tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28583341908416340702024-03-05T07:26:18.300-06:00Going PlacesBeing an account of somewheres and somewhens elseMichaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15001530336692435773noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2858334190841634070.post-74666479719996486352020-11-13T00:34:00.000-06:002020-11-13T00:34:32.491-06:00 How to find someone in the 1940 Census<p><i>I posted this on Facebook in April 2012, not long after the 1940 Census was released. I rediscovered this post in November 2020 and figured I'd post it here since it's not doing any good there.</i></p>
<p><br /></p>
<p>The 1940 Census is out at <a href="http://1940census.archives.gov">http://1940census.archives.gov</a>, released (as by law) 72 years after it was taken. Unfortunately it's not indexed by name yet, so if you want to find your relatives you have to know their address on April 1, 1940. I've found both of my dad's parents so far, one in New York and one in Bennington VT (my grandfather was 28 and my grandmother was 24, and both were living at home with their parents until they got married just 4 months later - amusing in retrospect). There's a bit of a learning curve til you get used to how they organize their data.</p>
<p>Four easy steps on finding people:</p>
<p>1. Use Google Maps to pinpoint the address to a specific block between streets. I found that 1349 Grant Ave in the Bronx is between 169th and 170th. It'll also show you what the property looks like today.</p>
<p>2. Use the "search by location" radio button and then "browse" tab. Enter the state, county, city, and street via pull-down menu (sometimes you can enter a nearby cross-street). Using Grant Ave as an example, there are 17 possible Enumeration Districts (EDs) that Grant runs through, so now we have to narrow it down.</p>
<p>3. Use the Descriptions option to read the pages that tell which streets and blocks are in which ED. Click the "View Description" link to get to the pages. In my case, I found it on the third set, one of the pages says that ED 3-210B includes the block bounded by 169th, Grant, 170th, and Sheridan.</p>
<p>4. Then it's just a matter of going to that ED (click on the 3-210B link) and then go to the "Census Schedules" link for that ED. You've got to look at every page of listings (10-40 pages) until you find them. I found that it's easier to download the whole set rather than look using their viewer, but that's my preference.</p>
<p>Once you find them, there's some interesting data, but not a whole lot. You can find out who was living there, their ages, where they were born (state or foreign country), how much education each had, what their jobs were, how many hours a week they worked there, and how much money they made in the last year.</p><p><br /></p>Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15001530336692435773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2858334190841634070.post-84311471899817668282020-08-31T22:56:00.004-05:002020-11-13T00:34:56.361-06:00Rockies Road Trip, 1952<p>In July or August 1952, after dropping my dad off at summer camp, my grandparents decided to take a road trip out west from Pittsburgh. Either they didn't take any pictures between Pittsburgh and Mt Rushmore, or the photos don't exist any more, but in any case, here's their 1952 Rockies Road Trip.</p><p>From Pittsburgh, they would have driven west to Chicago and then probably up to Wisconsin and then west through Minnesota and South Dakota. Remember, the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 that established the Interstate Highway System wasn't around yet, and so you'd have to take highways with stoplights that passed through all sorts of small towns at the time. </p><p>Here's the likely map, or as close as I could make it given that these pathways are significantly improved as interstates now, and with a best guess as to the path based on what locations are in the photos. Instead of Yellowstone to Sequoia via Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, for example, they could have traversed Idaho and Nevada and gone through Reno, Sacramento, and Fresno. </p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZy9LdbWBNnPUC-YMCdetm3EOi7v2YxqWi1Vwy3IHdeBOnPBNVGm5IJwRn0YYaOUFZGa49v4CDtxbxpWYPCJ94NdjVzA2g-4DXbpAbcBu-Cqh7wDdeibdjs614ZMcY8NdU1xhDvdy8IFw/s1032/1952+road+trip.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="1032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZy9LdbWBNnPUC-YMCdetm3EOi7v2YxqWi1Vwy3IHdeBOnPBNVGm5IJwRn0YYaOUFZGa49v4CDtxbxpWYPCJ94NdjVzA2g-4DXbpAbcBu-Cqh7wDdeibdjs614ZMcY8NdU1xhDvdy8IFw/s640/1952+road+trip.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><a name='more'></a>
So the first stop on this Rockies Road trip was Mt Rushmore. We know this because of the single picture that remains. The original visitors' center wasn't built until 1957, five years later, but this vantage point of the heads looks about like it does through the <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/20224854128">current flag display</a> (from my <a href="https://somewheres-else.blogspot.com/2019/01/rockies-and-great-plains-roadtrip-2015_17.html">2015 trip</a>).<p></p>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/8087936366/in/album-72157629967308291/" title="image001"><img alt="image001" height="631" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/8329/8087936366_1c6e2523ec_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<p>Heading west, they stopped in Cody, Wyoming, to see the statue called "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_Bill_-_The_Scout_(statue)">Buffalo Bill - The Scout</a>", sculpted in 1924 in honor of "Buffalo Bill" Cody. </p>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/8087937018/in/album-72157629967308291/" title="image002"><img alt="image002" height="632" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/8475/8087937018_74f0260432_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><div><br /></div><div><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/8087937053/in/album-72157629967308291/" title="image003"><img alt="image003" height="631" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/8325/8087937053_4e860c791a_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/7113582117/in/album-72157629967308291/" title="image039"><img alt="image039" height="631" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/7068/7113582117_56161db62b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
</div><div><br /></div><div>Further west, they made a stop at <a href="https://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm">Yellowstone National Park</a> (as seen in <a href="https://somewheres-else.blogspot.com/2019/01/rockies-and-great-plains-roadtrip-2015_7.html">my 2015 trip</a> there).</div><div><br /></div>
