And still more journal entries from, like, a year ago! But like I said in the last few, I've been busy, so...

This is "Part III" of mine and my daughter's west coast trip in July, 2007. After we said good bye to Grandma in San Diego, and went through LAX, we wound up in McCarren International Airport, in Las Vegas, NV, on July 22nd, shortly after 12 noon. At this point I told my daughter, who I has asked a month ago whether she liked Pyramids or Castles better, that we would be delayed here for a bit. She asked how long. I told her, "Until Wednesday". I don't think it registered. I got a "Huh?" look from her. I reminded her of the question that I asked a month ago, but still got a fuzzy look. I reminded her of LEGO Land and the scaled replicas that we saw while we were there, and of the pictures that I took of her in front of both the Luxor replica, as well as the Excalibur hotel model, both made entirely out of LEGOs. The pieces started to fit into place, I got the feeling, but it didn't sink in until we actually got to the Excalibur Hotel, and got to the room, which I had picked because it afforded a good view of the strip, as well as a bird's-eye view of the New York New York Rollercoaster across the street, and came with a 42" plasma TV in it.

Well, to make a relatively long story short, we rode the NY,NY roller coaster, it was great! But pricey, like most things in Vegas. Tickets were $25 each, for 2 rides. We spent most of the first day getting familiar with what there was to do in the local Mega-plex made up of the MGM Grande, NY,NY, and the Excalibur hotels: things like the virtual roller coaster rides at the Excalibur, the various attractions at the MGM Grand, like the live lions on display there, and of course the retail shoppes, and the famous Las Vegas buffets! (P.S. - you know it's a BIG buffet if, on the reciept that you get when you pay before you go in, there's a MAP of the what kind of food is on what table in what row of tables, and these were very big, long tables!)

July 23rd, 2007 (day 2), and we got started by hitting the buffet for a big breakfast, followed by a trip out the back door, with cameras and daughter in hand, to catch a ride back to the airport, but without luggage... This time we went to a private terminal for a chartered helicopter run over the side, and down into the south end of the Grand Canyon courtesy of Heli-Tours USA. At their terminal, I picked up our camera guy, so he could film the run for us, and off we went, in a cherry red helicopter, to the Hoover dam, once around that, and Lake Meade, where you can see the actual calcium rings left by the dropping water levels caused by climate change (some estimates suggest this lake, and Hoover Dam, will both be dry by 2018). We've got literally hundreds of photo's and film clips from this run. After the Hoover Dam (no, Megatron was never stored there - Transformers movie reference) we flew on into the canyon system itself, past the Hualapai Indian Tribe's Grand Canyon Skywalk that was finished recently, it lets you hang over the side, with nothing between you and the floor at that point, but 4000ft of air, and a glass floor (if you're afraid of heights/falling, DON'T go there!). Interesting to get a look at people on it, and of the sheer size and scale of this place, and just how tiny man is in comparison to the awesomeness of this natural wonder. After leaving the Skywalk behind for a bit we eventually came in and set down on the floor of the canyon at the only ranch in the canyon that actually has a legal heli-pad...

This is an actual, working, legit, cattle raising, cowboy riding ranch, complete with a main house that has been there for a very long time, a previous remains of a house sometime before that, probably from the 1800's, horses, and coyotes (no, the coyotes are not fenced in, so keep your eyes open). And yup, my daughter loves to ride, so we went horseback riding in the Grand Canyon, which, in my opinion, is one of the most beautiful places in the world to ride, which is one of the main reasons we came to Las Vegas, and was part of her birthday present. Yes, we got pix of this also, and a few of a bold coyote. The coyote was alone, and no match for a horse, so we were safe. Needless to say, it was a beautiful day in the Grand Canyon for riding, and afterward, we enjoyed a lunch prepared in traditional style, in cast iron pots over a wood fire, of traditional western cowboy ranch foods (if there is such a thing). This was followed by a performance from the staff of the ranch, done old west style, of what was back in 1870, a typical way to settle something - by gunfight. That is why there was always an undertaker(funeral guy) in every town. After the show, we went back and fired up the helicopter (the pilot did), and got on board to go back to Vegas. After clearing the canyon and approaching the city, we dropped to about 300ft and after rounding a few of the larger hotels, dropped in and proceeded to make a run, in the helicopter, down the Las Vegas strip, right past our hotel! NOT KIDDING! have photos and video, and still from video! Apparently it's legal in Vegas, well at least no FAA guys were at the airport when we touched back down. After thanking everyone for a truly memorable adventure, and getting the film from our film guy (on DVD), it's back to the Excalibur Hotel... And it's only about 2:30, Vegas time. Still plenty of time to do other things and see lot of stuff, so, off we went to find the Las Vegas Monorail, to go to Deep Space 9 Promenade (in the Hilton). But to get there (the monorail) you have to go to the back of the MGM Grand... There is a reason why all the employees, including the managers in the MGM, all wear sneakers or other comfortable shoes. THE PLACE IS HUGE! It took us 40-45 minutes of straight walking, from the front door, across from NY,NY, through the MGM complex, to get to the bloomin' monorail! They planned it out well, the route, through more strip mall type retail outlet corridors that you could possibly imagine. Anyway, we got to the monorail (oh yeah, they have a virtual fish tank of the floor of the station. Why? Who knows, but it looks cool!), and got to the Hilton shortly after...

