We arrived in Las Vegas seven hours after we left home. The weather was beautiful 
and we were pleased that we had left the snow behind. We checked in at our hotel, the Monte Carlo, next to the gigantic new development called City Center. City Center will feature ARIA, a soaring 61-story, 4,000-room gaming resort; three non-gaming luxury hotels including Vdara Hotel, Las Vegas’ first Mandarin Oriental, and The Harmon Hotel, Spa & Residences. Veer Towers, the development’s only strictly residential buildings will have approximately 2,600 condominium residences; a $40 million Public Fine Art Program; and Crystals, a 500,000-square-foot retail and entertainment district. Wow, is that la dolce vita, or what? I can't wait to move in and start living. You wonder if this huge project will ever meet expectations considering the severe economic conditions in Las Vegas. I guess time will tell.
On Wednesday, we strolled along Las Vegas Boulevard and stopped at the half-price ticket booth next to the larger than life Coca-Cola bottle. The current show calendar in Vegas is not that appealing, at least to this tourist, however, we did put down our forty-four dollars a ticket to see the Platters, Coasters and Marvelettes that night at the Sahara. We spent the rest of the afternoon visiting the Bodies exhibit at the Luxor. There are several traveling exhibits and since we missed the Salt Lake City exhibit, we decided to take the plunge. This exhibit was certainly one of the most educational experiences we have shared in a long time. The bodies are preserved with a polymer process that perfectly preserves the tissue and allows the viewing of every organ in the body. It was a worthwhile experience.
That evening we drove to the Sahara for an exciting time-warpe
d experience. I knew before entering the showroom that there wouldn't be anyone under the age of forty in attendance. Well I was wrong, there were three people in their thirties, however, they were in the company of their grandparents! The room was about two-thirds full and though we had paid for "VIP" seating, we decided to move to the back for a better view. First on stage were the Coasters, a group that I honestly could not place, but when they began their repertoire, I did recognize their music. Their music was a collaborative effort of the famed writing duo of Leiber and Stoller. Yakety Yak", featuring King Curtis on tenor saxophone, included the famous lineup of Gardner, Guy, Jones and Gunter, it became the act's only national #1 single, and also topped the R&B chart. The next single, "Charlie Brown", reached #2 on both charts. This was followed by "Along Came Jones", "Poison Ivy" (#1 for a month on the R&B chart), and "Little Egypt (Ying-Yang)".
and we were pleased that we had left the snow behind. We checked in at our hotel, the Monte Carlo, next to the gigantic new development called City Center. City Center will feature ARIA, a soaring 61-story, 4,000-room gaming resort; three non-gaming luxury hotels including Vdara Hotel, Las Vegas’ first Mandarin Oriental, and The Harmon Hotel, Spa & Residences. Veer Towers, the development’s only strictly residential buildings will have approximately 2,600 condominium residences; a $40 million Public Fine Art Program; and Crystals, a 500,000-square-foot retail and entertainment district. Wow, is that la dolce vita, or what? I can't wait to move in and start living. You wonder if this huge project will ever meet expectations considering the severe economic conditions in Las Vegas. I guess time will tell.On Wednesday, we strolled along Las Vegas Boulevard and stopped at the half-price ticket booth next to the larger than life Coca-Cola bottle. The current show calendar in Vegas is not that appealing, at least to this tourist, however, we did put down our forty-four dollars a ticket to see the Platters, Coasters and Marvelettes that night at the Sahara. We spent the rest of the afternoon visiting the Bodies exhibit at the Luxor. There are several traveling exhibits and since we missed the Salt Lake City exhibit, we decided to take the plunge. This exhibit was certainly one of the most educational experiences we have shared in a long time. The bodies are preserved with a polymer process that perfectly preserves the tissue and allows the viewing of every organ in the body. It was a worthwhile experience.