They photographed an encounter with a curious bear, who went sniffing around before wandering over to my grandfather with the camera. The car on the left is a 1949 Ford, the one on the right is a new 1952 Chevrolet Fleetline.<div><br /><div>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/8087971291/in/album-72157629967308291/" title="image001"><img alt="image001" height="640" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/8329/8087971291_2490b22f52_z.jpg" width="635" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/8087971408/in/album-72157629967308291/" title="image002"><img alt="image002" height="626" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/8474/8087971408_0df7d30ebe_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
</div><div><br /></div><div>My grandparents made stops at <a href="https://www.nps.gov/places/old-faithful-geyser.htm">Old Faithful</a> (top), <a href="https://yellowstoneinsider.com/2016/05/30/old-yellowstone-history-punch-bowl-spring/">Punch Bowl Spring</a> (second), and <a href="https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/yell-grand-canyon-of-the-yellowstone.htm">Inspiration Point</a> (last two). The first two photos were shot on color film but had <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/6573253525/in/album-72157629967308291/">badly</a> <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/74029681/in/album-72157629967308291/">yellowed</a> by the time I got to scanning them in 2012 (sixty years later). I tried color correcting them using my primitive software and this is the best I could get without Photoshop or Lightroom.</div><div><br /></div><div>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/8087903906/in/album-72157629967308291/" title="image003a Old Faithful"><img alt="image003a Old Faithful" height="640" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/8327/8087903906_7fedcd3364_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/8087903800/in/album-72157629967308291/" title="image004a Punch Bowl Geyser, Yellowstone"><img alt="image004a Punch Bowl Geyser, Yellowstone" height="637" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/8329/8087903800_f62e388e8d_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/6573253707/in/album-72157629967308291/" title="Yellowstone, 1952 #1"><img alt="Yellowstone, 1952 #1" height="630" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/7146/6573253707_e2dab8a8f4_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>She had changed clothes from the previous picture, so they must have stayed overnight.</div><div><br /></div><div><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/8087939573/in/album-72157629967308291/" title="image006"><img alt="image006" height="638" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/8190/8087939573_2b121ca2f2_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
</div><div><br /></div><div>The next set of photos is over 1100 miles away, in <a href="https://www.nps.gov/seki/index.htm">Sequoia National Park</a>, about 30 miles east of Fresno. They stopped to document their stay with a picture at <a href="https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/climb-moro-rock.htm">Moro Rock</a> - helpfully labeled on the back - which was atop a 350 step climb.</div></div><div><br /></div>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/8087904106/in/album-72157629967308291/" title="image048a Moro Rock"><img alt="image048a Moro Rock" height="640" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/8334/8087904106_8ffe9596db_z.jpg" width="638" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<div><br /></div><div>Next up was the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm">Grand Canyon</a>, also marked with a single photo. Too bad it's so faded, I'm sure the colors were amazing.</div><div><br /></div><div>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/8087905115/in/album-72157629967308291/" title="image003a"><img alt="image003a" height="640" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/8191/8087905115_0eae0aee59_z.jpg" width="638" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>Heading east, they stopped at the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/pefo/index.htm">Petrified Forest</a> for a few photos.</div><div><br /></div><div>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/8087905801/in/album-72157629967308291/" title="image004a"><img alt="image004a" height="636" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/8472/8087905801_df3d3b15c8_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/8087905614/in/album-72157629967308291/" title="image005a"><img alt="image005a" height="640" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/8335/8087905614_3f794f2c9b_z.jpg" width="627" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/8087905905/in/album-72157629967308291/" title="image049a"><img alt="image049a" height="640" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/8334/8087905905_b438a332a9_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
</div><div><br /></div><div>Somewhere in New Mexico, my grandfather posed with a teepee and a horse-drawn carriage.</div><div><br /></div><div>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/6573253857/in/album-72157629967308291/" title="Bob in New Mexico, 1952"><img alt="Bob in New Mexico, 1952" height="640" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/7009/6573253857_95af4a80b4_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/8087944389/in/album-72157629967308291/" title="image006"><img alt="image006" height="629" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/8471/8087944389_031f57d995_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
</div><div><br /></div><div>The Rockies Road Trip ended in Colorado Springs, at a resort called the <a href="https://www.broadmoor.com/">Broadmoor</a>, about a mile rom <a href="https://www.broadmoor.com/broadmoor-adventures/seven-falls/">Seven Falls</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/7113582219/in/album-72157629967308291/" title="image036 - 7 Falls"><img alt="image036 - 7 Falls" height="630" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/7095/7113582219_e07e17dffc_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/6967505756/in/album-72157629967308291/" title="image035"><img alt="image035" height="631" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/7263/6967505756_9411c94d14_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/7113582291/in/album-72157629967308291/" title="image037"><img alt="image037" height="629" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/8005/7113582291_3fa79205e3_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/7113582323/in/album-72157629967308291/" title="image038"><img alt="image038" height="630" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/7218/7113582323_fc5ef95704_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
