How To Spend 8 Days In Las Vegas Free - And Come Home $1000 Richer Without Gambling

Harry sprinting out of a Vegas Boeing 757 before it lifts off for Atlanta - without him.

They do not call me The Trailing Spouse for nothing. I picked up from my 55 year home in Tamaqua PA to follow Lulu to Tallahassee FL - 10 years ago. I have done absolutely nothing except - attend FSU sporting events - buy and sell homes - cars - campers - and furniture. 

Lulu travels all over the world. I go along to carry her bags. Her motto is - Have Husband Will Travel. In the 10 years - we have been to England - France - Germany - Italy - Greece - Thailand - Hong Kong - Korea - Ireland - Scotland - Belgium - Sweden - Denmark - Switzerland - Australia - New Zealand - Brazil - Mexico - Cuba - Canada - and others I have forgotten. 

Monday Morning In The Desert With A Car And A Beautiful Girl

 It was 122 degrees as I took this dam picture.

Monday started early at 8AM at the Ballagio Hotel. Lulu found a daily car rental with Avis for $24. In minutes we were driving our bright red Fiat 500L north on I-15 toward the Valley of Fire.

The Valley of Fire is the oldest state park in Nevada. It is a valley full of bazaar monadnocks of red sandstone sticking out thru the local darker topography. During certain times of the day they look like fires - thus the name Valley of Fire. We had the place to ourselves - we were able to picnic - heck - we could have run around nude. 

After the valley - we headed south to Lake Mead. It is the largest manmade lake in the USA - it is formed by Hoover Dam. It has 600 miles of shoreline. It provides - flood control - farming water- drinking water - and electricity. It made the desert bloom. 

On Our Way Home - Big Story Coming About Our Adventures In The Desert

It is 8 am. Vegas time. We are packing up and getting to the airport for our 11 am flight home. Yesterday we had a fantastic time at the Valley of Fire - Lake Mead - Hoover Dam - Henderson - Boulder City - Riviera Casino. We rented a Fiat 500L and had a blast.

We each have one carry-on bag hoping to get bumped off our flights.

Yesterday was hot. Our car thermometer read anywhere from 104 to 122. But we didn't mind with the dry air.

If all goes wrong we will be home at 8:30 tonite. If we are lucky we get home tomorrow.

We will always have Paris ....... Las Vegas

Harry

Back to Hofbrauhaus to Try Wheat Beer

Hofbrauhaus - The Everhart's Visit Their Roots

Lulu my lovely German maiden after supper at the Hofbrauhaus in Las Vegas.

The Everhart name comes from Bavaria. It started out as Eberhard - but over the years has been Anglicized to its present form. Whenever we go to Germany - we gravitate to Munich and the Hofbrauhaus. It is a 400 year old brewery turned into a social hall. It is owned by the State of Bavaria. They market a very mild smooth wheat beer that has become very popular. In that building in Europe - the Nazi party was formed by Hitler. We are not proud of that - it is just a fact of life. 

They have built a replica of the beer hall in Las Vegas about a mile off the Strip east of our hotel. 

The World's Largest Classic Car Showroom - Buy A Classic At Harrah's Hotel

On the 5th floor of the hotel is this car collection. It cost $10 to see or go online and print out a free pass

The Car Collection is on the 5th floor in the Quad section of Harrah's Hotel on the strip. Admission is $10 but if you go to their web page you can print out a free ticket. It is several big rooms. It is very nicely decorated. I was surprised there were maybe only 50 enthusiasts or buyers there the whole time I was there. 

Each car has a little plaque on it explaining its history and condition. The options are listed along with a price. I could see coming here some day and buying one and trailering it home. But it would be more practical to fly in to the airport - take a taxi to Shelby America - and drive one of those babies home. 

This was Kennedy's Lincoln in NYC one week before Dallas. Just think if he were riding a hardtop in Dallas. Maybe Vietnam would have been different.

Here is President Kennedy riding in the Lincoln.

Lulu Was Presented With A Pin - She Is A Past President of the American Association of School librarians

This happened in Las Vegas - but it doesn't stay here.

Fremont Street - The Other Vegas Downtown

Lulu on Fremont Street in Downtown Vegas last night.

East Side Fremont Street is covered with old neon lights from casinos past.

Last night Lulu and I returned to the Vegas of old - Fremont Street. In 1977 - when we crossed the USA in our little trailer - we spent some time in this wild west town. It reminds you a bit of the old downtown shopping areas across America trying to complete with the new super malls. They are trying every trick they can - but mostly nostalgia fuels this place. Nostalgia and freaks.

Fun With Dick and Jan

Paris isn't Paris Without You. 

Carroll Shelby American Cobra Museum and Factory - Easily Ranks On My Top 10 Best Stops List

At $64,000 each - I could have bought these two Shelby Mustangs for my motor head buddies - Mark Hohmeister and Josh Gross. 

Shelby American builds Mustangs and Cobras for racers and wannabes.

In 1962 - I was in 9th grade at the Tamaqua Junior High on Broad Street - downtown. I wrote to a guy with an unusual name - Carroll. He had come up with an interesting idea - buying sport cars from England and putting small Ford V8's in them - and racing them around American beating up on Chevy Corvettes. Tamaqua was full of motor heads and their big Impalas and Mopar Dodges. It was so much fun tweaking their noses with information about these little cars that would beat anything they could put on the road.


Listen to a 1100 Horsepower Shelby Mustang GT 1000 Roar

I wrote to Carroll and he sent me a typewritten brochure listing the specifications and price of his Shelby Cobra. For just $6000 I could have one of these fire breathing little roadsters. I have kept very few things from my youth. One was a Rolling Stones ticket from a 1969 concert in Philly. The other is that piece of paper from Shelby.

