Old lights and new brilliance

The third day in Vegas started off very relaxed. While Steffi reserved sun loungers for us at the pool in typical German fashion, Patrick and I went to Walmart to buy breakfast supplies. After that, we spent a few hours at our pool, just letting our souls unwind and soak in all the new impressions. In my opinion, the only time to lounge by the pool is in the morning because the heat during the day is unbearable. Also, there aren't too many shaded spots by the pool.

After we had rested enough, we had a lot planned for the day. We started with one of my favorite hotels, the Venetian. With 7128 rooms, this Venetian-style hotel is one of the largest in the world. But it's not just the size that makes this building so impressive, it's also (still crazy) the fact that gondolas carry hotel guests over water right through the hotel, on the 1st floor. And, just like in Venice, gondoliers sing a serenade during the ride, which echoes through the high ceilings. Besides that, this hotel is equipped with various shops and restaurants, all beautifully laid out in small alleys, and of course, a casino. During this vacation, I played at a slot machine for the first time and won $15 right away :-) My husband shook his head at how I could cash out a $15 win, but I can proudly say that I have a positive balance when it comes to gambling in Las Vegas :-)

Along the Las Vegas Strip, there are not only themed hotels (Caesars = Rome, Paris, Venetian = Venice, Treasure Island = Pirate, Treasure) but also hotels that simply want to look luxurious and classy. These include the two hotels Wynn and Encore, which are among my husband's favorite hotels. Since they are located right next to the Venetian, we walked over to take a look. Here, too, there are, of course, guest rooms, shops, a casino, and an event hall. The Wynn is one of the tallest hotels in Las Vegas but in terms of room capacity, it is one of the smaller ones among the giant hotels. The motto here is luxury and more luxury. With a Ferrari and Maserati dealer in the house, as well as its own golf course, this hotel attracts only the rich (and beautiful?) people. These two buildings are still impressive and they stand out from the other hotel giants with their curved design.

After the hotel tours, Steffi and I had an appointment in Old Las Vegas at the Neon Museum. There, the old neon signs of the casinos and hotels are collected and exhibited. Some of them are still illuminated, giving a glimpse of the history behind them. We booked a guided tour led by a young man who told many interesting stories. Unfortunately, he spoke so fast that we couldn't understand everything, but still a lot. He told us about neon signs that were the largest in the world at that time, about parts that went missing during dismantling and no one knew how a 5x6m neon sign could simply disappear, or about a $90,000 sign from a car dealer who couldn't afford it and went bankrupt as a result. The tour and the signs were really cool and fascinating. If these signs could talk, they would have a lot of stories to tell. The tour was really cool, but in between, Steffi and I felt like our circulation was failing. It was so unbearably hot that not even my umbrella(!?!) and the drinking water could save us completely. But we endured the hour and Steffi took some really great photos.

After the tour, we walked towards Fremont Street (old Las Vegas), where we met Patrick at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino to have dinner at the buffet there. This hotel opened in 1946 and was the first hotel to implement the concept of a hotel with a casino, attracting even more visitors.

Afterwards, we strolled through Fremont Street, which is covered with a barrel vault and has several million LED lights installed. There, we enjoyed the bustling atmosphere with live music and street performers. Visitors were flying over us with the zip line under the ceiling, and many colorful billboards were blinking like crazy. Sometimes it was difficult to decide where to look first. One highlight was definitely when all the blinking lights of the hotels and casinos were turned off at the same time and a show of lights and music started on the ceiling. Really awesome! Afterwards, we drove back to the hotel.

Today, we have our flight to Hawaii. That means packing our suitcases and checking out, and then finding a way to pass the time because the flight isn't until 6 p.m.

But we are all very excited about Hawaii. It's a special and unknown place for all of us. I'm really curious to see what adventures await us there. The next entry will be from Honolulu :-)