Last Vegas Shots

Today is my last day in Las Vegas. Frankly, I've enjoyed it more than I anticipated. The city, though growing at a crazy rate, is certainly unique among places in the world...there are many things you find here that you can't find anywhere else...at least not in the same place! The energy is invigorating, and the scene is interesting. And the countryside around the city is diverse and often beautiful. Here's a skylight in Paris Las Vegas. The Eiffel tower is almost across the street from the Empire State Building in Vegas!

Las Vegas is a true desert city. In fact, it's the driest large city in the US, receiving about 4 inches of moisture per year. For comparison, Phoenix gets 7, San Diego 10. But, naturally, the Old Sloat's visit triggered a moisture influx anyway...it's rained two days this week. Not all bad, though; the visibility has been perfect, and today the mix of sun, rain, and clouds made for constantly changing and beautiful light. And, near the end of the afternoon, a double rainbow! Blow the pic up to get a better view. (Solara in the foreground)

It was a superb full rainbow...couldn't get it all in the camera but this is about half of it. How often do you see a complete bright rainbow in Las Vegas? Maybe it was a sign; a couple hours earlier I won a jackpot on the slots. I'm not exactly a high roller...I won 250 credits but was only playing a nickel a credit so my take was just $12.50. Better than nothing though...that almost buys a 12 pack of Fat Tire! For the week I was down about $5-10 on the slots. I cashed out immediately after the jackpot...nice to end on a winning note, if a modest one.