Las Vegas recap
Jun. 27th, 2006 07:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stargaterI'm sure I left out a bunch of stuff, as if the recap wasn't long enough already. Hopefully I'll have some pictures up within a day or so.
Captain's Log - Today we sat in the airport for 5 and a half hours while our flight was delayed and all I got was engine view out the window! Apparently something had gone wrong with the plane about halfway through the flight so they had to go back and board a new plane which put us about 3 and a half hours behind schedule. :P
Overall I enjoyed Las Vegas though I do think it's one of those cities that unless you have a specific reason for going, you wouldn't just keep going back. It is one of those places that everyone should see at least once just because of all the diversity and different things to see.
One thing for sure it definately was hot, temperatures ranged from 103F to 112F while we were there. Though the heat is a dry heat, which is better than the nasty humidity we have here but it sure was hot. Very dry all the time, I felt thirsty just about the whole time I was there and never seemed to get enough to drink. The terrain is kinda bland, well it is the desert after all. Big, flat open areas of desert with a few mangy bushes/shrubs scattered about. I do know that I have no desire to live in the desert atmosphere, I love the lush green trees and all the foliage too much, though I could do without the humidity. The mountains in the desert were cool and the sunrises and sunsets were really pretty.
I'm not really one for any of the shows and really once you've seen a casino you've seen them all but there were some really neat places. My favorite hotel/casino was Caeser's Palace as it was truly unique from all the others. It's a huge place and there's all these statues all over the place. In one area they ceiling is painted like the sky and it really gives that whole area a different feel, it was pretty neat. There's also lots of neat shops to look at with some rather nifty souvenirs.
My next favorite hotel/casino was the Luxor, the one shaped like a giant pyramid. It really was neat, not only to see from the outside but from the inside as well. Especially looking down from the 23rd floor (it goes up to 30) at all the people below. The rooms go all the way around and up the pyramid.
At the MGM Grand they have a Lion Habitat and the day we were there the lion was called 'Bora' and was inside a scent proof/sound proof habitat with a waterfall. They alternate the lions that are in the habitat every 6 hours and they told how some of the lions couldn't be used anymore because they wouldn't want to leave. And you an only imagine how hard it would be to move a full grown lion who doesn't want to do something lol. I also won $6.10 (nickel slots) at the casino in the MGM Grand which was pretty cool.
The Stratosphere was really cool, max height at the top was 1,149 ft! The observation decks were at Level 109 (866ft) and above that were three rides: The Insanity, X-Scream & the Big Shot. We rode 2 of them, the Insanity which was where you were hanging over nothing (it took you away from the building) and spun you around and around while hanging over nothing below you but the ground 909ft below. It was fun but a bit nauseating for me, not because of the height but because of the circular motion. I found that if I looked straight down it wasn't bad, but if I looked straight ahead and saw everything going around and around it wasn't so good lol. The best one however was the Big Shot where you are shot straight up in the air at about 4g's and while at the top of the tower (1,149ft) you experience a period of weightlessness. It was totally so much fun but didn't last very long. We didn't do the X-Scream which was this little rocket looking thing where you plunge over the side of the building.
A couple of the other hotel/casinos we visited were: The Excalibur, The Sahara (which had a really good buffet dinner), Mandalay Bay, The Hilton, New York New York and The Frontier. I won $9 at the nickel slots at The Frontier which is the most I've ever won gambling. I just don't win at games of chance but nevertheless I was pleasantly surprised even though I lost it at various other casinos. We walked/drove by several other places but either didn't stop or spend much time there.
We also spent an entire day at The Star Trek Experience (at the Hilton) which was totally awesome and loads of fun. I have been wanting to go for years now and it's definitely worth it. There is a shopping area (The DS9 Promenade) where you can easily spend way too much money. Several stores with many neat things in it, from keychains to t-shirts to collectors items to replicas and so on. Walking around are people dressed up as various species, we seen a Ferengi, a Klingon, a Borg and an Andorian. What a fun job that would be, walking around talking with people and being snarky bahaha.