That evening we drove to the Sahara for an exciting time-warpe
d experience. I knew before entering the showroom that there wouldn't be anyone under the age of forty in attendance. Well I was wrong, there were three people in their thirties, however, they were in the company of their grandparents! The room was about two-thirds full and though we had paid for "VIP" seating, we decided to move to the back for a better view. First on stage were the Coasters, a group that I honestly could not place, but when they began their repertoire, I did recognize their music. Their music was a collaborative effort of the famed writing duo of Leiber and Stoller. Yakety Yak", featuring King Curtis on tenor saxophone, included the famous lineup of Gardner, Guy, Jones and Gunter, it became the act's only national #1 single, and also topped the R&B chart. The next single, "Charlie Brown", reached #2 on both charts. This was followed by "Along Came Jones", "Poison Ivy" (#1 for a month on the R&B chart), and "Little Egypt (Ying-Yang)". Next up, the immortal Platters, of course, the originals members are either long dead or in a nursing home, but you'd never know it, this group was the Platters in every way. The moment the music began there was instant recognition from such classics as: "Only You," "The Great Pretender," "My Prayer," "Twilight Time" and "Smoke Gets in Your Eye". You see, even you remember some of these classics, right? The evening ended with an appearance by a very young "Marvelettes" singing their top hit, "Please Mr. Postman" and a few other hits from their past - they were a motown sensation in the 60's.
We joined the rest of the geezerly crowd and ambled out of the theatre heading towards our respective rooms and the long-awaited satin sheets and down-filled pillows on our beds. Well, maybe not satin or down, but welcome anyway to these tired folks. Once in our room, I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow drifting away to the tune of "My Prayer".
We joined the rest of the geezerly crowd and ambled out of the theatre heading towards our respective rooms and the long-awaited satin sheets and down-filled pillows on our beds. Well, maybe not satin or down, but welcome anyway to these tired folks. Once in our room, I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow drifting away to the tune of "My Prayer".
The next day we arose early and enjoyed a hearty breakfast at the buffet and decided to drive to the Colorado River and Laughlin, about two hours south of Las Vegas. We drove south on US 95, the Veterans Memorial Highway, until we reached the once bustling berg of Searchlight. According to Nevada Senator Harry Reid, who has written extensively about his hometown, the most likely story on how it got its name was when George Frederick Colton was looking for gold in the area in 1897 he supposedly said that it would take a searchlight to find gold ore there. Shortly thereafter he found gold leading to a boom era when Searchlight had more population than Las Vegas. At the time, it was in Lincoln County, Nevada. Between 1907 and 1910 the gold mines produced $7 million in gold and other precious minerals and the town had a population of about 1,500. Searchlight declined after 1917 but hung on as a stop on the Arrowhead Highway. In 1927, U.S. Highway 91 bypassed the town and its population dropped to 50. The town had a resurgence in the 1930s and 1940s with the construction of nearby Hoover Dam and was home to the El Rey Bordello in the 1940s and early 1950s when it burned. The last gold mine ceased operating around 1953.
We stopped at the local convenience store and encountered a very interesting character by the name of Robert (Robair). Robert was standing outside the store with his bic
ycle loaded down with what must have been 800 pounds of assorted gear. The bicycle was essentially his storage van, completely unrideable, but perfect to haul his necessities as he traversed the countryside. Robert told us that he had traveled nine thousand miles in the name of Jesus - he was sort of a one man missionary. He related a story of how he had crossed the high desert of Nevada and became bogged down in a major snow storm and survived the night huddled in his makeshift lean to. His journey had certainly been challenging and had taken him to far reaches of the country, from the plains to the ocean. Perhaps an angel was traveling with him since he looked in fine spirits and in good health considering the arduous nature of his journey. We wished him safe travels, tucked a twenty dollar bill in his hand and bade him farewell as we too continued on our journey.
Soon we arrived in the Colorado River town of Laughlin, an oasis in the desert. Laughlin and Bullhead City are connected by a bridge across the Colorado and the border to California is just a few miles away. A sliver of the Colorado River Valley where Nevada, California and Arizona meet has been transformed into a fast-growing tourist destination and gambling resort in a few short decades. Laughlin's current location was established in the 1940's with the South Pointe due to its proximity to Nevada's southern tip. The settlement consisted of a motel and bar that catered to gold and silver miners who dotted the map, and to the many construction workers who built Davis Dam. Davis Dam was designed to help regulate the mighty Colorado and to provide electricity to the Southwest. Once the dam was completed, construction workers left and the motel fell into disrepair.
