closed in 2011 after 59 years in business
5) In 1995, when Dean Martin, a member of the Rat-Pack, died, the lights along The Strip were dimmed. In 1998, they did the same for Frank Sinatra
6) The Strip is the second highest-grossing gambling centre after Macau, China
7) Las Vegas means "the meadows" which Spanish explorers called the area because of its water supply
8) Ironically, Mormons were the first to settle here but they left in 1857. By 1905, Vegas was a railway town because the steam trains needed its water. Mining ventures in the surrounding mountains also used the town as a base.
9) Gambling was legalized in 1931 which saw Vegas's tourism industry grow but it was the Manhattan Project in the 1940s that propelled its development
10) The fastest way to and from the McCarran Airport is not the cheapest. Ask for the most direct route
We left NYNY mid afternoon figuring we'd have a leisurely meal at the airport after going through security. I had booked Glen and myself on WesJet so we could fly home with Meg and Mike. Apparently, WestJet flies more people into Las Vegas than any other international carrier (Air Canada is second).
We departed from the new terminal 3, opened in 2012, but before taking off, we enjoyed a wonderful meal at the Las Vegas Chophouse & Brewery. It was a delicious way to end our Vegas adventure eating our way through casear salad, chicken picatta, crab cakes, a prime rib sandwich and a club sandwich with mashed potatoes. All washed down with Stella and Longboard beers.
Glen and I boarded the plane first and missed seeing Meg and Mike pass us. The plane took off early so I assumed they were sitting in the back. I slept for an hour and was still pretty groggy when we landed at midnight. We used our Nexus cards but it took several goes before the machine recognized us. Iris scanning is not all it's cracked up to be. Meg and Mike actually reached the luggage carousel before we did.
Meg had arranged for a limo to pick us up and the driver was there waiting. I've never driven in a stretch limo before. What can I say? I sure could get used to it. It was a fantastic way to end our holiday.
Two days later, Glen and I were in Kananaskis Country gazing at this view (photo below) from our hotel room. The contrast with the glitz of Las Vegas was awesome!
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