This is How I Do Vegas: Everything Else

My motivations for coming to Las Vegas were definitely not typical, as you may have read in my previous posts about driving an off road truck and visiting the neon sign graveyard.  However, while I was there, I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to see some classic Vegas attractions and to attend some of its first-rate shows.

Free Stuff

Bellagio Fountains - the fountains in front of the Bellagio hotel provide a choreographed water display up to 4 times an hour starting in the afternoon.  Check the schedule here for more details.  I learned that during times with high winds, the shows sometimes get cancelled.

Mirage Volcano - Starting at 5pm, the hourly eruption is a crowd pleaser, with the island music, chirping frogs, and big blasts of flames that easily capture the attention of people walking by.

Treasure Island (now TI) show - The Sirens of TI is a revamped, sexier show that's geared more towards adults than the previous pirate show, which was one of the few remnants from the 1980s "family friendly" marketing campaign, now replaced with the "What Happens in Vegas..." theme.  When I was there, the show was on hiatus until December.

Bellagio Hotel Glass Ceiling, Garden, and Chocolate Fountain: Walk into the Bellagio and try to make your way through the casino maze to the front desk/lobby area.  Then look up.  You will see the famous, very elaborate, and colorful glass chandelier called Fiori di Como by sculptor Dale Chihuly made of 2,000 hand-blown glass blooms.

Behind the lobby area is the garden and conservatory.  The display changes seasonally, and I was able to take in the Autumn Harvest design with animatronic trees and a working waterwheel.

Right behind the garden area is Jean Phillipe Chocolates with its sculptural chocolate fountain of melted white, milk, and dark chocolate - officially the world's largest chocolate fountain.

Making funny words out of casino signs: Finding electric and neon signs is not a hard task in Las Vegas, but I would suggest heading up to the older Fremont Street area to get some classic signs.

Old Vegas Tour: On Fremont Street you will feel like you've gone back in time to the seedier Vegas you know and (maybe) love.  Dominated by the Golden Nugget, Golden Gate, and Binion's casinos, you can find actual slots that pay out in coins, you are guaranteed to come out smelling like an ash tray, and you can enjoy free live music outside as part of the Fremont Experience.  Also check out the iconic Vegas Vicki (neon sign at the Glitter Gulch) and her officially wedded husband across the street, Vegas Vic the cowboy.  I found this nice walking tour from National Geographic, if you're interested.  For a late night snack to satisfy your sweet tooth, I heard Mermaids is the place to go, with their deep fried Oreos or Twinkies and their chocolate covered bananas.

Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign: Located just south of Mandalay Bay in the middle of "The Strip" (Las Vegas Boulevard), this landmark sign was designed by a popular neon sign artist, Betty Willis, in 1959.

Not Quite Free Stuff

Gambling...sort of.  I got about 30 minutes of entertainment out of $1 at a slot machine.  I ended up losing it and several of it's friends, of course.  The worst gambling experience I had:  changed $20 at a $10 blackjack table, had to leave the table two hands later and $20 poorer.  I was told that craps is the game to play if you're a novice, but I didn't understand what I was watching.  At least with cards, there is an appearance that you are not leaving it all up to chance.  Fortunately, I have no affinity for gambling, so what little I lost in the end, I gained in Vegas experience points.

New York, New York Roller Coaster ($14) - If you like thrill rides, this is a coaster for you!  You start your ascent up the back side of the hotel.  If I had to guess, the apex was about level with the 30th floor of the hotel.  You then make your first descent before traveling towards the front of the hotel via another 144 foot drop, reaching speeds up to 67 mph.   A few loops and turns and a heart-pounding barrel roll right next to the strip many floors below later, and you finally get back to the station - windswept and a little rattled.

Hoover Dam - You're going to need a car for this excursion, that's why it's not completely free.  Just outside of Las Vegas by about 45 minutes, follow the exit signs to the visitor parking lot.  You will then have to climb up a hill to reach the entrance to the pedestrian walkway on the bridge that overlooks the dam.  While the planning was conducted in the 1920s, actual construction of this engineering marvel occurred in the early 1930s and provided thousands of desperately needed jobs to Americans during the depression era.

A European Vacation

Yes, you can visit three major European cities in one afternoon, on foot!

Paris - Head to the top of the Eiffel Tower for some great views of the Strip and of the Bellagio fountain display ($11.50).  It's not a bad idea to book a reservation at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant and request a table overlooking the Bellagio to enjoy several, back-to-back shows.

Venice - Where else in America can you take a romantic gondola ride, visit St. Marks Square, and eat some yummy Italian food?  Did I mention the gondoliers sing very well?

Rome - Of course it's hard to stay away from the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace with all of its classic Roman fountains.  If you're like me, you're going to get lost.

Beatlemania!!!

If you're a die-hard Beatle fan like me, you must make your way to The Mirage Hotel.  There you will find the Revolution Lounge, the Beatles LOVE shop, and the "can't miss" Cirque du Soleil show, "LOVE."  There are good odds that you will encounter Beatles tunes being pumped out of the speaker system in the elevators as well.

Shows I Saw

Cirque du Soleil "LOVE" at The Mirage - full of aerialist acts, daredevil rollerbladers and guy on a rotating swing hundreds of feet in the air, and the spectacle that is Octopus's Garden with the floating jelly fish.  Oh, and the music!!

Magic: David Copperfield at MGM - Smart people shouldn't see illusionist shows.  It is the most frustrating experience!  Also, don't sit in the front row, it's the worst seat in the house.

