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| Day 1 - Santa Clara, CA Day 2 - Lee Vining, CA Day 3 - Baker, CA Day 4 - Las Vegas, NV Day 5 - Las Vegas, NV Day 6 - Grand Canyon, AZ Day 7 - Durango, CO Day 8 - Glenwood, CO Day 9 - Highlands, CO Day 10 - Highlands, CO Day 11 - Estes Park, CO Day 12 - Craig, CO Day 13 - Jackson, WY Day 14 - Cody, WY Day 15 - Mammoth, WY Day 16 - Choteau, MT Day 17 - Kelispell, MT Day 18 - Sandpoint, ID Day 19 - Omak, WA Day 20 - Anacortes, WA Day 21 - Anacortes, WA Day 22 - Poulsbo, WA Day 23 - Poulsbo, WA Day 24 - Poulsbo, WA Day 25 - Astoria, OR Day 26 - Lincoln City, OR Day 27 - Bandon, OR Day 28 - Eureka, CA Day 29 - Anchor Bay, CA Day 30 - Martinez, CA FINAL THOUGHTS |
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Today was and is a rest day. We slept in till 8:30
a.m. and then I spend the morning taking care of computer chores.
We’re finally out of the room at 12:00 to get some lunch and maybe
pick up some souvenirs for friends and family. I wanted to pick up
some items at the Art of the Motorcycle store and also show Linda
the Venetian Hotel and Casino, so that’s our first stop. The Venetian
is one of those well-appointed, luxury hotels with a gondola ride
out front. Here we are in 104 degree heat, and some people are riding
around half the length of the hotel in the burning sun. Well, not
many actually. The Venetian is another example of tourist tacky and
upper class. The Guggenheim is located here, of course, with an art
exhibit featuring some of the master artists of the past and present.
While outside, they have the gondolas as well as a recorded gondola
singer belting out O Solo Mio (photos 1,2,& 3). When we
get back to the hotel, I take a few pictures of the two sailing ships
that were “shooting” at each other last night. All seems quiet today
(photos 4 & 5). Hell, a terrorist could set off a bomb
on the half hour in this town and it would take some time before anyone
realized something it wasn’t part of some hotel’s outdoor show or
display.
I head back to the room to work on the computer while Linda goes downstairs and plays the nickel slots. She’s nothing if she’s not a big spender. About 3:00 we decide to “Do the Strip” and take a taxi to New York, New York (photos 6, 7, & 8). This is a happening place and we visit the mall (photo 9), the “tattoo” parlor (photo 10), where you can get a phony tattoo painted on your body part of choice. I find myself a series of Harley Davidson slot machines right outside the Harley Davidson store (photos 11 & 12). I look high and low and can’t find a Honda Goldwing slot machine or store anywhere. It must be some type of oversight.
We wander around at the MGM Grand (photos 13 & 14), then down Las Vegas boulevard towards the Bellagio to see the water fountains. The Monte Carlo is one of the finer hotel casinos on the strip which sits right next to glitch.. The contrast on the strip is interesting to me. You will have a luxury hotel right across the street from a tacky tourist trap (photos 15 & 16). Of course, I’m always looking for the motorcycle depicted in a classy way such as the “Art of the Motorcycle” at the Guggenheim and, of course, the Harley Davidson Café (photos 17, 18, 19 & 20) where the stylish hedgerow art, out front, makes a statement that won’t soon be forgotten. Man, if someone can make a buck off the Harley mystique, they will do it. I know that sounds a little like envy, but only a little.
We head over to the Bellagio, a five star hotel with musical water fountains out front (photo 21) that go off every 15 minutes in time to “I’m Proud to be an American.” The song and the water display were both well done. Inside the appointments of the Bellagio are first class, fresh flowers (photos 22, 23, 24 & 25), etc. We decide it’s time to have a little to eat but the restaurants at the Bellagio are packed and I’m not in the mood to wait, so we walk right on through the Bellagio to Caesars Palace, next door. I get a great night shot of Caesars (photo 26) and Linda sees a statue of a Greek God out front and says it reminds her a lot of me, and asks me to pose in front of the statue (photo 27). Isn’t she sweet?
It’s starting to get late and we still haven’t had any dinner so we take a quick walk back to our hotel and I finish up the pictures on my memory stick of the strip at night (photos 28, 29, & 30). Tomorrow’s a ride day. We are headed to the Hoover Dam, Route 66, and the Grand Canyon and we want to miss some of the heat. Thank goodness, the weather forecast says the Grand Canyon will only be 83 degrees tomorrow. Down right cool! |
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