Fremont Street & a Wizard ~

There didn't seem to be as many street entertainers as I have seen in the past, but you see a little bit of everything on Fremont Street, the old section of Las Vegas.

Technically not street entertainers (the "official" ones must stay in a 6 foot diameter circle), but entertaining nonetheless.  Do you think maybe alcohol was involved?  (Many different blow up animals can be found on Amazon!)

He did NOT move!

Every half hour there is a light show overhead!

The highlight of the trip (besides the ZOOX ride 😁) was the last minute decision to head to the Sphere to see an abbreviated version of the Wizard of Oz.  The Sphere measures 366' tall and 516' wide.  The exterior has has over a million LED lights.  Read more about it here.

The experience is hard to describe.  We were sitting in the nosebleed section . . . almost the last row at the top . . . but we were more than happy with our seats.  We were able to see the entire domed ceiling without having to strain our necks.  The disadvantage was that there was no chance of catching one of the coveted apples that rained down.

So . . . the tornado scene from the movie was mind boggling.  Cold, swirling air rushed thru the Sphere.  The seats shook rather violently.  Leaves were swirling.  My son caught two of them.

Just a few pictures from the movie.  (I still can't figure out how to add a movie to my blog no matter what I try 😢)

Whenever the Wicked Witch appeared the seats once again rumbled.  My son said one time I must have jumped three feet out of my seat!

It definitely was the splurge of my trip but I would do it again in a heartbeat!!!

Thanks so much for following along.

Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Big Brother is Watching!!!

 

Within hours of arriving in Las Vegas, ads are popping up on my Facebook feed what there is to see and do in the "city that never sleeps".  I find that rather creepy.

So one of my favorite things to do there is to go down to Fremont Street, the oldest area of casinos.  I rarely gamble and this trip chose not to lose any money 😁  I was shocked at how many people were there at the end of January.

I do love to see the street entertainers.  I believe it is a lottery drawing on who gets a spot on the street and they must stay within their circle.  Now it was 49* out and I am in a winter coat and wearing gloves.  

So many scantily clad women . . . and no, Saundra and Robin, I did not buy any fishnets!!!  (Though I had the urge to go floss my teeth 😁😁😁)

Not quite equal time for the guys . . . not many of them were "performing".

This tall man was no spring chicken but still very limber.

Acrobat.

This gentleman would sculpt your face from clay.  His work was amazing.  I am sorry I did not get a picture of some of his completed pieces.

The light shows are amazing and constantly changing.   Unfortunately blogger says my video is too large and won't let me load 😞  This was my favorite.

More to share next time.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs 😊

Lauren

Sin City ~

 

I had hoped to do a quick post about my trip yesterday, but my iPhone was not playing nice with my desktop and would not let me download pictures.  My trip was quick but most enjoyable!  The plane was packed heading to and from and on Spirit there was no social distancing.  Masks were mandatory and it was stressed that the nose and mouth must be covered.  There is nothing glamorous about flying.  Spirit is definitely not the most comfortable way to fly, but for the money, it is worth being uncomfortable for a few hours 😆

We packed a lot in to two days.  We visited Nelson, also known as Eldorado Canyon. It is the oldest, richest and most famous former gold mine in southern Nevada that is open for guided tours.  We did not take the tour, but had an enjoyable time walking amongst the relics strewn about the grounds.

A not-so-nice cactus that you don't want to mess with.

O-U-C-H!!!

A prop from the movie, 3000 Miles to Graceland.  Part of it was filmed here.

WTH???

From Nelson, we took a short drive to Boulder City, home to Hoover Dam.  I've seen the dam, so we just went to a few antique shops in town.  I'm not sure there were any antiques in the shops😝  These figures were in front of one of them.

My trip to Las Vegas would not be complete without a trip to Fremont Street.  I will usually leave a few dollars at the casinos, but this year chose not to . . . lol.    

Here is the light canopy over Fremont Street.

And one of the street performers.  What some people will do for money 😁

I absolutely love watching the fountain in front of the Bellagio on the Strip.  Each half hour is a different show set to different music.

I always have to go inside the lobby of the Bellagio to see the Chihuly glass flowers.