I have died and gone to heaven

Lulu and I just took a cab to Shelby America. It is a big factory. Museum. Show room. Store. All down by the airport. All brand new. They have a ton of historic and new. Cobras and mustangs here including the first cobra. I never knew something like this existed. We will take the tour. Then place our order. :-). I am so glad the closing has not completed on our house sale. :-)

The tour of the factory is at 1:30. Pictures later.

Harry

Dick and Jan Davis - What Happens In Vegas Stays On My Web Page

Our old Tamaqua PA friends - Jan and Dick Davis - insisted on being the host of our anniversary dinner. They took us to one of their favorite restaurants in Caesar's Palace. They muster be regulars there because they knew all the hosts - had their favorite table waiting - did not spend much time on the menu or wine list. The food was fantastic - but our old gab sessions about Tamaqua were even better. I certainly never went near the bill :-)

Jan and Dick Davis lived in downtown Tamaqua. They ran the town's premier funeral home along the Schuylkill River. They moved to Arizona - now living in Maricopa. Their kids are our kids' ages - and like us - they are grandparents from afar. You may re-call we spent some time in London with them. 

After dinner - we walked across to the Flamingo Casino where the top ranked Vegas show - Donny and Marie is playing. Jan has gotten advanced tickets so we walked right in to our table. We loved the show - it was very upbeat. Either Donny or Marie was on stage the entire time - helping it up with the dancers and the band. They show many pictures and video form the 

A Day With The Davis's

Dicks' Last Resort

This is a home game for Dick and Jan Davis. They jetted in from Maricopa AZ a few hours south. They come to this a lot and tools us to a lot of neat places. Lulu and Jan found some half price tickets for a Pet Comedy Show and The Australian Bee Gees.

Harry's wants to see the Beatles' Love Show.

Lulu fancies a Mercedes C Class but did not win this one.

Bee Gees

Bee Gees

More Bee Gees

Saturday Night Fever

I like this classic Vegas sign

New York New York from the cab

This half size - 500 foot tall Eiffel Tower graces our hotel.

Busy Day in Paris Hotel ------ Las Vegas

Places along the Strip get farther and farther apart every time we visit Las Vegas.

We were up at 6 AM. In the morning it was only in the 70s and was quite pleasant.

Dickie and Jan Davis arrived from Phoenix around noon. We chatted a while and then got tickets for two shows. Then we had lunch in a restaurant in our hotel.

First - we went to the Popovich Animal Comedy Show right next door at 4 PM. Now we are in an intermission back at our rooms - getting showered up for a second round - a 7 PM BeeGees Show at the Excalibur Hotel down the Strip about 1/2 mile.

All afternoon it was sunny and 100s.

Lulu lost our tickets to this second show. We called the theatre and they said we could come over because she bought the tickets on credit card and they have a record.

The Davis's are spending 2 nights here - they have a room on the 24th floor. We are on the 30th.

I did not get to see Shelby America yet - but I have 6 more days to go. That is the place that makes the lovely Shelby Cobra sports car.

Happy 43rd Anniversary From The Paris Hotel in Las Vegas

From the 30th floor of the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas. That is the airport in the back ground

The large flat building is our casino. We do not have a car - we will walk and take taxis most of the time.

It is 6AM Las Vegas time - and we are all excited about our anniversary. 

Lulu and I eloped from Tamaqua PA back in June of 1971. We had a brand new Chevy Vega panel truck hidden and ready to drive to Las Vegas. We got to Cincinnati OH and Lulu was terribly car sick. Traveling without glasses can do that to you. So we return to Maryland - got married in Finksburg - then started our trek to Miami for a month long honeymoon on South Beach. At that time Miami Beach was just a runner down retirement community. We were able to rent a motel right on the sand for $8 a night. In July - we returned to Tamaqua - got an apartment downtown - and continued our school lives. 

We have put a lot of miles on our odometers since then. 

The Paris Hotel is gigantic. We are on the 30th floor facing the airport.  The American Library Association will be here this Friday. Until then - Lulu and I have some time to enjoy together. 

Dickie and Jan Davis are flying here from Phoenix this morning. It will be fun spending some time with them. 

A main attraction for me is the Shelby America Factory and Museum. The have resumed building that fabulous sports car here - it is walking distance from our hotel.

No one likes to hear other people's travels troubles. Ours was simple. We were delayed out of Tallahassee by rain. We missed our regular flight to Las Vegas. They then gave us tickets to go a long way through Phoenix. Lulu went to the desk and insisted we be placed on standby for the 8 PM straight flight to Vegas - and they complied. At takeoff time there were a few extra seats - and we go on. Luckily we got the exit row - which give you lots of leg room. We got here around 9 PM Vegas time - midnight back home. We were tired - but enjoyed settling in our room. 

Next - we exchange our anniversary presents. 

Made Standby To Vegas At 8PM

Rain held us up in Tallahassee. So we missed our regular flight to Las Vegas. The next flight was booked but lulu worked her magic and got us on this 8pm flight. We would have had to stay in Atlanta the night or fly to Phoenix or Minnesota.

When we got into the plane we were surprised with siting in the wider exit row. We are set.

We will be on the strip before midnight eastern time

We are set. I hope to sleep all the way and arrive fresh.

Harry and lulu.

Harry

Late liftoff from TALLAHASSEE

Delayed by rain. 80 minutes late. 5 pm. Will miss our Atlanta to Vegas flight. Taking off south on runway 180. We are up. Goodbye.

Harry