Thursday, August 19, 2010

Traveling Thursdays: Viva Las Vegas! Pt. 1



Welcome to Sin City! I’m not a huge Vegas fan; I can count on one hand the amount of times that I have been there. I don’t gamble, not a drinker, and just walking through the casinos looking at the poor suckers flushing away their money makes me depressed. On a positive note...the entertainment there is outstanding; the food is stellar; and although I hesitate to call it architecture, the buildings & signs sure make for interesting photography.

This recent trip was my first time in Vegas with this particular camera, so it was almost like the virginal visit (insert laughter here). I’ve stayed at a different hotel each time so that I can experience the different theming provided and critique how well it is carried out. Caesars Palace was fun; on the kitschy scale it was fairly high (in a good way).





EVERYONE has seen photos of the statue of David by the great Michelangelo;



but how many have seen photos of the BACK of the statue?



The room itself was the only disappointment; not that it was bad...it was just blah. Nothing out of the ordinary or "cool." Just a plain ol' hotel room.



I did find a fave restaurant on this trip: Trevi, which is located inside of Caesar’s. Reminiscent of an indoor/outdoor Italian bistro, the nearby fountain and painted blue-sky make it easy to forget that you are actually indoors. It is hard to keep track of time in Vegas with its plethora of faux outdoor settings (thus keeping you at the slots much longer; ka-ching!)



Everytime I walked through the casino to get to the elevators, this changing-light trio of “ladies” begged me to take a photo. Naturally, I did.



For the ultimate in over-the-top, Caesars has about a gazillion pools. Some are for the poor everyday slobs like myself; others can be enjoyed for a nominal cover charge of $50. What do you get for that price? A slightly more private pool frequented by topless gals and Jersey-Shore type Guidos. Take your pick.





For a true blast from the past, don’t miss Cher’s FINAL tour (really...she means it this time. I’m sure she does). Gotta’ hand it to her; she looks fantastic and for the slightly-over-an-hour show, she kept the audience entertained.





Do you know anyone else in their 60’s who could pull this outfit off? Figuratively speaking, of course.



More Vegas tales next week. See more Las Vegas photos at my main website.

10 comments:

Connie Moreno said...

Love this post! We agree on Vegas, fun to look at but don't gamble. Thanks for the pictures of my idon, Cher!! I pity the morons who spend the $50 bucks for the opportunity to use the "special" pool. Oh brother...

TokyoMagic! said...

Fantastic Cher shots! Looks like Bob Mackie strikes again. So she's actually calling this her final tour......again? Wasn't her farewell tour just a few years ago and didn't it last several years?

Connie Moreno said...

Dang it, that was supposed to be IDOL!

Skinny Arbuckle said...

brother, you sure know how to live.

Major Pepperidge said...

I'm with you (and Connie!) when it comes to the gambling - and I don't really drink that much either. But it is still a pretty amazing place to visit. The top of the Eiffel Tower at night is pretty amazing (as are the fountains at the Bellagio). Some of those big shows (Cirque du soleil, etc) are great fun, but expensive!

Was Cher singing "Half Breed" in that one photo??

thepicklebarrel said...

wow, that's some pretty hot plastic! cher is still workin it. when that armenian blood works, it works!

Vintage Disneyland Tickets said...

Wow - Caesars Palace is almost unrecognizable - A Palace indeed! I'd find a way to sneak into the $50 pool area without paying...

I instantly thought "Half Breed" (how I love to hate the word) when I saw that Cher outfit! She does look pretty good - almost looks like a Cher impersonator!!!!

Daveland said...

Skinny - It's all smoke & mirrors, I assure you! And yes Major & Tim - Cher was doing "Half-Breed." As for the $50 pool, we got in for free....apparently biz was slow that day.

Katella Gate said...

The last time I was at Caesar's the Partridge Family was a headliner.

Steve the fisherman said...

Dave, this is great thanks so much.