Jackie and I just got back from a quick trip to the USA. It was her birthday and on the day before, her daughter’s birthday, so where could we go for a joint birthday celebration? Why, Las Vegas of course!
As it was a family holiday with Jackie and myself, son Jeremy, daughter Mish and her husband Des, along with their son Talon, we rented a house in south Las Vegas and treated ourselves to a week of fun and Oh Boy, did we have some fun!
Never having been to Vegas before, Jeremy seemed to enjoy himself mixing with the locals....
We rented a 1959 Cadillac Convertible, which sadly after just 24 hours developed a huge gas leak. It was great fun driving it around for that first day, although, well lets be polite and just say it was well worn....
I didn’t realise kitty litter was a fantastic way of soaking up leaking fuel! There was so much fuel coming out of the car, the gas station called the fire service!
The house we rented had a putting green in the yard....
Jackie watching the majestic fountains at the Bellagio...
I adore these fountains and could stand there and watch them for hours. Instead, I took a video of one of the shows.....
The Paris hotel, seen from the Bellagio.....
Caesars Palace is a spectacular hotel inside, especially the shopping areas....
Curved escalators, an engineering wonder (as in, I wonder how they work)....
What is this a picture of?.....
I hope you said a parking garage, or something similar. Actually it isn’t, it is a model car shop....
Me, standing in front of the famous Las Vegas sign, holding a headlight that I collected for a pal of mine (you cannot buy these LED headlights in the UK)....
Hoover Dam, with a shadow of the new bridge we were standing on....
We went to see a classic car collection at the Imperial Palace Hotel. I fell in love with this 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible. Some of the cars were for sale and this Bel Air was in immaculate condition although the $145,000 price tag turned as many heads as the car....
Do you remember the film American Graffiti? Richard Dreyfuss played a young guy who fell in love with a mysterious blonde driving a white Ford Thunderbird. Here is a 1957 T-Bird that was for sale at the car collection. I was VERY tempted to buy this car.... it was a truly beautiful car....
Mish wanted to go zip lining on her birthday, so we trooped off to the Nevada mountains and went to Bootleg Canyon. The zip lining was bloody marvellous! Here is a short video....
Of course the main event of the trip was Jackie’s and Mish’s birthdays. Happy birthday girls!.....
We crammed a lot into a week’s trip and I think it is fair to say, everyone had a great time. Now, were shall we go next year....?
What a great vacation.... Love the zip line video. The wind was really blowing up there. I think they should have included a dual sport for riding back to the top.
Aren't the Bellagio fountains amazing? We loved watching them when we were there last year. Never made it to the Imperial Palace or Hoover Dam though as we were only there for 2 nights.
Looks like you all had a wonderful time. A great way to spend the family birthdays. Thanks for sharing.
Awesome trip Gary, terry and I went last year, and for a couple of lads from NZ it was a real eye opener. But I will say I loved the place and had a real blast...when ever I get to tour the country I will diffinitly stay again.
what a great place to celebrate a birthday. We were there a few years ago and walked down the strip going in and out of the casinos, so much walking, they are so large. We also spent some time looking at that car collection.
Lots of people have told me to visit Vegas, but nobody has ever told me why, but for the first time someone has actually shown me some of the other things to see and do in the area.
The cars were beautiful. I wonder if the same thing will be said about 1980 Grand Prix in another 30 years. If so, I should have kept the old bucket. Somehow I have my doubts.
Gary, outstanding photos and videos as usual! I've never been to Vegas, having never been bitten by the gambling bug, but this preview makes me want to go.
Just had to comment on the kitty litter - it is the best for soaking up vehicular fluids. Gasoline, oil, powersteering fluid, coolant... it works great and keeps the fluids from staining your concrete. It even pulled some of the old oil stains out of the concrete in my garage.
And if you're working in the garage and need to make a pit stop of your own... well, I won't tell anyone.
Nice vacation and renting a house away from the "Strip" is a great way to stay there. Just about all of the times I've been there in the last thirty years or so was work related so I never spent much time exploring. Except for the one day I rented a Sportster.
I'm not sure I would have wanted to travel that far just to go to Las Vegas though. A stop along the way, sure, but as the destination? The zip-line video was pretty cool though there wasn't much screaming. Did you make it up to the rides on top of the Stratosphere?
Oz – Coming all that way did indeed means we wanted to see and do as much as possible, and oh boy, did we!
Trobairitz – Luckily they had a bus to take us nearly to the top of the mountain, but we had a 20 minute climb to the top carrying our gear, including the tackle that hooks over the line itself. Sliding down the four lines to get to the bottom was much more fun than going up! Yes to the fountains being amazing. Last year, I stayed in the Bellagio, just so I could watch them from the hotel room.
Roger – It really is a terrific place. Some love it and others hate it, but if you can look beyond the depressing bits, it has a lot to offer for a visit. I can certainly see why two NZ’ers would have wide-open eyes there!
