Friday, July 01, 2016

Viva Las Vegas! — part 2

No trip to Vegas is complete without visiting "the Strip," with its mega-hotels and casinos with familiar names like Ceasar's Palace and the Luxor.

I fell in love with the Paris. It was huge! like an indoor city. A half-size replica of the Eiffel tower stands with two of its feet angling dramatically through the casino.

Hallways beyond the gambling turned into city streets with shops, restaurants, nostalgic facades, and even a blue sky painted on the ceiling.




When I saw La Creperie, I was about to bust with happy nostalgia. You see, I actually went to Paris when I was 15, many years ago. My fondest memories of the trip include street vendors making and selling crepes from their carts, even at midnight on Montmartre.

I ordered, and enjoyed a lovely lunch.

Then I rode to the top of the tower, which is 550 feet tall. Hotels reflected the bright sunshine. I could see the Strip and the rest of the city until it stopped, giving way to desert and mountains. We had to peer through a protective fence with occasional holes for camera shots.

I thought that would be the "height" of my day. But after dark, we went to the Stratosphere!

Vegas at night is a different kind of beautiful from the day, with lights everywhere. At 1,149 feet high (we were on the 108th floor), the views are stunning.

The protective fence was beneath us, with only a railing in front of us, so we had a much clearer view than I'd had earlier in the day.

We could make out our own hotel from nearby landmarks, though I couldn't quite get my camera to focus on the distant letters.





I rested on Sunday.

After attending mass at the historic Saint Joan of Arc church, I rested from travel, rested from walking all over the city, and rested my wallet from so much spending, except for a couple of meals in the hotel complex.

I journaled about the trip so far, read, and availed myself of free movies in the air-conditioned hotel room.


Photo used by permission
Monday morning brought the reason for our trip: my niece's wedding. We rode around (and around) in a limousine as tunes like "Going to the Chapel" played through the speakers.

Christina and Darren were married with tears and laughter — by Elvis!

This photo just captures it.

Congratulations, Christina and Darren!




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