While waiting in line for one of the rides, this one Klingon walked up to Jenn and asked if she had any contraband and/or weapons in her backpack. When she replied politely "No Sir" he told her to go get some and that she bored him. haha. It seemed Jenn attracted the attention of the Klingons everywhere she went as another time when we were in one of the shops a Klingon was curious about Mr. Hanky (the Christmas Poo!) and kinda followed her around. hee
The first ride we went on was The Klingon Encounter, where at the beginning you stand in front of this little screen and the guy says this is part of the ride and takes your picture. Then you go into the "Shuttle Bay" which was kinda low budget looking (on purpose) and your being told about your 'mission' and then suddenly you hear voices over the speakers and the room goes completely dark. You feel this big whoosh of air and when the lights come back on your standing in the transporter room on the Enterprise. Then you go down the corridor to the bridge where Riker is on the viewscreen telling you you've been transported into the future and that someone in the group is an ancestor to Picard and it is essential to get you back to your own timeline because the ship is being attacked by the Klingons. You then go and board the shuttle (the front and top of it were a giant viewscreen) and the shuttle is being attacked. As your being tossed back and forth and evading the Klingons, the shuttle successfully goes back in time and you are told that you will be dropped off where you were initially transported (the beginning of the ride) from and then your flying over Las Vegas and eventually land on top of the Hilton. The ride was about 18 minutes and for the excitement/fun factor, this ride was the best.
The second ride was the Borg Invasion 4-D, this one had some really awesome effects but wasn't as exciting as the Klingon Encounter. You start off on a space station and are told by a Starfleet Lt and the Doctor from Voyager on the view screen that you have been identified as possibly having a gene that makes you immune to the Borg nanoprobes and they would like to conduct some reasearch with you but before the research begins the Borg attack the station. The room goes dark and red alert sirens start sounding and everyone is escorted through the damaged area to a shuttle to evacuate the station. While enroute to the shuttle, several crewmen are attacked by the Borg who are on the station. Eventually you make it to the shuttle where you put on these special glasses and are seated in front of this huge viewscreen. Your trying to escape and these little nanoprobes are flying all over and while one is in front of you, you get sprayed in the face with little spurts of water. The Borg queen assembles in front of you and are told that everyone will be assimilated. The best part was when this tentacle reaches out and right when it was in front of you, it jumps towards you and you feel this hard poke in your back from the seat. More water sprays and seat poking continue as they attempt to assimilate everyone. Eventually your able to resist the Borg and are rescued by Voyager. While not as exciting as the other ride, this one did have plenty of neat effects to keep you occupied and it lasted about 18 minutes as well.
Both were loads of fun and I'd definitely go back to do it again. Also while waiting in line for the rides, you go through this little museum like walkway, with a timeline of Trek events on one side and props/costumes from the various shows in cases on the other.
We had lunch in Quark's which was really good food and generous portions. I had a slight mix-up with an alcoholic beverage and after the waiter took it away I moved into the seat on the other side of the booth to take a picture. As I was exiting the seat, I slid right off and fell out onto the floor. Our waiter was standing right there of course commented that he thought I had taken a sip of that drink after all. lol though it was a bit embarrassing.
We also went on a day trip to the Hoover Dam which was really neat. It's dam huge! (pun intended) and sits right on the border of Nevada & Arizona. It's the second highest dam in the United States and is constructed totally of concrete that took 5 years to build. There are two turrets with large clocks on them, one has Nevada time and one has Arizona time. The whole decor for the dam was interesting. I've read before about it that there is enough concrete in the dam to build a two-lane road from Seattle, Wa to Miami, Fl or a four-foot-wide sidewalk around the Earth at the Equator. yea huge.