</div><div><br /></div><div>From there, it was likely that they continued up to Denver, then went east through Kansas City, St. Louis, and Indianapolis back to Pittsburgh, in time to pick up my dad from summer camp.</div>Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15001530336692435773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2858334190841634070.post-38442822421111258842019-06-23T16:47:00.001-05:002019-06-24T10:47:02.108-05:00Paris, 1904 & 2019: The Last Resting Place of Beryl Grabois<br />
My father's father's father's father was named Beryl Grabois (Bernard, in French and English; last name in Cyrillic was ГРАБОИС, which would have been pronounced GRAH-BOYCE). He came from a town about 50 miles northwest of what is now Kishinev, Moldova, called <a href="https://www.jewishgen.org/communities/community.php?usbgn=-2276308">Faleshti</a> (in various languages or transliterations Фэлешть/Făleşti [Romanian], פֿאַלעשט/Faleshti [Yiddish], Фолешты/Foleshty [Russian], Falesht', Feleshti, Faleshty [English]) but back then was part of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Bessarabia">greater Bessarabia</a>, and he and his family decided that with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kishinev_pogrom">pogroms in Kishinev</a> and in greater Russia against the Jews, it was time to leave. This would have been circa 1900 but maybe even as late as 1903, which was the first Kishinev pogrom. So he left with his two brothers, Morris and Abraham (aka Avram or Avroum) - but not a sister, whose name we don't know - and made their way west. They stopped in Paris for a few years.<br />
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Beryl was born around 1854-55, his wife Perla (English name Pearl, French name Pauline) in 1856, in a town that I always heard was named something like "Skilem" but which is more likely <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sculeni">Sculeni</a> just 18 miles from Faleshti. So he would have been in his late 40s when he left. (I don't know how old his brothers were.) They had 7 children, all of whom were born in Faleshti: Benjamin (1880), Paul (1882), Emil (1885), Anna (1887), Bertha (1888), Irving (1897), and Solomon (1899). All of them went to Paris with their parents. In Paris, the last name ГРАБОИС was westernized to GRABOIS, which still could have been pronounced GRA-BOYCE or GRAY-BOYS, but since it coincidentally looked French, they took the French pronunciation of GRAB-WAH. (I've since found that only those descended from this branch of Beryl and his brothers pronounce it GRAB-WAH, everyone else in the western-speaking world says GRAY-BOYS.)<br />
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Beryl died June 3, 1904, not too long after arriving in Paris, before he could leave with his family to America. Whether as a result of his passing or just a coincidence, the family emigrated to the US over the next couple years. <br />
<ul>
<li>Paul was the first to come to the US, on business. He eventually convinced the rest of the family to go shortly thereafter. He went through Ellis Island aboard "La Savoie", departing from Le Havre, France on August 18, 1905.</li>
<li>Emil left on February 25, 1906 via Ellis Island aboard "The New York", departing from Cherbourg, France.</li>
<li>Pearl took the girls Anna and Bertha and the two youngest boys Irving and Solomon, to Ellis Island aboard "La Touraine", departing from Le Havre, France on May 13, 1906.</li>
<li>Eldest brother Benjamin came over last, through Ellis Island with his wife Sophie aboard "La Provence", departing from Le Havre, France on November 24, 1906.</li>
</ul>
Anna later married into the Tirkeltaub family, not sure who Bertha married. Meanwhile, Beryl's brother Morris and his family came to the US and settled in Philadelphia, but their other brother Abraham stayed in Paris with his family (and was buried at Parisian Cemetery in Bagneaux, on 31 Aug 1928). Both brothers have descendants in those cities today.
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Paul is my great-grandfather, and Beryl is my great-great-grandfather.
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My cousin Brad has been successful in researching Beryl's life and family in Paris, and found his death notice from the Paris Archives. After arriving in Paris, Beryl westernized his name to Bernard. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5cuWxz60xv2pLNbz8U7U9BoDJFGnxQZErEkBoHm4EeMK71TSGfZ6LFAornsAWlu1oVomo2ppFzfkYy-wu-yTNT4sHHb-JbVc6PFNGC4AiwhS47NrCTgqjTnO9A0g4o2lkD70W5w8SAwo/s1600/Bernard+Grabois+-+death.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1237" data-original-width="1600" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5cuWxz60xv2pLNbz8U7U9BoDJFGnxQZErEkBoHm4EeMK71TSGfZ6LFAornsAWlu1oVomo2ppFzfkYy-wu-yTNT4sHHb-JbVc6PFNGC4AiwhS47NrCTgqjTnO9A0g4o2lkD70W5w8SAwo/s400/Bernard+Grabois+-+death.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The translation:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“The year nineteen-hundred four, the third of June at eleven o'clock in the morning. Has died Mr. Bernard Grabois, aged 50 years, without profession, born in Felecth (Russia) died at home at <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/PvKaeRCVqHk5Ykqi9">28 Rue Pastourelle</a> yesterday morning at ten thirty, son of [without information]. Spouse of Perla Fischmann aged forty eight years, furrier. Prepared by Hector Honig adjunct of the mayor's office, officer of the civil state of the third arrondissement of Paris after the legal recognition of the deceased and on the declaration of Meyer Rossmann, aged forty years, rubber dealer, residing <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/jCeZLZ7JRTRyxYCo6">38 Rue Charlot</a>, and by Abraham Grabois aged forty nine years, merchant, brother of the deceased, who have signed with us after reading. (Signed), M. Rossmann, A. Grabois.”</blockquote>
Brad was able to find information where Beryl was buried, in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cimeti%C3%A8re_parisien_de_Pantin">Pantin Cemetery</a> outside of Paris. Pantin is the largest cemetery in France, and is not a Jewish cemetery per se, but it has a large Jewish section. A couple of friends of mine, Richard and Joe, live in Paris and took a trip out there for me. Here is Joe’s report and photos.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Richard and I made it out to the <a href="https://www.paris.fr/equipements/cimetiere-parisien-de-pantin-4501">Pantin Cemetery</a> yesterday. It was a warm and sunny day, and we took the metro to Pantin. To put it mildly, the cemetery is in a ghetto. There were lots of apartment projects and ethnic stores and the
