Go West! Day 7 Las Vegas

CrispyA · 5 Sep 14, 05:43 PM

We all slept well and got up ready to head to the Monte Carlo for breakfast. I had 2 buffet passes and Paul had a BOGOF voucher for the buffet - all thanks to MyVegas. I wouldn't have paid full price for the buffets, but 4 breakfasts for around $19 is not to be sniffed at!

The buffet was great, if a little strange in parts (roast beef and all the trimmings?) and we did try hard not to overeat. The server was lovely and made a fuss of the kids, commenting on how well behaved & polite they were, which was nice!

Despite our attempts not to go mad, we still wound up waddling back to NYNY and lying on the bed like beached whales for an hour, trying to digest all the food! Eventually we were able to move and headed downstairs for one of the trip highlights - Battlefield Vegas!

Right on time our lift arrived - an Army Humvee with driver in full fatigues. It was great fun driving along the Strip in the Humvee and our driver was super friendly. Once we were at the range, we were invited to take a look at their collection of helicopters and tanks etc as well as choosing a shooting package.

We went for the Junior package which consisted of a pistol, a rifle and a semi-automatic which the kids shared for an additional $20. Paul wasn't sure he wanted to shoot but the guy on the counter said it was a shame to come all that way and not try, so he finally agreed and we both chose and MP5 on their advice as it has little recoil and is great for beginners.

The staff in the range were lovely - very very safety conscious and helpful and we all really enjoyed the experience. The gun was heavier than I expected and the rest of the family thought it was hilarious to watch my stance as I tried to hold it steady! I did end up with a hot shell in my cleavage (top tip - don't wear anything too low cut!) and a bruise on my shoulder from the mild recoil but those were the only injuries!

All in all, I was the best shot (despite my hunchback of notre dame stance) and we got to keep our targets. Paul did try the gun on full auto at the end and really struggled to control it, so was glad he had shot on a single shot for most of his rounds.

We mooched around the shop and the kids bought souvenirs in the shape of dog tags and bullet necklaces. We took some more photos and then got a lift in the Humvee back to NYNY.

It wasn't cheap, but the Humvee ride was included and the staff made us feel very welcome, helping us pose (safely) for pictures and showing us how to get the best shots. It's something we could never do in the UK and we all thought it was great.

Back at the Strip, we went for a walk to see how far we would get and to have a good look at the hotels. We seemed to take forever to get through Caesar's Palace but did enjoy it.

We made it as far as the Venetian and then the heavens opened. We stayed in there for a little while but eventually gave up and started to walk back to NYNY. The rain wasn't cold but it was wet (unsurprisingly!) and not much fun for walking in, so we stayed inside the hotels as much as we could.

It dried up by the time we were back at NYNY so we did go to the pool - it was okay, a decent size compared to motel pools, but not the best. The kids, Evan especially, did enjoy it though. Could have done without the steaming drunk English girls swearing their heads off in the hot tub though.

Once we were dried off and changed, we headed to the NYNY rollercoaster, again courtesy of MyVegas. Evan didn't fancy it, so I stayed with him while Paul and Hannah used the free passes. It was a bit of a boneshaker and they both felt a bit battered afterwards! Wouldn't have paid $14 dollars each to ride it.

In the evening we had a Del Taco quick meal and although they were initially reluctant to walk much further, the family did agree to watch the fountains at the Bellagio and it was lovely. On the way back we got a picture with the Aria in the background, having agreed that we'd love to stay there!

We also managed a quick nosey at Excalibur which we didn't think all that much of, before heading back to NYNY.

It was a long and very tiring day but we all had great fun and enjoyed our time in Vegas.

Highs: Battlefield Vegas, Bellagio Fountains, huge breakfast, staying in NYNY, the buzz of the strip - I could get used to strutting along to a soundtrack as I go around town!

Lows: could have done without the rain but at least it made the heat bearable. Got fed up of the smoke in the hotels - I guess we're a bit spoiled by everywhere being smoke free in the UK!

Libby29 · 5 Sep 14, 08:01 PM

Sounds brilliant..

Pussycat Doll · 6 Sep 14, 05:15 PM

Great day, I don't like the smoke either, it's the one thing I don't like about Vegas! Pussycat

CrispyA · 6 Sep 14, 05:54 PM

Originally Posted by Pussycat Doll

Great day, I don't like the smoke either, it's the one thing I don't like about Vegas! Pussycat

I know. You forget that it used to always be like that if you went out for a drink over here. It wouldn't stop me going to Vegas but we were glad to leave it behind.

abiknox · 8 Sep 14, 11:03 AM

Great read again, the gun range sounds like fun.

CrispyA · 9 Sep 14, 09:59 PM

The gun range was excellent - not something I would have assumed I would have enjoyed beforehand but it's so nice to do something completely different.

How exciting - you go so soon!

