To capture the excitement of Las Vegas Boulevard sitting just a block away, the arena opens with an expansive glass façade and sweeping 9,000-square-foot LED screen. An outdoor performance stage and sweeping balconies also radiate energy outward into The Park, a winding landscaped space that weaves the arena together with its neighbors.
Meanwhile, the south and west facades of the arena reflect desert and mountain influences and feature a solid skin that protects against the intense desert sun. This “of the desert” skin wraps the arena with rolling bands of metal that evoke the color and sedimentary layering of the desert mountains.
Once your tickets are scanned they give you a paper copy.
By the time we got to the factory outlets, without jackets, John had to go back to the car (a long way) to get our jackets as it also started spitting. You pay for parking here and it gets very crowded. We bought Sketchers and John got 3 pairs of casual pants.
We then headed to Main St. known as the Art District.
We want to sit down and warm ourselves up! We had macadamia almond lattes.
We got there early, but it wasn't done until 3:30 and we were starving. We had planned on going to In N Out burgers but it had gotten cold and cloudy and we wanted to visit our old stomping ground from 2012-2013 when we spent the winter here.
We had lupper in The Palms, we spent a lot of time here going to the $5 movies, which by the way, they still at $5.
Michael has a place!
We often ate at TGIF's in the Gold Coast, we parked and went in, but the stench of cigarettes made us leave. Most casinos have great ventilation systems, clearly this didn't.
The biggest surprise was seeing that where we had rented the condo had been gutted along withe the Siegal Suites, and a residential/commercial complex was built, a vast improvement!
Down the street from Grand Desert is Ellis Island. It is being renovated. We hope to go to it.
Tuesday
Up at 7:30
Since John was golfing this afternoon and had to leave by 12:15, it was a good morning to get some chores done. I mapped it out and we left at 9AM.
We wanted to hit Whole Foods (GF almond tortillas and bread), Total Wines (stocking up for drive home) and Smith's rotisserie chicken (nope, not ready until 11) so we got 4 huge chicken thighs for $5.50, strawberries, hot sauce, sour cream, coffee.
We also stopped into the factory outlets again.
The view as we leave.
We're on the street behind the Strip, passing by Luxor and Mandalay Bay.
It was touch and go if we could see our friends, Bill and Carol for breakfast, but we did.
We met at Blueberry Hill at Flamingo and Sandhill. Well, Carol came, Bill was under the weather. We met at 9:30 and chatted until 11:30!!! We missed you, Bill!
We had a free entry ticket for Area 15, but it was closing at 4 for a private event and we couldn't find parking so we left and I ordered a ticket for Friday.
Instead we headed to Las Vegas Healing Garden.
The Las Vegas community came together to build a new community healing garden in response to the Oct. 1 tragedy, when a lone gunman killed 58 people and injured 500 more who were attending the Route 91 Harvest festival. The garden features a wall of remembrance, a grove of trees, shrubs, flowers, walkways of pavers and benches – all to create something beautiful out of something horrific.
Along Main St.
We needed a bio break so went to the Main Street Casino as Carol had mentioned that there were pieces of the Berlin Wall in the men's bathroom.
We attempted to find Perception but couldn't find the parking, and was glad we didn't once I read the reviews.
We were thinking of going to the Arte Museum but decided we could walk there so it would be crazy to take the car.
We decided it was time to do some sunshine by the pool!
Thursday
Up 8AM
I made John scrambled eggs and toast as he left for golf around 10. It was sunny and warm, however there was a wind alert.
I headed to the pool before and after lunch. The winds were strong but warm.
John arrived back around 3:45 with a golf shirt, had a sandwich. He said the winds were strong on the course.
We had dinner Pampas reservations Planet Hollywood 6:30 coupon and gift card but we both looked at the coupon and menu and decided we didn't want to do that, I cancelled.
Instead we walked to Planet Hollywood around 5:30 and winged it for dinner.
We sat at The Blue Moon bar and had a drink, beer $12, wine $12.
No freebies here or anywhere else in Vegas these days.
John spent $5 playing, in total our "gambling costs" are $5 + $2 (Albuquerque Route 66 Casino) = $7 this trip!!
We went to Ocean One as recommended by one of the staff at the condo. Why have we never heard of this place??? All lunch meals are $5.99.
The reviews are excellent! There might be a line up but it moves quickly or opt for the bar as we did.
Ahi tuna for me. Funny foodie story, the first time we had ahi tuna was in Honolulu 1995 and we sent it back because it was "raw", and the server snootily replied "that's how it is supposed to be"!
I am now a huge ahi tuna fan and had to send this one back because it was too well done!
$19.99
The server comped John's beer.
John's steak was delicious. Grilled Ribeye Choice 12 Oz. Ribeye Served With Mashed Potatoes, Asparagus And Cabernet Sauce $24.99
Billed as a “wanderland of art, music, and amusement,” AREA15 is an immersive collection of attractions minutes from the Las Vegas Strip. Brimming with larger-than-life art installations, mind-altering virtual reality experiences, and full-sensory dining options, the whole affair may evoke thoughts of Burning Man – and that’s no coincidence. In fact, some of the installations you see here came directly from the playa in northern Nevada. Admission to this experiential retail and entertainment complex promises “just about anything you can imagine is real” mentalities, with only one thing required: a want to wonder.
Tickets $10 and up +13 and up only
LIFTOFF is one of the newer AREA15 attractions (opened Feb 2022), offering panoramic skyline views of Vegas. It’s hard to miss the giant balloon and spiral structure located just outside the main entrance, and it’s the first of its kind built in the US. When you board, you are all facing inwards with a seatbelt securing you into your seat. It looks like an inverted version of Big Shot at the Strat, except it’s more of a leisure ride for the views than a thrill ride. The balloon then ascends to the 130-foot summit and spins around so you can enjoy the 360-degree view of the strip and surrounding area.
They had gotten married this morning, he had the t-shirt with the tuxedo on the front. He has a bag in his hand from the Little White Wedding Chapel.
I'd be afraid they wouldn't let me back out!
Some silliness before we leave.
Driving the Strip to the Veterans Memorial, the only other item on today's agenda.
The Nevada State Veterans Memorial, Las Vegas (NSVM, LV)—A National Tribute—is a monument recognizing the service and sacrifice of Americans, especially Nevada veterans and their families. The two-acre memorial and park features 18 larger-than-life statues, depicting soldiers, from the Revolutionary War to the Global War on Terror and civilians.
We decided it would be a good day to have lunch at Fremont St.
Lunch at Park on Fremont.
John liked my princess chair.
There's Chucky!
We had planned to go to dinner but after over 12,000 steps we decided to stay in and order pizza.
Instead we got some packing done. Stuff we don't need on the road went into John's suitcase.
We also took a couple of bags down to the car this morning.
The weather doesn't look good for tomorrow so we'll play it by ear.
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