I Like Germans

Except for their poor reputations as Holocaust Architects, Germans are known for beer, brauts, and brugelschnauzens. That last word I made up, but I swear I saw something like it on the menu yesterday. We went to a very cute German restaurant for lunch, and lunch ended up being three hours and $90.
All I had was the soup!!!!

Oh, and a few beers.


Oh, there was cheesecake, too...



Oh, and I participated in the Stein Holding Contest.


You don't see me in this photo because I DID NOT WIN.

Oh, and we had live entertainment that consisted of a blonde man who played EVERY musical instrument on the stage and drank beer like it was going out of style.



Here he is with a big horn.

Vegas, Baby

It has been said, almost too much, that what happens in Vegas STAYS in Vegas. I've had a couple of those experiences, but for the most part Vegas is simply a town nearby that we can run away to go for shopping, conventions, and most recently I've discovered the very inexpensive concerts.
When we planned our Christmas trip (instead of giving presents to the kids---they got a very fun vacation) we made reservations for nice dinners, got tickets to some great shows, and lined up activities that would keep them busy. But we didn't realize that we'd be hurting so much from the constant walking. Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk...everything is a minimum 15 minute walk. Even when taxis and valet parking is utilized. What a pain.
So each morning, I doubled down:
One strong cup of coffee and one shot of espresso.


We took the kids to the Fremont Street Experience, which is fascinating in itself. The old downtown portion of Vegas was becoming extinct as the new casinos with the themed parks and attractions were being built further and further away. So the City of Las Vegas did something very smart: they shut it off to traffic, covered it with a HUGE canopy made from LED lights, and made it into a destination. Every half hour, a "show" starts on the canopy. This summer's theme celebrates the 40th anniversary of the summer of '69, so everything was 60's music, tye-died shirts, and lava lamps. I was really surprised when the kids looked up in amazement. They're so difficult to impress anymore.

Here's a shot of the canopy during "Magic Carpet Ride"



Here's some of the performers:








There were thousands of people there. THOUSANDS. And our own Main Street here in Havasu can't figure out how to get just a few hudred to show up for a downtown event.

At one moment, I found myself getting transported back to another time. Not the 60's, though. It was the 80's. And Batman was on the big screen. And he was leaving a rose for his mother and father on the sidewalk where they were shot to death in Gotham City.....



Poor Mr. And Mrs. Wayne....

Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge, Part Deuce

This was the progress on the Hoover Dam bypass project as we went by in June. The concrete forms were in place and the arch was nearly complete.

We drove thru this past weekend and we were surprised to see that they've gotten some more done!

The arch is complete:



and now work is focused on the roadway above it:




Anyone who tries to drive on the bridge right now will find themselves falling several thousand feet below to their nasty death.

Oh, and again I must put this warning with my Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge photos....If you're planning the Jihad, don't use my photos for it.

Here we are, posing together not far from the Hoover Dam:



Steve and his brood.

Titanic Artifact Exhibit

While in Vegas this past week (it was actually Christmas. We told the kids last December that they weren't getting presents: they were getting a nice vacation)
we attended both the Bodies Exhibit and the Titanic Exhibit. Cameras weren't allowed in either one, but I had to sneak one photo. This just blew me away.
A wooden cabinet filled with dishes survived the wreck back in 1912, and sat on the ocean's bottom for decades. Eventually the wood deteriorated and the dishes fell to the sand just as they had sat stacked in the cabinet. A photo of the dishes as they were found was on the wall behind this glass case. But these are the actual dishes:



The exhibit was much better than I expected. At the entrance, we received a "Boarding Pass" which had a name, age, cabin location (I was a second class passenger) and a little background info on your particular person.
You carry this Pass throughout the exhibit, then take a walk at the end to a wall that displays the names of the survivors and the dead. You have to find your name on the wall to see if you lived. And if your family lived. I didn't want to do it, I really dreaded that part. But I lived, and so did the daughter I was traveling with. My fictional husband drowned, though. I'm under the assumption that I was okay with that. My heart went on.
The neatest thing about the artifacts being displayed was how details were given about each person. They showed a pair of shoes and some little trinkets that belonged to a man, and along with it a short story of his life was told; like why he was on the Titanic and what he did for a living. It tied the reality in with the items on display.

The Bodies Exhibit was like a very interesting anatomy and physiology lesson, and that was neat to be able to point out little things and explain to Shay what the function was. He was fascinated. No pictures, though. There were too many people around to sneak one.

The Concert of a Lifetime

Okay, maybe not the concert of a lifetime but Shay and I genuinely enjoyed ourselves. I didn't take the camera inside, because I knew this would be a rough crowd and I did not want to have to worry about the camera. So my pictures were on my cell phone.
I have to admit, I'm a nut job and I got misty eyed when Whitesnake came out on stage. David Coverdale's so KEWL. Sound it out.