Overall Vegas was fun and interesting to see, Hoover Dam was a nice educational place to visit. The whole week seemed to fly by so quickly as it always does when your vacationing or doing something fun. heh
whew that's a mouthful :P
Captain's Log - Today we sat in the airport for 5 and a half hours while our flight was delayed and all I got was engine view out the window! Apparently something had gone wrong with the plane about halfway through the flight so they had to go back and board a new plane which put us about 3 and a half hours behind schedule. :P
Overall I enjoyed Las Vegas though I do think it's one of those cities that unless you have a specific reason for going, you wouldn't just keep going back. It is one of those places that everyone should see at least once just because of all the diversity and different things to see.
One thing for sure it definately was hot, temperatures ranged from 103F to 112F while we were there. Though the heat is a dry heat, which is better than the nasty humidity we have here but it sure was hot. Very dry all the time, I felt thirsty just about the whole time I was there and never seemed to get enough to drink. The terrain is kinda bland, well it is the desert after all. Big, flat open areas of desert with a few mangy bushes/shrubs scattered about. I do know that I have no desire to live in the desert atmosphere, I love the lush green trees and all the foliage too much, though I could do without the humidity. The mountains in the desert were cool and the sunrises and sunsets were really pretty.
I'm not really one for any of the shows and really once you've seen a casino you've seen them all but there were some really neat places. My favorite hotel/casino was Caeser's Palace as it was truly unique from all the others. It's a huge place and there's all these statues all over the place. In one area they ceiling is painted like the sky and it really gives that whole area a different feel, it was pretty neat. There's also lots of neat shops to look at with some rather nifty souvenirs.
My next favorite hotel/casino was the Luxor, the one shaped like a giant pyramid. It really was neat, not only to see from the outside but from the inside as well. Especially looking down from the 23rd floor (it goes up to 30) at all the people below. The rooms go all the way around and up the pyramid.
At the MGM Grand they have a Lion Habitat and the day we were there the lion was called 'Bora' and was inside a scent proof/sound proof habitat with a waterfall. They alternate the lions that are in the habitat every 6 hours and they told how some of the lions couldn't be used anymore because they wouldn't want to leave. And you an only imagine how hard it would be to move a full grown lion who doesn't want to do something lol. I also won $6.10 (nickel slots) at the casino in the MGM Grand which was pretty cool.
The Stratosphere was really cool, max height at the top was 1,149 ft! The observation decks were at Level 109 (866ft) and above that were three rides: The Insanity, X-Scream & the Big Shot. We rode 2 of them, the Insanity which was where you were hanging over nothing (it took you away from the building) and spun you around and around while hanging over nothing below you but the ground 909ft below. It was fun but a bit nauseating for me, not because of the height but because of the circular motion. I found that if I looked straight down it wasn't bad, but if I looked straight ahead and saw everything going around and around it wasn't so good lol. The best one however was the Big Shot where you are shot straight up in the air at about 4g's and while at the top of the tower (1,149ft) you experience a period of weightlessness. It was totally so much fun but didn't last very long. We didn't do the X-Scream which was this little rocket looking thing where you plunge over the side of the building.
A couple of the other hotel/casinos we visited were: The Excalibur, The Sahara (which had a really good buffet dinner), Mandalay Bay, The Hilton, New York New York and The Frontier. I won $9 at the nickel slots at The Frontier which is the most I've ever won gambling. I just don't win at games of chance but nevertheless I was pleasantly surprised even though I lost it at various other casinos. We walked/drove by several other places but either didn't stop or spend much time there.
We also spent an entire day at The Star Trek Experience (at the Hilton) which was totally awesome and loads of fun. I have been wanting to go for years now and it's definitely worth it. There is a shopping area (The DS9 Promenade) where you can easily spend way too much money. Several stores with many neat things in it, from keychains to t-shirts to collectors items to replicas and so on. Walking around are people dressed up as various species, we seen a Ferengi, a Klingon, a Borg and an Andorian. What a fun job that would be, walking around talking with people and being snarky bahaha.
