Vegas on Two Wheels: Las Vegas Boulevard – Part Two
Chapter two of the Las Vegas Boulevard ride starts here! I left you off salivating over the smells of New York style pizza and five-star steaks searing over at the New York New York Casino. And who could forget the sounds of face melting guitars ripping a solo outside the Monte Carlo? Well, the best part is, we are only a quarter way through the ride! Next incredible stop up the on my trek, rumbling over the street that seemed to dance in the neon lights of each resort and casino, was the Bellagio and Paris resorts and casinos. The Bellagio is to my left, towering thirty-six stories into the night sky.
It is lit in a way that accentuates its Italian villa architecture and how can I leave out the Bellagio’s world-famous fountain? This incredible feature stretches the entire length of the hotel and sits in front, facing the boulevard. The fountains normally go off every 30min (from 3 pm to 8 pm then every 15 min from 8 pm to midnight) to a programmed song. The fountains are so powerful; I could feel the mist coming off the fountains from across the street as dozens of high-powered jets shoot water 100 ft into the air.
To my right, is a true replica of the Eiffel Tower!
It is lit with a golden hue that would impress any true French visitor. The Paris Hotel was adamant about replicating the tower to nearly the bolt making it difficult for any local or visitor to spot the difference between it and the real one in France. Behind it, stands a massive chateau that holds some of the finest French cuisines in the world.
From Paris is the true glitz and glam of Las Vegas, The Flamingo Hotel and Casino.
It flaunts the old school blinking bulbs and neon that keeps old Las Vegas alive. Picks, Reds, whites, and gold bulbs flash their lights against the chrome of my Breakout. It was the coolest sight to see. Across the street was the famous Caesars Palace and in my opinion, it should have been named Caesars City! This hotel is famous for being seen in countless movies and takes up a block and a half of the Las Vegas Strip. Its sheer size was impressive to me. It truly looked like an empire looking over the land it rules.
A few more lights down the boulevard and suddenly I see fire billowing from a volcano outside the Mirage.
Its flames shoot 20 feet into the air, and I could feel the heat coming off the burning mountain from across the street. The volcano goes off at 8 pm and 9 pm (with an extra 10pm show on Fridays and Saturdays) but if you need to cool off and relax pull over on the bike and take a ride on one the Venetian’s gondolas! Venice comes to life as I ride past the Palazzo and Venetian hotels both kind melting into each other making one large Italian resort and casino.
Just past mini Venice is the Wynn and Encore properties. Steve Wynn created these modern art-deco hotels with a price tag in the BILLIONS! Its outer shell made of copper colored glass that brings a mature sophistication to the strip.
My eyes could not stop darting from one end of the street to the other so a warning to all who ride: try your hardest to pay attention to the road! One thing I noticed is that too many people think they own the city. Whether driving or walking, I spent a decent amount of time in defensive riding mode with people crossing the street where there is no crosswalk, or cars changing lanes rapidly with no blinker.
That was the main Boulevard for you! Next is old Las Vegas; Fremont Street experience but that’s a ride I hold off on for a different day.
Greg Bennett is the morning meteorologist on KTNV’s Good Morning Las Vegas newscast. He is an avid Harley rider but also is a huge classic car fan and loves to work on both. In his free time, you can catch Greg riding his bike around town, working out at the gym, hanging out with his Pit Bull (DewPoint), or getting his hands dirty by volunteering across the city of Las Vegas.
