Motels Only Gonzo 6 -- Slots Are For Suckers
The relatively short drive from the Grand Canyon to Las Vegas is very geological. The topography maps must be wild. No trees cover the land, only sparse brush. The interstate moves smoothly, towns are seen from far away. The quick exit to visit the the Hoover Dam turned into an hour long wait in our car to pass through a security checkpoint. One at a time, featuring two aloof security officers demanding open windows and assessing the risk based on visual clues. I kept my suggestion to improve the pace of the mile long line by opening additional checkpoints to myself once we finally arrived at the interrogation point. Pointless. We were judged to be good to go, unlikely to destroy the iconic and important structure. "Only suitcases", one said to the other. I had stashed my buck knife in the console. Suckers!
The hour gained as we crossed into the Pacific Time Zone was lost. The Dam was fine. We sped on to Vegas. The importance of electrical wires is magnified in this area of the country. They go in every direction atop massive towers, dipping down between each one, as far as the eyes can see. Under them, weird compounds, rough roads, and desert dweller creatures shared the land. Sin City appeared quickly and completely. It was mid afternoon and the sun warmed the cool air to perfection. Our 2 night reservation at The Golden Nugget awaited.
The famous hotel and casino is grand, with aquariums, multiple restaurants, luxurious rooms, and accommodating staff. It sits in the Fremont district surrounded by other casinos, hotels, nightclubs, merchants and restaurants. The gambling floor resmebles an irritating pinball arcade, only slot machines are the annoying offenders. How the poor become poorer. No doubt these machines largely finance and enable the Vegas schtick. The lights, the noises, the booze, and the smell of cigarettes erode reason, but the need for hope is stronger and faith in "the pull" is very much alive. Suckers play slots. I lost $40 bucks in 3 minutes. Just like that, gone. Suckered. My daughter, excited for some gambling action, seemed surprised and unimpressed. "That's it?" she asked. I nodded. "How lame!" she laughed. Both my daughters are wiser than me. The future of this town is not gambling.
The modern lure of Las Vegas is in the streets. Performers of all types, one guy allowing crotch kicks for tips, another making roses from palm leaves, magicians, musicians, and famous viral phenomenons. One such viral phenomenon, a gentleman named Deez Nutz, was recognized by my daughter and she quickly requested a selfie with him, quickly posted the selfie, and quickly received return validation via likes and comments. She showed me his 12 second viral video from years ago. Look it up.
Yes, slots are for suckers, the slothead faces displaying either hypnosis, dimness, or boredom. Or all three. Outside, at the Fremont Experience, there were bands taking the stages. There were zipliners flying overhead, there were fantastic light shows. Virtually everything was for sell. Innduendo was absent. And why not, this was Vegas. Our two night stay was just beginning, we were wide-eyed, we were electrified, we were wired and tired. The beds were premium, our souls were shocked, we slept like high rollers.