2018 Las Vegas
Prolouge--December 2018
Margo and I had be looking forward to this trip for a few months. We kind of threw it together kind of last minute (as I define it). I had thought earlier in the year, that maybe we could take some sort of trip, even it was just a weekender in the mountains, but things came together after Labor Day. She really enjoys the casinos. I like all of the history with the Mob’s presence, atomic energy, the Hoover Dam, and even just Las Vegas history. Margo had a few things picked out that would have mixed it up well. Then three days before we were to leave, Aunt Prim called and asked if we would like to go to Death Valley. After finding out it was only 1 ½ hours from Pahrump, we were in.
Tuesday the 27th, came earlier than I was expecting. I got up at the normal time I would have to go to work, but with me sleeping in for the last several days, it felt earlier. Margo, as usual, had us all packed and ready to go. My job on packing day is to pick out what I was going to wear, and then stay out of the way until I was called to weight the luggage. So, I am basically dumb muscle. I’m OK with that.
We weren’t taking Jackie on this trip. She likes to go places and she enjoys playing slot machines, but I feel terrible when she is in a casino. It is like letting a 10 year old play. She has no concept of what money is. She would blow through every dollar she has, because it is like playing a video game. We can monitor her and help, but then Margo gets stuck babysitting, and can’t enjoy the very thing we came up to do. So we end up just leaving her at home. Jessi is checking in on her. We don’t feel too bad about that as we bought her $400 Elton John tickets for her February birthday, per her request. That’s a bit more than we usually spend. Jackie can cook just fine, and she has two appointments scheduled with Veronica, her government paid for personal assistant.
Tuesday the 27th, came earlier than I was expecting. I got up at the normal time I would have to go to work, but with me sleeping in for the last several days, it felt earlier. Margo, as usual, had us all packed and ready to go. My job on packing day is to pick out what I was going to wear, and then stay out of the way until I was called to weight the luggage. So, I am basically dumb muscle. I’m OK with that.
We weren’t taking Jackie on this trip. She likes to go places and she enjoys playing slot machines, but I feel terrible when she is in a casino. It is like letting a 10 year old play. She has no concept of what money is. She would blow through every dollar she has, because it is like playing a video game. We can monitor her and help, but then Margo gets stuck babysitting, and can’t enjoy the very thing we came up to do. So we end up just leaving her at home. Jessi is checking in on her. We don’t feel too bad about that as we bought her $400 Elton John tickets for her February birthday, per her request. That’s a bit more than we usually spend. Jackie can cook just fine, and she has two appointments scheduled with Veronica, her government paid for personal assistant.
Day One---Tuesday, November 27, 2018
We left home about 7:15 AM or so. Our flight did not leave until 9:55 AM. We went through security a bit after 8:00 AM. With TSA PreCheck, it was the easiest check I’ve gone through since 2001. Shoes stayed on. My jacket stayed on. I don’t recall taking off my belt. I emptied my pockets into my gadget bag and walked through. No beep.
The flight itself was a little bumpy, climbing over the mountains. But, it settled in pretty well. I listened to some podcasts and even got a little sleep. We touched down in Vegas about 20 minutes early. Picked up the rental car in short order and was on I-15 on our way to our downtown hotel.
I booked us at the Four Queens, because we were more than a little tired of the big resort fees, and now parking fees at most of the strip hotels. Plus we had never stayed downtown. The Four Queens was originally owned by Ben Goffstein. He named the hotel after his wife, Faith and his three daughters, Hope, Benita and Michelle. It takes up an entire city block, and one face is right on Fremont Street. I thought that would be very cool. More on how that turned out, later.
We checked in way early, something like 11:30 AM. We were checked in by the desk manager, who was very efficient, but had a matter-of-fact, and canned Customer Service style. It was like she was an animitron, reciting programed responses. They were all on point and I was very happy that we got someone who knew what she was doing. I wasn’t even off put, I had never seen this particular style executed to this level.
The flight itself was a little bumpy, climbing over the mountains. But, it settled in pretty well. I listened to some podcasts and even got a little sleep. We touched down in Vegas about 20 minutes early. Picked up the rental car in short order and was on I-15 on our way to our downtown hotel.
I booked us at the Four Queens, because we were more than a little tired of the big resort fees, and now parking fees at most of the strip hotels. Plus we had never stayed downtown. The Four Queens was originally owned by Ben Goffstein. He named the hotel after his wife, Faith and his three daughters, Hope, Benita and Michelle. It takes up an entire city block, and one face is right on Fremont Street. I thought that would be very cool. More on how that turned out, later.
We checked in way early, something like 11:30 AM. We were checked in by the desk manager, who was very efficient, but had a matter-of-fact, and canned Customer Service style. It was like she was an animitron, reciting programed responses. They were all on point and I was very happy that we got someone who knew what she was doing. I wasn’t even off put, I had never seen this particular style executed to this level.
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Anyway, We went up to our 9th floor room. It had two double beds, but they looked bigger. Margo and I now prefer separate beds when we travel. That way there is no need to request extra pillows or blankets. We checked out our bathroom, which is routine for us. I immediately noticed that we had three shower heads in the shower. (Where else would they be?). That would put this bathroom third, in the Most Memorable Bathroom category. Number one was at The Hard Rock Hotel in Biloxi, MS. Earning the Sliver Metal was the Northern Quest Resort in Spokane, WA. You will have to read about them in my online blogs if you want to know why. BillKretzer.com, and go to Travels.
Margo wanted to get right to the slot machines. We worked in a lunch at Magnolia’s Veranda at the Four Queens, before we left for our Mob Tour. I dropped $60 in short order. Margo continued her hot streak from our last Black Hawk trip, and was up $300 as fast as I lost. Lucky for me, we needed to get moving, and we got our valet parked Nissan Versa and got on the I-15 to go to the Tuscany Resort and Casino, on Flamingo, just off The Strip. It was a very inviting place with an old world feel to it. |
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Our Mob Tour was actually called The Untouchables VIP Tour. It set me back over $300 for the two of us. But, it consisted of a 1 ½ to 2 hour tour of sites that related to the movie Casino, staring Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, and Sharon Stone. I saw it at least twenty years ago, and had understood it to be based on a true story. Margo didn’t think she had ever seen it. The true story will, mostly, have to be left to someone else, but the Readers Digest version concerns three mobsters Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal (played by DeNiro), Tony Spilotro (played by Joe Pesci), and Frank Cullota (played by Frank Vincent). The real gangster’s names were not used in the movie, and I don’t |
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recall the fictionalized names, but the major events recreated on film, did really happen. Some of the facts and locations might have been altered to tell a story, but they were not whipped up out of thin air..The Technical Advisor to the film was the real mobster, Frank Cullota, who has gone straight, and makes his living selling his books, and giving his own mob tours.
