We start our second day in Las Vegas with a ten mile (or so) walk from Caesar's Palace to Fremont Street, the heart of the Las Vegas old town. As we walk down Las Vegas Boulevard, we enter a totally different world, one of homeless people, many small motor lodges (mostly closed and falling down now), pawn shops, bail bond offices, and old-time wedding chapels. complete with a pink Cadillac or two.
Pink Cadillacs for wedding use
Approaching Fremont Street, we start to see the old Las Vegas restored: street art, neon signs, and the old hotels that have been modernized and revitalized.
Street art and Fremont Street neon signs
Walking up the Fremont Street pedestrian walkway, we see the hotels, bars, and restaurants coming alive for the crowds. The old casinos and hotels open out onto the walkway and crowds move back and forth between all the sights. In the evening, the canopy is a fabulous light show that always dazzles.
Fremont Street
We head into the Golden Nugget and walk through this beautifully-restored old-time casino, working our way through the casino to the fish/shark tank (with a slide through the middle) in the pool area. The pool is closed for the winter, but in warmer weather, one can sit on the seats in the water, watch the sharks (and other large fish) swim by, and let the world go on its way. I bet the sharks want to get to those seats first, but hotel guests have first priority and the sharks have to settle for scaring the occasional person on the slide.
Shark tank at the Golden Nugget
Heading back to the Strip, we pass through revitalized downtown Las Vegas, the city hall (with its garden of solar panels), the World Market Center (the largest furniture, home decor, and gift wholesale market in the western US), and the art district (with more neon signs on the streets).
Solar forest at city hall
World Market Center
More neon in the arts district
Arriving back on the Strip, we are attracted by the music playing in front of the Wynn and stop to watch the fountains with their joyful show synchronized to the music.
Wynn fountains at play
We have tickets to the Linq, where we'll ride the
High Roller observation wheel, at 550 feet (165 meters), the world's tallest (taller than the
London Eye and the
Singapore Flyer) and giving us a birds-eye view of the city.
But first, lunch. We stop at
Gordon Ramsay's Fish & Chips shop and sit outside with our reward, watching the eclectic mixture of people go by.
Gordon Ramsay's Fish & Chips
Then, on to the High Roller and the great views of the city from 550 feet (168 meters) up.
High Roller
Tonight it's dinner at
Joe's Seafood, Prime Rib, and Stone Crab. I start with octopus (no surprise there), followed by mahi mahi fish tacos. Other entrees at our table range from fried chicken to steaks and fish to fish pasta. We eat it all!
Charred Octopus with corona beans, kalamata olives, and arugula
Our trip is winding down, but we have one last celebration, breakfast at
Mon Ami Gabi, in the Paris Las Vegas Hotel/Casino, with Bloody Marys, followed by crepes, eggs, fruit, and burgers. Each Bloody Mary itself is a meal in a glass, with bacon, cheese, olive, tomato, and cucumber on the long picks. We sit on the outside patio and watch the early morning traffic (vehicle and pedestrian) on the Strip as we dine. Sitting here is a true Las Vegas experience!
Bloody Marys
We've had a great holiday and birthday celebration, extending from Alameda to San Francisco, to New York, to Las Vegas. But, it's time to return home and plan this year's adventures.