Bob – Yes, a lot of walking in those huge hotels. They don’t look so big when you drive down the Strip, but they really are.
Geoff – LOL, no I kept my shirt. I don’t gamble because I can think of much better ways of parting with my cash!
Brady – To limit a visit to just the strip, the big hotels and the casinos would be such a waste. There is a lot to do in the area and we kept busy for the full 8 days we were there. Sure, the strip is full of life and great fun, but only for a few days! Old cars are just wonderful to look at.
Charlie6 / Dom – It is worth a trip, a short one at least.
Sonja – Yep, we tried to do it all and nearly succeeded! It was funny that we were both there just a few days apart.
Lucky – With your nickname, I wonder how you would get on in Las Vegas? That is good advice about keeping kitty litter in the garage for spills, but not such good advice about needing it for personal use! LOL.
Richard – Our group would have needed 3 hotel rooms for 8 nights. That would have been way too expensive, so renting a house was not only cheaper but much bigger and better as well. Exploring the strip area is easy, but the real rewarding stuff is just outside of Vegas itself. Yes, a long way to go from the UK, but the others in our group came from Seattle, so not so far for them. Us English don’t go in for screaming that much! As for the Stratosphere, no we didn’t get up there.
mq01 – I enjoy going on just about any sort of trip. Travelling is the spice of life.
Jack – Vegas has that curious mixture of business people and those on vacation, all brushing shoulders. They don’t tend to mix that well though. Lucky, huh? In Gambling, sex or both? Having read some of your stories, probably the latter!
BeemerGirl / Lori – It was a shame about the Cadillac, but to tell you the truth, the car was a pile of junk. It was such a shame that the rental company didn’t look after it well, as cars like that should be cherished and not just a money-making machine where the lives of the people that rent them are put in danger! The zip lines were tremendous fun and all the members of my family now only want to go to places in future that have them. It seems I am destined to be doing this for years to come!
This blog was originally started to record a five month, 21000 mile tour of the US on my Harley-Davidson. I continue to use this blog to record my own motorcycling adventures, wherever they may be, along with my thoughts and opinions about motorcycling generally.
Having devoted most of my adult life to being a ‘company man’, the transition to the next phase of my life away from the construction industry was always going to include some challenges. Planning and then making my dream trip to explore America on my Harley-Davidson proved to be the ideal vehicle for clearing my mind of old ways of thinking and being. I rode 21,475 miles, in 27 US states in four-and-a-half months.
My motorcycling trips have continued, with journeys across much of Europe, New Zealand, North Africa and Cuba.
A few years ago, I set up and now run Tour1, which takes riders on Harley-Davidson Authorised tours across Europe. See www.tour1.co.uk.
I live just north of London in the UK.
A 2006 Road King called 'The Leading Ladies' due to the portraits of ten 1940's and 1950's actresses painted on the bike. This is the motorcycle I use to ride through America on.
My Custom Harley 'Tradewinds'
Called 'Tradewinds' this bike has a H-D engine but almost everything else is custom, made specifically for the bike.
My Custom Harley 'Amelia'
Built in 2012, this is a seventies style traditional chopper, with considerable engraving and a tremendous paint scheme
Please note all photographs on this blog are copyrighted. Do not copy or use, in whole or in part, any image from this blog either in its original form or altered in any way. If you do want to use one of the photographs, then you must ask first and I will almost certainly say yes! Thanks for your understanding.
US Tour - My Favourites Places I Went To....
It is difficult to choose, but here is my list of the highlights of my US tour, in the order I saw them in....
31. Back roads and small towns anywhere.
32. Meeting really nice people, in just about all of the places I have been.
33. The camaraderie of bikers. Everywhere, US.
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20 comments:
What an awesome trip. I love the zip line. Since you came all this way you should enjoy all you could. Glad you enjoyed the trip. Great photos.
What a great vacation.... Love the zip line video. The wind was really blowing up there. I think they should have included a dual sport for riding back to the top.
Aren't the Bellagio fountains amazing? We loved watching them when we were there last year. Never made it to the Imperial Palace or Hoover Dam though as we were only there for 2 nights.
Looks like you all had a wonderful time. A great way to spend the family birthdays. Thanks for sharing.
Awesome trip Gary, terry and I went last year, and for a couple of lads from NZ it was a real eye opener. But I will say I loved the place and had a real blast...when ever I get to tour the country I will diffinitly stay again.
Gary:
what a great place to celebrate a birthday. We were there a few years ago and walked down the strip going in and out of the casinos, so much walking, they are so large. We also spent some time looking at that car collection.
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
Fabulous Gary,
Glitz, glamour, the city than never sleeps....
Hope you didn't lose your shirt on the tables... ;-)
Gary,
Lots of people have told me to visit Vegas, but nobody has ever told me why, but for the first time someone has actually shown me some of the other things to see and do in the area.