I enjoyed the tour. We went to the actual house used as Frank Rosenthal’s home, and the golf course beside it, which in the movie, a surveillance plane (Cessna-like) runs out of gas and has to land on. We not only saw, but parked on the actual spot where Frank Rosenthal was nearly assassinated, when his car blew up. We saw the jewelry store that Frank Cullota and his Hole-in-the-Wall gang were attempting to rob, and which ended his criminal career. The store was under police surveillance, and was really a trap.
I enjoyed the tour. We went to the actual house used as Frank Rosenthal’s home, and the golf course beside it, which in the movie, a surveillance plane (Cessna-like) runs out of gas and has to land on. We not only saw, but parked on the actual spot where Frank Rosenthal was nearly assassinated, when his car blew up. We saw the jewelry store that Frank Cullota and his Hole-in-the-Wall gang were attempting to rob, and which ended his criminal career. The store was under police surveillance, and was really a trap.
The tour was conducted by a driver, named J.T. and a guys dressed as mobster, and who really looked the part, named Bobby. The tour company, Las Vegas Specialty Tours, claims that they have thoroughly researched the events, including getting photos and information from the FBI, presumidly from Freedom of Information requests, the local newspaper archives, news station video archives, the Mob Musuem, and even some participants, including Frank Cullota, himself. I believe it. In the van that drove us around Las Vegas, they had a video set up for us to view. There was news footage of the car bomb I mentioned, as well as photos. It was well done. What I did know about the Las Vegas mob, dovetailed with what Bobby told us, including a few “facts” that I had already known were just common misconceptions.
Bobby and J.T. got us back to Tuscany, so we could enjoy the second of four parts of our Tour package, which I did not properly define earlier. Part One was the tour. Part Two was a limited menu dinner at Tuscany Garden’s at the Tuscany Resort. Part Three was a show at the Tuscany, call The Rat Pack in Back. The final part was two general admission tickets to the Mob Museum. I thought it was a pretty good value.
Bobby and J.T. got us back to Tuscany, so we could enjoy the second of four parts of our Tour package, which I did not properly define earlier. Part One was the tour. Part Two was a limited menu dinner at Tuscany Garden’s at the Tuscany Resort. Part Three was a show at the Tuscany, call The Rat Pack in Back. The final part was two general admission tickets to the Mob Museum. I thought it was a pretty good value.
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We finished up the tour somewhere approaching 6 PM. I had to pee, but Bobby was also selling books written and autographed by Frank Cullota. I really wanted one, so I made that purchase, talked with Bobby just a bit, tipped him, and then I had to go. My doctor won’t like this, but there was no way I was taking my meds on this trip. I did not want to spend it all in the bathroom, but they had not completely worked their way through my system.
We were seated at dinner after my water business was done. Margo has been very supportive of my recent limitations and was a good sport on this tour. This doesn’t interest her a lot, but she said she enjoyed it, just the same. |
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When I signed up for this tour, I did have the opportunity to view the menu, and it really was limited. But, I saw something I would like and something Margo would like, so I figured we could make it work. Mine was the Spaghetti Bolognese and Margo had a 5oz steak filet. Both were very good. I ended up finishing some of Margo’s. They presented us with a check, that both itemized, and then zeroed out what we owed. This was so we could tip our waitress. She did a great job, so I made sure to leave her something over the 20% the $44.00 tab would have been.
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Leg three of our tour, was the show in The Copa Room of the Tuscany Resort. The Rat Pack is Back, is a tribute show taking you back to 1960 at the Sahara Hotel. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis, Jr are putting on a show. I can’t tell you who was standing in for any of the three. It was announced, but I couldn’t make out the names. What I can tell you is that the Dean guy looked like Dean Martin, and sounded a lot like him. The Frank Sinatra guy didn’t look like The Chairman of the Board, but could sing like him. Sammy the Impersonator neither sounded or looked like Sammy Davis, Jr. But, he was funny, and could sing and dance.
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Both Margo and I enjoyed the show, and it felt like the three of them recreated what it must have been like three years before I was born. The banter and interactions seemed like they were authentic. The only think I did not like, was the Dean guys seemed to clown it up, too much. Still it was fun. I liked the comedy more than the music, but I think it was supposed to be that way.
The older ladies in the front row got lots of attention from the boys. They were eating it up and had the time of their life. One of the ladies was celebrating her 90th birthday. Part of the act, was that it was really Sinatra’s birthday. Dean announced he was changing it to a costume party, and came out as Batman. He had Sammy dressed up as Robin, and they both looked ridiculous. It was funny.
I know I should feel bad, but I don’t. In the back to the theater was a bar, but it is a small room, so the two guys Margo pointed out to me, were gay. She caught them kissing. Now they were in their 50s, so this was not a pleasant picture that Margo had just placed in my head. Well, as Frank pointed out several times, this is 1960. He made several gay jokes, and our homosexual couple did not appear to enjoy them. One of the pair was on the obnoxious side, having laughed loudly in someone’s face before we were seated, but he was now subdued. My position on homosexuality is live and let live, but asses come in all flavors, so I wasn't fussed.
The older ladies in the front row got lots of attention from the boys. They were eating it up and had the time of their life. One of the ladies was celebrating her 90th birthday. Part of the act, was that it was really Sinatra’s birthday. Dean announced he was changing it to a costume party, and came out as Batman. He had Sammy dressed up as Robin, and they both looked ridiculous. It was funny.
I know I should feel bad, but I don’t. In the back to the theater was a bar, but it is a small room, so the two guys Margo pointed out to me, were gay. She caught them kissing. Now they were in their 50s, so this was not a pleasant picture that Margo had just placed in my head. Well, as Frank pointed out several times, this is 1960. He made several gay jokes, and our homosexual couple did not appear to enjoy them. One of the pair was on the obnoxious side, having laughed loudly in someone’s face before we were seated, but he was now subdued. My position on homosexuality is live and let live, but asses come in all flavors, so I wasn't fussed.
Anyway, after the show was over, we went back to our hotel and dropped off the stuff. We walked across The Fremont Street Experience and played slots at the Fremont Casino. I actually got up to even, before I gave up around 11 PM.
Margo was not done, yet. I decided I was tired and maybe going to bed. But, even before I opened the door to our room, I knew that was not going to happen. Recall I mentioned that the Four Queens is right on Fremont Street. I knew that they did light and sound shows on the top of each hour, but did not figure that would bother me. But, they also have a series of live bands going until 1 AM. That band pavilion is visible right our window. They are loud. I liked the music, but I wasn’t going to sleep through it. I could barely type through it. So, I was up until 1 PM, until the music ended. Margo came up about 12:30, andshe had the exact same thought I did before she opened the door. But, we really didn’t care. We had had a good day and staying up late did not seem like a burden at all.
