Third Time's the Charm

Outside FAO Schwartz
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There’s something kind of comforting about coming back to a familiar place on a journey that’s been so full of the unfamiliar. Of course, there’s also something kind of ridiculous about visiting the same place three times on a three-month trip across the country. This point wasn’t lost on us as we mapped out the day’s drive…to none other than Las Vegas, Nevada. No, it wasn’t a touch of the gambling bug or the call of flashing neon or even the bargain buffets that drew us back to this desert oasis. It just so happened that this was the best way to get back to California. So here we go again.

Jessie's got Heart and Soul
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There wasn’t much to see along today’s route until just outside the tip of Arizona when we crossed the Virgin River Gorge, where we dropped altitude at an average of 300 feet per minute. The highway ran along the Virgin River (which, contrary to its name, was actually pretty dark and yucky), and was flanked on both sides by impressive rock formations that were so massive, they easily dwarfed the cars on the road. It was definitely the visual highlight of the day…well, that is until we pulled into Sin City that evening, where we were greeted by the all-too-familiar facades of Mandalay Bay, the Luxor, the Tropicana and MGM Grand, all lined up to welcome us back. Again. (Is it just me, or were they mocking us?) In all actuality, this little side trip worked out well, as there were still some things (believe it or not) that we hadn’t had a chance to see here.

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We spent most of the evening at the Forum Shops, a huge mall area associated with the Caesar’s Palace hotel/casino. Our first stop was famed toy store FAO Schwartz, whose entrance was guarded by an enormous wooden Trojan horse. This tri-level store was home to an impressive selection of stuffed animals, action figures and electronics, but its most sought after item (by tourists, anyway) was the floor mat light-up keyboard from the movie Big. We took turns trying to stomp out familiar songs, including (of course) “Heart and Soul” and “Chopsticks”, until we had annoyed even ourselves and finally decided to move on. Which was just as well, since there was an unusual show we wanted to catch at the other end of the mall – a living statues performance. Throughout the mall, there are big stone Roman statues and fountains. At least, that’s how they seem at first. But every hour at a certain time, the statues come to life (through the magic of animatronics) and give a ten-minute show, complete with water and fire special effects. It really is impressive to see the statues up close, seeing how cleverly made they are to look like stone when really they’re rubber and cloth. We spent the rest of the night exploring around town, and knew we had officially seen it all when we found ourselves parked across the street from the Liberace Museum.

THe Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace
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Maybe there’s some truth to the old adage, “Third time’s the charm.” This was probably our best experience in Las Vegas so far, although we think it’s safe to say we’ve spent enough time here to last us awhile. From elaborate casino/hotels to impressive entertainment to the Liberace Museum, we’ve sufficiently conquered Las Vegas.