Most people who haven't explored Las Vegas brush it off as a city of crash casinos and glitz. I think our trip shows that it has more to offer than just gambling and shopping. Yes, we did play video poker machines (losing more than winning) and there are black jack, craps, and poker tables and high-end shops but interspersed among these, are gardens, menageries, fine art work, statuary, fountains, and waterfalls. Buildings are over-the-top designs with replicas of what would be ostentatious if it weren't Vegas but you can also see the homes of real people not far off The Strip.But why not embrace the zany and accept it as part of the travel experience. I love photographing unique buildings and Vegas is a fun place to capture. NYNY has the Statue of Liberty (see photo) and the Brooklyn Bridge, MGM Grand has a giant gold lion, The Venetian, The Grande Canal (inside and out) and the Luxor, a pyramid and sphinx. Where else could you see such works? For many who don't travel the world, this is the place to experience a gondola ride or see top-rated entertainers without the expense of international travel. Most hotels offer discounted rates (especially during the week) and airlines do the same. It cost us $100/person to fly from Denver to Las Vegas and $200/person to fly home to Calgary. There are many air/hotel packages offering free entertainment or coupons for attractions which make a holiday highly affordable.
Food prices vary depending on the restaurant as many celebrity chefs have places in Vegas so you can dine on haute cuisine or at McDonald's. Each resort supports a variety of restaurants and for those with hearty appetites, there is the famous Vegas buffet in most hotels. Glen still remembers when you could get shrimp cocktails as you gambled but that has disappeared (probably a health hazard) but you can still get 'free' drinks. The rules are you must be gambling for the drink girls to serve you. Beer comes in a bottle; mixed drinks are 'watered'. Remember to tip or you'll never see the girl (yes, they are always women) again.
We had a big American breakfast with Tim and Ed at America (how appropriate). I enjoyed a bagel with smoke salmon while the others had omelettes and pancakes. Afterwards we headed to Mob Attraction at the newly renovated, Tropicana. Built in 1957, it has had a tumultuous history with close links to organized crime so it's fitting that a scene from the movie, The Godfather, was filmed here. Today, the buildings have been completely upgraded in a tropical motif and the 2 acre pool is visible from the various walkways between the hotel's towers. The casino was refreshing as it was done up in bright whites and pastel colours so different from most others which tend to make one feel night is 24 hours long.
The Mob Attraction is a history of the mob's involvement in Las Vegas. The video presentation is hosted by James Caan who went 'underground' with the mob when filming The Godfather. We also interacted with live actors, becoming part of a mob operation. I was slipped some money which, in retrospect, I should have bribed the policeman instead of blowing our cover (I'll never her the end of that). The attraction has memorabilia of the famous Vegas mobsters, Benjamin 'Bugsy' Siegel and Meyer Lansky who built The Strip's first hotel, the Flamingo, as well as a video of the making of The Godfather.
There is a letterbox at the Tropicana so we braved the intense heat to search for it. Meg had found it before so knew the location and Tim braved the dirt and garbage to drag the box from its hiding place. The hunt made us hungry so Ed suggested we try Nine Fine Irishmen for dessert. We all shared their Bread and Butter Pudding and Guinness Chocolate Bomb then went to our rooms to rest.
Everyone agreed Italian was what we wanted for supper but I didn't want to eat in the fancy place in NYNY so Tim suggested Buca di Beppo, a chain of family-style Italian restaurants. Family-style means sharing and each menu item serves 2 (small) or 4 (large) and large parties are encouraged with specialty tables like the Pope's (12-18 with the pope's bust in the middle of the table) and the Kitchen Table (6-10). The Buca di Beppo began in the basement of a Minneapolis apartment building in 1993 and has since grown to over 85 locations. Glen and I shared the Apple Gorgonzola Salad Ed ordered, Tim's Eggplant Parmesan, and our vegetarian pizza while Meg and Mike shared two huge meatballs and a bowl of spaghetti. Behind us was a wedding reception and it brought back memories of our own reception in the basement of The Villa Capri, a long-gone Italian restaurant in Ottawa.
P. S. Meg reminded me we had lunch at her favourite Mexican restaurant in NYNY, Gonzlaes Y Gonzales but I'm not sure how we fitted that into our busy day. I do know I had excellent fish tacos.
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