The cars were beautiful. I wonder if the same thing will be said about 1980 Grand Prix in another 30 years. If so, I should have kept the old bucket. Somehow I have my doubts.
Brady
Behind Bars - Motorcycles and Life
Gary, outstanding photos and videos as usual! I've never been to Vegas, having never been bitten by the gambling bug, but this preview makes me want to go.
thanks
dom
Redleg's Rides
Colorado Motorcycle Travel Examiner
Wow, you really stuffed a lot in one week. Love the zip lining.
We both traveled Las Vegas maybe a few days apart from each other...
Great stuff!
Just had to comment on the kitty litter - it is the best for soaking up vehicular fluids. Gasoline, oil, powersteering fluid, coolant... it works great and keeps the fluids from staining your concrete. It even pulled some of the old oil stains out of the concrete in my garage.
And if you're working in the garage and need to make a pit stop of your own... well, I won't tell anyone.
Kitty Litter - keep some handy.
Nice vacation and renting a house away from the "Strip" is a great way to stay there. Just about all of the times I've been there in the last thirty years or so was work related so I never spent much time exploring. Except for the one day I rented a Sportster.
I'm not sure I would have wanted to travel that far just to go to Las Vegas though. A stop along the way, sure, but as the destination? The zip-line video was pretty cool though there wasn't much screaming. Did you make it up to the rides on top of the Stratosphere?
Richard
ah...i LOVE vegas! im itching for a trip! soon! happy birthday!!!
Dear Gary:
You can easily see why Las Vegas is the Number #2 business destination in the US. It has great meeting facilities.
I have always gotten lucky on my trips to Las Vegas.
Glad you had a good trip.
Fondest regards,
Jack/reep
Twisted Roads
Oz – Coming all that way did indeed means we wanted to see and do as much as possible, and oh boy, did we!
Trobairitz – Luckily they had a bus to take us nearly to the top of the mountain, but we had a 20 minute climb to the top carrying our gear, including the tackle that hooks over the line itself. Sliding down the four lines to get to the bottom was much more fun than going up! Yes to the fountains being amazing. Last year, I stayed in the Bellagio, just so I could watch them from the hotel room.
Roger – It really is a terrific place. Some love it and others hate it, but if you can look beyond the depressing bits, it has a lot to offer for a visit. I can certainly see why two NZ’ers would have wide-open eyes there!
Bob – Yes, a lot of walking in those huge hotels. They don’t look so big when you drive down the Strip, but they really are.
Geoff – LOL, no I kept my shirt. I don’t gamble because I can think of much better ways of parting with my cash!
Brady – To limit a visit to just the strip, the big hotels and the casinos would be such a waste. There is a lot to do in the area and we kept busy for the full 8 days we were there. Sure, the strip is full of life and great fun, but only for a few days! Old cars are just wonderful to look at.
Charlie6 / Dom – It is worth a trip, a short one at least.
Sonja – Yep, we tried to do it all and nearly succeeded! It was funny that we were both there just a few days apart.
Lucky – With your nickname, I wonder how you would get on in Las Vegas? That is good advice about keeping kitty litter in the garage for spills, but not such good advice about needing it for personal use! LOL.
Richard – Our group would have needed 3 hotel rooms for 8 nights. That would have been way too expensive, so renting a house was not only cheaper but much bigger and better as well. Exploring the strip area is easy, but the real rewarding stuff is just outside of Vegas itself. Yes, a long way to go from the UK, but the others in our group came from Seattle, so not so far for them. Us English don’t go in for screaming that much! As for the Stratosphere, no we didn’t get up there.
mq01 – I enjoy going on just about any sort of trip. Travelling is the spice of life.
Jack – Vegas has that curious mixture of business people and those on vacation, all brushing shoulders. They don’t tend to mix that well though. Lucky, huh? In Gambling, sex or both? Having read some of your stories, probably the latter!
Thanks for a fabulous trip and the awesome video SLD. You ROCK!
Mishy Moo - I am glad you enjoyed the trip and the video as well. I had a great time in Vegas too!
What a wonderful looking trip. So sad that the Cadillac sprung such a horrible leak. Did you actually go on the Hoover Dam tour?
And I had no idea Vegas had zip lines. Quite a difference from the zip lines through the tree canopy here. But...if that's all you got there. hehehe
BeemerGirl / Lori – It was a shame about the Cadillac, but to tell you the truth, the car was a pile of junk. It was such a shame that the rental company didn’t look after it well, as cars like that should be cherished and not just a money-making machine where the lives of the people that rent them are put in danger! The zip lines were tremendous fun and all the members of my family now only want to go to places in future that have them. It seems I am destined to be doing this for years to come!
eww that first picture the girl on the right is so fat !!! she should not be a showgirl !!!
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