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         Summer Vacations - 2006!

               Las Vegas, Nevada

Gaming Tokens

The Luxor

Mandalay Bay

As you saw on the main Vegas page, there were tons of things to see and do.  Those of you who've been there know what I'm talking about.  Those who haven't should go.  It's not all about gambling, drunkenness and debauchery, but there's certainly enough of that to go around.  Our first day started bright and early.  Actually, it was still dark, but it WAS early.  We headed to the airport about 5:15 a.m. to catch that 7:15 flight.  Traffic and check-in was fairly light, so we found ourselves with plenty of time to sit and watch people.  Thinking we were going to be on an MD-80, R booked seats on row 15, which is way in front of the wing.  Alas, we ended up on a 757, and our view was more like this....

Still, there were a few things to see, and the trip was fast.  No screaming from C meant more time for R to listen to his MP3 player.  What selections did he choose?  A Manilow live album, of course!  We found the Las Vegas airport to be a little confusing, but finally we wound our way to the main terminal and to the shuttle launching center.  After buying the tickets, we were told to find Shuttle 7.  Of course, there was no Shuttle 7, but just an empty stand.  Another shuttle driver took pity on us, and whisked us away to the hotel.

When we arrived at the Hilton, it was barely 9:00 a.m., with check-in scheduled for 3:00.  We checked our bags, then confirmed check-in time.  A very helpful lady at the desk helped us with the paperwork, then told us she could get us in a room about noon.  Hooray!  We gathered up what little gear we elected to carry, and headed out the door to see what there was to see.

We decided to head north from the Hilton, toward the Stratosphere.  IT LOOKED SO CLOSE!  After walking, and walking, and walking some more, we found ourselves in one of the forgotten parts of Las Vegas, as you can see from these photos.

I don't remember seeing this in the brochure.

Remodeled by a disgruntled groom?

We finally made it to the Stratosphere, which was a pretty neat looking place.  We found a brunch buffet there, and were energized for more walking.  We skipped the ride to the top, saving it for another trip.  It's probably a grand thing to see after dark.  In addition to a great view, there's a roller coaster up there too!

It's a long way to the top.

Lots of fleur-de-lis inside.

Another shot of the Stratosphere, behind the Sahara marquee.

And, lastly, another outside view of the Hilton Las Vegas.  We stayed on the ninth floor of the east tower, with excellent views of The Strip and the mountains.  We could also see planes coming and going from the airport.  While the Hilton was a great place to stay, we'll probably head further south on The Strip for our next visit.

And, of course, there was that Manilow show!

ith so much to see and do in Las Vegas, this will take more than one page.  To see more of our Vegas Vacation, click on the links below:

Main LV Page         Day Two          Day Three

Grown tired of Las Vegas?  To continue, press one of the links below.

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