Vegas 1999 - Day 2
Walk About (or Roman Around)
TT and I decided to take a walk. I don't recommend that people walk as far as we did, but it was nice to spend some time in the sun and to soak up some of the local flavor (what there is of it.) All of the casino/hotels have themes that do not at all resemble the arid desert that surrounds Las Vegas. For instance, we were boggled by Bellagio's conspicuous consumption of water.
We spent a good deal of time (but not enough) in the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. There are 121 stores (at least that's their sign says) contained within an enormous complex. The ceiling is painted to look like a partially cloudy, but otherwise blue sky. It's surreal -- especially since the real sky outside had no clouds at all today.
I enjoyed the indoor 3-D IMAX motion simulator undersea adventure wherein I and 40 of my closest friends helped Neptune to save Atlantis from destruction. We visited FAO Schwartz, (where The Privileged buy $4,000 toys for their spoiled rotten children). Neither of us could afford anything we wanted to bring home... and, besides, the full-sized Star Wars stormtrooper uniform wouldn't have fit in the overhead luggage compartment. They had an ample selection of Furbies and Phantom Menace action figures.
Our next stop (after another considerably long walk -- remember, I don't recommend walking this far along the strip) was the Stratosphere, a 1,000-plus foot tower with hotel and casino attached. TT's destination was the observation deck at the top. My destination was the jump ride 100 feet above that. According the the literature, "The Big Shot shoots you, at 45 m.p.h., from the 921 foot level to the 1,081 foot level in 2.5 seconds... then lets you free-fall back to the launching pad." 
In the picture at the left, I look like I'm napping, but what is really happening is that my eyelids have slammed shut from the 4 G's I'm pulling. What a rush!!! I had to go a second time. I considered a third, but most of my vital organs had made a new home in my toes.
The view at the top is stunning because all you can see is desert, a few very tiny buildings and your feet. The fall gives you a feeling of complete weightlessness (which, in my case is remarkable) for just a few seconds. There's also this undeniable feeling of dread since there's nothing that can prepare the human mind for the sensation... I mean, you're really not supposed to survive this kind of thing.
After some reconstructive surgery to put everything back where it was supposed to be, we took a short taxi ride (we'd had enough walking for one day, thank you very much) to the Las Vegas Hilton. We took part in Star Trek: The Experience. If you're a Trek fan, specifically, if you're a fan of The Next Generation, this is a must-see attraction. We began our tour through the History of the Future Museum that contains hundreds of props, gadgets and uniforms used throughout the 30+ years of Star Trek. Among my favorites was the "computer" that Spock built out of "stones, knives and bearskins" -- essentially the combination of few vacuum tubes, transformers and a tricorder.
We swapped some war stories with a Klingon who thought that this whole Federation of Planets thing was a farce and then studied with some interest the elaborate timeline along the wall. By the way, in case you were wondering, World War Three happens in 2053 or so. Plan accordingly.
At the end of the line, I said goodbye to the museum and to TT as I entered the "ride" portion of the exhibit. In hindsight, it's a shame we parted there because, with the exception of the last five minutes of the "ride" there was nothing that would have made her queasy with motion sickness. I don't want to give it all away, but I now know what it feels like to "beam up" in a transporter. Our group was rushed to the main bridge of the Enterprise complete with all of the blinky lights and control panels that you see on TV. The Experience ends with a shuttle craft ride back in time to present day Las Vegas. We buzzed the strip and finally landed back in the basement of the Hilton. We were all sworn to secrecy about certain aspects of The Experience because we might influence the future.
At the end of the day we retired to Quark's Bar for refreshments. I had a plate of Colonel Kira's Hot Wings. TT had a Saucer Section (chicken fajita). The Bajoran, Human and Ferengi waitstaff were excellent. The menu is worth a long read as well.
Day 3 >>
