Vegas/Tool Concert

Las Vegas is also known as "Disneyland for Adults." You can walk around the streets with open alcohol (you cannot do it in other places in the US), and everyone is relaxed, drunk (or halfway), and usually "having a good time" until they take a look at their money (which in 1 day might be $3000 less than when they started). But it's ok because it meant we paid very little taxes in the state of Nevada when I was growing up there (I lived as far from Vegas as Moscow is from St. Petersburg but it's still one state).

A view of the MGM Grand and a little New York, New York from our hotel room (we did not stay in the large casinos). And a billboard of a bikini contest because nothing says, "Las Vegas" like naked girls.

Another view of the MGM Grand and NY, NY as we started walking to the concert.

A view of different casinos (Luxor is the pyramid) through some palm trees.

Inside the MGM Grand is their golden lion (famous icon) covered by a basketball hoop because March in the US is March Madness (college basketball tournament).

A view of the Strip from an aboveground cross walk.

A view from the other side. Some people are riding an open top bus as they tour the city.

The Excalibur, one of my favorite casinos because I like medieval things and everything inside the casino is medieval like King Arthur.

The New York New York casino. There is an outside roller coaster that you start and end from inside but then go around the casino. Lots of fun for both kids and adults.

In honor of St. Patrick's Day a few bands played outside the NY,NY casino.

Daria on the "Brooklyn Bridge" with the Stratosphere in the distant background.

A couple guys were playing "Sweet Child of Mine" by Guns and Roses on two cellos. It was really cool. I hope you can watch the video.

The advertising for prostitutes is everywhere in Vegas. In St. Petersburg you have a lot of flyers (posters/stickers) giving a name and a phone number. Here we drive billboards around.

I am getting ready for the concert!!! WOOHOOOHOO!

Ok, so a little out of order, but here is the Bellagio on the left and Caesar's Palace on the right. Two very famous casinos and 2 of the 3 most memorable from when I was 12 and visiting for a soccer (футбол) tournament. I was awed by those two for some reason. The third is the Stratosphere because it has roller coasters outside and on top (700 meters high) which was really cool for me. I loved it even if others did not. The first time Daria and I went about 4 years ago Daria did not want to do the Stratosphere with me.

Ahh Paris. But not the real thing.

And something of lights I don't even know. I think the Venetian but it might be the back of Paris.

Ok, so back to the Bellagio because it has one of the best light/fountain shows (как около Финландсокго вокзала). Of course this is a desert and wastes lots of water. Beautiful, but wasteful.

Inside the concert. I love the blue/rainbow flame.

A video of one of the songs. I hope it comes out.

And another video. I love the rose stained glass window image.

So I think this is quintessential (наиболее существенный - I don't know if that is correct, but that's what my translator says) Tool. Great images of android beings and the band with the singer in the back left. He does not like to be front and center, nor does he like the light on him so there is light on the drummer, guitarist, and bassist, but not on him. He disagrees with the idea of a frontman in a band and believes the whole group works together to create music, not just one person.

More of the concert.

And after the concert. Don't worry ladies, while most of it is naked women (about 98%), there are naked men too, and yes they advertise on busses for them as well.

In addition to advertising on cars, there is a person about every 20 feet as you walk on the street giving out cards with a woman and her phone number. Many of the cards go onto the sidewalk.

Ahh NY,NY at night. Beautiful.

Different angle, with the Statue of Liberty. Of course this is still just Vegas.

Ok, so I wanted to show you a closer image of the cards. You can also get magazines for free right on the street that look like this. It is completely free pornography.

So the next day we went to "Old Town" Vegas. By "old" I mean 1930s-40s where the gangsters used to be. It is now covered by this roof which gives amazing light shows at night, but we were not there for it this time. This roof was not there when the gangsters were.

A giant slot machine.

A view of the roof, Daria in the middle, and the old street fair of downtown.

And an outside bar so that you can buy drinks (and premade margaritas/cocktails of a variety of flavors - look at that rainbow of machines) to walk around with.

One of the old casinos before they built the Strip with all the fancy ones. This is what Vegas used to be, and most of Nevada's casinos still are.

Another one.

And another one.

And another one. I always liked these better than the new monstrosities. It feels more like a casino than a theme park to me, which is what I would want.

On the drive home I took a picture of some more Nevada mountains. Vegas is in a desert, but it is in a valley. Nevada is the most mountainous state in the US. The entire state is only mountains and valleys. Nothing else.

More mountains.

And more mountains. I love my mountains, oh yes I do!

Ok, so I took this picture because I have no idea how to pronounce this road's name. Zzyzx. What?????

There is sand in this desert valley.

A better view of the sand. Most of Nevada is what we call "high desert" which means that it is a desert, but not usually sand. Just dirt, sage brush, mountains, more sagebrush, some rabbits, coyotes (like a small wolf), and not much else. But here is one of the places where it is actually sandy desert.