You know you've left planet Earth when you walk in the door of the Las Vegas Hilton. For starters there's the design of the doors themselves, looking like something right out of 'Star Trek', and the huge Federation logo right under the Hilton sign out front gives it away too. Walk in the door; there's a casino (yea, so... ) designed and totally themed aka 'Star Trek' as well as a huge model of the Enterprise-A from the Star Trek I,II, and the early part of III (until Kirk blew it up) hanging overhead. Walk under the Enterprise and get greeted by a Vulcan, Andorian, or Klingon... Tickets to the 'Star Trek Experience' ran $38.95 for everything, per person, but it's just one of those things you just gotta do once, so... The entire thing is built to exact replica, life sized, of various places inspired, or copied, from Star Trek. Hallways, uniforms, the sound of claxons, etc. My daughter and I got "beamed up" and attacked by Borg in a partial walk through interactive, combined with a 3-D ride aspect, all state of the art (way cool)... And also did the "Klingon Encounter" which has us riding in a shuttle chasing a Klingon Bird of Prey through space, and through Las Vegas! Oddly enough, the Klingon ship, and us pass right over the Excalibur, in the ride. Yes, it does... After all that, and yes we lived (DUH!), we got to go shopping for souvenirs on the ' Promenade ', then to 'Quarks Bar' for lunch. Yes, Quark is there, as well as Klingon waiters, and a few others. (Beware Romulan Ale, and Quark's Specials!). Very much an experience indeed. Lots of pictures from here also...

July 24th (day 3), Devin's Birthday (my daughter). We decided to sleep in a bit, and didn't get to foraging for food until around 10am or so, this morning was just a quick stop at MacDonald's in the Excalibur retail section for some egg McMuffins. Afterward we were off again, down to the other end of the monorail. We went and did the 'Star Trek Experience' again, we both enjoyed it. Then for something new, the Sahara Hotel, and 'Speed - The Ride', a catapult 4G flat launch roller coaster with a 0-70mph in, like 3 seconds! cork-screws and loops across the parking lot and over the driveway into the hotel and straight up to a dead end in the track . . . the the whole thing in reverse! MAJOR INTENSE RIDE! After that, we wandered down the strip, and stopped in at Circus Circus, which has a complete indoor theme park under a huge pink glass dome structure. In here we found a vertically looping roller coaster, bumper cars, a water raft ride(soaked), and a Lazer Tag Arena, among other things. All good fun to be had. By this time the sun was setting on another day in Las Vegas, so we started heading back toward the Excalibur, stopping off as we went, at Caesars, The Mirage (with the volcano), and eventually boarded the monorail at the Imperial Palace (asian themed hotel), for a ride back to Luxor, then a walk through the back of the Excalibur, dinner, then back to the room. Then my daughter got her actual, (in a box) birthday present... A copy of 'Dead or Alive Extreme 2", and 60gig XBOX-360 to play it on. She liked it, I think...

July 25th (day 4), time to check out, but first, to the M&M's store! 5 floors of M&M's and related paraphernalia for some candy and other sugar related souvenirs. After the M&M's store, we went back and packed... Now we went home... Exhausted but very happy!...

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