People Watching

There is no other place on Earth that could be Las Vegas.  This is my first foray into the city, but it seems to truly be the place movies and television have taught me to expect.  It’s bright, busy and insane.  If you’re into people watching, you’re in luck.  There are young women dressed as showgirls walking around, taking phots with tourists.  About one in every thirty women was wearing sequins which is a pretty big change from my usual surroundings, and there were lots of people with too much cologne and too little spatial awareness.  We saw about a dozen street musicians out and about, a few vendors trying to sell some kind of photography service, and one very angry seeming young, bearded man on the street, shouting aggressively at strangers about forgiveness and Jesus’ love.  I can get behind the message, but the messenger was a bit confusing.  

It was all quite a lot.  Cas and I ducked into one place after another to see what there was to see.  We snagged selfies in front of the replica Statue of Liberty, the replica Eiffel Tower and the world famous Bellagio Fountains.  We had a nice dinner across the street from those fountains at a slightly oversized sidewalk cafe attached to the Paris Hotel and Casino.  It was perfect.  We had a bottle of wine and a very nice dinner while watching the fountain run through several “shows.”  It’s a whole lot bigger than you’d think if you’ve ever watched a movie with that amazing fountain in it.  The water shoots up from a very still pool- I would try to explain it, but the Internet makes it easier- the pool takes up 8.5 acres of space.  You really don’t get that from the film industry, no matter how large the movie screen is when you’re watching Oceans Eleven.  

Somewhere along the path, we made a quick aside in honor of one of my cousins.  I have thirteen first cousins, and to my knowledge, the only one who got married in Las Vegas was my cousin Kristine.  She was married so soon after high school that I suspect her prom photos could have doubled as her engagement photos.  We swung past the scene of the crime.  There are two chapels I could locate at the Flamingo Casino, and certainly, one of them has to have hosted Kris and her then-sweetheart in the mid ‘90s.  We took photos of both, but it was getting pretty late, so an impromptu vow renewal may have to hold for another day.  

Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve.  That may be the perfect day for a morning outing and an afternoon nap.  The only thing that we know for sure is that we have a dinner reservation.  Beyond that, traffic will be shut down on the strip and everyone will be in the street, looking up at fireworks.  It should be amazing, if a bit insane.  For now, I am wiped out.  My watch’s step counter is confused- perhaps wondering whose wrist it was adorning today, but it was mine.  It was just a very busy day.  So that’s all she wrote.  See you tomorrow when we’re rested, clean and ready to take on a roller coaster or something like that. 

Cas will make a photo album in the morning, so wait for that!  Good night.

Update- here’s our photo album: https://tinyurl.com/Dunlapvegas

The best gifts

I have been accused of being a minimalist.  It's a fair description, and when it's used, I take it as a compliment.  I just don't like or want a lot of stuff.  I never have.  When I find that I have one thing too many, it's time to make a box for the Goodwill folks- in fact, I have a box in the works, now.  It's a little tricky to be married to someone like me unless you sort out gift-giving right away.  Cas is none too fond of clutter, either.  More stuff means he has to figure out where to put more stuff.  

The answer: Experiences.  Intangible things.  Last year, our New Years Eve celebration in San Antonio was our Christmas gift to each other.  Once, we rang in the new year in Fort Worth, for similar reasons.  This year, we head west.  The destination isn't even in Texas- instead, we're headed to Las Vegas, Nevada.  It was a really good deal.  We're not flying first class, nor are we staying in a swanky suite, but those Vegas folks really want you to come- so much that they'll let you in on a flight + on-the-strip hotel package for four nights surrounding a major holiday for two people for just north of a thousand dollars.  If all you're doing is people-watching, that's the cheapest vacation ever.  We will be doing a little more than that, though.  We leave in 48 hours and return in 2025.  We're on to see a magic show, we've got dinner reservations for New Years Eve and we're planning a little adventure on the Colorado River to see the Hoover Dam.  I don't know the first thing about gambling, so that's pretty much out.  I worked too hard for too long in my life to put dollars on the line in a game of chance, but there's so much to see and do that we won't lack options.  Maybe we visit the Mob Museum.  Perhaps we ride a roller coaster atop a casino.  There's apparently an amazing ferris wheel to check out and a replica of the Eiffel Tower we need to pose in front of.  Lots to do before we head back to our jobs.  

Some people say the best gifts are the ones money can't buy.  Some say the best gifts are hand made.  I'm betting on my theory that the best gifts are experiences you can share.  

Viva Las Vegas, everyone!