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-   -   Return to Vegas: The Experience - Day 7 - Shopping, Lights and Gondolas (https://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=92154)

Guest 23 Apr 06 12:23 PM

Return to Vegas: The Experience - Day 7 - Shopping, Lights and Gondolas
 
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Tuesday18th April

Today’s Objectives:

1. Gun Range
2. Lion Habitat – done Monday
3. Rainforest Café – done Monday

Outcomes:

1. Cancelled due to lack of time
2. Breakfast at the Venetian
3. Fashion Show Mall at 3rd attempt from Saturday/Sunday
4. Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat from Monday
5. Pool time
6. Fremont Street Experience from Friday
7. Gondola Ride from Monday

With a revised schedule by cancelling the Gun Range, we managed to have a clear day in which to catch up on the backlog of non-achievements! Getting up was getting more difficult, so I presume we were well adjusted to the time zone by now!

About 9 ish we headed off towards The Venetian for breakfast, ending up in the Food Court as the only other places open had huge lines! Another breakfast croissant and coffee special later we made a move over the bridges past The Wynn to Fashion Show Mall, which was well open today.

Guest 23 Apr 06 12:26 PM

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TC had a great big list of shirts, socks, shoes and goodness knows what to work through, whilst I was just happy enough to browse until he insisted on buying me an outfit. That put me into overdrive – couldn’t find anything in Macy’s so off we trotted to Robinson-May, where I thought I liked a pair of culottes (gauchos they call them). We thought about that and went off to Dillard’s where I found two tops and another pair of gauchos. Now I am not at all sure about US sizing so grabbing items in large, medium and small, we went off to a changing room. They obviously have experience of these matters as the waiting area was as large as my house with loads of settees – the lady told TC to sit down and wait and off I went. Now, being optimistic, I started with the small and was surprised to find that they fitted.
So that sorted, we went looking for coffee and restrooms before spending a bit more in the ABC store – a sort of Woolworths. TC wandered into Skechers and couldn’t find what he wanted, but I saw a pair of trainers that I did want and sat down to be served. He wandered out without clocking me – in the end I had to send the shop assistant out to fetch him back – “you see that man – well tell him to come here!”

TC now had seen all he wanted and we returned to Macy’s to buy his list. He plonked me on the sofa outside the restrooms this time and disappeared for 35 minutes. Every so often I caught a sight of him charging between departments – the staff that passed me, were worried I wasn’t being helped, so I tried to look busy by reading a magazine! Eventually I was fetched and introduced to this man in the shoe department that had been helping TC. Goods were bagged up – CC signed off for nearly $300, hands shaken and off we went.

We walked over the bridge back to Treasure Island and caught the free tram to the Mirage to find the Secret Garden. It was unfortunate that we were loaded down with bags and there was nowhere to store them. We paid our $15 each entry fee and stood for the welcome speech – don’t touch the dolphins etc etc. Went down to the underwater viewing and came back up just as the trainers were doing something – they do it all at random intervals to keep the dolphins alert.

Guest 23 Apr 06 12:30 PM

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We strolled past the three pools to the secret garden – here there were some alpaca, leopards, lions, cheetahs and of course the famous white tigers – all dozing in the hot afternoon sun.

Guest 23 Apr 06 12:33 PM

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More dozing cats...

Guest 23 Apr 06 12:35 PM

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And some dolphins...

Guest 23 Apr 06 12:38 PM

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From here we walked back to the hotel and I had time for a swim before we took the Monorail up to the Sahara to catch the bus downtown to Fremont Street. The Strip is technically not in Las Vegas – real Las Vegas starts on the way to Fremont Street. The bus went past various wedding chapels, some dubious looking shops, the place where you get your marriage licences from before arriving at Fremont Street.

Guest 23 Apr 06 12:41 PM

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Fremont Street has been pedestrianised and house various tourist type shops as well as casinos. By now TC was desperate for food, so we headed straight to Binnion’s – however, the line was horrifically long so we went searching for something more immediate. The buffet at the Golden Gate casino also had a long line, so we headed for the shrimp bar. Now the Golden Gate casino was really old hard core type gambling with a piano player in the corner. We got in line for a sandwich which they make to order. I choose a shrimp cocktail (99c) and a Cliff House sandwich – corned beef & sauerkraut. TC had a 49er – roast beef and onions. This was Vegas without the glitz!

Guest 23 Apr 06 12:43 PM

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A quick restroom stop and we were out on the street in time for the 8 o’clock event. Now I don’t know what we had expected but the event was rather short and well OTT on the patriotic front. People all around us were singing along with ‘God Bless America’ etc – maybe it’s just that us English don’t do it that well!

Guest 23 Apr 06 12:45 PM

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We joined the throng of people heading back to the bus and were lucky enough to get onto and get a seat on the first one back (they are about every 15 minutes). The bus ran smoothly until it hit the Strip and then crawled along. We decided to get off at the Venetian and do the Gondola ride. By the time we walked through the shops to the ticket place, the next available ride was 9.45, but decided to go for it as we were there!

A quick saunter through really expensive shops before getting in line. We paid $15 each for a shared gondola as $30 each for a private one seemed a bit steep! The ride lasted about 10 minutes – our gondolier made some joke about “Disneyland for adults” – no-one laughed! She sang two songs and had no answer when she asked who had been to Venice for real – I went on a school trip in 1972! TC was disappointed that the gondolas were motorised – she kept pressing two buttons by her feet to navigate.

From here we returned to the Flamingo for a quick play and drink – the Penny slots were very busy and the cocktail waitress seemed to disappear with our drinks. At midnight we decided it was more cost effective to buy my wine at the shop and retired up to the room

Guest 23 Apr 06 12:46 PM

Another great day, the freemont experencie is great

tracy


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