Las Vegas Vacation Diary
Day Seven: Bally's, Bellagio, Boradwalk, Monte Carlo and New York New York Hotels and Las Vegas Trolley
Today, after the usually delicious breakfast buffet - bacon, eggs and sausages (and did I mention that they have grits!) - we went downstairs to record some casino sounds for the screensavers. While we were there, I wandered over to the Silver Strike commemorative coin machines and found a woman who had just won two of the coins.
I talked to her a bit and she said she played for the coins because she thought she got better odds from the machines. She just cashed them in at the end of the day. So…. I bought them from her for their cash-in value and spent my gambling budget for the day. I sold Ken one and declared that we had enough coins for this trip. So theoretically the gambling is over for the trip, we have both spent our $20, but the lure of the coins will probably overcome our budget principles. I guess Vegas has something to tempt everyone. |
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For a picture gallery of the Imperial Palace: Las Vegas Dreaming - Imperial Palace
We went via Monorail down to the Bally’s to go to the Bellagio and see the fountains, then we were going to take the Bellagio/Monte Carlos tram down to the Monte Carlo. Well, the fountains didn't start until 3:00 and the tram was being "inspected by the city". So we went inside the Bellagio and took pictures.
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The Bellagio has changed a bit since we first went there. They seem to have different gardens and decorations according to the season. The Autumn decorations are up now, all apples and pumpkins. And they have removed the staircase in the garden and have installed a water wheel. The water wheel was easy enough to understand, but removing the staircase was a bit startling. Everything was beautiful and a lot of people were wandering around looking. |
We then walked down to the Monte Carlo. There is a big space between the Bellagio and the next casino, which is the Boardwalk. There are small touristy shops and a couple of lunch/drink spots. One had an internet cafes attached. Ken bought hats and T-shirts. Also there is a heliport there with a stretch limo parked nearby for those who want to take airborne tours of the Las Vegas Strip. |
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We stopped at the Boardwalk, which is one of the older casinos. I don't know if the hotel has been modernized, but the Casino looked OK, kind of cosy and personal with a Coney Island theme.
For pictures of the Boardwalk: Las Vegas Dreaming - Boardwalk
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Next we went into the Monte Carlo. No theme, just lots of crystal and marble. There is an elaborate entrance with fountains and some statues of men and women. There is a beautiful stained glass ceiling in the entrance and lots of beautiful chandeliers. The lobby is all marble, and they had a nice gift shop. We exited from the side and walked back to the Strip. |
For pictures of the Monte Carlo: Las Vegas Dreaming - Monte Carlo
On the other side of the street, across the Strip, is the giant Coca-Cola sign and M&M’s World. There is also a movie theatre and The Grand Canyon Experience, which is a gift shop and more, but we didn’t explore to find out what was upstairs. There is a game parlour downstairs, too. |
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We didn’t cross the street, but went on to the New York New York. More pictures and.... hush puppies. We had lunch at the Fulton Fish Market; fried shrimp, chicken, and fish with hush puppies.
For pictures of the New York New York: Las Vegas Dreaming - New York New York
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The New York New York has an art deco theme and has constructed a miniature city inside. We ate at a “curb side” table in front of the Fish Market. There is a lot of neon inside the New York New York and of course we took pictures. Every once in a while a rumbling shakes the “city” as the rollercoaster roars through the building. |
There is an upstairs game room for kids and the entrance to the roller coaster seems to be up there. The roller coaster runs all around the building, but we didn’t ride. The New York New York building is designed to reproduce the New York skyline. There is even a minature Brooklyn Bridge that is part of the sidewalk that runs beside it.
We took the Trolly home. It picked us up and then proceeded down the strip to the Excalibur, the Luxor and the Mandalay Bay. It turned around and went by the Tropicana, the MGM and up the Strip until it got to the Imperial Palace and Harrah’s.
The Trolley always goes around the Las Vegas Strip circuit from the top of the Strip at the Stratosphere to the bottom at the Mandalay Bay in a counter clockwise direction. Often you can go to one hotel directly on one side of the circuit, or by crossing the street from a stop across the street on the other side of the circuit. It would be a great way to get an idea of the size, locations and variety on the Strip. Just get on at your hotel or nearest stop and ride all the way around for $2. It would take about 2 hours to get all the way around. |
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And come to think of it, it would be a great way to see the neon at night. Maybe we will do that.
Here is picture of one of the beautiful women of Las Vegas. The bronze statue is part of the Ceasar's Palace Entrance fountain.
Tomorrow we pack for the trip to Phoenix and Monument Valley and go
to see something nearby. I think when we get back here next week, we
will ride more and walk less.