Across the River, Bullhead City flourished in the glow of the casino light. Shuttle boats transported customers from the Arizona side of the river to Laughlin's resorts. During the 1980s a surge of casino construction exploded in Laughlin. The Colorado Hotel (now the Pioneer), the Regency Sam's Town Gold River (now the River Palms) and the Edgewater opened early in the decade. The activity attracted other investors to begin a second boom resulting in the construction of the Colorado Belle, Harrah's Del Rio, Ramada Express and finally, in 1990, the Flamingo Hilton. In 1987, Don Laughlin funded and built the Laughlin Bridge at a cost of $3.5 million. He donated the bridge to the states of Nevada and Arizona. The bridge carries 2,000 vehicles daily. We crossed the bridge in the afternoon having spotted another oasis on the other side of the river - Sam's Club!
We stopped at the local convenience store and encountered a very interesting character by the name of Robert (Robair). Robert was standing outside the store with his bic
ycle loaded down with what must have been 800 pounds of assorted gear. The bicycle was essentially his storage van, completely unrideable, but perfect to haul his necessities as he traversed the countryside. Robert told us that he had traveled nine thousand miles in the name of Jesus - he was sort of a one man missionary. He related a story of how he had crossed the high desert of Nevada and became bogged down in a major snow storm and survived the night huddled in his makeshift lean to. His journey had certainly been challenging and had taken him to far reaches of the country, from the plains to the ocean. Perhaps an angel was traveling with him since he looked in fine spirits and in good health considering the arduous nature of his journey. We wished him safe travels, tucked a twenty dollar bill in his hand and bade him farewell as we too continued on our journey.Soon we arrived in the Colorado River town of Laughlin, an oasis in the desert. Laughlin and Bullhead City are connected by a bridge across the Colorado and the border to California is just a few miles away. A sliver of the Colorado River Valley where Nevada, California and Arizona meet has been transformed into a fast-growing tourist destination and gambling resort in a few short decades. Laughlin's current location was established in the 1940's with the South Pointe due to its proximity to Nevada's southern tip. The settlement consisted of a motel and bar that catered to gold and silver miners who dotted the map, and to the many construction workers who built Davis Dam. Davis Dam was designed to help regulate the mighty Colorado and to provide electricity to the Southwest. Once the dam was completed, construction workers left and the motel fell into disrepair.
Across the River, Bullhead City flourished in the glow of the casino light. Shuttle boats transported customers from the Arizona side of the river to Laughlin's resorts. During the 1980s a surge of casino construction exploded in Laughlin. The Colorado Hotel (now the Pioneer), the Regency Sam's Town Gold River (now the River Palms) and the Edgewater opened early in the decade. The activity attracted other investors to begin a second boom resulting in the construction of the Colorado Belle, Harrah's Del Rio, Ramada Express and finally, in 1990, the Flamingo Hilton. In 1987, Don Laughlin funded and built the Laughlin Bridge at a cost of $3.5 million. He donated the bridge to the states of Nevada and Arizona. The bridge carries 2,000 vehicles daily. We crossed the bridge in the afternoon having spotted another oasis on the other side of the river - Sam's Club!
We had lunch at Don Laughlin's Riverside Casin
o, yes, another scrumptious buffet surrounded by mostly old people. Their buses had just arrived and they were headed straight to the buffet before gathering their hot nickles waiting to be sent on a one way trip in the slot machine. We made a brief stop at the pier where boats transport gamblers from casino to casino and you can even take an excursion on the Colorado River to the London Bridge at Lake Havasu - yep, that's me. After lunch we drove back to Las Vegas and our room at the Monte Carlo, tomorrow would be another long drive to Los Angeles.
