2013-3 Las Vegas, Nevada
Hello All,
During a summer school break in the mid 1950’s, while helping his uncle deliver travel trailers to dealers, Dave first set eyes on Las Vegas. At night it came alive with brilliant colors illuminating the casinos. It is now a far cry from what it was in those days. It has grown into a city with all the good and bad that goes along with being a world renowned gambling resort destination.
In the 1960’s Dave was back in Las Vegas as a young adult. He was never much interested in gambling. To him it didn’t make much sense to figure out that they didn’t build the big casinos and lavish hotels by paying off winners! However, at night the bright lights of the casinos fascinated him. He carried with him an old Argus C4 35mm camera and set out to photograph the night colors. Most folks said it couldn’t be done. He experimented with the settings and in his eyes was able to shoot some wonderful night shots of Vegas landmarks of the time. The slides to this day are tucked away in a shoebox somewhere. Some day it would be fun to dig them out and see how wonderful they really are!
Today’s hotels and casinos are mega wonders. They are beautiful, luxurious and expensive. Gone are the days of the $3.95 buffet. Today they offer 5-day buffet packages for $85.00 plus $35.00 for each meal. That seems to be a bit over the top for us. We can find more enjoyable ways to part with our money.
This is the New York, New York Hotel and Casino. It has a roller coaster that operates inside and outside of the casino.
During a summer school break in the mid 1950’s, while helping his uncle deliver travel trailers to dealers, Dave first set eyes on Las Vegas. At night it came alive with brilliant colors illuminating the casinos. It is now a far cry from what it was in those days. It has grown into a city with all the good and bad that goes along with being a world renowned gambling resort destination.
In the 1960’s Dave was back in Las Vegas as a young adult. He was never much interested in gambling. To him it didn’t make much sense to figure out that they didn’t build the big casinos and lavish hotels by paying off winners! However, at night the bright lights of the casinos fascinated him. He carried with him an old Argus C4 35mm camera and set out to photograph the night colors. Most folks said it couldn’t be done. He experimented with the settings and in his eyes was able to shoot some wonderful night shots of Vegas landmarks of the time. The slides to this day are tucked away in a shoebox somewhere. Some day it would be fun to dig them out and see how wonderful they really are!
Today’s hotels and casinos are mega wonders. They are beautiful, luxurious and expensive. Gone are the days of the $3.95 buffet. Today they offer 5-day buffet packages for $85.00 plus $35.00 for each meal. That seems to be a bit over the top for us. We can find more enjoyable ways to part with our money.
This is the New York, New York Hotel and Casino. It has a roller coaster that operates inside and outside of the casino.
The following shot is of the
Stratosphere Hotel and Casino from street level. It also has carnival type
rides on top of the sphere for those folks that aren’t afraid of heights. One
of the rides is appropriately named “Insanity.” Passengers sit in seats that
are lifted and then extended 68-feet out over the edge of the 1,149-foot tower.
It would probably be a wonderful view. However, the ride spins passengers at a
high rate of speed while hanging over the edge. They say it is a real rush!
Trust us when we say we will never know!
The Wynn is a newer 2.6
billion dollar luxury resort that opened in 2005. This five star hotel is
considered to be one of the finest in the world.
Here we have the Paris Hotel
and Casino--complete with the Eiffel Tower.
The “Fountains at the
Bellagio” are a popular attraction of the Bellagio Resort. About every 30 minutes
they perform a water show to music. At night they are even more spectacular
with lights illuminating them. In the right background is Caesar’s Palace.
These photos were taken in
Caesar’s Palace. It is another one of the many luxurious resorts.
These night/dusk shots are of
the Rio and Paris casinos.
Even amongst all the glitz and
glamour that Las Vegas offers today, you can still find a wedding chapel where
you can get hitched. This little chapel was quite lovely, although the cross on
the steeple outlined with neon light seemed a bit tacky.
Our reason for being in Las
Vegas was to visit family and friends and to celebrate a granddaughter’s 21st
birthday. When our granddaughter and girlfriend arrived at the airport family
and friends were there to meet them. Her parents had prearranged for a mega
limo to pick up our party and take us to the airport. Her boyfriend arrived on
an earlier flight and had a bouquet of roses for her when she arrived at the
terminal. She is such a lovely young lady.
Her boyfriend even had a
bouquet of flowers for her girlfriend--nice thoughtful touch! Wow, they are so
young and still have their lives ahead of them.
All eleven of us piled back
into the limo and the driver took us on a tour of Las Vegas before being
dropped off back at our hotel. The next few days consisted of meals, shows, and
sightseeing. We “ole fogies” would fold up our tents fairly early while the
younger generation continued late into the night.
There are always new and unusual things to see and do in Las Vegas. For example, we came across these ice fountains in a newer resort/casino with high end shops.
There are always new and unusual things to see and do in Las Vegas. For example, we came across these ice fountains in a newer resort/casino with high end shops.
And this is the beautiful
stained glass ceiling in the Bellagio lobby. It is comprised of 2,000
hand-blown glass blossoms by glass sculptor Dale Chihuly, whose work has been
exhibited in every major museum in the world.
Here is a chocolate shop that
just melts your heart. The shop’s front window display consisted of fountains
of different flavors of chocolate--dark, light, milk. Wouldn’t it have been fun
to dip a finger into each fountain for a sample to taste!
One show had a center or
circle stage--a stage where the audience sits around it. As part of the show a
lady walked down the aisle and then onto the stage carrying a large balloon
over her head.
After strutting around for a
bit she all of a sudden pulled the balloon down and stuck her head inside of
it. It really surprised the audience. And, then she put her entire body inside
of the balloon! After tip-toeing around the stage she then poked her head out
the top of the balloon.
Then her hands came out of the
balloon, and in conclusion she popped it. It was different to say the least and
quite a hit with the audience.
After three days we bid
farewell to family and friends and continued on our journey. We invite you to
travel along with us in our next adventure.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns