Las Vegas trip 2010 (lots of pics and lots of words!)

This is a long thread so sorry for everyone reading, but this is my first trip out of Europe (pretty poor considering a did a geology degree!!), anyway, if you are interested in what Vegas is like for a first timer, then please read on, if not then i hope you enjoy the pictures .

Well so far i am loving Vegas, it gets so hot in the afternoon though so taking some time out of the heat and chilling out before we go out to a show this evening. We saw Penn and Teller at Rio last night, they are truly amazing and if you ever get the chance to get tickets, snap them up quick! We are off to Sin City Comedy Club tonight which has had great reviews too.

Well, the first night was a bit weird, being awake at 4am because in our heads it was 12pm back home! So i got up and took some photos from our bedroom window. We are on the 17th floor, not facing the strip, but facing West towards Vdara and The Palms.


Vdara is on the right and Palms is the furthest towers in the picture.

The sun came up about 6 - 6.30 am, and it really does change the look of the city.


I didn't take too many pictures on Monday as we were so exhausted and still jet lagged, but managed to get a few before calling it a day.


I took this for my boy Lucien, every dogs dream to have a red hydrant to pee up but i also like the New York New York behind it and thought it was "very American"

So yesterday feeling more awake, but still up at the crack of dawn i took the camera out with the 28-80mm lens i got from Phil (thanks phil, for a small plastic lens i am loving it as i am not worrying about knocking it about and getting some great results!!!), we got ready to head out. Looking out the window though, we noticed that we couldn't see the mountains any more and a storm had come in from nowhere. I tried doing some long exposures to try and capture some lightening, but disappointingly there was just 1 strike!!


My man and the dragon outside the hotel, bless him I love these sculptures but i think they would scare my poof of a puppy Lucien LOL.


I love the architecture here too and love this on the Planet Hollywood building... a bit like the Selfridges one:


We then went from Hollywood to Paris... yes that is rain clouds in the sky and rain drops in the water of the one below! Typical, it hasn't rained in Vegas for months and we arrive and bring it with us from the UK!!




They clear up real quick though and had gone by the time we came out of Caesers Palace. Inside Caesers is a huge shopping mall, which is all themed to look like you are walking through Rome in the evening. (sorry these are grainy... forgot my flash!)


There are features on, i'm not sure what you would call them, but where you have a junction of rows of shops, like a roundabout i guess LOL. One of them had gods on it and a huge aquarium with some really strange looking fish in it. These are called Humphead something-or-other, i can't remember their names.


Some are huge, so James took this photo for my mum (who loves her fish!) to show her how big they are!


This is at the main entrance for The Forum Shops at Caesers. I just love the lines they have used in here and the lighting.


We walked back through the Bellagio, such a gorgeous casino. It is weird seeing these places in real life when you have seen them so many times on TV! Belagio has a summer garden theme at the moment in their conservatory area with man sized ants, butterflies and lady bug sculptures.






It is also home to the worlds largest chocolate fountain... YUMMMMMMMYYYYY!!


We walked down to MGM Grand as we wanted to see the Lion Exhibit (this is something i wasn't impressed with... too many people and not what i expected at all!), but we wanted to do the CSI Experience anyway. That was fun, if a little too easy, but if you have an hour to spare then well worth doing if you like that sort of thing... you get a "diploma" at the end too which is quite fun, you have to pay for it if you want it printed so i had mine emailed to me.

We had lunch in The Rain Forest Cafe, which is quite fun, as you sit in a rain forest surrounded by animals and trees.


Photos from outside MGM of the MGM Lion and over the road, the Statue of Liberty in front of NY NY.






View of the Strip looking Northbound.


Inside NY NY of the photo i posted earlier of Miss Jelly Belly


One section is dedicated to arcade games and a rollercoaster, we didn't want to cue to we went to play some games... well James did and i just took photos of him doing it. (again sorry about them being so grainy).




The Roller coaster that surrounds the building of NY NY


Well that is it for now, plenty more to come, although not taken the camera out today. Temp is currently 34 degrees! We've been having a relaxing shopping day today after all the walking we did yesterday, but looking forward to the Comedy Show tonight!!

Things still on our list -
Venetian's Madam Tousauds
Stratosphere - including the roller coasters at the top!
Blue Man Group at the Stratosphere
Grand Canyon
Hoover Dam
... and of course more shows and casinos to visit and more shopping!


Thanks for looking!!

x

Wow - Some belters in there.

Just turning in for the night but will be back to read it all tomorrow.

Some nice shots there Sammy! How long are you there for? Enjoy the rest of your trip!

Thanks Azz, I have another week to go

I have a lovely garden to go back to though as whilst we are away and dogs are in kennels, my folks are staying at our house re-doing our garden for us I love my parents!!

Fab pics hun, enjoy yourselves, Yay! Sammy's in America, I am waving from down here XXX

Waving back at you Moonie!! xxx

Great pics and a great read...........we stayed at the stratosphere and the ride at the top is amazing.

We went on a plane over the grand canyon and a helicopter over las vegas at night...truly amazing.

Have a great time and keep posting the pics....x x x

Photos from today (8th Sept)

Today we had a bit of a lay in so wasn't out until about 10am. We wanted to do a bit more shopping and get some new clothes etc so i left my camera at home for most of today.

This evening we had yet another lovely sunset, i managed to get one shot before it went dark. On the left side of the image you may be able to just make out Venus, this is the only star/planet visible because of the light pollution.


We headed out as we had tickets to Sin City Comedy Club, which was hilarious!! My cheeks hurt so much from laughing! I took my camera out with me as i wanted to get some shots of the city at night.








This is a sculpture outside our hotel.


We weren't intending to walk past the Bellagio, but ended up going that way so i grabbed a few shots of the fountain water show. I also used the video setting and got some footage of it too which i will post later.

Off to bed now as it is very nearly 1am... Venetian and Stratosphere to do tomorrow, and booking our Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam tickets!!

Thanks for looking
x

Wow! It all looks amazing! and such gorgeous pics to remember it all by!

Fabulous pics! What a great holiday! The fish are humphead wrasse by the looks of it?

Glad you're having a great time!

xx