arieljasmine
04-30-2008, 08:39 AM
Laur’s, Andy and bump do LA and Vegas, baby – Day 7
Laur’s – 29
Andy – 29
Bump – 13 weeks
Thursday 27 March 2008
We were up at 8 am and went down for our final free breakfast of the trip at 8.30 am. I had apple juice, tea, froot loops and two slices of toast and Andy had orange juice, coffee, cornflakes and two slices of toast. It was a windy day and leaves kept blowing down from the trees overhead, so we gave up trying to eat outside and instead took our brews and toast back to the room to finish off.
We had decided to set off to Vegas around lunchtime so we could spend a last morning in Hollywood. Andy took our cases out to car, we stopped at reception for our last free waters and cheetos and went out.
We walked first to the Hollywood statue which we had seen from afar on the bus tour. I loved the Marilyn Monroe classic pose on the top.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/andlaur23/CaliforniaApril08132.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/andlaur23/CaliforniaApril08133.jpg
Next we went to the Guitar Center and had a look at the Rock Walk - where famous musicians have left their hand prints at the front of the store.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/andlaur23/CaliforniaApril08134.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/andlaur23/CaliforniaApril08135.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/andlaur23/CaliforniaApril08136.jpg
We walked along the remainder of the Walk of Fame that we had yet to see, and then headed to Hollywood High School, which I wanted to see since I read Slash's book and that is where he went to school. Felt a bit strange taking a picture of the school - but it is on the tourist maps after all.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/andlaur23/CaliforniaApril08131.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/andlaur23/CaliforniaApril08137.jpg
When we were in this area we also saw the Max Factor building which looks very grand.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/andlaur23/CaliforniaApril08138.jpg
We had a final look at the footprints outside the Graumann's Chinese Theatre and then headed inside the Hollywood and Highland Center for lunch.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/andlaur23/CaliforniaApril08139.jpg
We choose Quiznos which is kinda like Subway. I had apple juice, a tuna melt and Miss Vickie's salt and vinegar crisps and Andy had lemonade, a turkey, cheese and chipotle sandwich and the same crisps as me. It was very nice and there was loads of choice.
On the way back to the hotel we called in at one of the tourist shops where earlier in the week I had seen a Jack and Sally handbag that I really wanted. We bought that and then bid a sad farewell to Hollywood which neither of us wanted to leave.
We were in the car heading for Las Vegas at 1 pm. I spent the journey reading and playing on my DS Lite and we ate a couple of packets of m & ms, courtesy of the Magic Castle. We had one restroom stop about 3 pm at a Burger King where we also picked up a large fanta. It's a good job we didn't need another stop as the one and only rest stop on the road to Vegas was closed! I had expected driving through the desert to be like driving on deserted track roads and was rather disappointed with the very normal looking freeway. I did keep asking Andy whether we were at Area 51 though! We did see some cars gathered in the middle of the desert and wondered whether it was an attempt at the land speed record.
We arrived at the Luxor at 5.30 pm - good going as we were expecting the drive to take longer.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/andlaur23/CaliforniaApril08140.jpg
Trying to find the right car park and then how to get into the hotel was very confusing - I'm glad we left the cases in the car to bring in later. We ended up having to walk through the casino to get to the lobby which pretty much decided me then and there that I wasn't going to like this place. Before we could even locate the check in desk, we were dragged into a timeshare sales pitch (how likely is it that I would want to buy timeshare in a place I've just arrived at?!) which we escaped from by claiming to have left our ID and money in the car.
We finally made it to the check in queue and were checked in by a very unhelpful woman who left us not entirely sure how to get to the room, and being thankful again that we had left the cases in the car. We were allocated a room on the 10th floor and you of course have to use the infamous inclinators to get there - these are lifts which basically go diagonally. I kept wondering what would happen if they all broke? The inclinator is an experience that takes some getting used to and it is at first quite difficult not to sway about. After experiencing this and seeing the view out of our tenth floor window, I think my comment to Andy pretty much sums it up "Holy vomit bags, Batman!"
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/andlaur23/CaliforniaApril08141.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/andlaur23/CaliforniaApril08142.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/andlaur23/CaliforniaApril08143.jpg
My first impressions of the hotel didn't really change. I had expected it to be quite plush (and the exterior was very nice) but it looked and smelled like any pub in England before the smoking ban. This led to me nicknaming it the Chumbucket (after Plankton's restaurant in Spongebob Squarepants) and Andy had several variations such as scumbucket and chumpbucket.
After we sorted out how to get the luggage in and began to understand how to weave our way through the casino, avoiding the timeshare area, we had baths and then went to McDs for some tea. I was impressed that not only did the hotel have a McDs but that it was open 24 hours. We got an orange soda, 10 piece chicken nugget meal and a big mac, and then spent some time looking round the shops.
We took a drive down the strip as far as the Stratosphere taking in the sights so familiar from TV and movies. I fell asleep on the way back (there's a surprise) so got a cup of tea when we got back to try to keep me awake, and Andy got a Budweiser. We took the free hotel tram over to the Excalibur (Exscabbier) which reassured me that we didn't at least pick the worst hotel!
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/andlaur23/CaliforniaApril08145.jpg
After a quick look round, we headed back to the Luxor. Neither of us were interested in gambling but we thought we should try out one of the machines as we were there. We picked a Deal or No Deal machine which was sadly nothing like Deal or No Deal and neither of us could understand how to play it! And this therefore was the beginning and end of our gambling in Vegas.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/andlaur23/CaliforniaApril08149.jpg
We stopped at the shop on the way back to our room for water, wild cherry pepsi for me and a 24oz can of lager for Andy. Safely back in our room we had our drinks, watched Two and a half men, and went to bed at 11.45 pm.
