Vegas
[Photo Journal - 26 entries]We have enabled anonymous comments on this blog (finally) so if you get a chance, add a comment and let us know what you think! (there is a comment link at the end of each entry)
Well, we wish everyone had come to the shotgun wedding, but hey, Vegas is a long way from home.
Vegas. 3 days staying on the strip, $230 gambled, $95 lost, 5 hours of sleep, 2 beautiful sunrises.
Vegas was so much fun that this blog gets it's own timeline format:
Itinerary Day 1: Vegas Jason's Place
PM
8.00 After bbq in Red Rock Canyon, we were invited over for a beer with a group of rock climbers
9.00 Jason, Christy & Wilson (our new climbing buddies who are the sound & design experts at the RIO) took us back to Vegas Jason's place & cooked shrimp on the barbie for us, while Jase cooked Kotch-burgers for them (bit of a role reversal there).
11.00 Vegas Jason graciously let us crash over
Itinerary Day 2: Christy's PlaceAM9.00 Christy gave us the keys to her place & went to work so we spent the day chilling at hers using her internet & watching NBA - people here in the states are so nice, they make this trip better than a long cold beer after a hard day's work!
10.00 Clothing Outlet Shopping
PM
9.00 We tried to start the Nissan to go Casino'ing, but discovered an unrepareable flat
Itinerary Day 3: The Strip
AM
10.00 Our AAA membership (the US equivalent of RACV), got us towed to Walmart where we replaced our 2 bald tyres.
PM
1.00 We checked into the Luxor
2.30 Jason lost his first $30 Poker Luxor buy-in after 10 minutes on a pair Ladies to a pair Kings. Irene rated a TV show Pilot at CBS to get some free stuff
9.00 We went to Sunset Park so Jase could get dunked on a lot by a big black guy
11.30 At the stratosphere, Irene took photos & Jase lost his $25 buy-in on the second hand with a Two-Pair
Itinerary Day 4: The Strip
AM
2.45 We got a feed at Circus Circus (a film set in Fear & Loathing)
3.45 We got lost in Ceasar's Palace
4.30 Irene lost $20 learning Blackjack & did a Jager-Bomb at O'Sheas
5.45 Vegas Sunrise
6.00 Caught over an hour of sleep
8.00 Got up to do a timeshare tour (spend 3 horrendous hours on a personal tour from a sales guy, got loads of free stuff - $75 gambling chips, a free weekend of accom in a Vegas Casino & tickets to a show)
PM12.30 We had a very ordinary 2 for 1 Buffet at the Luxor
2.00 Caught 2 hours shut-eye by the hotel pool
9.00 Jase took an hour to lose his $35 Stratosphere buy-in on an all-in full house (3 Jacks) to a full house (3 kings). Check the comments on this blog for more.
10.00 Checked out Bellagio's magnificent fountain show (featured in the Ocean's 11), the Venetian's gondola's & Treasure Island's pirate show
11.20 Irene won $35 on Blackjack at the Luxor (Way to go Reen's!).
11.30 Jason took 6 hours to lose $15 of his $40 Luxor buy-in. Check this blogs comments for more.
Itinerary Day 5: The Strip
AM
6.08 Caught another sunrise & watched The Fonz on tv
7.00 Caught 2 hours sleep
11.00 Checked out & used our free timeshare tickets on Shark Reef at the Mandalay Bay
PM
12.30 Had an unbelievable international buffet at the RIO - Seafood, personalised Teppanyaki, Dim Sum, Ribs, etc. etc. - Highly recommend! Pigged out so much, I had to walk on an angle afterwards.
Vegas is a highlight of this trip so far - everyone should definitely go there!
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Smog City & National Parks
[Photo Journal - 32 entries]San Francisco is a bustling city. On every street corner, there's something different going on - tourist-filled
cable cars, street chess, cafes, boutique shops, theatre, gambling in the park and a
fortune cookie factory. Driving in downtown San Francisco is quite an experience, it's sort of like a 5 star rollercoaster ride! San Fran's
Fisherman's Wharf is home of excellent fresh crab and shrimp. This is where we had the clam chowder bread bowl - creamy soup in a bowl made of sour dough - yum!!
Monday 1st of May was declared a
day without immigrants in the US. A day where the nation's immigrants skipped work to
protest the government's views on immigration.
Our night tour of
Alcatraz was very informative and windy! Only 5 people have ever escaped from the island prison. It's possible that escapees are alive, so if you think you make a good detective - there is still a US$1 million reward for their capture.
Next we toured the amazing National Parks of California and Nevada:
- Yosemite National Park - one of the most beautiful natural surroundings you'll we've ever seen. In the Yosemite Valley area, there are many waterfalls, wildlife, cliffs, hiking trails and pine trees as far as the eye can see. Don't forget to store your food in the campground Bear Boxes, otherwise you might wake up to a brown bear rummaging through your car!!
- Sequoia National Park - where we got to hug General Sherman. No, he's not a war hero, the General is the biggest tree in the world. Click here for his stats.
- Death Valley National Park - the lowest point in North America (282 feet below sea level) and one of the hottest places on earth. There is not much to see except the many strange rock formations (Mushroom Rock, Natural Bridge), massive salt planes and Scotty's castle. Wildflowers bloom and then die within a few weeks due to the extreme weather conditions in the valley.
- Red Rock National Park - situated just outside Las Vegas and is a great place for rock climbing.
We got a US cell (mobile) number -
(+1) 415 627 8612
Feel free to text (sms) us anytime, or use the work phone to buzz us! (Remember California is 17hrs behind Melbourne!! We'd still like to hear from ya even at 3am.)
Also, we have a Skype account, our user name is:
jason.kotchoff
If you have internet and a computer microphone + speakers, you can call us using Skype Voice Over IP for free!
Next stop - Las Vegas!!!
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Highway 80: Utah to California
[Photo Journal - 16 entries]Now that we have wheels, we have just completed our first interstate road-trip from Salt Lake City to San Francisco (3 days, 700km).
The
scenery along the way was outstanding. A majority of the trip was in northern Nevada where every gas pitstop was a mini casino in the middle of nowhere.
We did our first
camping in the pickup in a Walmart carpark in Winnemucca and then stopped overnight at the picturesque and affluent
Lake Tahoe on the border of Nevada & California. At the Wolfdale's restaurant in Tahoe City, we met a super nice couple (
Jack & Joannie) who graciously invited us to stay in one of their absent kids rooms for the night (After they heard we were planning to camp in the snow with the black bears).
Next will be San Fran, Yosemite & Vegas before hooking up with Nige again near the Grand Canyon.
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