population seemed to be comprised mostly of immigrants. Today, the neighborhood was part Chinese (near the metro station) but then it became mostly Muslim/North African closer to the cemetery. I suspect many were Algerian. There were lots of cafés with swarthy looking men drinking tea and smoking cigarettes. Back in 1904, I suspect that there was probably nothing there at all. The sprawling Paris suburbs didn't exist then. I did a Google Image search of maps of Paris from the turn of the 20th century, and there was almost nothing outside the Paris city limits, so I suspect that Pantin was nothing but fields back in 1904.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivv9lBwbMFzv6A_sTscdIvi8U5wlrFixJNvMmRwRWmRgI0X9ZeTIZOuxVz2kGIl_cw6dJ3t4fh5A5EQ6RoNC-QAA054K8-PAaoP40SBj11sCcoV6fivTlDCYykrXJZwtgIPLUlXZyU6VA/s1600/PAN-01+Approaching+the++cemetary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivv9lBwbMFzv6A_sTscdIvi8U5wlrFixJNvMmRwRWmRgI0X9ZeTIZOuxVz2kGIl_cw6dJ3t4fh5A5EQ6RoNC-QAA054K8-PAaoP40SBj11sCcoV6fivTlDCYykrXJZwtgIPLUlXZyU6VA/s400/PAN-01+Approaching+the++cemetary.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching the cemetery</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCokXSmBzcP8M1KDpPfWFGRq0rWX17_CJutOi9qzEcR_OvZAZ3QNUO1JhzvBm1aRyLrvZb-53Y57lmARBFG70drJyYsYyKIijJRp6E6a93EDwMZPRzKEJX4Ym3zfEEf73Pb2_bIdrW1k/s1600/PAN-02+Paris+Cemetary+of++Pantin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCokXSmBzcP8M1KDpPfWFGRq0rWX17_CJutOi9qzEcR_OvZAZ3QNUO1JhzvBm1aRyLrvZb-53Y57lmARBFG70drJyYsYyKIijJRp6E6a93EDwMZPRzKEJX4Ym3zfEEf73Pb2_bIdrW1k/s400/PAN-02+Paris+Cemetary+of++Pantin.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paris Cemetery of Pantin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span>The cemetery itself is quite large. We had written down that your great grandfather’s tomb location was Division 8, Line 9, tomb 8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had no trouble finding Division 8, as it is very close to the main entrance.<i>[<a href="https://api-site.paris.fr/images/108951.pdf">Click here for a map</a>. To find Division 8, start at the main entrance at the bottom and then go up one block to the next intersection, then 8 is ahead on your left.]</i> Division 8 is roughly half the size of a football field, and the tombs are crammed together very closely. The cemetery is not well-maintained and there were weeds and trees growing between the tombs. Other than the Divisions and road signs, there are no other signs.</blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYUhHOsL-PKczjr6bi2_vezgMwFmHkVqadvDYYlzo2l66XSh3u8sylSpxsHIfJAcyuuS-kUepwVVRzpkWhmO-MaJq90JaIE03J3xMbfUnz4GuXKNOoAXvHIyKZfZGvT-9ADUSi0yp9_E/s1600/PAN-03+Rows+of+tombs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYUhHOsL-PKczjr6bi2_vezgMwFmHkVqadvDYYlzo2l66XSh3u8sylSpxsHIfJAcyuuS-kUepwVVRzpkWhmO-MaJq90JaIE03J3xMbfUnz4GuXKNOoAXvHIyKZfZGvT-9ADUSi0yp9_E/s400/PAN-03+Rows+of+tombs.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rows of Tombs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
So, we set out to find Line 9, but this proved problematic. First, the tombs were arranged in lines of two, and we didn’t know if each row of two counted as one
line or if each individual line counted as one line. And we didn’t know if we should start counting from the side closest to the entrance or the side furthest from the entrance. Adding to our confusion was the fact that on each edge of Division 8 there were two rows of more modern tombs that were angled slightly differently from the rest. We didn’t know if they were counted as line one or not. So, we basically tried of every possible permutation of lines of tombs to come up with what might have been Line 9.
We quickly discovered that on more than half of the tombs, the names chiseled into the stones were completely illegible. Time and moss have eroded these tombs and you
could not make out any names or dates whatsoever. Eventually, we tried counting in to find what we thought to be tomb 8 and walked down every line, and still no luck. (We did find that there sure were a lot of Levy’s!). We took a few photos of what “might” be his tomb to send you.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwtJRO6T6EsN5b4XV2Ku9ZjQBytjp6osfK_UsyHCvj12CgzSoGdx1RreEzhwFhN9_5nUUnGzE-Xc63MmuzhsBod3T36wno7UJvL4pi5CzJabQQSYnGVhPnsCQWE1tiWd4yk7AjKc9WgWY/s1600/PAN-04+Many+look+alike+with+names+worn+off.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwtJRO6T6EsN5b4XV2Ku9ZjQBytjp6osfK_UsyHCvj12CgzSoGdx1RreEzhwFhN9_5nUUnGzE-Xc63MmuzhsBod3T36wno7UJvL4pi5CzJabQQSYnGVhPnsCQWE1tiWd4yk7AjKc9WgWY/s400/PAN-04+Many+look+alike+with+names+worn+off.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Many look alike, with names worn off</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1iuP0Lhj11OAC0o5gvPuZY5tgl85hU2VH_LRk8zrtTqJrKTHuQ_awwp7785tA_7yWtLy3Ct7IsjW3vq_enmbnjETCIFJAKJ16TLZf55qsqlNNyB_gm1leIyK2ld5xGTPCLTAPMPFShvM/s1600/PAN-05+Can+not+read+any+engraved+names.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1iuP0Lhj11OAC0o5gvPuZY5tgl85hU2VH_LRk8zrtTqJrKTHuQ_awwp7785tA_7yWtLy3Ct7IsjW3vq_enmbnjETCIFJAKJ16TLZf55qsqlNNyB_gm1leIyK2ld5xGTPCLTAPMPFShvM/s400/PAN-05+Can+not+read+any+engraved+names.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">On some, the names are totally illegible</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Richard had to pee so we decided to give up and go home. Next to the restroom at the entrance to the cemetery was an administrative office. Richard suggested that we see if someone there could help us. So, we went in and Richard told the clerk (in French) what we were looking for. The clerk opened several file drawers and
pulled out a detailed map of Division 8. (Attached is a scan of the map of Division 8. The clerk mistakenly circled Tomb 9 on Line 8, but we knew we were really looking for Tomb 8 on Line 9. <i>[circled in red]</i>)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhaOc5_l28v3nfu_ZCrGSJ0W0GQ-s0JcIVFfm8Nq7bZlHK338tcXCAdUAMiwo60kFbbeCVh1hqc_CzIdH7jm-mUMT1UbhlsQmfjddSYiSbT08iSjH66XAKedwi3sv10vJTD1CCVmFaN8I/s1600/Division+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1452" data-original-width="1053" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhaOc5_l28v3nfu_ZCrGSJ0W0GQ-s0JcIVFfm8Nq7bZlHK338tcXCAdUAMiwo60kFbbeCVh1hqc_CzIdH7jm-mUMT1UbhlsQmfjddSYiSbT08iSjH66XAKedwi3sv10vJTD1CCVmFaN8I/s320/Division+8.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
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With the map we learned that we were way off on our guess of which row is which. The newer tombs on the peripheries do not count as numbered lines, so that had thrown us off. The numbering of tombs goes from left to right, BUT the first tomb is called Tomb B and the second tomb is called Tomb A and the third tomb was Tomb 1, etc. Who would have guessed?