Laur's princess:
Laur’s – 29
Andy – 29
Bump – 13 weeks
Thursday 27 March 2008
We were up at 8 am and went down for our final free breakfast of the trip at 8.30 am. I had apple juice, tea, froot loops and two slices of toast and Andy had orange juice, coffee, cornflakes and two slices of toast. It was a windy day and leaves kept blowing down from the trees overhead, so we gave up trying to eat outside and instead took our brews and toast back to the room to finish off.
We had decided to set off to Vegas around lunchtime so we could spend a last morning in Hollywood. Andy took our cases out to car, we stopped at reception for our last free waters and cheetos and went out.
We walked first to the Hollywood statue which we had seen from afar on the bus tour. I loved the Marilyn Monroe classic pose on the top.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/andlaur23/CaliforniaApril08132.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/andlaur23/CaliforniaApril08133.jpg
Next we went to the Guitar Center and had a look at the Rock Walk - where famous musicians have left their hand prints at the front of the store.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/andlaur23/CaliforniaApril08134.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/andlaur23/CaliforniaApril08135.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/andlaur23/CaliforniaApril08136.jpg
We walked along the remainder of the Walk of Fame that we had yet to see, and then headed to Hollywood High School, which I wanted to see since I read Slash's book and that is where he went to school. Felt a bit strange taking a picture of the school - but it is on the tourist maps after all.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/andlaur23/CaliforniaApril08131.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/andlaur23/CaliforniaApril08137.jpg
When we were in this area we also saw the Max Factor building which looks very grand.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/andlaur23/CaliforniaApril08138.jpg
We had a final look at the footprints outside the Graumann's Chinese Theatre and then headed inside the Hollywood and Highland Center for lunch.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/andlaur23/CaliforniaApril08139.jpg
We choose Quiznos which is kinda like Subway. I had apple juice, a tuna melt and Miss Vickie's salt and vinegar crisps and Andy had lemonade, a turkey, cheese and chipotle sandwich and the same crisps as me. It was very nice and there was loads of choice.
On the way back to the hotel we called in at one of the tourist shops where earlier in the week I had seen a Jack and Sally handbag that I really wanted. We bought that and then bid a sad farewell to Hollywood which neither of us wanted to leave.
We were in the car heading for Las Vegas at 1 pm. I spent the journey reading and playing on my DS Lite and we ate a couple of packets of m & ms, courtesy of the Magic Castle. We had one restroom stop about 3 pm at a Burger King where we also picked up a large fanta. It's a good job we didn't need another stop as the one and only rest stop on the road to Vegas was closed! I had expected driving through the desert to be like driving on deserted track roads and was rather disappointed with the very normal looking freeway. I did keep asking Andy whether we were at Area 51 though! We did see some cars gathered in the middle of the desert and wondered whether it was an attempt at the land speed record.
We arrived at the Luxor at 5.30 pm - good going as we were expecting the drive to take longer.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/andlaur23/CaliforniaApril08140.jpg
Trying to find the right car park and then how to get into the hotel was very confusing - I'm glad we left the cases in the car to bring in later. We ended up having to walk through the casino to get to the lobby which pretty much decided me then and there that I wasn't going to like this place. Before we could even locate the check in desk, we were dragged into a timeshare sales pitch (how likely is it that I would want to buy timeshare in a place I've just arrived at?!) which we escaped from by claiming to have left our ID and money in the car.
We finally made it to the check in queue and were checked in by a very unhelpful woman who left us not entirely sure how to get to the room, and being thankful again that we had left the cases in the car. We were allocated a room on the 10th floor and you of course have to use the infamous inclinators to get there - these are lifts which basically go diagonally. I kept wondering what would happen if they all broke? The inclinator is an experience that takes some getting used to and it is at first quite difficult not to sway about. After experiencing this and seeing the view out of our tenth floor window, I think my comment to Andy pretty much sums it up "Holy vomit bags, Batman!"
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/andlaur23/CaliforniaApril08141.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/andlaur23/CaliforniaApril08142.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/andlaur23/CaliforniaApril08143.jpg
My first impressions of the hotel didn't really change. I had expected it to be quite plush (and the exterior was very nice) but it looked and smelled like any pub in England before the smoking ban. This led to me nicknaming it the Chumbucket (after Plankton's restaurant in Spongebob Squarepants) and Andy had several variations such as scumbucket and chumpbucket.
After we sorted out how to get the luggage in and began to understand how to weave our way through the casino, avoiding the timeshare area, we had baths and then went to McDs for some tea. I was impressed that not only did the hotel have a McDs but that it was open 24 hours. We got an orange soda, 10 piece chicken nugget meal and a big mac, and then spent some time looking round the shops.
We took a drive down the strip as far as the Stratosphere taking in the sights so familiar from TV and movies. I fell asleep on the way back (there's a surprise) so got a cup of tea when we got back to try to keep me awake, and Andy got a Budweiser. We took the free hotel tram over to the Excalibur (Exscabbier) which reassured me that we didn't at least pick the worst hotel!
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/andlaur23/CaliforniaApril08145.jpg
After a quick look round, we headed back to the Luxor. Neither of us were interested in gambling but we thought we should try out one of the machines as we were there. We picked a Deal or No Deal machine which was sadly nothing like Deal or No Deal and neither of us could understand how to play it! And this therefore was the beginning and end of our gambling in Vegas.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f168/andlaur23/CaliforniaApril08149.jpg
We stopped at the shop on the way back to our room for water, wild cherry pepsi for me and a 24oz can of lager for Andy. Safely back in our room we had our drinks, watched Two and a half men, and went to bed at 11.45 pm.
Laur's princess: