LAS VEGAS to ESCONDIDO – pharaohs and animal encounters
Saturday – after our big day and night yesterday it was a leisurely wake up in our v-e-r-y comfortable beds. I cannot imagine to tell you how good it was to open my eyes and see across the way Caesar’s Palace and all whilst reclining amongst the pillows!
We have to pack our bags and have them ready for automatic check out – but while the car is still lingering in the valet parking downstairs we can take a leisurely stroll around town and see some of the other sites as today’s drive to Escondido where we will spend the night is only about 4 and a half hours.
Something we have not done is actually walk around The Flamingo. Even at this hour about 8.30am there are people playing the machines can you believe it? There is also a large shopping mall that sells everything from the tacky tourist stuff to high flyer boutique clothes etc. Like a city within a city – but then again all the Resort Hotels are like this. Spending on a big scale if you have the money or like us just pretending and doing some window shopping.
e do however splurge and buy the fridge magnet and playing cards so we are not really cheapskates, Walking through the marble foyers we come across the birds for which this hotel is famous – Flamingos. They just ramble around their enclosure and seem oblivious to all the touristas taking photos and watching them. They are a magnificent shade of pink of course – and it is nice to sit at the table and just watch them but we must press on and have a look at other things.
We decide that as it is only early and outside has not really begun to warm up too much we will take the monorail up (or down) to the hotels we haven’t seen like The Luxor and MGM Grand. On the monorail (taking photos again) – K&T give me strange looks and say ‘but they have monorails in Sydney’. Well it’s not the same is it?
The monorail winds its way between the Sahara Hotel and the MGM Grand. In between there are about 50 big hotels and there are even more hotels after the MGM stop. So that is where we are going. Getting off the train we enter through the MGM and cross the walkway to see New York – New York.
It’s enough to make one want to break into song and do the high kicks – but as the morning temperature is already 90 degrees I decide to give it a miss. I kid you not there is the Statue of Liberty, a roller coaster and a harbour with a tug boat not to mention the Empire State building and skyscrapers! Take lots of photos and video.
Across the road from New York is The Excalibur which is like a cross between the castle of Sleeping Beauty and King Arthur’s Camelot. It really is an amazing place.
Another little song comes to mind and during this rendition K & T decide the heat is too much for them and they will remain in the shade and take refuge – so I press on to the Luxor Hotel while they find some shady spot. ‘After all – I have already seen Egypt!’ says Kylie.
I feel like I am crossing the Sahara Desert it is so hot. Of course as you may have guessed it The Luxor is a hotel of gigantic Egyptian proportions. The actual Hotel is a pyramid shape with an Avenue of Sphinxes plus palm trees and statues of Pharaohs out the front!
The Sphinx is painted as I suppose how they imagine it would have been done thousands of years ago but then again maybe it would not be this crass. Very hard to take a good photo without any other distractions, it’s either the monorail or other hotels so I opt for the monorail track.
But then again I think to myself I’ll take the other hotel views as well. Thank God for digital cameras! I have seen the real Egyptian thing in the real place so why worry about a few distractions. It seems to be that it is only the Sphinx that is painted – every other statue or obelisk is a plain grey / brown colour.
The only thing missing are the ravages of time that the originals have. It is now about 9.30am and the temperature has risen to around 100 degrees – I kid you not!!
All those palm trees around and hardly any shade and definitely not a breeze to blow out a candle but I grab what shade there is for a while and start to head back to the group.
K&T are relaxed and I have a face as red as a lobster and perspiration pouring off me. Obviously if you live in Vegas you would not come out during the day! After taking a breath we realise that we are just a tad hungry and we remember seeing a Rainforest Cafe back in the MGM so it’s back towards the cool of that Hotel.
This is another incredible place built along the lines of the MGM studio. Out the front there is even the MGM logo Leo the Lion. No expense is spared when it comes to doing things in this town – you could walk around with your jaw dropping 24 hours a day.
Big – bigger – and even bigger still – seems to be the theme here. Or maybe they thought – the kids have Disneyland so the adults can have Las Vegas. It would have been good to spend a full day here but as we are on a tight schedule we must press on – breakfast awaits and so does check out.
Inside the hotel it is so lovely and cool and we are all looking forward to a tall cool drink and something to eat at –The Rainforest Cafe. Well what can I say?
