On Tour in the USA

diminished · 08-12-2009, 11:55 PM

Well,Las Vegas has come and gone.

We were very much less than impressed with the place, cutting our 2-3 day planned stay to less than 24 hours.

When people ask me about visiting places, I often give them the advice to 'look up', so that they dont see the mundane stuff at street level, and that they'll usually spot some interesting or at least some historic architecture.

I'd say that 'looking up' in Vegas is almost a must, if you want to retain any kind of sense of awe about the place.

For at street level it has to be one of the dirtiest,greasiest and sleaziest places I've ever been.

Firstly, we made a bad choice of motel.Not from the point of view that the staff were awful (moderately), the place was under reconstruction (and the noisy carpenters started work around 5.30am) or that the breakfast was poor (coffee only.And I scalded my hand on the machine).It was more that it was a block off from the strip.

A block in Vegas seems a lot further than a block anywhere else.Particularly when Persistence decided that we must sally forth to the strip at 1pm, when the temperature had only reached 105.

Once we'd dodged the hoboes, the pan-handlers, the traffic and then yet more hoboes, we were more or less continually assaulted by Latin men and women offering me the sexual favours of their sisters/cousins.Who, strangely, according to the cards they were giving out by the handful, all seemed to be white and blonde.

A tip, however, for these purveyors of the flesh trade.Dont offer me a hooker double-act for $100, when you're also offering me solo ladies of ill repute for $35 each.

The MGM Grand seemed like a fair refuge from the pimps, and indeed we spent a pleasant hour wandering the malls, and feeding the slots.We lost money, of course, but not a lot, and it seemed worth it for the air conditioning and the mere moderate levels of overcrowding and jostling.

That was more or less the last pleasant hour we spent in Vegas.Its probably an OK town if you're going to spend your entire vacation within one of the many splendid casino resorts, but its hell on earth out on the strip.I took a few snaps, then gritted my teeth for the next 4 hours of endless sweaty trudging hell.

The horror of the experience was compounded by going dress shopping.Indeed, we (I) finally did find a dress for Persistence, but only after we'd been through 70+ shops.

Of course, she denied it had been that many, until I pointed out that she'd visited around 50 in the 'Miracle Mile' shopping arcade, most of which had not merited a second glance from her.And the dress we (I) finally selected (to put a stop to the endless charade/parade), she had already walked past 3 times without giving it a look.

"Could you stand it if we look for some shoes now?"
Answers on a postcard, please.They would likely be more polite than my reply.

Griff · 08-13-2009, 05:29 AM

You've just reinforced my instinctive Vegas avoidance. Thanks for that. Go see something attractive now.

diminished · 08-13-2009, 08:16 PM

Instructions received and understood.

After a very wet day wandering the southern rim of the Grand Canyon, we've just booked up a helicopter trip for the morning.

Persistence is bouncing around the room like a bouncy thing, as she's been wanting to do this since we first talked about this vacation.Now we just need the weather gods to be ungrumpy.

TheMercenary · 08-17-2009, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diminished

Well,Las Vegas has come and gone.

We were very much less than impressed with the place, cutting our 2-3 day planned stay to less than 24 hours.

For at street level it has to be one of the dirtiest,greasiest and sleaziest places I've ever been.

I can't agree more.

08-12-2009, 11:55 PM	#1
diminished Why Aye,Man! Join Date: May 2009 Location: At the moment,'Merika Posts: 101	Well,Las Vegas has come and gone. We were very much less than impressed with the place, cutting our 2-3 day planned stay to less than 24 hours. When people ask me about visiting places, I often give them the advice to 'look up', so that they dont see the mundane stuff at street level, and that they'll usually spot some interesting or at least some historic architecture. I'd say that 'looking up' in Vegas is almost a must, if you want to retain any kind of sense of awe about the place. For at street level it has to be one of the dirtiest,greasiest and sleaziest places I've ever been. Firstly, we made a bad choice of motel.Not from the point of view that the staff were awful (moderately), the place was under reconstruction (and the noisy carpenters started work around 5.30am) or that the breakfast was poor (coffee only.And I scalded my hand on the machine).It was more that it was a block off from the strip. A block in Vegas seems a lot further than a block anywhere else.Particularly when Persistence decided that we must sally forth to the strip at 1pm, when the temperature had only reached 105. Once we'd dodged the hoboes, the pan-handlers, the traffic and then yet more hoboes, we were more or less continually assaulted by Latin men and women offering me the sexual favours of their sisters/cousins.Who, strangely, according to the cards they were giving out by the handful, all seemed to be white and blonde. A tip, however, for these purveyors of the flesh trade.Dont offer me a hooker double-act for $100, when you're also offering me solo ladies of ill repute for $35 each. The MGM Grand seemed like a fair refuge from the pimps, and indeed we spent a pleasant hour wandering the malls, and feeding the slots.We lost money, of course, but not a lot, and it seemed worth it for the air conditioning and the mere moderate levels of overcrowding and jostling. That was more or less the last pleasant hour we spent in Vegas.Its probably an OK town if you're going to spend your entire vacation within one of the many splendid casino resorts, but its hell on earth out on the strip.I took a few snaps, then gritted my teeth for the next 4 hours of endless sweaty trudging hell. The horror of the experience was compounded by going dress shopping.Indeed, we (I) finally did find a dress for Persistence, but only after we'd been through 70+ shops. Of course, she denied it had been that many, until I pointed out that she'd visited around 50 in the 'Miracle Mile' shopping arcade, most of which had not merited a second glance from her.And the dress we (I) finally selected (to put a stop to the endless charade/parade), she had already walked past 3 times without giving it a look. "Could you stand it if we look for some shoes now?" Answers on a postcard, please.They would likely be more polite than my reply. __________________ They [Young People] have exalted notions, because they have not been humbled by life or learned its necessary limitations; moreover, their hopeful disposition makes them think themselves equal to great things.They would always rather do noble deeds than useful ones: Their lives are regulated more by moral feeling than by reasoning ...They overdo everything - they love too much, hate too much, and the same with everything else. Aristotle circa 350 BC

08-13-2009, 05:29 AM	#2
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	You've just reinforced my instinctive Vegas avoidance. Thanks for that. Go see something attractive now. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

08-13-2009, 08:16 PM	#3
diminished Why Aye,Man! Join Date: May 2009 Location: At the moment,'Merika Posts: 101	Instructions received and understood. After a very wet day wandering the southern rim of the Grand Canyon, we've just booked up a helicopter trip for the morning. Persistence is bouncing around the room like a bouncy thing, as she's been wanting to do this since we first talked about this vacation.Now we just need the weather gods to be ungrumpy. __________________ They [Young People] have exalted notions, because they have not been humbled by life or learned its necessary limitations; moreover, their hopeful disposition makes them think themselves equal to great things.They would always rather do noble deeds than useful ones: Their lives are regulated more by moral feeling than by reasoning ...They overdo everything - they love too much, hate too much, and the same with everything else. Aristotle circa 350 BC

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