Viva Las Vegas

The Newell Rally ended this past weekend in Vegas and it was a good time at Las Vegas Motorcoach Resort with some other Newell owners.

One of the Newell owners at the rally had these spikes on the wheels of their motorhome. Who can miss this bright orange coach?

The first night we were treated to an Elvis impersonator after a buffet dinner. It did not look like him but it was a lot of fun to watch this guy dance and sing.

The second day we went to Area15 which is hard to explain but it has a lot of virtual experiences as well as strobe lights and a futuristic Market.

Tattoo chickens and cold cut meats below at the meat counter. Omega Mart sends participants of all ages on a journey through surreal worlds, immersive storytelling, and playful nuggets of the imagination

Strange mirrors…..

Discover secret portals, explore among unexpected landscapes, and simply soak up the innovative art as you venture beyond an extraordinary supermarket into parts unknown. It’s hard to describe the AREA15 experience, but to put it simply, it’s a futuristic shopping center. As you enter, you come into a large open space where there are different vendors mixed in with art installations. To the left and right of you, there are spaces filled with museums, interactive exhibits, and shops.

On day 3 we were shuttled to a 2 star Michelin Restaurant “Picasso” at the Bellagio. A Michelin Star is awarded to restaurants offering outstanding cooking. A Michelin Star is awarded for the food on the plate – nothing else. The service and food here were incomparable. We sat outside near the water that had dancing water displays and a site of the Eiffel tower.

What is the difference between 1, 2 and 3 Michelin Stars? 

One MICHELIN Star is awarded to restaurants using top quality ingredients, where dishes with distinct flavours are prepared to a consistently high standard.
Two MICHELIN Stars are awarded when the personality and talent of the chef are evident in their expertly crafted dishes; their food is refined and inspired.
Three MICHELIN Stars is our highest award, given for the superlative cooking of chefs at the peak of their profession; their cooking is elevated to an art form and some of their dishes are destined to become classics.

The salad was a lobster salad, the primary dish was Chilean Sea Bass and the dessert was just plain delicious. (Panna cotta with strawberries and a chocolate cake)

After dinner was over we walked over to a Cirque De Soleil performance called “O”. A stage set with a large pool of water where the acrobats could dive in and out. Quite a unique display. I was only able to get a few photos before they told me to put my phone away.

Finally the last day they took us to “K1 Speed” – Indoor Go Karts. I tried it one time (12 laps per session) but everyone kept banging into me and passing me so I did not go back on the track. Gary did however go around a few times. BTW, K1 Speed’s 20-horsepower electric adult go karts can reach speeds of up to 45 miles per hour.

 

Gary below, but where is everyone else?

Dinner that evening at Barry’s Downtown and the grand finale was a s’mores dessert for the table.

After the rally, to avoid the traffic and noise in Indio near the Coachella Music festival, we took a detour to Bullhead City Arizona for a few days and took a tour in nearby Oatman City, an old mining ghost town where normally donkeys roam the street to be fed and pet. To our disappointment there were no donkeys and as a shopkeeper explained, due to the large amount of rain, there was a lot of vegetation nearby so the donkeys had stayed there to eat.

I did not take this donkey photo but this is what we should have encountered. What a disappointment to have missed this. I even brought a bag of carrots to feed them.

The story is, after the gold rush, the people left and the town died out, with most of its inhabitants being burros that were used to haul things around for prospectors. The donkeys were released and became feral.

Even though there were no donkeys to find we experienced the quaint town of Oatman and saw a planned shoot out with actors on the street in the town.

Dollar bills all over the walls and the ceilngs. The story is Miners would sign and hang a dollar bill to the walls upon entry. If they couldn’t pay their next tab, the adventurers would find their name on the wall and use that to cash out.

The story behind the town of Oatman…

Oatman sprouted as a small mining camp that was originally named, Vivian. The name Oatman was chosen in honor of Olive Oatman, (as seen below) a 14-year-old girl who was captured and enslaved by Indians, after her pioneer family’s massacre during their journey westward from Illinois in 1851. Her story is rather famous and is told in several history books. I just bought the book The Blue Tattoo: The Life of Olive Oatman to read about her story.

Several cowboys around the town, singing and strumming their guitars

Speaking of cowboys, we are now back in Indio where it will be 100 degrees all week and next weekend Stagecoach, the country and western music festival will be here in Indio so we can expect more traffic and noise. Although they are not a Country and Western band I see on the list that ZZ Top will be performing there.