Cirque du Soleil "O" at The Bellagio - this is a Vegas classic and the only way you will ever see a Cirque water show.  The talent was beyond amazing - aerialists, diving, acrobatics, gymnastics, synchronized swimming...

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This is How I Do Vegas: Off-Road Truck Racing

I've driven an IndyCar and a NASCAR.  I've spent a half day learning how to drive a rally car. I'm a fiercely competitive go-karter whenever I can find the time.  So it was a no brainer when I found the Vegas Off-Road Experience (VORE) website.  I mean, of course the next logical step was to drive a race-ready truck over jumps on a dirt short course!  Right?? Yes, while in Vegas I could have gone to Las Vegas Motorspeedway and taken laps in some exotic cars, but I hesitate to do that because as ridiculous as this sounds, I feel like exotics (e.g. Ferrari, Lamborghini, etc.) are too accessible - as in I could walk into a dealership and, theoretically, get one should temptation get the best of me. Whereas racing cars, or trucks in this case, are fun for a day and very easy to leave behind.  I was fortunate that I was the only person in my session, so I was able to convince my spotter to take tons of photos of my jumps.  It only took me a lap or two before I was gunning it up those hills to catch as much air as possible!  Yea! There's even a video because I remembered to take my GoPro (that I never use) out of the storage box.  Warning, the video gets quite boring very quickly, since it's basically 10 laps of engine noise, most of laps with me figuring out the timing of taking my foot off the gas so as to not rev the engine while airborne.

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This is How I Do Vegas: Neon Sign Boneyard

Remnants of Las Vegas' past can be found just north of Fremont Street at the Neon Sign Boneyard Park.  Here you can find iconic signs from some of Vegas' casinos and shops.  The collection is thoughtfully organized to present examples of styles, fonts, lost infamous casinos, etc.  And the guide's one hour tour is both informative and inspirational.  Take a camera and there is no way you will leave the lot without some very artsy photos.  Don't miss the architecture of the visitor's center - a relocated lobby of the La Concha Model, an authentic example of Googie architecture designed by Paul Williams.

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Improv Everywhere in Washington D.C.!

Improv Everywhere is a NYC based group that organizes large crowd scenes and pranks in public places of large cities.  They have a touring movement called the MP3 Experiment that made its way to Washington D.C. today, November 30th.  When I found out about it, there was no doubt in my mind that I had to experience this for myself. 

First, you had to read through the instructions.  The main requirements were to: (1) download an MP3 track, but try your best not to listen to it before the start time; (2) wear a top or jacket that is either red, yellow, green, or blue; and (3) bring a bottle of bubbles.  Exactly at noon, outside the Smithsonian Natural History Museum on the National Mall, we were told to gather and press play on our smartphones or MP3 players.  From that point on, we received about 37 minutes of instructions that included lining up behind a non-participant and walking behind him/her, a human version of twister, freeze tag, dance party, simon says, grass observation, square dancing, mute button game, and - of course - bubble blowing.  It was really fun how everyone just said "yes and" to everything - so much positivity and agreement...and smiles!  From an improv technique standpoint, it was very energizing!  And then, the looks and smiles we got from the people on the side who had no clue what was going on were priceless!

Waiting for the noon start time

Follow and mimic an unsuspecting non-participant

Square Dance Time!

Grass Observation Time

Dance Party!

Dance Down Low

Point to the Capitol

Human Twister

More Grass Time

Confused but highly entertained observers

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My "Americanized" Tarte aux Pommes - or Apple Tart

This is a great alternative to the traditional apple pie for the holidays, especially since we always seem to never really have room for dessert, if we are being honest, yet still cram piles of pie in our mouths. Based off of the french apple tart, or tarte aux pommes, I've modified the recipe a bit to give it more of an American apple pie taste, with a surprise: a glaze made with orange liqueur!  Oh la la!

Also, to make life a whole lot easier during the stressful holiday feasts that we prepare, I'm going to give you some great news...I baked this with pre-made pie crusts!!  Yep!  I used a 9" square tart pan with the removable bottom, and it took one roll plus just a smidge more from the second roll of pre-made dough, so unfortunately there's some dough waste unless you can figure out how to use it in another dessert.

Tarte aux Pommes - "Americanized"

Ingredients
1 box of 2 pre-made pie dough (I prefer Pillsbury)
6 granny smith apples
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3 Tbsp flour


For the glaze
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1-2 Tbsp triple sec or other orange liqueur

1. Take the pie dough out of the refrigerator and let it warm up, about 15 minutes
2. Press the dough into the tart pan, set aside
3. Peel apples and slice thinly, about 1/8", and place in a large bowl.  Also consider squaring off edges to better fit in the square pan.  If using a circular pan, they will fit without that cut
4. Toss lemon juice with the apples to prevent browning
5. Mix sugar, cinnamon, and flour in a separate bowl, then use the mixture to toss with the apples
6. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
7. Arrange the apples in rows in the tart pan
8. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake for another 40 minutes, watching to make sure the crust doesn't burn (cover with foil if it does)
9. Make a simple syrup on the stove by combining 1/2 cup cold water with the sugar in a small sauce pan and bringing the mixture to a boil, until all the sugar is dissolved
10. Add in the orange liqueur and stir generously.  Set aside, off the heat, and allow to cool
11. Once the apple tart is cool, brush on the simple syrup glaze to coat the apples and make them look shiny

When you are ready to serve, this particular shaped tart is very simple to cut, following the rows and cutting each into the thirds, thus serving 12 people.  These are not particularly hearty portions, but if you've had a big dinner, this dessert is perfect to provide a little something sweet to finish off the meal and to give you all the flavors of apple pie without getting even more stuffed.

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