5 Sep 14, 05:43 PM	#1
	5 Sep 14, 05:43 PM CrispyA Imagineer
CrispyA Imagineer Join Date: Oct 11	Go West! Day 7 Las Vegas We all slept well and got up ready to head to the Monte Carlo for breakfast. I had 2 buffet passes and Paul had a BOGOF voucher for the buffet - all thanks to MyVegas. I wouldn't have paid full price for the buffets, but 4 breakfasts for around $19 is not to be sniffed at! The buffet was great, if a little strange in parts (roast beef and all the trimmings?) and we did try hard not to overeat. The server was lovely and made a fuss of the kids, commenting on how well behaved & polite they were, which was nice! Despite our attempts not to go mad, we still wound up waddling back to NYNY and lying on the bed like beached whales for an hour, trying to digest all the food! Eventually we were able to move and headed downstairs for one of the trip highlights - Battlefield Vegas! Right on time our lift arrived - an Army Humvee with driver in full fatigues. It was great fun driving along the Strip in the Humvee and our driver was super friendly. Once we were at the range, we were invited to take a look at their collection of helicopters and tanks etc as well as choosing a shooting package. We went for the Junior package which consisted of a pistol, a rifle and a semi-automatic which the kids shared for an additional $20. Paul wasn't sure he wanted to shoot but the guy on the counter said it was a shame to come all that way and not try, so he finally agreed and we both chose and MP5 on their advice as it has little recoil and is great for beginners. The staff in the range were lovely - very very safety conscious and helpful and we all really enjoyed the experience. The gun was heavier than I expected and the rest of the family thought it was hilarious to watch my stance as I tried to hold it steady! I did end up with a hot shell in my cleavage (top tip - don't wear anything too low cut!) and a bruise on my shoulder from the mild recoil but those were the only injuries! All in all, I was the best shot (despite my hunchback of notre dame stance) and we got to keep our targets. Paul did try the gun on full auto at the end and really struggled to control it, so was glad he had shot on a single shot for most of his rounds. We mooched around the shop and the kids bought souvenirs in the shape of dog tags and bullet necklaces. We took some more photos and then got a lift in the Humvee back to NYNY. It wasn't cheap, but the Humvee ride was included and the staff made us feel very welcome, helping us pose (safely) for pictures and showing us how to get the best shots. It's something we could never do in the UK and we all thought it was great. Back at the Strip, we went for a walk to see how far we would get and to have a good look at the hotels. We seemed to take forever to get through Caesar's Palace but did enjoy it. We made it as far as the Venetian and then the heavens opened. We stayed in there for a little while but eventually gave up and started to walk back to NYNY. The rain wasn't cold but it was wet (unsurprisingly!) and not much fun for walking in, so we stayed inside the hotels as much as we could. It dried up by the time we were back at NYNY so we did go to the pool - it was okay, a decent size compared to motel pools, but not the best. The kids, Evan especially, did enjoy it though. Could have done without the steaming drunk English girls swearing their heads off in the hot tub though. Once we were dried off and changed, we headed to the NYNY rollercoaster, again courtesy of MyVegas. Evan didn't fancy it, so I stayed with him while Paul and Hannah used the free passes. It was a bit of a boneshaker and they both felt a bit battered afterwards! Wouldn't have paid $14 dollars each to ride it. In the evening we had a Del Taco quick meal and although they were initially reluctant to walk much further, the family did agree to watch the fountains at the Bellagio and it was lovely. On the way back we got a picture with the Aria in the background, having agreed that we'd love to stay there! We also managed a quick nosey at Excalibur which we didn't think all that much of, before heading back to NYNY. It was a long and very tiring day but we all had great fun and enjoyed our time in Vegas. Highs: Battlefield Vegas, Bellagio Fountains, huge breakfast, staying in NYNY, the buzz of the strip - I could get used to strutting along to a soundtrack as I go around town! Lows: could have done without the rain but at least it made the heat bearable. Got fed up of the smoke in the hotels - I guess we're a bit spoiled by everywhere being smoke free in the UK! Edited at 06:07 PM.

9 Sep 14, 09:59 PM	#6
	9 Sep 14, 09:59 PM CrispyA Imagineer Thread Starter
CrispyA Thread Starter Imagineer Join Date: Oct 11	The gun range was excellent - not something I would have assumed I would have enjoyed beforehand but it's so nice to do something completely different. How exciting - you go so soon! __________________ West Coast July - August 2014, Howdy Texas! August 2015, Rocking in the Rockies July - August 2016, Bier, Bratwurst und Bahnsteige: Berlin 2017, Touring Tennessee 2017, Expedition East Coast 2018, Hola! Madrid 2019, Great Lakes Grooving 2019, It's Czech, Mate, Prague 2022, Veni, Vidi, Edi, Bibi Italy 2022