The next morning we grabbed lunch and filled up the tank for the last leg of our trip to Los Angeles. Fortunately, the traffic was very light virtually the entire way to Los Angeles and we made it to the city in a little more than four hours. We arrived at 1401 El Rito in the early afternoon and were met at the door by Sandra and Bruce, our gracious hosts for whom we will be house sitting and cat sitting for the next seven days. Their Glendale home is near perfect, I knew we were going to enjoy our week of luxury, especially after I saw the king-sized bed cloaked in a down filled comforter and surrounded by about a dozen down pillows! Wow, I'm going to really enjoy this royal treatment, I just hope it doesn't spoil me.
o, yes, another scrumptious buffet surrounded by mostly old people. Their buses had just arrived and they were headed straight to the buffet before gathering their hot nickles waiting to be sent on a one way trip in the slot machine. We made a brief stop at the pier where boats transport gamblers from casino to casino and you can even take an excursion on the Colorado River to the London Bridge at Lake Havasu - yep, that's me. After lunch we drove back to Las Vegas and our room at the Monte Carlo, tomorrow would be another long drive to Los Angeles.The next morning we grabbed lunch and filled up the tank for the last leg of our trip to Los Angeles. Fortunately, the traffic was very light virtually the entire way to Los Angeles and we made it to the city in a little more than four hours. We arrived at 1401 El Rito in the early afternoon and were met at the door by Sandra and Bruce, our gracious hosts for whom we will be house sitting and cat sitting for the next seven days. Their Glendale home is near perfect, I knew we were going to enjoy our week of luxury, especially after I saw the king-sized bed cloaked in a down filled comforter and surrounded by about a dozen down pillows! Wow, I'm going to really enjoy this royal treatment, I just hope it doesn't spoil me.
Bruce and Sandra
(Here's Bruce in the kitchen getting ready to leave)
filled us in on the routine and what Harley, their Persian cat, would require and then left us to our own elements as they departed for Costa Rica. We had the weekend to kick back and plan our activities for the coming week. I had earlier made reservations for live tapings of several television shows including, The Big Bang Theory; The New Adventures of Christine and 'Til Death. I wasn't very familiar with any of these sitcoms, but hey, the tickets were free and visiting a "hot" set is always interesting.
We would also do a studio tour at Paramount and I thought that would be fun, especially passing under one of the most famous
gates in the world - the Bronson Gate. Incidentally, Charles Bronson, the fantastic actor in Death Wish, The Magnificent Seven and hundreds of other films took his stage name from this iconic gate since his real name Buchinsky was not opening any doors in Hollywood. During the three hour tour we saw Lucy's Park where Lucille Ball brought her children to play while she was working when Desilu Studios owned a portion of the lot. We also saw New York Street, the set used for many television and film productions. It was great fun.
(Here's Bruce in the kitchen getting ready to leave)filled us in on the routine and what Harley, their Persian cat, would require and then left us to our own elements as they departed for Costa Rica. We had the weekend to kick back and plan our activities for the coming week. I had earlier made reservations for live tapings of several television shows including, The Big Bang Theory; The New Adventures of Christine and 'Til Death. I wasn't very familiar with any of these sitcoms, but hey, the tickets were free and visiting a "hot" set is always interesting.
We would also do a studio tour at Paramount and I thought that would be fun, especially passing under one of the most famous
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gates in the world - the Bronson Gate. Incidentally, Charles Bronson, the fantastic actor in Death Wish, The Magnificent Seven and hundreds of other films took his stage name from this iconic gate since his real name Buchinsky was not opening any doors in Hollywood. During the three hour tour we saw Lucy's Park where Lucille Ball brought her children to play while she was working when Desilu Studios owned a portion of the lot. We also saw New York Street, the set used for many television and film productions. It was great fun.On Sunday, we drove to Port Hueneme to visit my Aunt Lucille, who at eighty-eight is still a marvel of good health and high energy. We shared lunch at the Whale's Tail at the marina and I ordered absolutely the best clam chowder in the world. Well, it might be a tie with the chowder at Duke's in Seattle, but both are excellent. Okay, so most of my chowder experience has been at Red Lobster, still, I do know good chowder when I taste it and this was really good! Shirley and Lucy both ordered fish 'n chips and despite their urgings to share their bountiful platter, it wasn't necessary, they both managed to clean their plates.
