20 September 2021 Water Works

 David came home from the airbase Tuesday with exciting news. They had completed all their testing and we were cleared to head on our way! We had already made plans and reservations just in case they were successful this week. Our only regret is we can’t leave until Monday since that is the earliest we had reservations in Arizona for. 

Leslie had one last thing she wanted to do before we left Las Vegas, and that was to see the water show in front of the Bellagio Casino. The shooting water show is world famous and is a marvel of engineering and choreography of music, light and water. We decided to combine a visit to the Bellagio with one final trip to SoulBelly BBQ. This  time we were smarter and split a two meat combo meal (the portions are large). Then we drove down the length of the Las Vegas Strip marveling at the amount and variety of lights on the hotels, casinos and restaurants. We found parking in the Bellagio parking garage and strolled down to the lake in front to catch the show. The show runs every 30 minutes before 8PM and we got there just as the 7:30 show ended. So we picked out a nice spot on the railing and leaned back to watch the crowd passing on the sidewalk. Show girls in skimpy outfits and lots of feathers trying to entice people to buy a photo with them, venders selling drinks and blinking globes, people of all ages, races and genders walking along the Las Vegas Strip. Watching the people was almost as entertaining as the water show. Finally the water show began and we were amazed at the water shooting 40 feet in the air in perfect formation and in synchronization with the music. Definitely a Las Vegas must see. Following the water show we decided to get away from the increasingly dense sidewalk crowds (wearing very few masks, but neither were we) and headed back to the Wanderer. 

19 September 2021 Hoover Dam

 No trip to Las Vegas is complete without a tour of Hoover Dam. It was one of the last things on our list to do in the Las Vegas area. Unfortunately, trips into the dam are still canceled due to COVID, but the new exhibits area and the film were still open. We drove down Boulder Highway and through the historic town of Boulder. The town was built in the early 1930s to house the workers and their families for the dam construction. The downtown area has some beautiful art deco buildings. As we approached the dam, we had to stop at a security checkpoint where they inspected the truck. David even had to get out and open the bed cover for inspection. After the security checkpoint, we stopped at the new bridge that was built to divert traffic away from the dam. We walked out on the pedestrian walk for some magnificent views of the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead beyond. We then drove down to the new (at least new since David was there in the 80s) parking garage. We were surprised when they told us our truck was too big for the garage and we would have to cross the dam and park on the other side. After finding parking appropriate for the Behemoth, we walked back across the dam taking time to enjoy the beauty of this awesome project. Lake Mead is currently at a historically low level. We went into the new exhibit hall and watched a film on the building of the dam from 1931 to 1935 (it finished 2 years early and $15 million under budget) during the height of the depression. We then saw a presentation on what we would have seen inside the dam if tours were running, then had time to explore the exhibits. We strolled back across the dam to the Behemoth (on the Arizona side) and planned to take the road to US93 in Arizona to drive back on the new bypass but were surprised to find the road was closed! The only way to get down to the dam now is from the Nevada side. We stopped at a gift store on the Arizona side so we could get some postcards where we learned the road was closed to through traffic due to the threat of attack following 911. What a world we live in, Pandemics and terrorists. 

View of Hoover Dam from the Tillman Bypass Bridge

Front face of the dam

Back face of the dam from the exhibit hall

The new Tillman Bypass

Front face of the dam with the water entrances for the hydro-electric plant

18 September 2021 Arts District

 We heard about the Arts District area of Las Vegas from several people and were told the BBQ was fantastic. Intrigued, we made plans to go explore the area now that the temperatures were more comfortable in the evenings (90s instead of the 110s!). We found ourselves comparing it to the early days of Magnolia Street in Fort Worth. There were a few restaurants and breweries that were nice looking in between run down shops and decrepit buildings. There were some folks wandering the streets we were a bit wary of, but otherwise felt safe. We ended up finding a parking spot off the main drag (south Main Street) right by the Elvis Wedding Chapel. We were tempted to go into the cheesy looking chapel to renew our wedding vows, but decided we would pass. As we took pictures, a wedding party emerged from the chapel complete with a Elvis impersonator. Around the corner from the chapel, we found the object of our search, the Soulbelly BBQ restaurant. David had heard that they served central Texas style BBQ. Since we were feeling a bit home sick after 3 months in Las Vegas, we decided to give it a try. We were not disappointed. They served the best BBQ we have ever had outside the Texas Hill Country. It was so good we went back a week later to enjoy it again. Following a wonderful meal, we walked the Arts District and checked out an antique mall and looked in the windows of a few other stores. It was starting to get dark and a few homeless drug addicted looking folks started to come out on the street and we decided it was time to leave. 

Elvis Wedding Chapel

The Elvis Wedding Chapel Sign

SoulBelly BBQ Restaurant

The smoking pit

15 September 2021 Wo Bist Ist Ein HofBräuhaus?

 We heard that there was a US version of the famous Munich Hofbräuhaus here in Las Vegas. Having enjoyed the one in Munich several times, we were anxious to see how it measured up. The size of the Las Vegas Hofbräuhaus is about the tenth of the one in Munch. They serve beer made at the Hofbräuhaus in Munch and the food menu is the same as in Munich. Unfortunately, due to COVID, they did not have any Oktoberfest beer from Munich. The Oompah band played traditional Bavarian beer garden songs and was every bit as loud and entertaining as the one in Munich. The inside décor was very similar to the one in Munich with the long tables and benches. We dined on wonderful traditional Bavarian meals (Leslie had Sauerbraten and David had Schweinebraten) while enjoying large steins of Dunkelweiss. It brought back fond memories of trips to Germany.

