Abby Road: Sin City

There is lots to see and do in Sin City.

If you have money.

For those on a tight, tight budget, there's really not much to do. Oh sure, there's still tons to see. Tons! All sorts of oddities and unusual sights to wonder and dazzle you. But really, it's nothing more than a giant, gaudy commercial.

The strip is just one giant mall where you either buy stuff or window shop. Lee and I did the window shop thing.

We both agreed that for atmostphere, vibe, and decorations New York, New York was our number one pick. The decorations are grand but not disgustingly gaudy. The floor plan isn't so terribly confusing that you get super lost super quick. And the crowd seemed more like our kind of people. That's not to imply that real weirdos weren't in the bunch. It's just that the majority of people wandering around was more our type.

After that we both liked Paris as our second pick.

Again the decorations on the interior are amazing. The giant Effiel Tower is cool. But it was mostly the crowd and the vibe inside that just kind put us more at ease. Plus, the floor plan is more straight forward. I just really appreciate that.

After Paris, we start to disagree on which casinos were our favorite, but we did see some various stuff that we both really liked. Hands down though, we really, REALLY enjoyed the Bellagio's fountain. After all the hussle and bustle of the security conference, the crowds and rush along the strip, the loud noises and bright lights of a thousand different things trying to grab your attention, the fountian was - dare I say it? - soothing. Yep, soothing.

Even being smashed in on all sides by a hundred other watchers, it was what I enjoyed the most. On the last night we were there, after I had requested that the only thing I wanted to see once more was the fountain, we returned to discover the fountains were dancing every 15 minutes. So we sat and watched for nearly two hours.

Each show was different and to a different song. My favorite one was a duet in Italian with Andrea Bocelli called "Time to Say Good Bye." The video below is not my own, but I had to share!

They also played others like the Beatles, Elvis, and blah - Celine Dion and Faith Hill. I just didn't want to leave. Especially on a warm evening with the chance of a blast of cool mist across your skin. Ahhhh.

Okay, moving on. The Venetian was right next door to the Sands Expo, where my conference was. Needless to say, I spent too much time in the Venetian out of necessasity. I have come to despise this casino.

Don't get me wrong. It is very beautiful.

But to me, it's too over the top. Plus it's full of prima donnas, over the top pricey stores, and trying-too-hard restaurants and shops. Realizing that there's a canal ride on the second floor makes my mind boggle. And I just didn't like the over all vibe of this casino. It's also a labyrinth. The strip entrance is actually on the second floor of the casino which, if followed into the Sands, becomes the Sand's third floor. No, not confusing at all.

I mentioned the restaurants, but I haven't mentioned the food yet. It was all substandard. I mean, I'm not even sure it was food. It all seemed like rehashed cafe/buffet food. Even if it was being served as a fancy pants meal, it all sucked. And the prices were outrageous! Oh, and I even looked things up on line for other people's opinions and ratings. I don't know if other people just didn't have taste buds or if something else was going on. Either way, I was totally disappointed.

So I dragged Lee off to the opposite end of the strip to the MGM Grand and the Rain Forest Cafe, the only edible place along the strip that I knew of. It was an hour long walk just to get there. Yes, I was that desperate for a real meal.

It did not disappoint. Here's a shot of our dessert:

Yummy!

On the way back up the strip we explored several places. Mostly I kept getting caught looking up. There were so many beautiful things to look at when you looked up - windows, lighting, chandeliers, art. Here are some beauties: