I type this the day after Palazzo’s first decade of business. Drat, if only I’d happened to be typing this, yesterday, I could really have made some laboured point about the fact.
Palazzo was the last 2econd Friday destination of 2017. And, for the first time, there was a Special Guest.
The first time Zoe and I came to Las Vegas, we stayed at The Venetian. That was back in 2002. It was wonderful to be back staying there. We’d both forgotten just what a fantastic resort it is. The painted ceilings, imitating the Sistene Chapel are amazing. We wandered around, trying to imagine what we would’ve been thinking, when we arrived here back in that 2002.
Mandalay Bay is my favourite casino on Las Vegas Strip. I love the spaciousness of the slot floor. I love the smell of the casino. I love the gold colour of the building. I just love it all. So I was very happy when Zoe’s choice of Bellagio gave me the opportunity to take us next to Mandalay Bay. And what is the connection?
A simple 2econd Friday classic connection: Mandalay Bay was the next resort to open on The Strip, after Bellagio.
Zoe returned, with another pretty lame Connection. She said Bellagio follows MGM Grand because it’s another MGM Resorts International property. Hmm, poor show. A good Connection would be one that gives only one answer. Zoe certainly has a bit of work to do with these Connections.
Husband Downie was extremely excited when he came up with the Destination to follow Bally’s. Yet again, he’d got a classic 2econd Friday Connection. MGM Grand follows Bally’s because, Bally’s originally opened as MGM Grand (in 1973), before Kirk Kerkorian (boss of MGM) sold it to Bally Manufacturing (in 1986).
Oof, read on for something pretty fascinating, that I’ve just learnt this very afternoon.
After last month’s classic Connection, it was back to Zoe to choose the Destination. Hmmm, can you guess what would follow Excalibur? Well, Peter took a while. In fact, he took so many guesses, he got the answer on what couldn’t technically be called a guess. Because he was down to the last Destination on the list. And what was the Connection?
Peter came up with a classic 2econd Friday Connection, this month. Excalibur followed Circus Circus because it was Bill Bennett’s next casino.
We went to Tournament of Kings. In the 15 years of us coming to Las Vegas, we’d never been to Tournament of Kings.
It was Zoe’s first destination choice. Hmm, it was not quite perfect as a 2econd Friday connection. A perfect Connection would be one that gives only one answer. Zoe chose Circus Circus because, it was another (along with last month’s The Mirage) film location in Leaving Las Vegas. Hmmm.
We dined at The Steak House, which is a pretty renowned place. Oh, dear, Zoe asked if they had chups (French Fries). That didn’t seem to go down very well with the waiter. He called Zoe, “dear”. That didn’t go down very well with Zoe. She didn’t say anything, because Camper doesn’t complain, does she.
The first 2econd Friday destination obviously had no destination to follow; it was the first. I therefore decided to choose a destination which I saw as “a first”. The Mirage fits this bill perfectly.
The Mirage was the first of what I’ll call The Definitive Dozen. Opening in 1989, it was the first of a decade-long construction boom, creating the vast majority of what the world now sees as Las Vegas Strip.