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Using the map, we found what we were certain to be Tomb 8 in Line 9. There were several names that barely could be read, but we didn’t see Grabois. The tomb was in very bad condition and several of the stone nameplates were completely illegible. I pulled up a stone grave marker that had fallen over, but the sun was such that I couldn’t make out anything on it. We decided to throw in the towel and give up and go home. Just as I turned to leave, Richard said, “Look! There’s a name with a G!” We looked closer at the grave marker I had turned over, and there it was: Grabois. Photos are attached. You really have to look hard to see the name Grabois, but it’s there. Honestly, we were literally giving up and leaving when we found it.</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<o:p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZR6_LQrjSRRs9i5wrLTdcqGN2OIot2a6pv-FT8CHilLpth6s53ypB6MLOToAYzEKP3ft-JduqHlUpLY2s5BQjYLNSV5YpDexBX3-8hPipb5D3LvjT3w551pUtQbMuIt-SU25yApRptE/s1600/PAN-06+Michael%2527s+Great-Grandfather%2527s+tomb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZR6_LQrjSRRs9i5wrLTdcqGN2OIot2a6pv-FT8CHilLpth6s53ypB6MLOToAYzEKP3ft-JduqHlUpLY2s5BQjYLNSV5YpDexBX3-8hPipb5D3LvjT3w551pUtQbMuIt-SU25yApRptE/s400/PAN-06+Michael%2527s+Great-Grandfather%2527s+tomb.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beryl Grabois' gravestone (back left, propped up against the fence)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrAjPA0nFbeCFUQ3p4UQhXtr5m3LYLxVbFhIHEjCgw3gC9DFEPicbss4c5H0HRnG2C-rOJ10QgriMqhxS4WjynhxAN4mmnsN4-eqxwBgAShLlmRDyrNmfLe3gfauliulYh2kPxyXQM34M/s1600/PAN-07+Grabois+marker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrAjPA0nFbeCFUQ3p4UQhXtr5m3LYLxVbFhIHEjCgw3gC9DFEPicbss4c5H0HRnG2C-rOJ10QgriMqhxS4WjynhxAN4mmnsN4-eqxwBgAShLlmRDyrNmfLe3gfauliulYh2kPxyXQM34M/s400/PAN-07+Grabois+marker.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you squint, you can just make out a "B" and "GRABOIS" but that's about it</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-V4sdXiOn0ywv7uo-0bxfGNdKoasAmtk9QqCaz0qcsXjW9aiKsO-b-T4m0xs3zCz5WMVYN4aGvjruBvBU0urodY0QROKbsq8bW7V5JH_ZZAMOx5X4lXIykj5qRMzivFt8FfgWD0zI_Q/s1600/PAN-08+Close-up+of+Grabois+name.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-V4sdXiOn0ywv7uo-0bxfGNdKoasAmtk9QqCaz0qcsXjW9aiKsO-b-T4m0xs3zCz5WMVYN4aGvjruBvBU0urodY0QROKbsq8bW7V5JH_ZZAMOx5X4lXIykj5qRMzivFt8FfgWD0zI_Q/s400/PAN-08+Close-up+of+Grabois+name.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closeup of the name "GRABOIS"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
If this is your family history, drop me a line or leave a comment!</div>
<br />Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15001530336692435773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2858334190841634070.post-34678979019282752822019-01-17T22:33:00.001-06:002019-01-17T22:33:54.731-06:00New York City, 1979The United Nations, Rockerfeller Plaza, and the view from Top of The Rock, summer 1979
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/9386560193/in/album-72157634831790823/" title="031214"><img alt="031214" height="500" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3820/9386560193_9d08ea163f.jpg" width="497" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/9386560167/in/album-72157634831790823/" title="031215"><img alt="031215" height="500" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5514/9386560167_86727db390.jpg" width="500" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/9386560113/in/album-72157634831790823/" title="031217"><img alt="031217" height="500" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2832/9386560113_576549bc15.jpg" width="498" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/9386560101/in/album-72157634831790823/" title="031218"><img alt="031218" height="499" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7420/9386560101_e79df72a8d.jpg" width="500" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/9389332102/in/album-72157634831790823/" title="031219"><img alt="031219" height="499" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5449/9389332102_fedb494651.jpg" width="500" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/9386559677/in/album-72157634831790823/" title="031220"><img alt="031220" height="500" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5509/9386559677_739f8b436d.jpg" width="495" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/9386559617/in/album-72157634831790823/" title="031221"><img alt="031221" height="500" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3667/9386559617_56f17abe25.jpg" width="495" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script> </center>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6hZdKZvrU9uF_J1GdJvZWCPayMBrt7YmrKsNoumWyn520MKhd80ELJySYKoaZRUAo7gjQd7S6ePMWlU9-Ijb8neR7cIM00O7WC-uvCnD_-QyIS8cS-_yG_BmXCuZ0oytuRbgPDf5nmTI/s1600/031222-24c_stitch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="685" data-original-width="1390" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6hZdKZvrU9uF_J1GdJvZWCPayMBrt7YmrKsNoumWyn520MKhd80ELJySYKoaZRUAo7gjQd7S6ePMWlU9-Ijb8neR7cIM00O7WC-uvCnD_-QyIS8cS-_yG_BmXCuZ0oytuRbgPDf5nmTI/s640/031222-24c_stitch.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/9386559525/in/album-72157634831790823/" title="031225"><img alt="031225" height="500" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5447/9386559525_0236f6c194.jpg" width="497" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/9386559493/in/album-72157634831790823/" title="031226"><img alt="031226" height="500" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3779/9386559493_17e5bb3fe5.jpg" width="495" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15001530336692435773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2858334190841634070.post-27929153578899502242019-01-17T22:00:00.000-06:002019-01-17T22:00:33.347-06:00Pittsburgh, 1977 & 2016<center>
The Pittsburgh skyline, 1977 and 2016, from atop Mount Washington. </center>
