We left Pahrump, Nevada, about 9:00 am and arrived in Las Vegas an hour later – too early to check in at our hotel. So we headed to The Strip and parked our car in the covered parking garage of the Mirage Hotel. We set out on foot and started in the Mirage Hotel. It is difficult to believe the nation is having economic problems with all the tourists and gamblers on The Strip on a Sunday morning. Perhaps they aren’t betting as much or maybe there aren’t as many as usual – I don’t know.
I have fond memories of Las Vegas. I came here with two friends for my 21st birthday in November 1963. Rita and I came here for a few days back about 1968 and I stopped here on my way to San Francisco in 1970. It sure has changed in 40 years!
We walked south along The Strip and went in and out of various hotels and casinos mainly people watching. We visited Caesars Palace and the Bellagio before crossing the street and working our way back north. At noon we happened to be located across the street from the Bellagio and saw their impressive fountain show. We saw the Paris Hotel, Bally’s, Flamingo (where Rita played the slot machine briefly), Harrah’s and The Venetian – each more extravagant than the other. It wasn’t the Flamingo I remember from 1963 however. We decided we had seen enough, crossed back over to the Mirage and decided to have a light lunch there since the garage said it was for Mirage customers only. Nobody checked however.
We drove south on The Strip (Las Vegas Boulevard) to the famous Las Vegas welcome sign and took photos before heading to our motel and checking in. Just in time as the humidity had built up and started to come down in the form of rain. We rested in our motel room during the heat of the day.
In the evening we went out for dinner then drove into downtown to see the changes to Fremont Street since we had been here. We walked through Binion’s and the Golden Nugget then watched the street people and free stage shows in the new Fremont Street arcade. I saw Elvis several times. Finally we drove down The Strip once more at night to see the hotels and casinos lit up at night.
Las Vegas – what a place!
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