It was one year ago today that Hoade and I spent our last day in Las Vegas. We checked out early, but had an entire day to kill, seeing how our flight didn't leave until 10:40pm.
One of the towels at the > Hôtel San Rémo is from > Harrahs.
> * * * * *
[Hoade and I decide to take the stairs down instead of the elevator. —Editor] > The stairs going down only > go to the second floor, then > lead outside. Hoade and I > run into someone else who was > lost within the [DELETED-utility-DELETED] > Jeffries Tubes of the Hôtel > San Rémo.
> * * * * *
Going down to the lobby, > I got into the elevator. Inside > were two elevator engineers. > The door would close, then > open. Three times. By the > time we finally started > down, one said, “We're > not responsible for these > elevators. We're working on > the building next door.”
> * * * * *
Checking out, the guy [the desk clerk –Editor] said > “There is still four ninety- > five.” Is that 400 and > 95 dollars? What? It was > $4^95, for the hour of Internet > Hoade used.
“Notes from pages 67–68 of the “Viva Lost Wages” notebook”
The Hôtel San Rémo was under construction at the time, being turned into the Hooter's Casino [1], and the day we left the elevators were a bit “problematic.” After checking out and bidding adieu to the hotel, we then headed out to Hoover Dam [2].
We ended up parking on the Arizona side of Hoover Dam, walking down several flights of stairs (embedded in the landscape) and walking across to the Nevada side to check out the Tourist Center.
[The thing is immense] [3]
Hoover Dam, from the Arizona side looking over to the Nevada side.
[Water collection towers] [4]
The backside of Hoover Dam (taken from the Arizona side).
[Lake Meade is looking a bit low] [5]
That white stripe signifies the old water level of Lake Meade.
After looking around it was late morning and the temperature was rising. We nearly collapsed on the way back to the car; having to climb several flights of stairs damn near killed us.
The trip out to Hoover Dam killed the morning, but that still left the afternoon and evening to kill.
[There it is.] [6]
So. Nevada University. There it is.
I just like the picture.
Lunch. Drove about an hour to the very edge of Las Vegas (northwest corner) and killed a few hours in a book store. Then back towards the airport, dinner, then a few hours at the terminal.
I was lucky however, to get an upgrade to First Class (for both legs of the trip home) for only $100. Yup, I took it and yes, First Class is much nicer than coach, although the weather back was bad, so there wasn't much to look at out the window, and given the time of day, I ended up sleeping most of the way home.
Oh, and did I mention > the pillows? Hoade is > really going to hate me.
> * * * * *
And there are television > screens, but I don't know > if that is a 757 thing > or a 757-1^st C [class —Editor] thing.
> * * * * *
Fortunately, I have a headset. > God, I could actually like flying.
> * * * * *
I am certainly happy to be > going home. I think I will > close today out here. It's > past midnight @ home.
“Notes from page 75 of the “Viva Lost Wages” notebook”
[1] http://www.hooterscasinohotel.com/
[2] http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/
[3] /boston/2006/07/20/hooverdam.jpg
[4] /boston/2006/07/20/watertowers.jpg
[5] /boston/2006/07/20/waterlevel.jpg
![[3] /boston/2006/07/20/hooverdam.jpg](/gemini.conman.org/boston/2006/07/20/hooverdam.jpg){kind=link}
![[4] /boston/2006/07/20/watertowers.jpg](/gemini.conman.org/boston/2006/07/20/watertowers.jpg){kind=link}
![[5] /boston/2006/07/20/waterlevel.jpg](/gemini.conman.org/boston/2006/07/20/waterlevel.jpg){kind=link}
![[6] /boston/2006/07/20/so.nu.jpg](/gemini.conman.org/boston/2006/07/20/so.nu.jpg){kind=link}