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<a href="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a319/mgrabois/somewheres%20else/1977%20PIttsburgh/030322-25skyline.jpg"><img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a319/mgrabois/somewheres%20else/1977%20PIttsburgh/030322-25skyline.jpg" width="1200" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFHgkNh0nXM25ifqLuYo7QIufAYAubuQyjbCjQbQ1RlKpJ5MNiD7OjdFzA_FtuFoZLwmczjw6F38Ovg7KSkptIpxjB67WQrqmgHs8aSEqL7VhIHHqy1UEbVjh63tkngBW6KBGfTngdtnw/s1600/Img_4546a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFHgkNh0nXM25ifqLuYo7QIufAYAubuQyjbCjQbQ1RlKpJ5MNiD7OjdFzA_FtuFoZLwmczjw6F38Ovg7KSkptIpxjB67WQrqmgHs8aSEqL7VhIHHqy1UEbVjh63tkngBW6KBGfTngdtnw/s640/Img_4546a.jpg" width="1200" /></a>
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Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15001530336692435773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2858334190841634070.post-60006812448016134572019-01-17T01:37:00.001-06:002020-10-09T01:08:26.486-05:00Rockies and Great Plains roadtrip, 2015 part 6: Mt Rushmore to DenverTHURSDAY JULY 30, 2015<br />
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TL;DR - See Mt Rushmore and then drive south through Nebraska to catch a flight in Denver.<br />
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Theme songs:<br />
<ul>
<li>"Mountain Town" (South Park)</li>
<li>"Get Out of Denver" (Bob Seger)</li>
</ul>
Weather: sunny all day<br />
<a name='more'></a>Having missed the night light show at Mt Rushmore, I got there a little after 8, when the visitor center opened. The park actually opens at 5am but that's way too early. I planned to spend a couple hours there and then hit the open road going south to Denver. It's about 400 miles and 6.5 hours, but by dropping off my car in Denver I save nearly $400 on car rental and air fare to Chicago. It was worth it to me. And on the way I'd pick up my 7th new state of the trip (UT, ID, WY, MT, ND, SD, NE) and my 47th overall - just need Alaska, Minnesota, and Iowa. Not much along the way, but a stop for lunch somewhere, hit the SD/Nebraska border around 2pm, then the Nebraska/Colorado border around 5:15pm. Plenty of time to make a 9:15pm flight.<br />
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The guidebooks say <a href="https://www.nps.gov/moru/index.htm">Mt Rushmore</a> will take about 3 hours; I saw what I needed and wanted to in 2, partially because it was early in the morning well before the crowds came in on buses. There's no admittance fee to get in to the park, but there's a $10 parking fee that's actually good for 1 year. After walking down the Avenue of Flags, I went to the visitor's center and got the lowdown on the park and the sculpture. The 0.6 mile Presidential Trail goes around the base, and you get a pretty close up view of each of the four heads along the way. At the end is the Sculptor's Studio, where you can see the original models for what became the final structure. If you don't want to do any of it, you can still get a pretty good look from the highway as you pass by.<br />
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<br />Overheard: a mom telling her kids, "Stop whining, someday you're going to thank me for taking you to all these places." It's true!<br /><br /><div>
A few miles down the road from Mt Rushmore is the <a href="https://crazyhorsememorial.org/">Crazy Horse Memorial</a>, stay on SR 244 til it turns into US 385, and it'll be on your left going south. I was told that it wasn't anything spectacular and that I didn't really need to stop off there, but I also found that if you turn into the driveway to go up the road, you can't turn around and you have to pay the admission charge. So instead I just backed up my car on the side of the road (with a couple of others) and got back on the highway.<br />
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I had been looking through the Roadside America website before the trip, to see what kind of weird, strange, and off-the-beaten-path sights might be available. One of the ones I stopped at, just south of Crazy Horse, was a <a href="https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2214">Flintstones Bedrock City theme park</a>. The houses and buildings looked just like they did in the cartoon. It was worth a few minutes to stop and look.<br />
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Picked up a sandwich in Hot Springs, then made my way south on US 385 into Nebraska at 2pm, and through the "panhandle" of Nebraska, which must be the flat and boring part, to the Colorado border at 5:15pm.</div>
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I took I-76 into Denver from the east. I could have taken I-80 west to Cheyenne and then I-25 south into Denver, but there wasn't really a good reason to do so. Thought about getting dinner at a restaurant on the way to the airport, but didn't want to take the chance that it would take too long so I ended up having dinner in the airport - with a friend from work who coincidentally was in the airport to take a flight back to Houston. Made it to Chicago, and thus ends the Rockies and Great Plains roadtrip.</div>Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15001530336692435773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2858334190841634070.post-14379711599259480472019-01-16T22:55:00.000-06:002020-08-31T22:50:44.297-05:00Rockies and Great Plains roadtrip, 2015 part 5: Deadwood to Mt RushmoreWEDNESDAY JULY 29, 2015<br />
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TL;DR - South Dakota all day. Deadwood in the daytime, then drive through the Black Hills out to Badlands National Park in late afternoon and sunset, spend the night in Keystone, near Mt Rushmore.<br />
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Theme songs:<br />
<ul>
<li>"Rocky Raccoon" (The Beatles)</li>
<li>"Badlands" (Bruce Springsteen)</li>
</ul>
Weather: high 79, low 54<br />
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<a name='more'></a>I printed out a bunch of maps ahead of time for this region, all from the excellent <a href="https://www.blackhillsbadlands.com/maps">Black Hills/Badlands page</a>. They look great when printed out on 11x17 paper, and it's a good reference when you want to see the big picture, not just where you are and your route on a smartphone.<br />