Margo was not done, yet. I decided I was tired and maybe going to bed. But, even before I opened the door to our room, I knew that was not going to happen. Recall I mentioned that the Four Queens is right on Fremont Street. I knew that they did light and sound shows on the top of each hour, but did not figure that would bother me. But, they also have a series of live bands going until 1 AM. That band pavilion is visible right our window. They are loud. I liked the music, but I wasn’t going to sleep through it. I could barely type through it. So, I was up until 1 PM, until the music ended. Margo came up about 12:30, andshe had the exact same thought I did before she opened the door. But, we really didn’t care. We had had a good day and staying up late did not seem like a burden at all.
Day Two--Wednesday, November 28, 2018
7:00 AM came way too early. We were up because we had a big day planned. Aunt Prim and Uncle Donnie had invited us to go to Death Valley. I had always assumed that Death Valley was deep into California, and too far for a day trip. But, it was only about 1 ½ from Pahrump, and 2 ¾ hour from our hotel. Splitting it up into two segments would make it seem even shorter. On top of Death Valley, Aunt Prim was going to take us to the Chicken Ranch for a tour of a legal brothel. I was pretty jazzed about this day.
We had breakfast at McDonald’s right there on Fremont Street. I had a coke, for the first time in nealy two weeks. It tasted so good. I was not taking my diabetic or blood pressure medicine on this trip, because they both act like a diueretic, and I did no want to spend this whole trip in the bathroom. I ended up spending plenty of time there as it was.
Margo sent a text to Aunt Prim at 8:15, that we were on our way. The drive ended up taking on 1:15, which was just a little longer than we normally spend when we drive to Black Hawk. We listened to the new Janet Evanovich book, Look Alive Twenty Five. Margo got me into this Stephanie Plum series. Janet Evanovich is an entertaining writer, and the books are like comfort food, with no pressure, other than to follow her story.
We had breakfast at McDonald’s right there on Fremont Street. I had a coke, for the first time in nealy two weeks. It tasted so good. I was not taking my diabetic or blood pressure medicine on this trip, because they both act like a diueretic, and I did no want to spend this whole trip in the bathroom. I ended up spending plenty of time there as it was.
Margo sent a text to Aunt Prim at 8:15, that we were on our way. The drive ended up taking on 1:15, which was just a little longer than we normally spend when we drive to Black Hawk. We listened to the new Janet Evanovich book, Look Alive Twenty Five. Margo got me into this Stephanie Plum series. Janet Evanovich is an entertaining writer, and the books are like comfort food, with no pressure, other than to follow her story.
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We pulled into Pahrump at about 9:30, and Aunt Prim had some bad news for us. She had called the Chicken Ranch, and no tours today, until 12:30 PM. Then they would end at dark. Dark would be around 5 PM. We couldn’t just sit around and wait, as we had a lot to do in Death Valley. So, off we went, and we would worry about seeing the brothel later. Margo and Aunt Prim sat in the back and they chatted about crafts, travel, and looked at the pictures on Margo’s phone. I sat up front and talked with Uncle Donnie on the way to California. It did not seem like an hour and a half, but soon we saw the not-very-prominent state line marker, and not long after that the sign for Death Valley National Park. Uncle Donnie was happy to pullover and we got our requisite National Park picture. |
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Our first stop was Dante’s View, an over look at 5400 feet above sea level. It overlooked the Badwater Basin, the Salt Flats, Badwater Road, and a couple of alluvial fans. An alluvial fan is the fan shaped debris field at the entrance to a canyon. The canyon is created by rains that cause a river of water to run downhill and carve it out. But the stuff that is carved out doesn’t just evaporate. It has to go somewhere. The somewhere is the end of the canyon. The water carries debris out in all directions, with the heavy stuff staying near the canyon, and finer stuff going out much further, and fanning out in all directions. |
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The Badwater Road is the road running in Badwater basin, which for a practical sense, is Death Valley. The Salt Flats are the white, ice looking things. We saw all of this from the top of Dante’s View. It was a bit hazy, but you could still see for miles. Back to the parking lot and we soon our way to the Furnace Creek area, but Uncle Donnie (Unk), soon spotted a sign indicating the 20 Mule Team Canyon. I am sure Unk said something about noticing this before. He took the temp of the cabin with respect to wanting to travel down this narrow, rough, and at times, soft looking road. Everyone was either game or non-commital, and the truck made a left hand turn towards this canyon. |
The canyon is formed from white and yellow mudstone, and is other-worldly. In fact, I understand a portion of the first Star Wars movie was filmed there. I guess George Lucas thought so, too. We only a drove a short distance into the canyon, maybe a ¼ mile until we saw a place wide enough to turn around. Once we got back home, I found out the road was actually a one way, went about 2.7 miles and comes out behind you, about 2 miles down the road you just traveled.
Our planned stop was to have been the Borax museum, about 15 minutes away near the Furnace Creek resort. But, as we were approaching a parking lot, which had a trailhead, Uncle Donnie says “Here’s another place”. I’m always game, but Margo has bad knees, and hates to walk uphill. (She’s not big on downhill, either). So I start hemming and hawing, not wanting to leave Margo alone if we stop, she chimes in and says she if fine in the car, as she has her book. It was settled then, and we turned into the parking lot for Zabriskie Point.
Our planned stop was to have been the Borax museum, about 15 minutes away near the Furnace Creek resort. But, as we were approaching a parking lot, which had a trailhead, Uncle Donnie says “Here’s another place”. I’m always game, but Margo has bad knees, and hates to walk uphill. (She’s not big on downhill, either). So I start hemming and hawing, not wanting to leave Margo alone if we stop, she chimes in and says she if fine in the car, as she has her book. It was settled then, and we turned into the parking lot for Zabriskie Point.
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I had no idea that Zabriskie Point, named for Christian B. Zabriskie, vice-president of Pacific Coast Borax Company, (more on that later) was so striking, or that it was a must see place. The colors and geology were nothing like I had ever seen before. The rocks around this area are soft sedimentary types, that erode easily with the rains. But, since Death Valley is the driest place in the US, erosion from that manner is slow. But, on the other hand, we are talking millions of years, so the yellow and brown sedimentary, topped by dark brown volcanic rocks have been carved into soft, steep peaks, with deep channels all along their sides. But, to me and Aunt Prim, they looked like marble cake, yellow cake, with chocolate swirls. I was very stuck by the scenery, and was so happy that we stopped.
Breakfast had worn off and by concencus, our next stop was for lunch. Our hosts knew that the Furnace Creek area, host to a park entrance and the visitor’s center, among other things, was our only bet. Aunt Prim and Uncle Donnie was surprised that area had undergone a big revitalization plan. Buildings had be upgraded, repurposed, added, and renovated. To them it seemed almost brand new. It was now The Oasis at Death Valley. But, none of that did our hunger any good. I spotted an open door that had tables and chairs visible. Restaurant. We parked, walked into it, and were met by a western themed restaurant, with a foodie meets comfort food menu. It was the type were the salads were arugula, instead of iceberg. Margo calls these lawn clippings salad and is not fond. Cover them with dressing and they taste fine to me. |
We had a very nice lunch, which we were not allowed to pay for. We were Uncle Donnie and Aunt Prim's guests and that was that. We will see how that argument holds when they next visit.
