LAS VEGAS - DAY 2 - AFTERNOON

 So, we went into the store, looked around and bought a book, a calendar and a small poster. Then they asked us to go back outside and stay in line. We waited about 15 minutes and were asked to come in and have our book signed - by no other than:  Criss Angel, Mindfreak!!!!

Michael and Kathrina are both great fans of his shows and sometimes I have a look too. So there we are - people in front of us are sitting down on his knee and have their pictures taken by a security guard with the fan's camera.

Now it is our turn and just didn't see myself trying to sit in his lap!!! So we asked if he could stand up instead and we both got into the picture with Criss. It was very exciting to meet him and he was very pleasant to chat with for a few moments.

According to Michael this was a "bonus surprise" for the day. It was a great experience.

By this time I was ready to hang up my shoes and drop my behind on the bed and try to get some sleepy time. So we did just that. We had a great long snooze and rested up for the rest of the day, which was not over by a long shot.

So we got ourselves presentable again and took off for our special dinner. We had a great time and after dinner we took on the "one armed bandits" and enjoyed ourselves for a couple of hours. I have to mention that we cannot play any machines that are next to each other. Neither one of us wins. So he took off one way and I went the other way and said we will meet later by the Diner for a snack and a drink before turning in.

All in all, this day was a very memorable one for me. We celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary and also Michael's birthday, which was the next day. I had planned nothing special for the next day because we really did all the exciting things today. So we just ate, slept, gambled a little, ate, slept and watched other people. Really - watching others gamble is fascinating - the way they behave when they are winning and the frustration when they are losing. Both Michael and I are pretty good at reading people - and this time was well spent.

The next day we were returning to the area of the hotel where we registered and discovered a large motorcycle encased in a "glass" type box. Then we realized that it was Criss Angel's special one of a kind bike. I took some pictures with and without flash and with Michael in front of it. Because of the lighting in the lobby some of the pictures are better than others.

The trip to Las Vegas was a trip down memory lane. I was there in 1986 and visited most of the old casinos of that time. Very few of them are still in existance. Great big new hotels were built since then, but I think I liked the "old" Vegas better. I was told by several employees and taxi drivers that the best time to visit Vegas when the prices are cheapest is at the time of the US Thanksgiving in November, or at Christmas time. Most people stay close to family then and they need to fill the rooms in the hotels so they give fantastic prices for your stay.

So if you are planning to go, try to do it when it is cheaper. We had a great deal on our flight and hotel and were very happy with our service. We also decided that we will not be returning soon, we had our fun. If we need to some gambling, we have a nice casino here in town, or we want to have a weekend away from home, we will visit Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls. Maybe twice a year. It is closer and we have friends to visit there anyway.

I might write some more about our trip, but right now I can't remember anything else. I apologize for the long wait between my postings, but I've been busy and life gets in the way.
Hugs,
Gisele/Nanabear

LAS VEGAS - DAY 2

I had arranged for a special gift for our wedding anniversary on the 5th of December. I woke him up at 5:00 a.m. and told him to get ready for an adventure. He thought I was crazy getting up at that time in the morning since we went to bed quite late the night before.

Finally we made it to the front door of Circus Circus where a long black limo was waiting for us. The driver said he had other pick-ups and to just relax. It was fun sitting in the back and look at the city that really never goes to sleep. Michael was asking questions all the time and I didn't give him a straight answer. Finally we arrived at the airport and then he saw the helicopters. Then I told him that we are going to take a trip into the bottom of the Grand Canyon and take pictures. He was really surprised and then whispered in my ear: "you are totally out of your mind but thank you, this might be fun". So I hugged him and said you are welcome and we got into the helicopter.

It was a 45 minute ride from Vegas to the spot where we landed. I took pictures on the way and we circled around the Hoover Dam, which was fantastic from the air. We had earphones on and there was ongoing comment from the pilot about what we were seeing. Fabulous scenery and the most fun stuff we saw were tiny little cows and wild horses running down below. Such a view!

Once we landed and stepped out of the helicopter we had a chance to walk down a little into the depth of the Canyon. You can have a look at some of the pictures where both Michael and I are pictured with the Colorado river below us. Any more steps further down would have caused us to slide right into the bottom of the Canyon. It was a scary but great feeling to be there.

The weather did not cooperate. I was frozen!!! I had a cotton top and a light grey hoody and the wind was blowing and the temperatures were soooo cold!! No sun. Just wind. After the pictures we had a special "snack" provided by the pilot which included a small bottle of champagne! So, we toasted each other and had a couple of sips while pictures were taken. There were several other helicopters on this "pad" and the visitors all cheered when they found out that it was our 45th Wedding Anniversary. It was wonderful - but soooo cooold!

The return flight to Vegas seemed shorter but just as fabulous. We circled over the "strip" and I took some pictures of all the other hotels. I thought it was better in the daytime rather than night because then you can only see a lot of flashing lights - this way we saw the buildings and their different shapes and decorations. After we landed, the limousine took us back to our hotel for a well deserved "hot" lunch.

To have a look at the pictures from our trip, please visit them here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nanabear/sets/72157622852922611/

After our meal we were headed back to our room to freshen up and had to slow down because there were a lot of people standing around this particular shop. So we asked questions and we decided that we cannot pass up this opportunity and went inside.

And the rest of the story is coming up......
Hugs,
Gisele/Nanabear