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I was a big fan of the <a href="https://www.hbo.com/deadwood">HBO series "Deadwood"</a>, and it was neat coming out here to see where it all really happened. Well, more or less, as the tv series had been filmed on a back lot and all of the original buildings in Deadwood the town are long gone, mostly lost to a fire. But the names are all familiar - Jack McCall, who shot Wild Bill Hickock, Charlie Utter, Seth Bullock, Calamity Jane, Merrick, Cochran, Dan Dority, Mr Woo, Joanie Stubbs. I'm sure some of the popularity of the town and its landmarks are a reflection of the TV show, but it's still a small mountain town <a href="https://www.cityofdeadwood.com/index.asp?SEC=269A8C80-9F36-4D72-A17D-DF18E23E10FF&Type=B_BASIC">with a lot of history</a>. Took a stroll down Main Street, stopped at The Gem for lunch and a beer. Lots of motorcycles parked on Main, they converted car parking to bike parking in advance of <a href="http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/2015/08/article/2015-sturgis-rally-review/">the 75th annual Sturgis rally</a> this weekend.<br />
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Checked out the <a href="https://www.deadwoodhistory.com/">Adams Museum</a>, then drove up to <a href="https://www.cityofdeadwood.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7BA0DB4AD3-F0E9-4EAC-8E22-995D27A3329B%7D">Mount Moriah Cemetery</a>, the burial place of Wild Bill and Calamity Jane, right next to each other.<br />
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I decided to take the scenic route out to the Badlands through the <a href="http://www.blackhillsbadlands.com/">Black Hills</a>. Exit south out of Deadwood on US 85, then take US 385 for 36 miles, stopping at the amazingly picturesque <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/blackhills/recarea/?recid=26199">Pictola Reservoir</a> along the way.<br />
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Then take US 16 northeast until it hits 90E on the east side of Rapid City. I could have saved a lot of time and cut across the Black Hills on SR 44 straight into Rapid City, but I was there to see the mountains. Made a quick detour on the way to the Badlands to stop off at the world-famous <a href="http://www.walldrug.com/about-us">Wall Drug Store</a>, which is famous for a reason that I have no idea why (but I was able to get some generic Sudafed for my allergies, which were really acting up in this part of the trip).<br />
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And so it wasn't until 5:30pm that I finally got to the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/badl/index.htm">Badlands</a>. I had no idea what I was in for, I was just told that if I was in the area I had to go. Glad I did, this was one of the most amazing natural formations I've seen since the Grand Canyon.<br />
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Directions: Take Exit 110 off of I-90, go down SR 240 towards park which turns into Badlands Loop Rd through the North Unit of the park and make a clockwise loop, which will take about 3 hours if you stop and take pictures. The visitor’s center is at the southeast corner of park. A modest $15 fee gets you entry into the park. From the visitor's center, leave the park and I took 377 to 44 west, then make a right on Conata Basin Road and go due north through the Buffalo Gap National Grassland to get back to the Badlands. <br />
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Pinnacles Overlook<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/20386499496/in/album-72157656559920409/" title="IMG_4050"><img alt="IMG_4050" height="358" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/368/20386499496_332f634979_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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Ancient Hunters Overlook</div>
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Yellow Mounds Overlook</div>
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Bighorn sheep at Conata Basin Overlook</div>
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Burns River Overlook</div>
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Panorama Point Overlook</div>
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White River Valley Overlook</div>
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Fossil exhibit area</div>
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Cedar Pass drive</div>
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Sunset wasn't until about 8:30pm, so I had plenty of time to drive around and see the sights (including a drive through <a href="https://www.blackhillsbadlands.com/parks-monuments/buffalo-gap-national-grassland">Buffalo Gap National Grassland</a>. The formations become even more colorful with the setting sun, and then I spent over 20 minutes watching the full moon rise at the Pinnacles Overlooks and taking time exposure pictures.<br />
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Backtracked my way on 90W to US 16 into Keystone, my stop for the night. I stayed at the <a href="http://www.brooksidekeystonesd.com/">Brookside Motel</a> there, just a couple miles away from Mt Rushmore. It was clean and inexpensive, just what I'm looking for in a roadside place in the middle of nowhere. There weren't a lot of places open for dinner late at night there, but I found a pizza place called Pie for the People. It was open, that was my criteria for eating there. I had originally decided to stay in Keystone because it was so close to Mt Rushmore, and I wanted to see the nightly sunset light show just down the road, but I checked into the motel and brought my stuff in and then completely forgot about it until the next morning when I was checking out. Oh well, something to save for next time.<br />
