Waking up on my last day (Thursday), I slowly started to get my stuff together, my TV on the one channel that shows nothing but Vegas documentaries from The History Channel. For breakfast, I settled for a bun and bottle of milk from the Orleans gift shop - I will say the gift shop and, all of the shops at the O, were all very reasonably priced! After packing and checking out, I left my bags in Kes' room, and we headed out! Our first stop was Mandalay Bay, and we wandered through there - Kes negotiating to swap a buffet comp for a House of Blues comp - way to go Kes! First we walked over to the Luxor, so I could see the Glories of a Nevada Egypt. Walking around..gawking up at the pyramid from inside, then taking the Luxor/MB shuttle back to MB. (I now had all of LV's shuttles under my mass transit fan's belt!) Had a delicious lunch at the HOB - I believe I had chicken fried steak, and I forget what Kes had...she enjoyed it, however, and after trolling through the HOB gift shop, we picked the car back up.

We headed around and out towards the west - on our way to Red Rocks Canyon! For an eastern boy, heading through the scrub and ever reddening rocks was quite the experience! When we got there, we discovered the Visitor's Center had the chain up - even though there was a car there...oh well...it was still fun making the loop around the trail, stopping for camera shots and gawking. After a week of man made wonders, maybe the most impressive sights of all were made by Nature. This also gave me a flashback to when Kes and I were kids, spending the summers with our grandparents in Kansas - every year when we were there, they would take a two week vacation to the Rockies (one year was Missouri and the Ozarks).

On the way back, Kes stopped at a Best Buy for some camera memory, me starting to doze in the car! We got back to The Orleans, and as Kes was going out that night for a show (Cirque???) I grabbed my bags and gave big hugs to Kes, as I had a plane to catch! She thoughtfully gave me her extra room key, so I could go up to her room to relax a little before leaving....which I did! (surprise Kes!) I grabbed a quick snack at Terrible Mikes, and then picked my bags up, and grabbed a cab to McCarren - which was TOTALLY dead! I literally was the only one at the baggage drop off (already checked in - is that not the greatest thing ever?), the monorail, and just about the only one in the D Gates section - very strange feeling! I was wayyyy early - read almost an entire book in the one store, was actually hungry...and had to settle for Burger King - yes, my last meal in LV was Burger King...

It was only when I got down by my departing gate, that I realized that, not only does McC have free wireless...they also have a gajillion floor plugs for laptops! That certainly helped kill time!

Soon enough, it was time for my plane to depart - about 1/2 full. Had a great seat in front of the port wing - window of course! Very quickly, we were loaded, and backing away from the gate. We literally went straight out to the runway, and took off - right over the Strip! a nice ending to a nice trip!

Lou - thanks for your multi-chapter trip report. It was very interesting to read and I enjoyed all of it. Sounds like you had a great time. I look forward to seeing you again at Thanksgiving time!

I'm proud of you - ya finished the report!

(by the way your last day was Tuesday, not Thursday - that would have made it Thanksgiving)

Thank you for being willing to take a cab that night, while Daisy and I saw that horse show - what was it, oh yeah Cavallia.

(hint - DB and I might want to see a show Thanksgiving night?)

I'm not done yet....


oh, and by the way it was Thanksgiving morning when I arrived at Newark - the train to the transfer station, which was on its way to Penn Station, was full of moppets and parents on their way to the Macy's Parade...so this was Wednesday...

I forgo to add that The Orleans was jammed with kids there for a Football tournament of some kind...

It sounds like Kes is a pretty good tour guide! Thanks for the report.

Yes, well its part of what I do at my job.

But this next trip, family members will be more on their own, I have some serious relaxing to do!

(just kidding, mostly - I love being a tourist)

Thanks for the trip report. It was fun reading....