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The Borax Museum was right across the parking lot from where we had parked. It is an outdoor museum with a variety of equipment related to the borax industry. As far as Death Valley is concerned that lasted from 1881 to 1889 Just five short years. The Pacific Coast Borax Company had set up mining efforts to collect borax. The borax ore is located on valley floor and would be scooped up into a wagon, which would take the ore to a local processing plant. The equipment we saw at the museum was associated with either this, or the lumber trade from nearby Charleston Mountain.
The two most prominent pieces of equipment was a large steam train engine and a 20 mule team wagon. The 20 Mule Team was made famous by the radio and television show Death Valley Days, which was both conceived and sponsored by the Pacific Coast Borax Company. They had abandoned Death Valley in 1889 when cheaper to produce deposits were found closer to the population centers of California. |
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I have seen many steam engines in the past, and this one did not appear to be any different from the others I had come across. It was still big and impressive. But, the 20 mule team wagon set up was something I had never seen before. There were no animals present to prove that 20 mules were used, but with two separate ore wagons and a water wagon on the back, it was obvious that this would take a lot of animals to move. The ore wagons were big. The wheels were over six feet tall. I had Margo stand beside one for perspective, and it dwarfs her.
It only took 20-30 minutes to see all the exhibits. They were all right there together in an area that was about ½ acre is size. Everything was quite old and weathered. But, they were also not very well documented with information. |
Each exhibit had a number, so suspect there was an information sheet that went along with it, but we did not have one. The information we got came from weathered wooden signs on each exhibit
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We were soon on our way to the Harmony Borax Works, whiwas just a few minutes away. As we drove, we pasted by Furnace Creek Visitors Center. I did want to see that and mentioned it to Unk. Everyone was game, so we planned to see that on the way back.
The Harmony Borax Works consisted of a badly weathered adobe building which surrounded a steam boiler and boiling tanks. They overlook another, better preserved 20 mule team outfit. A couple of hundred yards out are two badly weathered adobe buildings which used to house workers for the plant. To me the most impressive thing about this place was that it was so remote and inhospitable. The temps were as much as 110 degrees when they worked. I don’t understand why anyone would willingly work there. A lot of the workers were Chinese immigrants. Maybe they had no choice. |
We arrived at The Chicken Ranch at like 5:01. Our actual deadline had been “dark”. Aunt Prim had called and they said if we got there in the next 30 minutes, we could still see the place. It took us closer to 35. Pahrump is a town of about 36,000, a little bigger than Brighton, but it takes half an hour to drive from one side to the other. Still we got to take a few pictures of the outside, and we could try again the next time we were in Pahrump.
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Our last Death Vally stop was a bit of a disappointment. The gift shop was OK, but nothing jumped out at you. The exhibits were also just OK. I don’t know what I was expecting, maybe more information about what we had just seen. What was all that white stuff we saw at Dante’s View? Stuff like that. But, it was still nice to look at It was coming up on 4:00 PM, and we needed to get moving, if we were to have a shot at a tour of The Chicken Ranch. Spoiler alert. We didn’t make it. It rained a little bit on our way back, and we were all much quieter. Tired and the night sky will do that to you. 
Aunt Prim had suggested Terribles, where we could gamble and eat at. Sounded good to us. We gambled for maybe a half hour, with no one having any luck. At that point in time eating sounded better than donating more money.
The dinner was good, and reasonable as well. I had a Philly Cheesesteak for $7.99. That was not much more expensive than the turkey dinner special, which was two for $13. The turkey looked good, but I had eaten a bunch of late, with Thanksgiving only 5 days in the distance. 
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With it dark and an hour’s drive in front of it, we went back to Aunt Prim and Uncle Donnie’s place. We spent a few minutes admiring Aunt Prim’s tree, decorated with sentimental ornaments. She told us the story of many of them. It was a really cool way to remember friends and family at the holidays.
With it dark and an hour’s drive in front of it, we went back to Aunt Prim and Uncle Donnie’s place. We spent a few minutes admiring Aunt Prim’s tree, decorated with sentimental ornaments. She told us the story of many of them. It was a really cool way to remember friends and family at the holidays.
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The drive home was nearly uneventful, We continued to list to Stephanie Plum, until a construction stoppage halted our progress for about 10 minutes. Aunt Prim had warned us that they were widening Highway 160. It gave me a chance to take off my jacket, which was very much unneeded in the car. We went back to the Four Queens. Margo gambled. I went off in search of souviners for the girls at work, water, and snacks. None of that was hard to find on Fremont Street. I found Margo. She was doing fine. I think she was ahead for the trip at this point. If she was down it was not much. I tried my luck on the slots and won a decent $70 jackpot, and a few smaller ones. I was up about $90 for the day, and around even for the trip. I had nothing to complain about. I gave up at about 11 PM and went upstairs to write a bit and read my Frank Cullota book. Back home I am usually listening to any book I read. It was nice to have one in my hand, especially one I enjoyed. The music was still going and would be until 1 AM. I wasn’t bothered. Margo was back around midnight. We were both tired. Long day today, after a short night. I was in bed by 12:30 and don’t remember the music stopping. |
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Day Three--Thursday, November 29, 2018
I was up at 8:45 AM. I think Margo beat me and was mostly done with her morning routine. She had forgot to pack a belt and voicing a desire to hunt one down. I was skeptical that touristy Fremont Street was the place for find a belt. I was only half correct. We ended up finding several stores than had men’s belts. This surprised me, as current fashion has pants around your legs, with belts being some relic of the past. But, I suppose the downtown area has a differnet clientel.
After our Magnolia’s Veranda breakfast and our quest for a belt, we headed back to the Four Queens. It started to rain. Our big event of the day was to be a Segway tour of the downtown area. We were both concerned about doing this in the wet. It might be cancelled, so I called. They tour would go unless there was lightening, but Shawn was happy to reschedule for tomorrow, as he was wide open. I took him up on that and we changed it to Friday at 11 AM. It turned out to be the right call. No lightening, but it was a constant drizzle or rain all day. Not common for the desert, and unpleasant when riding at 6 MPH.
After our Magnolia’s Veranda breakfast and our quest for a belt, we headed back to the Four Queens. It started to rain. Our big event of the day was to be a Segway tour of the downtown area. We were both concerned about doing this in the wet. It might be cancelled, so I called. They tour would go unless there was lightening, but Shawn was happy to reschedule for tomorrow, as he was wide open. I took him up on that and we changed it to Friday at 11 AM. It turned out to be the right call. No lightening, but it was a constant drizzle or rain all day. Not common for the desert, and unpleasant when riding at 6 MPH.
