Monday 12th – In Transit
On the Monday we lost the majority of the day in transit.
We flew out of Honolulu first thing in the morning (literally at daybreak) and were routed through Los Angeles (LAX), transferring to a domestic carrier for the final leg.
We paid an extra $50 each to “upgrade” to First Class (really, business class) but it came with three benefits (two of which were known to us up front); an express security line (bypassing the really, really long economy line) and free drinks on board.
The rising sun from Honolulu airport
The third benefit was purely accidental. The aircraft was delayed departure as the luggage compartment had been damaged.
Baggage was moved to a different compartment, but required all economy passengers to sit together at the rear of the plane (to balance it for flight), while we were given the star treatment in “first class”. We had an extra hour of free drinks to boot!
Despite the delay, we were destined for Sin City. This was Toni’s first visit and a second for Rob (you’ll have to wait for me to back post my epic drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas (and back), sometime in the future).
Las Vegas
By the time we arrived in Las Vegas it was near dusk. The first thing we noticed at Vegas’ McCarran International airport was the abundance of poker machines – right there in the terminal. A striking taste of things to come, no doubt.
We caught a shuttle bus to our hotel/casino which was the New York New York casino and resort, near the MGM Grand, opposite Excalibur on the main Vegas strip. Our room was quite large and included two queen sized beds. We stayed on the 31st floor, with a great view.
New York, New York: Our Room | Our Hotel
We decided to investigate the area and spent some time exploring the casino, including a hair raising ride on the casino’s built-in rollercoaster. This wouldn’t ordinarily surprise anyone, but in this case it was Toni leading the way to the rollercoaster!
The interior of the casino was done up to represent urban Manhattan (or perhaps other parts of the New York area), the casino floor is very high and easily accommodates two or three storey structures (such as shop fronts and tenements) complete with restaurants, gift shops and – of course – gaming tables and slot machines.
After a short tour of the hotel and surrounds we called it a night, due to a rather early start the next day.
Further down the strip: Paris Hotel and Casino
The view from our room
The next day’s entry is a beauty – check back shortly!!