While waiting in line for one of the rides, this one Klingon walked up to Jenn and asked if she had any contraband and/or weapons in her backpack. When she replied politely "No Sir" he told her to go get some and that she bored him. haha. It seemed Jenn attracted the attention of the Klingons everywhere she went as another time when we were in one of the shops a Klingon was curious about Mr. Hanky (the Christmas Poo!) and kinda followed her around. hee
The first ride we went on was The Klingon Encounter, where at the beginning you stand in front of this little screen and the guy says this is part of the ride and takes your picture. Then you go into the "Shuttle Bay" which was kinda low budget looking (on purpose) and your being told about your 'mission' and then suddenly you hear voices over the speakers and the room goes completely dark. You feel this big whoosh of air and when the lights come back on your standing in the transporter room on the Enterprise. Then you go down the corridor to the bridge where Riker is on the viewscreen telling you you've been transported into the future and that someone in the group is an ancestor to Picard and it is essential to get you back to your own timeline because the ship is being attacked by the Klingons. You then go and board the shuttle (the front and top of it were a giant viewscreen) and the shuttle is being attacked. As your being tossed back and forth and evading the Klingons, the shuttle successfully goes back in time and you are told that you will be dropped off where you were initially transported (the beginning of the ride) from and then your flying over Las Vegas and eventually land on top of the Hilton. The ride was about 18 minutes and for the excitement/fun factor, this ride was the best.
The second ride was the Borg Invasion 4-D, this one had some really awesome effects but wasn't as exciting as the Klingon Encounter. You start off on a space station and are told by a Starfleet Lt and the Doctor from Voyager on the view screen that you have been identified as possibly having a gene that makes you immune to the Borg nanoprobes and they would like to conduct some reasearch with you but before the research begins the Borg attack the station. The room goes dark and red alert sirens start sounding and everyone is escorted through the damaged area to a shuttle to evacuate the station. While enroute to the shuttle, several crewmen are attacked by the Borg who are on the station. Eventually you make it to the shuttle where you put on these special glasses and are seated in front of this huge viewscreen. Your trying to escape and these little nanoprobes are flying all over and while one is in front of you, you get sprayed in the face with little spurts of water. The Borg queen assembles in front of you and are told that everyone will be assimilated. The best part was when this tentacle reaches out and right when it was in front of you, it jumps towards you and you feel this hard poke in your back from the seat. More water sprays and seat poking continue as they attempt to assimilate everyone. Eventually your able to resist the Borg and are rescued by Voyager. While not as exciting as the other ride, this one did have plenty of neat effects to keep you occupied and it lasted about 18 minutes as well.
Both were loads of fun and I'd definitely go back to do it again. Also while waiting in line for the rides, you go through this little museum like walkway, with a timeline of Trek events on one side and props/costumes from the various shows in cases on the other.
We had lunch in Quark's which was really good food and generous portions. I had a slight mix-up with an alcoholic beverage and after the waiter took it away I moved into the seat on the other side of the booth to take a picture. As I was exiting the seat, I slid right off and fell out onto the floor. Our waiter was standing right there of course commented that he thought I had taken a sip of that drink after all. lol though it was a bit embarrassing.
We also went on a day trip to the Hoover Dam which was really neat. It's dam huge! (pun intended) and sits right on the border of Nevada & Arizona. It's the second highest dam in the United States and is constructed totally of concrete that took 5 years to build. There are two turrets with large clocks on them, one has Nevada time and one has Arizona time. The whole decor for the dam was interesting. I've read before about it that there is enough concrete in the dam to build a two-lane road from Seattle, Wa to Miami, Fl or a four-foot-wide sidewalk around the Earth at the Equator. yea huge.
Overall Vegas was fun and interesting to see, Hoover Dam was a nice educational place to visit. The whole week seemed to fly by so quickly as it always does when your vacationing or doing something fun. heh
whew that's a mouthful :P