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With our event of the day postponed, meal had, slot machines satiated (for now) and Mob Museum tickets from Tuesday unused, the next part of our day was obvious. The rain was more off than one, and the Mob Museum was two blocks from the Four Queens lobby, so we decided to walk.
We had visited the Mob Museum last year and had to rush through it. Now we had plenty of time, and free tickets. I was ready. We got in line and noticed that things had changed a bit. They were now offering some interactive exhibits. One was Forensic Lab, another was Use of Force, and the final one, Moonshine Sampling. These were at extra cost and would double the cost of a normal ticket. But, because our tickets were free, we would end paying for a regular admission. We went that route. It looked like fun. We ended up with the Forensic Lab and the Use of Force. The Moonshine was not available for some reason. The Use of Force sounded like we would be used to demonstrate tactics, at least for part of the demonstration. We weren’t thrilled about it, but we decided to still give it a shot. But that would be later. |
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Our first stop was the Forensic Lab; The Crime Lab. They had at least three sections; Autopsy, Bullet Comparison, and Fingerprint Comparison. We went right over to Autopsy, and opened up what looked to be a murder of some sort. They had a table laid out, which was really a big screen. Our body came up on the screen, and showed a white male, lots of bruising, and some worms coming out of his side. Margo and I concluded this was a homicide and the guy had been beaten to death. We were right. But, as this was the Mob Museum, what else was it going to be. There was a button to press to see if this particular one was based on a true story. It was, and it appeared to be based on the murder of mobster Tony Spilotro, a Vegas mobster from the 70s and 80s, and one of the mobsters from our tour and the movie, Casino. Very cool.
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We next were directed to the Use of Force area. We had to sign a waiver. Not unexpected, but it was explained to us, that I had gotten things very wrong. We would be police officers put in three situations where we were to determine the level of force to be used, with our firearms. These were kind of like training simulators that police officers would use. The first two were projected on a screen. About the firearms. They were replica and could only fire a puff of air. We were to treat them as loaded weapons and adhere to the safety requirements that entails.
Back to the simulations. First up was a robbery in progress. Margo was behind me, so I did not see what she did, but I am pretty sure I ended up dead, because I did not have my gun out even close to in time. Our training officer did a great job of preparing us, but you still had to make the decision as to when to unholster your gun, and when to fire. I know Margo got her first shot off before I did. It might have been in time to save me.
Number two was a home invasion. We both killed two bad guys and did not shoot the innocent resident. I think I was still slow on pulling the trigger on the second guy.
Number three was with a real guy. We were prepped given warning to watch our distance. It was a guy breaking into a car. I took lead and would have been brained with a crow bar. I am not sure if Margo shot the guy or not. I am sure she would have only let him hit me once, and would have been chastising me in the ambulance for being stupid. It was fun and interesting, and gave me a whole new level of respect for the guys that have to do this thing for real.
Back to the simulations. First up was a robbery in progress. Margo was behind me, so I did not see what she did, but I am pretty sure I ended up dead, because I did not have my gun out even close to in time. Our training officer did a great job of preparing us, but you still had to make the decision as to when to unholster your gun, and when to fire. I know Margo got her first shot off before I did. It might have been in time to save me.
Number two was a home invasion. We both killed two bad guys and did not shoot the innocent resident. I think I was still slow on pulling the trigger on the second guy.
Number three was with a real guy. We were prepped given warning to watch our distance. It was a guy breaking into a car. I took lead and would have been brained with a crow bar. I am not sure if Margo shot the guy or not. I am sure she would have only let him hit me once, and would have been chastising me in the ambulance for being stupid. It was fun and interesting, and gave me a whole new level of respect for the guys that have to do this thing for real.
The rest of the museum was pretty much the same as I remembered. We got to spend more time in some areas, and less in others. It was more crowded than the last time we were there. There was one exception to the “pretty much the same” part. That was Richie.
Richie is an 85 year old Las Vegas resident who had been in town since the 60s, at least. He grew up in Philadelphia and was boyhood friends with Joey Bishop, one of the Rat Pack. He had introduced the Kefauver Hearing video presentation, which one of had taken place in this very building (The old Las Vegas Courthouse). When he mentioned his tenure in Vegas, I decided, as he had offered to answer questions, to take him up on it.
I asked him his accesment of the Rat Pack is Back characterization of Dean Martin. I was a fan of Dean Martin, remembering his celebrity roasts, The Golddiggers, and at least one movie from youth. The other Rat Packers meant little to me, but I did not like that the guy from the show seemed to portray Dean as a clown.
Richie confirmed that Dean was the clown of the group, but as it appeared he had not seen the show, he offered no opinion. He did say that Frank was an asshole. Sinatra called Richie Mr. MFer. Richie had dealt blackjack to the group back in the day. He said Frank never won at his table. He said Sammy Davis Jr could drink. He said that Joey Bishop wrote most of the routines in their act. Peter Lawford was basically a hanger-on, because of his Kennedy ties. I enjoyed my talk with him, immensely. I’d wish I could buy him dinner and listen to his stories all night.
Richie is an 85 year old Las Vegas resident who had been in town since the 60s, at least. He grew up in Philadelphia and was boyhood friends with Joey Bishop, one of the Rat Pack. He had introduced the Kefauver Hearing video presentation, which one of had taken place in this very building (The old Las Vegas Courthouse). When he mentioned his tenure in Vegas, I decided, as he had offered to answer questions, to take him up on it.
I asked him his accesment of the Rat Pack is Back characterization of Dean Martin. I was a fan of Dean Martin, remembering his celebrity roasts, The Golddiggers, and at least one movie from youth. The other Rat Packers meant little to me, but I did not like that the guy from the show seemed to portray Dean as a clown.
Richie confirmed that Dean was the clown of the group, but as it appeared he had not seen the show, he offered no opinion. He did say that Frank was an asshole. Sinatra called Richie Mr. MFer. Richie had dealt blackjack to the group back in the day. He said Frank never won at his table. He said Sammy Davis Jr could drink. He said that Joey Bishop wrote most of the routines in their act. Peter Lawford was basically a hanger-on, because of his Kennedy ties. I enjoyed my talk with him, immensely. I’d wish I could buy him dinner and listen to his stories all night.
We made a final stop at “The Underground”. This was a 1920s speakeasy in the basement of the building. It was where we would have gotten our Moonshine. It was a nice, but the mixologist was busy with someone else. I was getting tired and I knew that this whole mob thing was not Margo’s cup of whiskey, so I suggested just calling this one done. She agreed.
We ate lunch at The Grand, a casino just off Fremont Street. I was looking for a steak. I ended up with prime rib. Margo had the same. We both order Hurricanes, which were surprisingly good. We decided to try our luck here for a while. I had plenty of luck, but it was all bad. I dropped about $70. While Margo was staying with a lucky streak, I ran back to our hotel (block away) and went to the box office. We had decided that seeing Mike Hammer (a magician/comedien) at the Four Queens sounded like fun. By the time I got back, Margo was about ready to head back to Fremont Street.
