The three and a half days we spent in Las Vegas were a blast. Originally we had intended to do some local riding during the day and casino hop at night, but Carole's left hand was feeling extremely numb so we decided to give it a rest. Since we arrived on Sunday afternoon of Memorial Day Weekend we got to deal with the large crowds on the strip. I enjoy the things that most folks hate about Las Vegas. The crowds, the noise, the smokey casinos, the drunks, and the signs of desperation all add up to the uniqueness of Las Vegas. I'm glad they are readjusting back to Sin City and getting away from the "Family Theme Park" mentality. Las Vegas is definitely not for kids.

Our first afternoon we decided to walk the whole strip, a practice we pretty much follow every time we hit Las Vegas. This time it was not such a good idea. I had not packed any real walking shoes, thinking this was going to be a mostly riding vacation. By the time we got half way down the strip my boots here rubbing blisters on the backs of my heels. Carole was very cool about it all, remembering when I had similar problems on a Paris vacation. We worked our way over the Circus Circus since there was an Italian Restaurant there (Stivali) that we had fond memories of and I wanted to have my birthday dinner there. Unfortunately, we found that they had turned our favorite restaurant into an Italian fast food eatery. So we took it easy, walked slowly, did a lot of sitting, and gradually made it back to our hotel. I changed into more comfortable shoes (and Band-Aids) and we just hung out at the Sahara for the evening. Word of warning to anyone going to the Sahara: Its a great place to stay, gamble, and lay out by the pool but the restaurants SUCK! The food is average, but the customer service is the worst I've ever encountered. They are extremely slow, come by every once in a while to ask if everything is all right, but never remember to bring you what you ask for. I'm still wondering if we'll ever get our water we asked for in the Mexican Restaurant. Oh well, they saved me a lot of money in tips.

The second day we figured out the best way to get up and down the strip. They have put in a new monorail that runs the length of the strip behind the casinos. It starts at the Sahara and runs all the way down to the MGM with multiple stops along the way. For $10.00 per person you can ride up and down the strip for 24 hours. I used to prefer to take taxis around Las Vegas but all the casinos have turned it into a circus with long lines and guys that expect a tip just for opening the friggen car door (like they really have to hail a cab for you). Nowadays, if you plan on taking cabs around Las Vegas you are going to be spending more time in lines than if you went to Disneyland. So we enjoyed several excursions up and down the strip on the monorail, checking out all the casinos and enjoying all the characters we ran into along the way.

The third day I was determined to find a solution to the issues Carole was having with her hands. We both jumped on the Wing for some two-up riding and went to a couple of motorcycle accessory shops to see if we could find some gel padded gloves to absorb some of the handlebar vibration for her hands. Oddly, we couldn't find any gel gloves even though both places seemed to carry every motorcycle accessory known to man. At the second shop I found some padded grips. They only cost $17.00 so I figured I would give them a try.

But before heading back to our hotel we decided to take a trip out to Bonnie Springs in the Red Rock Canyon area. We had dressed up in shorts and tee shirts but wisely had packed our normal riding gear in the saddle bags. The temp was in the high 90's and we were definitely feeling the heat. We pulled into a gas station and donned our mesh jackets, pants, boots and gloves. It's amazing how much cooler it was riding in our Joe Rocket mesh gear than it was riding in just shorts and tee shirts! Chalk another one up for safety gear! Our ride out to Bonnie Springs was comfortable and scenic. We pulled into their old time saloon and enjoyed an ice cold beer followed by several cold sodas. A guy sat down next to us that had ridden in on his Road King. We got to swapping bike stories and found that we had both started riding on the same bikes... the old step through Honda Trail 90. Carole got a kick out of it when the bar-back heard us talking and piped in with his own stories about the old Trail 90. It was a good story telling time, taking a break from the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas, but after a couple of hours it was time to head back.

We finished out our day Casino hopping and gambling, with a very enjoyable couple of hours spent at the Rio. Since we were cabbing it for the evening we let loose and had quite a few drinks. It was a great way to spend the day after my Birthday. When traveling with Carole I really enjoy the way she gets other people to talk. I heard more life stories while in Las Vegas than anywhere else. It was a super treat.

Our final day in Vegas started with installing the new grips I had found the day before. Removing the original grips was a snap. I simply removed the bar weights, used a phillips screwdriver to "walk" around the space between the grips and the handlebars to release the glue, and slipped the grips right off. The new grips had there own adhesive already inside; just add water. I dampened the handlebars with a wet rag and slipped the grips right on. I reinstalled the weights and let the glue set for the next 24 hours per the instructions. The grips were about twice the external diameter as the stock grips and are seriously foam padded. They have turned out to be a very wise investment. Since installing them Carole's hands have gradually begun to get better. I know I really like the feel compared to the stock grips.

The rest of the day we continued on our trek through the underbelly of the strip. That evening we stopped for dinner at Battista's Hole In The Wall Italian Restaurant behind the Flamingo Casino and Hotel. We now have found our new favorite Italian restaurant in Las Vegas. After a wonderful dinner we headed back to our hotel and decided to call it an early night (early in Las Vegas means hitting the sack before 4 AM) in preparation for our ride out of town the next morning.

Highlights of Las Vegas: The Imperial Palace has found a new niche with the younger crowd.... celebrity dealers and karaoke. They have black jack tables setup with dealers that are imitating celebrities such as Christina Aguilera, Shania Twain, The Blues Brothers, Elvis (of course), Biance, etc... It is fun to just sit back and watch without gambling. Every few minutes one of the dealers would jump on a small stage and lip-synch to one of their celebrity songs. The karaoke bar was fun for late night entertainment. Folks dressed to the nines as their favorite celebrity and spend a few minutes each trashing their favorite song. The best dealers were at the Mirage. They were extremely friendly as they took your money. Harrah's surprised me with its late night action. Dueling pianos right next to the casino tables is a must see. The Irish Bar in New York, New York is a great place to stop and have a single malt. We sat in there for about an hour nursing a drink while enjoying the ambience.

Next time we go to Las Vegas we have decided to high-roll it without hitting the tables. In other words, we'll stay at the south end of the strip, see the prime shows, eat like royalty and simply enjoy the finer side of Las Vegas. But this trip turned out to be the way I've always wanted to do Las Vegas... in a haze for my birthday.