Click “play” above for a walk through of the Bellagio display.
The Bellagio Conservatory was changed to a pseudo-patriotic theme for the Memorial Day weekend.
It’s basically the summer theme with some additional flags hanging from the walls.
It’s similar to last year’s summer display, heavy on model trains and water effects.
There were three very long model train tracks, with various tunnels and bridges for the trains to go through and over, and a model of Mount Rushmore again.
My favorite item this time of the year is always the scale model of the Bellagio and its fountains. I wish I could get one of those for my home.
The entire display looked cool as always, and there was a good sized crowd in the Conservatory.
I took this shot last night while it was drizzling.
One of the cool things about cloudy nights in Vegas near The Strip, is the illumination of the entire area surrounding the Luxor due to the bounceback from the world’s brightest light.
It’s like a full moon … without the moon.
The Luxor light is so bright that pilots at LAX in Los Angeles have reported seeing it on a clear night when landing from the West.
I have oriented myself at night more than once by looking for the Luxor beam.
Most people who live here have.
The beam is another one of those cool oddities that you become accustomed to while living in this town.
It is still raining today. No hint of sun, low visibility due to fog and mist, and the streets are soaked. It’s not a heavy rain, but there is absolutely nobody hanging out at the pools.
It’s the first Memorial Day Weekend I have ever seen like this.
I’m sure there is at least some disappointment. Especially from people who specifically checked into places with great pools like the Mandalay Bay.
Nasty stuff like what you are thinking does not get discussed here.
I was speaking of the wind.
I have roof access to a building adjacent to the Convention Center, and I often like to go up there and relax for a bit.
It has a 180 degree view of the Vegas Valley, and I can see from the Boulder Highway area to Henderson (that is the direction that I usually fart in) to roughly the Encore.
I went up there today, but didn’t enjoy it very much.
I damn near got blown off. I could not even hold the camera straight.
This weather is pretty close to what we get around Christmas.
Supposedly, this is going to be the third coldest Memorial Day on record.
Hopefully those that are coming this weekend aren’t preparing for fun in the sun.
You can still have fun, just not in the sun.
This weather might just be a shot in the arm for gambling revenue.
And it was all caught on video (press play above).
Here is how it went down …
I was flying into McCarran last night on a Boeing 737-700, and we were vectored to land on Runway 19L.
19L has no instrument guidance, so it would have to be a fully manual landing.
Just as we crossed Boulder Highway, the Captain had a heart attack.
Upon seeing this distressing sight, the co-pilot also immediately had a heart attack.
The two were close (perhaps too close?).
Anyway, a panicked announcement came over the speaker from the flight attendant.
“Does anyone know how to fly a plane??!!”
Being the heroic sort that I am, I stood up, and calmly strode to the cockpit.
I pulled the bodies of the two pilots out (don’t worry, they later made a full recovery at UMC), and I fastened myself into the captain’s seat.
I made an announcement to calm the passengers: “Fear not, a skilled pilot is now at the controls, and you will be enjoying your Las Vegas vacation in a few minutes!”
The timing was inappropriate to mention the hour wait at the cab stand. The passengers were nervous enough as it was.
I grabbed the yoke with my left hand, grabbed the throttle with my right hand (after scratching my nuts with it), and with the skill that I (and only I) have, brought the plane to a smooth and safe landing.
Applause could be heard upon touching down, and the entire cabin shouted “VegasRex! VegasRex!” in unison.
After I brought the plane to a full stop, the flight attendants lined up outside the cockpit to show me their gratitude with blow jobs.
Unfortunately, most of them were male, so I politely declined.
When I got off the plane, the CEO of American Airlines promptly strode up to me, extended his hand, and said “Sir, we forgot to charge you $15 for the luggage you checked, and we are going to have to charge you the first class fare since you rode in the front of the plane.”
So, that is the way it went down last night.
That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.
If the video of the landing appears that it was recorded in Microsoft Flight Simulator X on maximum realism settings, it is because the passenger who recorded my landing did so with a camera of inferior quality.
Oh yeah, and they re-built the Stardust yesterday, but demolished it again today.
Rumor has it that David Hassellhoff is planning a one man show in Las Vegas called … “Viva Hoff Vegas!”.
You just can’t make this shit up.
Well, you can, but why would you?
Apparently the Hofbrau House across from the Hard Rock Hotel has already offered him an “after hours” gig.
I just don’t know what to make of any of it.
It sounds like a really bad joke, but most projects in this town sound like a really bad joke … which means that it will probably happen.
According to Hassellhoff:
“It’s a fun act. I had a ball in Vegas with The Producers and I think Vegas wants to see The Hoff, so I’m putting together a knock-down, drag-out, crazy, make-fun-of-my-life, Hoff show that also tells my story. It’ll be a little about Baywatch, about Knight Rider, about the Wall in Germany. I’ve got footage of all of this; I’ve saved everything. Then we might do a sexy after-hours show at the (Las Vegas German-themed club and restaurant) Hofbrau House, which already offered me the gig. I love Vegas because you can live outside in Red Rock, breathe the air and then go crazy in the casino. My audience is really there because I’ve been around for so long. I’m dead set on this stage show because I feel as if I can do it after The Producers. I’ve become good friends with Mel Brooks, which is an honor. I’m 55 and I’ve finally arrived because Mel Brooks told me that I was good. It made me go, ‘Wow!’ To me that was it. Even though I was wearing a dress and playing a gay Hitler at the time.”