We ate lunch at The Grand, a casino just off Fremont Street. I was looking for a steak. I ended up with prime rib. Margo had the same. We both order Hurricanes, which were surprisingly good. We decided to try our luck here for a while. I had plenty of luck, but it was all bad. I dropped about $70. While Margo was staying with a lucky streak, I ran back to our hotel (block away) and went to the box office. We had decided that seeing Mike Hammer (a magician/comedien) at the Four Queens sounded like fun. By the time I got back, Margo was about ready to head back to Fremont Street.
Margo likes to come to Vegas to play the slots. She allows me to divert her attention with tours, attractions, shopping, and even food. But there was done of that going on, so the slots were calling her name. I gambled with her until about 5:15 PM, when I decided I needed a break. So I went upstairs to work on this narrative. An hour later I went to find Margo. I had not heard from her and I was concerned she as losing. She will usually text me when she has a large score. But, apparently a $300 ticket, and $200 in another machine were commonplace for her.
We had VIP tickets, and thus a special line to queue up to. I was told to be there at 6:30. We arrived at just after that and we were immediately seated in front row, center stage. I knew we were going to become part of the show, and I knew Margo would love it.
I was not wrong. Mike Hammer is a cross between David Copperfield and Don Rickles. Some people might be put off by his insult brand of comedy, but it works. The whole crowd, even those he picked on laughed hard and loud.
The very first thing he did was ask for a volunteer and called on my bride. He asked if I was her husband. When she responded in the affirmative, he asked “Why? Small town? Not that many choices?” It was funny and I laughed.
His first act involved him escaping from a pair of handcuffs, supposedly using just a flosspick. Margo held up one end of a jacket and some else the other. I say supposedly, because he could escape those in an instant, without the pick. He proved that several times by dropping his hands behind the cover and immediately raising them, showing one manacle dangling uselessly from one wrist. He did the once one the pretense of forgetting the pick, which Margo was holding.
On another trick, he was using a marker to write down his guess as to the word a lady was thinking of. In a prior joke he had admonished a left-hander who was going to write something as part of the gag, that he needed to use a left handed marker. He retrieved the “wrong one”, put it in his pocket, and the reached around his back to the same pocket, took our the same marker and gave it to the guy, earning a laugh from the crowd.
In this trick, which Margo was not a part of, he purposely dropped his marker, and asked Margo to retrieve it. She graciously did. But, the he dropped it again. She was asked to retrieve it again. Not wanting to be part of whatever he had cooked up, she said, No. He asked again with some emphasis. She asked “Is it a left-handed marker”. That got a laugh from him, but no outside of me and another person heard it.
He got me later for my lazy eye. I have an eye that droops as a result of the car accident I was in back in 1986. I’m not self conscious about it. He also asked me to keep an “eye” on a bag later to insure it was not tampered with. He ended up getting me on that later on. I should have been sharper. He ended up insulting everyone in the first two rows, a lot in the 3rd, and a few in the back. He had numerous running gags throughout the whole show. Kevin, behind me, was a serial killer. That older lady behind him was hard of hearing, and Mike would yell at her through the whole show.
I thought his magic was good. I’m not expert, but I didn’t see how any of the tricks were done, and only had guesses on a few. Margo thoroughly enjoyed the show, as did I. She got a t-shirt and a picture with him after the show. We spent about five minutes talking with. He seemed like a nice guys and thanked us for being good sports.
We had VIP tickets, and thus a special line to queue up to. I was told to be there at 6:30. We arrived at just after that and we were immediately seated in front row, center stage. I knew we were going to become part of the show, and I knew Margo would love it.
I was not wrong. Mike Hammer is a cross between David Copperfield and Don Rickles. Some people might be put off by his insult brand of comedy, but it works. The whole crowd, even those he picked on laughed hard and loud.
The very first thing he did was ask for a volunteer and called on my bride. He asked if I was her husband. When she responded in the affirmative, he asked “Why? Small town? Not that many choices?” It was funny and I laughed.
His first act involved him escaping from a pair of handcuffs, supposedly using just a flosspick. Margo held up one end of a jacket and some else the other. I say supposedly, because he could escape those in an instant, without the pick. He proved that several times by dropping his hands behind the cover and immediately raising them, showing one manacle dangling uselessly from one wrist. He did the once one the pretense of forgetting the pick, which Margo was holding.
On another trick, he was using a marker to write down his guess as to the word a lady was thinking of. In a prior joke he had admonished a left-hander who was going to write something as part of the gag, that he needed to use a left handed marker. He retrieved the “wrong one”, put it in his pocket, and the reached around his back to the same pocket, took our the same marker and gave it to the guy, earning a laugh from the crowd.
In this trick, which Margo was not a part of, he purposely dropped his marker, and asked Margo to retrieve it. She graciously did. But, the he dropped it again. She was asked to retrieve it again. Not wanting to be part of whatever he had cooked up, she said, No. He asked again with some emphasis. She asked “Is it a left-handed marker”. That got a laugh from him, but no outside of me and another person heard it.
He got me later for my lazy eye. I have an eye that droops as a result of the car accident I was in back in 1986. I’m not self conscious about it. He also asked me to keep an “eye” on a bag later to insure it was not tampered with. He ended up getting me on that later on. I should have been sharper. He ended up insulting everyone in the first two rows, a lot in the 3rd, and a few in the back. He had numerous running gags throughout the whole show. Kevin, behind me, was a serial killer. That older lady behind him was hard of hearing, and Mike would yell at her through the whole show.
I thought his magic was good. I’m not expert, but I didn’t see how any of the tricks were done, and only had guesses on a few. Margo thoroughly enjoyed the show, as did I. She got a t-shirt and a picture with him after the show. We spent about five minutes talking with. He seemed like a nice guys and thanked us for being good sports.
We were done with the show at about 8:15 PM. We needed to check in with Southwest at 8:45 PM. So we killed some time walking a bit on Fremont Street under the canopy. Fremont Street is known for its buskers; street performers. One set of “performers” were a pair of blond girls, in a one piece, red white and blue, thong swimsuit. These were just my kind of performers.
I asked Margo how mad she would be if I wanted a picture with them. She asked me how long had been together. I knew she wouldn’t mind. She would even take the picture. She did indeed take multiple pictures, with the ladies giving the camera both front and back views of their…swimsuits. I tipped them very well, and in the exchange of pleasantries which followed, Margo mentioned we were in town for her birthday. The girls got excited and asked if Margo would like pictures of them, for free. She was game. They asked her a couple of time about her being offended, first taking pics with me, and then taking pics with the rear view, and her in them. She laughed it off. She is way past being jealous of these type of things.
