Not written for a while, starting to seem quite a while since Vegas, but still got some pictures I may be adding. With not a trip to Vegas planned though the site might need a new theme. This summer we are going to Canada, flying into Montreal in fact. Looking forward to that but still hoping for a Vegas holiday in the not too distant future.
One reason why I have not blogged is lots to do at work, another is that I was away Skiing with the school for a week(I am a teacher) which was great fun.
Anyway here is a picture of The Lucky Donut driving on Tropicana on Christmas Day looking festive,
Following the Scary Santa here are more pictures from the Fremont Street Christmas Light Show on the Canopy
Rock and Roll at the Fremont street Experience. The is accompanied by a great soundtrack.
I think that was motorbikes?
Don’t forget it was Chanakkuh too
Gingerbread men
It seems a while since Christmas now but I didn’t want to waste these festive pictures from the fabulous Cactus Garden in Las Vegas.
Is it a horse carrying the M&M? I would have expected reindeer.
Speedboat is more convenient for some deliveries.
Inflatable snowmen, with a majestic view of the car park.
The choice to go to Dunkin’ Donuts was somewhat based on wanting a nice coffee. That said the donuts went dawn well too. Myself, Sally, Claire and Chris ‘Lucky D’ Newman may have upset the line behind us by ordering a big box that almost left the selection empty. As it was late evening they were not baking any more.
A very pleasant christmas message
Them green ones were a Christmas special. A full box but not for long …….
Claire tries to stop Chris, but the donut mad frenzy was just about to begin…..
Supplies were soon depleted
Chris enjoyed the Christmas special. In actual fact I think I was more responsible than anyone for the depleted donuts. My first visit to Dunkin’, as I am not a big fan of sweet things, but great coffee and I really liked the donuts especially the crispy creme.
Apparently there are a couple in London. Not sure when I am there next but when I am I’ll be there. I understand from an Internet search that Krispy Creme are a more frequent Alternative. I know Chris likes to travel fro Stoke to Manchester to enjoy a Krispy Creme Donut.
The Fremont Street Expereince offers a great free light and music show. It is a must if you end up downtown in Las Vegas. As great as it is we were a little disturbed by the image of Santa on the canopy.
The animated version of the Lucky Donut has not been seen for a while on this page but we saw him while we were visiting the sign.
Lucky Donut joined us downtown where we visited the Four Queens
Note that I am prepared as ever with the American Casino Guide
We took a trip to Red Rock Canyon during our stay. It is possible to do without rushing in an afternoon. For just 5 dollars for one car you can take the 13 mile scenic route around the Canyon.
A plesant Drive From Vegas to Red Rock Canyon takes less than an hour
There are stunning views on the scenic drive.
There are several nice spots to stop along the way. Here you can just enjoy the view, have a picnic or even start out one one of the trails. There is a handy guide which gives the difficulty and length of the walks.
It is a worthwhile distraction from the hustle and bustle of Vegas.
Please excuse the poor quality of the scan, It is as a result of me bending it to put in my pocket. I am not really a collector.
This is what I did last night. I have been to the Derby Assembley Rooms Panto 3 years in a row now since my old mate from Uni Ben Simmons has been in the Derby Panto along with his Dad Keith (Actor, Writer and Director of the Pantos). You can see them on the left handside of the programme cover by the S. I will leave you to guess which one is Ben and which on is Keith.
I love seeing them in panto as they are a great double act and steal the show with their own brand of silliness. It is clear they enjoy entertaining and that really draws the audience in. My favourite part is Keith’s false staircase gag which I am pleased to say Ben did this year. I had to protest to them afterwards though as Keith did not do the false escalator which is an absolute treat.
You can read all about Ben and Keith at;
http://www.simmonsandsimmons.org.uk/#
Their double act will be in Norfolk over the Summer Season this year and I am sure the escalator gag will be on show if demand is high enough. Come on .. lets see it.
On another note, as an Only Fools fan and a Green Green Grass fan I was looking forward to seeing Sue ‘Marlene’ Holderness as Queen Marlene. She was fabulous in her role and drew the boos brilliantly.
Tune into the new series of Green Green Grass Thursdays on BBC at 8.30pm.
The last Panto show of this season is on Sunday so it is a bit late to encourage you to go to the Panto, but if Simmons and Simmons are there next year snap up your tickets.
The Christmas Cacti were not originally on our list but after Lucky Donut suggested this we all went for a magical visit to the Ethel M Chocolate Factory and Cactus Garden. You can read about this on his blog too. We arrived about 4pm and were able to see it get dark and the lights get gradually prettier.
Here Sally and I are enjoying the cactus lights. Thanks to Claire for taking the photo.
The Cactus garden is well worth a visit. There is a wide variety of cacti so even when not lit up it would be horticulturally interesting. For directions and information follow this link.
A side note is that the Lucky Donut fell over during the visit and hurt his finger. It is a lot better now.
While in Vegas over the holiday’s we went to see Chris “Lucky Donut” Newman and Claire’s suite at the Rio. The views were excellent and the following is a lovely outlook onto the strip. you can also see the hotel’s pools.
You could also see the Rio’s other building. This is quite a nice shot.
So quite a nice base for their Christmas jaunt in Vegas especially as they got a great deal thanks to their successful playing of the comp system. Good on them.
The room itself was great too, plenty of space with the kitchen and bathroom area split form a TV/bedroom area. The Rio is a nice location too, off Strip and close to the I15 so its no problem getting around, but then again close enough to Strip for easy access when desired. The proximity of the I15 is also a bonus for getting downtown. Since The Rio only offers suites it might not be the best for budget minded but if you have a comp or you want to pay for a suite I would say for proximity and quality it is a great choice. A very important plus is that the Rio has a nice Casino. I know Chris played the poker room there and has some interesting tales about it.
A side note is that Claire and Chris were racking up the points at the Palms which is just down the road from the Rio, walking distance in fact.