This may have been our last visit with Lucy in Port Hueneme since she informed us that she will be moving to Denver in the spring to be near her son and his family. I reckon we'll be seeing her in Denver, preferably in the summer months. We'll miss the drive north when visiting California, but hey, Santa Barbara is always a possibility.
Monday was spent mostly driving through the various parts of the big city. We stopped for lunch at La Golondrina on Olvera Street, the food is mediocre, but the atmosphere surrounding the restaurant is pure Mexican. After lunch we hoofed across the street to Union Station, a landmark in Los Angeles and still a very active terminal. There were lots of folks, young and old waiting patiently for the next train to take them east. I pictured this bustling train station during World War II as the troops left home for, in some cases, the last time. I love train stations and if only the walls could speak, oh what stories they could tell. Trains are such an important part of our history, I hope they'll always be with us in some form or another. Don't you?
That evening we ate dinner at the Capri Italian Restaurant in Eagle Rock. The restaurant is owned and operated by the Thiel twins, sons of an old colleague in the publishing world. The twins had a collective fifteen minutes of fame in their younger years when they did a Doublemint gum commercial and a few other brief appearances on several sitcoms. Today they just run this neighborhood restaurant and I got the impression that a visit from Chef Ramsey would certainly help. In our opinion, the food was not very good and the ambiance needed a major face lift - but, some folks find it quaint.
The rest of the week we hit the highlights including a visit to the Mission San Fernando Rey de España in he northern end of the San Fernando valley. The mission was founded September 8th, 1797 by Padre Fermin Francisco de Lasuén. The mission is named for St. Ferdinand, King of Spain. The Indian name was Pashecgna. A variety of problems, including the 1812 earthquakes and the digging up of the church floor by gold prospectors when gold was discovered nearby caused much of the mission to fall into disrepair. Some restored structures include the church, monastery and some quarters around the quadrangle. The church is active today and we visited the chapel and other historic portions of the mission as well as museum. The mission is also the final resting place of Bob Hope. As a matter of fact, on his deathbed, one of his daughters asked him where he wanted to be buried and his classic reply was, "surprise me". Bob would have been pleased with her choice.
Oh, and here's a picture of me on the mission grounds and no, I'm not doing what you think I'm doing!
That evening we attended the taping for the "Big Bang Theory", a hot new sitcom about a group of nerds. This is not a program that I have followed and the few times I've watched it, I really couldn't get into it, but I rather enjoyed his episode, especially the scenes with Kaley Cuoco (Penny). She almost makes up for suffering through the likes of Sheldon (Jim Parsons). I really think this series is targeted primarily at the under twenty-five audience and perhaps, that's why I often just don't get it.
The next evening we sat through a taping of "The New Adventures of Old Christine" with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Clark Gregg and Wanda Sykes. Again, not a series that I have followed faithfully, but it is really a good one and well worth watching. The actors are really superb and Wanda Sykes is really funny, you can certainly understand her success as a stand-up comedian. In this episode, Christine (Julia) and Richard (Clark) currently separated, are having major issues over who is the best parent for Ritchie (Trevor Gagnon). It had some very hilarious moments and I'm looking forward to seeing it run.
Today is Tuesday, the 27th of January. Yesterday was my birthday and I still c
an't believe I'm old, what the hell happened to the last forty years? It seems like I was young only yesterday and now, oh hell, I have to admit it, I'm officially a geezer! The children and grandchildren called to remind me of this momentous occasion, I even heard from my son, who has a definite aversion to phones. By the way, these two Geezers express my view of old age perfectly!
an't believe I'm old, what the hell happened to the last forty years? It seems like I was young only yesterday and now, oh hell, I have to admit it, I'm officially a geezer! The children and grandchildren called to remind me of this momentous occasion, I even heard from my son, who has a definite aversion to phones. By the way, these two Geezers express my view of old age perfectly!
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