| Las Vegas Boulevard, otherwise known as 'the strip'. |
We checked into the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino adjacent to the Rio and Palms. First stop was the buffet line at the Rio. For those who don't know, the Rio has many exceptional young women who deal cards.... in their bikinis. I am quite impressed by their dealing abilities.
The buffet line however is over an hour long so I opt for a restaurant in the Gold Coast. On the way back I pick up a flyer explaining some talented ladies and the services they offer, legal only in Nevada. I retain the flyer in case I win big gambling.
Dinner is splendid but after 36 plus hours without sleep I am exhausted, I crash.
Awaking refreshed I am ready for a bit of gambling, Greg has yet to sleep having gambled all night so we board a cab and head to the Mirage. I place my football bets and promptly lose the $$ my dad had for me to play on his numbers in roulette.
| The Mirage, one of the strip's more spectacular casinos. | 
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 | I've never understood the allure of slot machines but from the sheer number of them they must bring in the money. Here are Rows of quarter and nickel slots at the Mirage Hotel and Casino. |
Next we board the tram to Treasure Island, passing through the tropical gardens of the Mirage.
| Gardens of the Mirage separating it from the surrounding streets and casinos. | 
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 | Treasure Island, another of the strip's more popular casinos has a pirate ship outside it's front where two ships engage in battle several times a day. |
I put $20 into quarter slots at Treasure Island and have it spent in about 15 minutes, as they are not really my game, and the casinos roulette wheels have $10 minimum bets I find a spot at the bar and watch the last week of NFL action, including a dominating performance by the future 2005 Super Bowl Champion Detroit Lions.
Greg has no luck here so we take a cab back to the Gold Coast, I watch football and grab some dinner then a nap. About 11 PM as I'm heading down to play some more Greg finally decides to sleep. I find a roulette wheel with a $1 minimum and figure that'll keep me entertained for awhile. When I finally go to bed at 3:30 AM I have made back my money I lost in the slots and am up about 10 bucks. High roller that I am, I am amazed that I have not been comped at least a free room. The only possible explanation being that the pit boss must have been asleep.
As birds sense the approach of winter and begin their migrations south, so too do we, sensing the approach of the Rose Bowl, begin our trip southwest towards Pasadena. Leaving Vegas we pass several more of the famous Vegas casinos.
| The Statue of Liberty outside New York New York Hotel and Casino. | 
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 | MGM Grand Casino, home to many famous boxing matches. |
| Bally's Hotel and Casino. | 
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 | Caesars Palace boasts upscale shops as well as casino and hotel ammenities. |
| This picture is taken from Las Vegas Boulevard near Treasure Island. To the right of the picture is the lagoon where the ships engage in battle. | 
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