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20 Year Celebration in Las Vegas I flew to Las Vegas in early 2002 to meet my high school/college friends Frank, Paul, and Todd. We've known each other for more than 20 years now. It was high time to pull together and celebrate, so we spent 5 nights at the Mirage, which was nicely located near the center of the strip. It was a great time! I took over 500 pictures and 50 MPEG movie clips using a Canon S110 Powershot. All images here were captured in 1600 x 1200 resolution but have been reduced to 400x300 on these pages to limit the download times. Email me if you need the full sized picture (which is best if you're going to use it as a wallpaper, since there is so much more detail). If you are on a dial-up connection, the pictures on this page could take a few minutes to download, because there are several.
My first visit to Las Vegas was in March 2001, when my wife Susan and I stayed a week at the Mandalay Bay. We had a blast- and saw most of the best shows in town: Cirque Del Solis "Mystere", Bellagio "O", and Lance Burton at the Monte Carlos. We explored the strip everyday and tried to see as much as we could. Susan actually went back to Las Vegas again later that year with her friends from work, and they stayed at the Aladin. So in September of 2001 I asked my old buddies if they were interesting in meeting out there- and they were! There was only one problem: It would have to be in late February of 2002. It seemed like an eternity away but at least we were going. I used the time to do a lot of research into the strip hotels and soon concluded that the Mirage was the way to go. I was hard to not want to go back to the Mandalay Bay, because it was simply incredible, but I wanted to experience a different hotel every time I went to Las Vegas, since there are so many nice ones. So that meant picking someplace new. After reading countless reviews and visiting many web sites, it seemed to me that the Mirage had it all: class, location, and ambience. They also have great restaurants and a wide range of attractions and shows. Since it's located midway down the strip, it is about as close to everything as you can be. The picture below shows the view looking out the window of the suite. You can see the reflection of the Venetian in the windows of the Mirage. In the distance you can see Treasure Island. The suite had 3 main rooms: bedroom, living room, and dining room. It also had a bar with bar stools which was nice.
The picture above was taken looking out the window of the living room. The sun had just gone down and the volcano down below was starting to erupt. It was great to be back here again- I had visited the resort the previous year (2001) and toured Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden, tthe Dolphin Habitat, and the Casino. Even then, the Mirage had caught my eye, as it has a sleek and classy modern look to it. I've always liked the way this hotel looks at night.
This is a view of the Aladin reflected off the lake that sits in front of the Bellagio. We went into the Aladin and we each won a few $10 coins in one of the slot machines. Then we played a while on a long bank of Elvis slot machines, not having a whole lot of luck (after all, the King is Dead...he died on his throne). I initially made some money (about $150) playing blackjack at the Circus Circus, but in time I gambled away all my winnings. Although Susan and I made a profit off the slot machines at the Mandalay Bay the year before, I've concluded from this last trip that the best bet is to ignore the slot machines completely and head for the blackjack table instead. It's more fun, interactive, has better and more frequent payouts, and of course better wait service. The key is knowing to stop when you are ahead. But unfortunately the evil logic eats at you: "If I can win $150 with $50 dollars, how much could I win with $150 dollars! Let me see!" Instead of saying, "I won $150. I think I'll do something else for awhile and enjoy this feeling of being ahead."
Heading north along the strip, we come to this view of the Riviera (picture taken in the early morning hours). I explored this casino thoroughly, which seemed mostly dedicated to slots, and played some of the machines in the very back. The gang stuck to the machines near the entrance. None of us made out particularly well here.
The picture above shows the front of Ceasars Palace, behind the headless fountain statue. Ceasars Palace was immediately south of the Mirage, so we walked past it several times. I later found out my Chicago friend Jeff Crump happened to be staying here the same weekend, celebrating his 40th birthday. At the first blackjack table we sat at, I asked the dealer if he would help point out basic strategy moves. He replied that he would give me advice if I wanted it, but that he would tell me to hit on a hard 21. I said thanks, but that's OK. Todd and I played just a few hands. I basically lost, although Todd made out well. The next day he bought me a basic strategy card and I used it when I played Black Jack at the Circus Circus, where I did much better.
On our last night we headed North on the strip and made it as far as the Circus Circus, where Todd and I played Black Jack for an hour or so. Frank took over my place while I went to the restroom. Everyone at the table was doing great, then the house switched dealers on us and everyone started losing. It was hard not to feel irritated with the new dealer! Even though it was not her fault. Luck often comes in streaks- sometimes it shines down upon you, and other times it crushes you without mercy. Well, the longer you play, the more you will loose. I eventually got out of the game and watched Todd play for a while. My friend Marvin Hill probably has the best take on gambling. "If you're really just looking to try to win money and be done with it, take all the money you would have spent gambling and use it to make just one 50/50 type bet." True, you'll either double your money on the spot or lose it all, and losing it all was a sure thing if you had been playing a lot over a period of time. To see more pictures and to hear more about what happened out there, use the links in the top left margin of this page.
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