Richard and I flew into Vegas and then we had to drive back there to fly home. It's not such a bad drive, especially if you make a cool stop along the way...like to Seligman, AZ, birthplace of Rt 66! Actually, this was a kind of accidental stop, Richard needed to use the facilities. He had good timing as we were very near the exit to Segliman at the time. You can tell by the pictures that the area depends on us tourists who are interested in seeing what "America's Main Street" looks like. Elvis is around every corner, Marilyn Monroe (or look-alikes) are eerily present and the familiar Rt 66 road sign adorns every building. Souvenir shops abound full of this 'n that; photo albums made from license plates, t-shirts with the Rt 66 logo, motorcycle vests, mugs, etc. I made a purchase I don't usually make in souvenir shops, I bought a carry-on for the airplane! Actually my carry on was a blue bag that was a. too big to lug around, b. had no wheels and c. broke 2 zippers on the flight to Vegas. I intended to toss it when I turned the rental car in so would need another. Well, didn't I find the coolest little carry-on in one of these stores; it is covered in Rt 66 logos!! It's a subdued color so not too obvious but it was a good deal and I thought it was something that would always remind me of our great escape. So I rolled my new carry-on down America's Main Street to the car...much to Richard's amusement. He just shook his head and smiled!
Richard's one request in Vegas was to see the Pawn Shop of television fame. We didn't make it here the first couple of days but on our last day, before buying a few more souvenirs and getting to the airport, we found our way here. It is located in the old part of Las Vegas. Thankfully it wasn't that busy at all, we were able to walk right in and look around. I bought Richard a t-shirt to mark the occasion and took a few photos of him to prove he was there. The real owners (from the show) weren't on the premises but Richard had his picture taken with the cutout in the back room. I guess that will have to do for now. There is a huge difference between the old and the new Las Vegas, markedly different. The buildings are old, the signs are faded and the buildings are in disrepair. I'm kind of glad Richard wanted to come here else I would not have seen this side of the city. When going to areas you've never been to before, it is important to see as much of it as you can, not just the touristy areas.
Anyway, I hope you like the photos. These are much different than the mountains and canyons of rock we photographed previously.
The stores on Route 66 are so colorful and obsessed with Elvis and Marilyn.
ReplyDeleteThe Pawn Shop looks like it does on TV. Richard looked very happy.