I asked Margo how mad she would be if I wanted a picture with them. She asked me how long had been together. I knew she wouldn’t mind. She would even take the picture. She did indeed take multiple pictures, with the ladies giving the camera both front and back views of their…swimsuits. I tipped them very well, and in the exchange of pleasantries which followed, Margo mentioned we were in town for her birthday. The girls got excited and asked if Margo would like pictures of them, for free. She was game. They asked her a couple of time about her being offended, first taking pics with me, and then taking pics with the rear view, and her in them. She laughed it off. She is way past being jealous of these type of things.
That got us pretty close to 8:45 PM. I checked us in and we got high number “A” assignments. Those are very good for someone not requesting early boarding. It likely meant the flight was not full. Regardless of the reason, we were happy with the outcome.
We gambled for about an hour, and then had a late lunch at Pizza Roman, upstairs at Fremont Casino. My lucked continued to be more bad, than good. So, at 11:30 I gave up. More reading and writing, and listening to the band under my window. Margo came up around 1:00 AM, as I was going to bed. She was up $400-$500. I was glad she was having good luck on her birthday trip
We gambled for about an hour, and then had a late lunch at Pizza Roman, upstairs at Fremont Casino. My lucked continued to be more bad, than good. So, at 11:30 I gave up. More reading and writing, and listening to the band under my window. Margo came up around 1:00 AM, as I was going to bed. She was up $400-$500. I was glad she was having good luck on her birthday trip
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Day Four--Friday, November 30, 2018
We were up at 7:00 AM, which is too early on a Las Vegas vacation. But, we had our Segway at 11:00 AM, Margo needed to pack, and we needed to check out. But, first, breakfast. We decided on the very nutrious Dunkin Donuts. I didn’t want a donut, but they have breakfast sandwiches.
Afterwards, we decided to give Fremont casino another chance. Margo and I usually split up when we play. We don’t like the same kinds of machines, and I never seem to be around when she hits big. Maybe it’s a luck thing. I don’t know, but I had just hit a $14 jackpot, which was the biggest I had seen in 24 hours, when I got a text saying she had hit a hand paid jackpot. Nothing about the amount. I just asked where she was.
The first thing that popped into my head was, thinking, “Oh, Great. Now I have to content with out of state taxes on my 2018 return. I had only a guess as to what the amount could be, but regardless, it was better than losing, and I had a program to deal with taxes.
I found her quick enough and saw on the screen that she had won $1,159 and some on cents. In Colorado the casinos had to report jackpots of $1,200 or greater. I assumed that they only hand paid jackpots which needed all of the paperwork that was associated with that. Wrong. The rules were the same, and Margo was $40 under. No taxes on this one. We will deal with it in April.
Margo handed me $200. I didn’t want to take it, but with my luck and with two days left, I said OK. I had done the same for her when I hit a $900 jackpot in Atlantic City, and her luck was running south. So, with euphoria still making the rounds we went back to our hotel to check out, get the car, and make our way to Las Vegas Segway.
We arrived a bit after 10:00 AM and parked behind Las Vegas Segway. The smallish, abandoned church next door was lots of graffiti, so I was wondering about the neighborhood. We walked around front, walked inside and I was greeted by name. I had been a little worried, as when I had rescheduled yesterday, I was promised a text confirmation, which I never got. But the guy also said he was not in the office and would be there in 20 minutes to make all the changes.
We signed the request waivers and I realized I had left my camera in the car. I walked around back and there was some dude with a backpack thrown on a bicycle sculpture (this was the parimeter of the Art District, doing some push up calestenics on the same sculpture. He ignored me, as I got my camera and moved everything of value from inside to the trunk. That made me feel better, but I still wondered if I was going to be filing a police report when I got back.
While I was out back, Margo had been chatting with Shawn, who was likely the owner. He had purchased the business from Segway Bob (the guy who took us on a tour in 2014). He told us about going to the city to things right, and finding out The Strip was off limits (we had toured The Strip last time), the sidewalks and pedestrian bridges were out of bounds (check and check), and that the elevators to get to the pedestrian bridges were definitely not available for Segway use (we looked like a clown car back in 2014). He also asked about our past tours. We have done six of them, prior to today. We were told that our very first one, at Epcot, no longer runs.
By this time our actual guide, Philena was here and we started to get ready. We were the only tour scheduled for the day, and we were the only two guests on the tour. Not a very good sign for them. But, they ended up with a walk up, Sergio from Georgia, who looked Japanese. Sergio did not arrive until about 10:30. By that time Margo and I had been given our helmets, quick instructions (we were veteran riders and she would evaluate us, even if she didn’t say that), and given rein to test our skills on their obstical course behind the overhead door of their facility.
It was a nice little course with S-turns, straightaways, a tight squeeze, and tight turns. Both Margo and I navigated the course twice and felt fine. That was when Sergio showed up. He needed some extra attention, which took up about 15 minutes total. We didn’t care. We had 9 hours before our flight left and very little on our agenda. We felt it better for him to be comfortable, so we could all enjoy the tour. Sergio ended up being just fine. It is amazing at how quick you become comfortable with a Segway.
We were issued radio receivers, tuned to Philena’s transmitter, so we could hear everything she was saying. I don’t recall any of our other tours having these, and they were great. She could narrate while she rode and pointed. She would point out not only city sites, but also hazards to look out for. It was a big addition to the tour.
We saw so many things in downtown I had no idea about. As the tour, which begins at Main and Hoover, is very near the Art District, Philena spent a lot of time telling us about murals and sculpture that had appeared in the last few years. A lot of it had to do with Zappos (shoes) founder Tony Hsieh. He has pour a lot of money into downtown Las Vegas, in an apparently philanthropic manner. His name came up time and time again.
We saw one of the several drive-thru wedding chapels. This one was complete with a menu-board. Philena said they sprang up because getting marriage is very easy, with no waiting period, low fees, and no blood test required.
We stopped at Pawn Stars, and Margo bought herself a charm for her travel bracelet. None of the stars were there, but we were told that Rick tends bar one night a week at a local establishment, and that Chumley has a candy shoppe nearby.
We stopped at Container Park, which is a shop/restaurant park, on two levels, made up mostly of shipping containers, to house the businesses. In front of it was a giant praying mantis, which per Phelina had been used at Burning Man. She said it would spit fire from it’s arms.
We saw the old City Hall, which is now Zappos headquarters, and the new one, which was paid for my Zappos. I might have heard that one wrong. Near Fremont Street (our home base) we saw a place called The Laundry Room, which is a speak-easy. You have to text to get a reservation, and they text you back a confirmation and instructions on how to get inside. I think I would like to do that.
We drove past the Mob Museum and made a stop at Fremont Street. Margo and I walked inside the Golden Nugget, which is huge, to see their aquarium. I never knew they had one. I was tempted to put some cash in a machine, just because of the novelty. But, that was about the extent of our tour. We made our way back, were told we could get a discounted rate, if we toured again, I tipped Philena $20, which reminded Sergio to tip, and everyone left happy.
We decided to go to Palace Station to gamble. We had not been there before and parking was free. Neither of had any luck. I think I dropped $200 there and Margo lost, probably about half that. She said even after giving me money, she brought back more than she had taken.