10 September 2021 Cirque du Soleil

 We wanted to see at least one show while we were in Las Vegas. When we arrived in June, all the shows were still shut down due to Covid. When things started to open up in July, we began trying to pick a show out. Then we saw a commercial for the Michael Jackson Cirque du Soleil show, and Leslie knew which one she wanted to see. So we bought our tickets in advance knowing they would be selling out. The show is in the theater at the Mandolin Bay Casino. Knowing we would have to walk a long ways, we arrived early and got an early dinner at the Border Grill. The food was quite good. A bit of a new take on Mexican. We then wandered through the casino to the theater. The casino was nowhere near as busy as Caesar’s Palace last weekend. David had seen Cirque du Soleil in Singapore several years ago and was looking forward to seeing the death defying aerobatics that Cirque du Soleil is known for. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures or video of the show. The ushers were patrolling the aisles looking for people violating the rules (saw one gal have her phone taken away after she had been warned twice). But we did get some pictures of the set before the show and after. The show was spectacular. They featured Michael Jackson’s songs of course and there were a lot of images of him throughout the show. But the Cirque du Soleil acrobatics were amazing. You just can’t image how much practice it takes to get all of the music, lights, dances and acrobatics all synchronized to such perfection.  

Marque

The Stage

The stage

The closing curtain 

6 September 2021 Hell’s Kitchen

 We have watched several versions of Hells Kitchen on TV for several years and swore we would one day visit one. Well it just so happens Gordon Ramsay’s flagship Hells Kitchen is here in Las Vegas. When we first pulled in, we checked on reservations and there was no availability until mid August. But not knowing what our August schedule would look like we deferred this opportunity until things became clearer. In early August, we knew what our schedule would be and checked on reservations at Hells Kitchen Las Vegas. We decided on Labor Day Monday figuring the crowds from the weekend would be headed home by the evening. Well we were wrong! Hells Kitchen is located just in front of Caesar’s Palace Casino. Parking is in the rear, and you have to go through the casino to get to Hell’s Kitchen. We arrived a few hours early since we had not been in a casino yet and Leslie had to place a roulette bet for her niece. After parking, we decided to get a light lunch in Caesar’s Palace. We decided on Gordon Ramsay’s Pub as a good central location. The Casino was PACKED! We have not been immersed in these types of crowds in quite a while. We were very surprised by how many people there still were in the casino and restaurants. We really expected people to be headed home by now from the holiday weekend. We had a couple of drinks and some short rib nachos before heading back into the crowds. We were really surprised by the machines in the casino. The one arm bandits are very sophisticated computerized entertainment venues instead of the mechanical ones now. They even have roulette and craps machines now instead of real tables. But we wandered around until we finally found a good old fashion roulette wheel table. The minimum was $25, which surprised us a little, but Leslie placed a $25 bet on red for her niece, as promised, and she won! So she did it again and won another $25! Then Leslie decided she had fulfilled her promised and we cashed in the chips. We wandered our way around until we found our way to Hell’s Kitchen. We had a table by the windows overlooking the Las Vegas strip. Watching the people walking by was an endless source of entertainment. We are not professional food critics. But we had high expectations going into a Gordon Ramsay flagship restaurant. We went with the fixed signature menu with the wine pairing. For our first round, Leslie ordered the heirloom tomato burrata salad, which was outstanding!! The tomatoes were fresh, meaty and delicious. The fresh mozzarella paired with the dressing and basil complimented the tomatoes perfectly. David ordered the scallops, but they came back and said they were out. Who runs out of scallops on a holiday weekend? They offered the lobster risotto in its place. The wine pairing was perfect. The risotto was creamy, bright, just the right texture. Perfection. But the lobster tail was dry, rubbery and overcooked. The main was the signature Beef Wellington. Again the wine pairing was perfect. The Wellington was underwhelming. Although the filets were cooked correctly, there was very little flavor. The mushroom compote was bland, mushy, and did not help the flavor. The Wellington pastry was perfect! Just crispy on the outside and a nice firm texture that did not get soggy. Almost like a pretzel dough. The wine reduction was excellent but we could have used more of it. The potatoes were well executed. Desert was the sticky toffee pudding and ice cream. The pudding was outstanding! The ice cream was a bit bland, but with all the flavor of the pudding, you don’t want the ice cream to overshadow it. Again, the wine pairing was excellent. For what we paid, we really expected more from the Beef Wellington. There was none of the Hells Kitchen show type of drama (yelling) in the kitchen. The kitchen was quiet and well organized. Service was efficient and on point. But for over $400, we expected better food. But it was an experience of a lifetime. 

Caesar's Palace Casino

Vegas Baby!

Miracle Mile

Famous Sign

Leslie's Winnings

Hells Kitchen Signs

Hell's Kitchen Dining Room

Red/Blue Kitchens

Sign

Hells Kitchen front door