In the conservatory.  We did not go through it as the line was incredibly long, due to "you know what"!

This street performer was amazing.  The strength this man displayed was incredible.  Here is the start of a balancing act ON A WHISKEY BOTTLE!!!  Ouch.  My son guesses he is laid off from one of the shows.

Here he is spinning.  Another time he was spinning about as fast as an ice skater can spin.  Incredible.

Son Bill and my new grandkitty Marge.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs 😊

Lauren

But It's a Dry Heat :)

Dry or not, 111* is H-O-T.  Kind of like sitting in an oven hot.  My son says when the hot wind is blowing, they call that the "hair dryer effect".

Long post here . . . but I must catch up before heading to August adventure #2 early tomorrow.

I have to tell you about my TSA experience.  I randomly got the TSA pre-check, but knew my carry on would be flagged.  I wrap the pumpkin rolls in aluminum foil, and they always pull the bag aside.

TSA:  I need a bag check.
Me:  There are pumpkin rolls in there.
TSA:  I need to check them.
Me:  OK.
TSA:  Do you always travel with pumpkin rolls?
Me:  Only when I am visiting my son :)

I had a wonderful visit.  It was so nice to spend a few days with him, hot or not.  Our first little adventure was to Goodsprings, home to the Pioneer Saloon.  

The oldest drinking establishment in Southern Nevada has been operating since 1913.  Disclaimer:  Card sharks are shot on site.  Horse thieves are hung out back.  Street girls bringing cowboys into the saloon must pay for the room in advance . . . lol :)

Old tin walls are original with bullet holes where in 1915 a card shark was shot to death for cheating at cards, ruled a justifiable homicide.  One room is dedicated to Clark Gable and Carole Lombard.  The area is near where Carole died in a plane crash in 1942.  Clark sat at the bar for several days burning holes into the bar top waiting news of his wife's fate. 

On our way back to the city, we stopped at Seven Magic Mountains.  I'm sorry.  I thought it was butt ugly and the darn thing cost $3.5 MILLION.  How is that even possible?

I prefer these cairns and I'm sure they didn't cost a dime :)

That evening we headed to the Strip.  He wanted to show me a couple of the big projects he had worked on when he first moved to Las Vegas and of course I wanted to stop in the Bellagio to see the Chihuly glass flowers and to catch the fountain show.

Fremont Street.  What can you say?  I love going down there to watch the street performers and to see the overhead light show.  Never a dull moment down there.  Unfortunately I just took videos of the performers and I can't seem to get a video to load, but I was able to get a few screenshots.

Some things you just can't unsee :(

This Michael Jackson impersonator must have been only 6 or 7 years old, but he was phenomenal.

The last day there, we decided to head out to Mt. Charleston, not far from the city.  It's hard to believe the temperatures at the higher elevations are about 30* cooler than in Las Vegas. We were going to hike a little near Mary Jane Falls.   We were not planning to go to the falls since Bill thought there would be no water flowing, but a few hikers said that their indeed was some and it was worth the hike.  The trail travels for 1/4 mile through tall Ponderosa pines, white fir, aspen and mountain mahogany.  The next 1/3 mile is a slow ascent after which the trail begins a series of switchbacks and rock steps to the base of the falls.  Let me tell you, it was over a 1.5 mile hike to the top and a tough climb for this old broad, but I did it :)  DON'T LET THE OLD LADY IN.

Hard to believe there is still some snow on the mountains.

Bill said he had to take a picture of me with the falls in the background to prove that I was not a wuss :)

Wild columbine?

Kids!  When my back was turned, Bill scaled up here giving his mom near heart failure when I saw him up there.

Coming down.

My grandkitty, Snowball.  She's not fat, she's fluffy.

Bill chose sushi for his birthday dinner.  (I still can't believe he will be 40 tomorrow.)  A first for me, and also the first time I attempted chopsticks.  The sushi was pretty good and I managed to eat without dropping more than a few grains of rice.

It's always hard to say goodbye but he is where he wants to be and what more could a mom ask for than a child's happiness?

If you've made it this far, thank you.
Pug hugs :)
Lauren