For those who don’t know about these restaurants, it is all themed on a night in the rainforest / jungle. The sky overhead is lit with stars and shooting comets – there are cheetahs, elephants, zebras, rhinos etc all lurking in the trees and undergrowth.
There are giant butterflies flapping their wings and there are huge tanks full of tropical fish and corals. Yes I know they wouldn’t be found in a rainforest or jungle but just go with it! And then there is the thunderstorm.
Thunder crashing, lightning flashing and the animals roaring and trumpeting all around you. Really you don’t know where to point the camera – it is full on.
We order our drinks and I have something called a Brazillian Freeze. Now I cannot remember what is actually in it – but it comes in a tall glass that has disco lights flashing around the base and fruit and umbrellas dancing on the top. I have paid extra to keep this glass to take home and I know that it will come in handy. Our waiter – (all the waiters are dressed as game wardens) – plonks down the glass and says that I will be the ‘Belle of the Ball’ how quaint! He really is such a nice guy! With the darkness of the place the lights on the glass cannot be missed and it definitely feels like a scene from Saturday Night Fever.
Breakfast is ordered and Kylie has Benedict Bamba – traditional Eggs Benedict: toasted English muffin halves, poached eggs, and Canadian bacon topped with Hollandaise sauce, accompanied with breakfast potatoes. Tyler orders Pie of the Viper – freshly baked Mexican-style breakfast pizza brushed with Salsa and topped with scrambled eggs, Roma tomatoes, red, green, and Poblano peppers, Cheddar cheese and four cheese blend. Garnished with fresh cilantro. I play it safe and order the Breakfast of Bandits – Scrambled eggs and choice of bacon or sausage, served with breakfast potatoes and a biscuit. Seeing that I do not want the eggs I get tomato and mushrooms instead at no extra charge. In keeping with everything in the US the plates come out and they are – of course HUGE! Even Tyler has trouble putting it away.
Whilst eating and drinking the thunderstorm starts up. It is incredible – even a little spray of water like rain hits us – just enough to dry immediately and not soggy up the food! We are in danger of being trampled by an irate elephant!
The noise is enough to make us jump. We spend quite a bit of time here just relaxing in the cool and pretending we are in the jungle.
Seeing there is a Rainforest Cafe in Disneyland – Kylie decides to become a member and we get a discount not only on today but on the Disneyland one as well. Time to go to the rest rooms and I discover that they are in a tree house up the staircase and into the tree tops. Coming out I am confronted with an animated gorilla brandishing branches and vines and making noises!
You can get a fabulous view of all the animals from up here. When we leave we have to walk under a huge python dangling off a branch hissing at us and this leads into the souvenir store – of course. We don’t buy anything here – shock horror! When we exit the store there is a crocodile in a pool that comes out through the rocks in water and opens and closes his jaws. Apparently they say it is good luck if you can throw money in his mouth – yes another tourist trap – but I throw a cent just in case. Let’s not tempt fate!
Back through the MGM Grand and we discover they have lion cubs on display. The cubs are now too big to have photos taken with them – big disappointment but the trainers throw balls etc for them to chase. Inside the glass enclosure there is also a pool with a waterfall. They have quite a few lions but only let about 2 or 3 in at a time. This time it is only the cubs but they have adults as well. They are in their own luxurious habitat away from the public.
Walking around the MGM – I suppose it is the same with any of the hotels –we see a Wedding Chapel. I can imagine the weddings in this place with Elvis crooning out Can’t Help Falling in Love. Ah true romance!
Back to The Flamingo we collect our car and make sure all the luggage is inside and away we go. Turn on the air conditioning and once again we are in the cool whilst the temperature continues to rise outside. We are on our way to Escondido where we will overnight at the Best Western. On our way out of Vegas, it is at this time that Kylie realises she has left her pillow behind in our room.
Not wanting to turn around and go back we continue on, leaving the bright light city in the distance. Travelling through the valley with the mountain ranges all around, it is a good drive and we arrive refreshed at our hotel. Booking into our room – of course we have the typical tourist view to which we are accustomed – the car park. At least we can see our car this time. The beds are nice and comfortable and the room has everything we need except for Kylie’s comfy pillow – so we rest our tired feet and prepare for another day tomorrow – SeaWorld at San Diego.
Highlight of the day: Being the Belle of the Ball at the Rainforest Cafe