We ate dinner at their buffet. Decent food, but not a lot of things I liked. We were both getting tired, and Margo suggested we turn in our car and go to the airport. We got gas near Gillespie St, turned in the car, and were shuttled to McCarren. No trouble or even wait at TSA, and we were at our gate with plenty of time to nod off in our chairs.
This where I would normally end my vacation tale, but after a bumpy flight back to Denver, we discovered that it had snowed on Friday. So I had to scrape windows on a cold, snowy evening (11:40ish), in the USAirport Parking lot. It had been too warm for a jacket when Margo and I had gone back to Container Park for lunch, when we sat outside. I guess Mother Nature did not like us stealing a few days from her.
Afterwards, we decided to give Fremont casino another chance. Margo and I usually split up when we play. We don’t like the same kinds of machines, and I never seem to be around when she hits big. Maybe it’s a luck thing. I don’t know, but I had just hit a $14 jackpot, which was the biggest I had seen in 24 hours, when I got a text saying she had hit a hand paid jackpot. Nothing about the amount. I just asked where she was.
The first thing that popped into my head was, thinking, “Oh, Great. Now I have to content with out of state taxes on my 2018 return. I had only a guess as to what the amount could be, but regardless, it was better than losing, and I had a program to deal with taxes.
I found her quick enough and saw on the screen that she had won $1,159 and some on cents. In Colorado the casinos had to report jackpots of $1,200 or greater. I assumed that they only hand paid jackpots which needed all of the paperwork that was associated with that. Wrong. The rules were the same, and Margo was $40 under. No taxes on this one. We will deal with it in April.
Margo handed me $200. I didn’t want to take it, but with my luck and with two days left, I said OK. I had done the same for her when I hit a $900 jackpot in Atlantic City, and her luck was running south. So, with euphoria still making the rounds we went back to our hotel to check out, get the car, and make our way to Las Vegas Segway.
We arrived a bit after 10:00 AM and parked behind Las Vegas Segway. The smallish, abandoned church next door was lots of graffiti, so I was wondering about the neighborhood. We walked around front, walked inside and I was greeted by name. I had been a little worried, as when I had rescheduled yesterday, I was promised a text confirmation, which I never got. But the guy also said he was not in the office and would be there in 20 minutes to make all the changes.
We signed the request waivers and I realized I had left my camera in the car. I walked around back and there was some dude with a backpack thrown on a bicycle sculpture (this was the parimeter of the Art District, doing some push up calestenics on the same sculpture. He ignored me, as I got my camera and moved everything of value from inside to the trunk. That made me feel better, but I still wondered if I was going to be filing a police report when I got back.
While I was out back, Margo had been chatting with Shawn, who was likely the owner. He had purchased the business from Segway Bob (the guy who took us on a tour in 2014). He told us about going to the city to things right, and finding out The Strip was off limits (we had toured The Strip last time), the sidewalks and pedestrian bridges were out of bounds (check and check), and that the elevators to get to the pedestrian bridges were definitely not available for Segway use (we looked like a clown car back in 2014). He also asked about our past tours. We have done six of them, prior to today. We were told that our very first one, at Epcot, no longer runs.
By this time our actual guide, Philena was here and we started to get ready. We were the only tour scheduled for the day, and we were the only two guests on the tour. Not a very good sign for them. But, they ended up with a walk up, Sergio from Georgia, who looked Japanese. Sergio did not arrive until about 10:30. By that time Margo and I had been given our helmets, quick instructions (we were veteran riders and she would evaluate us, even if she didn’t say that), and given rein to test our skills on their obstical course behind the overhead door of their facility.
It was a nice little course with S-turns, straightaways, a tight squeeze, and tight turns. Both Margo and I navigated the course twice and felt fine. That was when Sergio showed up. He needed some extra attention, which took up about 15 minutes total. We didn’t care. We had 9 hours before our flight left and very little on our agenda. We felt it better for him to be comfortable, so we could all enjoy the tour. Sergio ended up being just fine. It is amazing at how quick you become comfortable with a Segway.
We were issued radio receivers, tuned to Philena’s transmitter, so we could hear everything she was saying. I don’t recall any of our other tours having these, and they were great. She could narrate while she rode and pointed. She would point out not only city sites, but also hazards to look out for. It was a big addition to the tour.
We saw so many things in downtown I had no idea about. As the tour, which begins at Main and Hoover, is very near the Art District, Philena spent a lot of time telling us about murals and sculpture that had appeared in the last few years. A lot of it had to do with Zappos (shoes) founder Tony Hsieh. He has pour a lot of money into downtown Las Vegas, in an apparently philanthropic manner. His name came up time and time again.
We saw one of the several drive-thru wedding chapels. This one was complete with a menu-board. Philena said they sprang up because getting marriage is very easy, with no waiting period, low fees, and no blood test required.
We stopped at Pawn Stars, and Margo bought herself a charm for her travel bracelet. None of the stars were there, but we were told that Rick tends bar one night a week at a local establishment, and that Chumley has a candy shoppe nearby.
We stopped at Container Park, which is a shop/restaurant park, on two levels, made up mostly of shipping containers, to house the businesses. In front of it was a giant praying mantis, which per Phelina had been used at Burning Man. She said it would spit fire from it’s arms.
We saw the old City Hall, which is now Zappos headquarters, and the new one, which was paid for my Zappos. I might have heard that one wrong. Near Fremont Street (our home base) we saw a place called The Laundry Room, which is a speak-easy. You have to text to get a reservation, and they text you back a confirmation and instructions on how to get inside. I think I would like to do that.
We drove past the Mob Museum and made a stop at Fremont Street. Margo and I walked inside the Golden Nugget, which is huge, to see their aquarium. I never knew they had one. I was tempted to put some cash in a machine, just because of the novelty. But, that was about the extent of our tour. We made our way back, were told we could get a discounted rate, if we toured again, I tipped Philena $20, which reminded Sergio to tip, and everyone left happy.
We decided to go to Palace Station to gamble. We had not been there before and parking was free. Neither of had any luck. I think I dropped $200 there and Margo lost, probably about half that. She said even after giving me money, she brought back more than she had taken.
We ate dinner at their buffet. Decent food, but not a lot of things I liked. We were both getting tired, and Margo suggested we turn in our car and go to the airport. We got gas near Gillespie St, turned in the car, and were shuttled to McCarren. No trouble or even wait at TSA, and we were at our gate with plenty of time to nod off in our chairs.
This where I would normally end my vacation tale, but after a bumpy flight back to Denver, we discovered that it had snowed on Friday. So I had to scrape windows on a cold, snowy evening (11:40ish), in the USAirport Parking lot. It had been too warm for a jacket when Margo and I had gone back to Container Park for lunch, when we sat outside. I guess Mother Nature did not like us stealing a few days from her.
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