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My original original plan was to do Deadwood then Badlands today, ending up at Mt Rushmore for sunset. Then I would have either stayed the night in Keystone, or kept my bags in the car and started the drive south towards Denver in the dark until I decided it was time to stop. My flight is 9:15pm out of Denver, and it's 400 miles/6.5 hours to get there from SD, so if I leave by noon I'll have plenty of time. Then one of my crowdsource planners told me <i>"It will be much safer to drive to Denver in the day. The drive from SD to Denver is a lonely one with not a lot of services. I would not want to do any part of it late at night. Very dark, very few services, and you could easily meet up with a large 4 legged critter standing in the middle of the road."</i> With no hurry, I decided to see Mt Rushmore first thing in the morning, then drive south so I could appreciate it all in the daylight.<br />
<br />Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15001530336692435773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2858334190841634070.post-88945162921104280762019-01-08T21:48:00.001-06:002020-08-31T22:50:44.300-05:00Rockies and Great Plains roadtrip, 2015 part 4: Yellowstone to DeadwoodTUESDAY JULY 28, 2015<br />
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TL;DR - Drive out of Yellowstone into Wyoming and Montana, drive across Montana to the North Dakota border and then cut south as soon as I can into South Dakota, detour a bit to see Devil's Tower in Wyoming, then stop for the night in Deadwood, SD.<br />
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Theme songs:<br />
<ul>
<li>"Life Is a Highway" (Tom Cochrane) for my drive</li>
<li>"Theme from Close Encounters of the Third Kind"</li>
</ul>
Weather: sunny leaving Yellowstone, windy and high of 75 in Billings, low of 52 in Deadwood<br />
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I knew this was going to be a really long day, somewhere in the neighborhood of 13-15 hours or so.<br />
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In my haste to leave Yellowstone around 7am, I left one of my camera batteries and my only charger plugged in. I didn't realize it until I checked in at Deadwood late that night, called them the next day, and had them ship it to my hotel in Chicago where I was going to be in a few days. I still had 3 batteries, but that had to last me for the rest of the trip (but at least I had my phone and charger). Fortunately, tomorrow was the last main sightseeing day with Wednesday being just going south to Denver with nothing much along the way.<br />
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Took a while just getting out of the park, there's a lot of the Little America plains to go through - some of which I had done the night before - and lots of buffalo on the road. They're bigger, and they don't obey traffic signs.<br />
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The original plan was to leave around 7am and go east out of Yellowstone to Cody WY on US 14, then cut north to Billings MT via Alt-14 and US 310, and on my way east, stop at the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/libi/index.htm">Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument</a> an hour outside of Billings around lunchtime, time and desire permitting. But a Facebook friend who had just done this area a couple months earlier recommended that I take the Beartooth Scenic Highway northeast out of Yellowstone instead, it's supposed to be amazingly scenic ride up US 212 through the Custer Gallatin National Forest and the mountains, from Cook City-Silver Gate up through Red Lodge. That route would take me into Billings.<br />
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It sounded like a good idea at the time. This is what I would have done.<br />
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Continuing on I-94 east from Billings to Miles City, I'd then get on US 12 going east into North Dakota. Why? Because I figured the chances of me ever getting back near North Dakota were next to non-existent, thus making the trip out of the way just so I could say I was in the state and it's not an urban legend like I had always assumed. I mapped out the smallest chunk of ND that I could get through while still staying on the highways and not the back roads, it ended up being about 50 miles in the state total.<br />
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If not for that, I would have saved a couple of hours of driving, as my road trip then went south out of Bowman ND down to Belle Fourche SD, where I then backtracked west into Wyoming to see Devil's Tower (I could have gone south from Miles City more or less straight to Devil's Tower) - this is where the aliens landed in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". My deadline was to hit this area by sunset, as my only stop after this was for the night in Deadwood.<br />
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My Facebook friend also told me that a lot of this area outside the cities doesn't have cell phone service, so bring my Garmin GPS. Daylight is about 5am til 9:30pm. And to make sure that I top off my gas tank when I can.<br />
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Google Maps told me that my trip was 270 miles (5:20) from Yellowstone to Little Bighorn, 428 miles (6:56) from there to Devil's Tower, then 77 miles (1:17) to Deadwood. That's 13-1/2 hours with no stops, which would be my longest solo driving trip. If I leave at 7, I get to Little Bighorn around 12:30, then spend a half hour or so then it's 1pm, cross into North Dakota about 5pm, Devil's Tower around 8pm (sunset is 8:30pm), so I'd get to Deadwood about 9pm. I'll probably have to grab lunch and eat on the road.<br />
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It sounded good on paper, but battle plans never survive contact with the enemy.<br />
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If there was a sign that told me that the <a href="http://beartoothhighway.com/">Beartooth Highway</a> was closed due to an avalanche (in July!!!) about 10 miles down the road, I must have missed it, and I wouldn't have gone that way. But I did miss it, and did go down the road. What I did get to see was amazing vistas of mountains and forest. Then I got to the parts of the road that were getting icier and more snow-covered. And the sign that said ROAD CLOSED. Of course, up there I couldn't get a phone signal, so no GPS mapping on my phone, but I did have my trusty Garmin GPS (which I hadn't used in years) - but it would only tell me to keep going in the closed direction, there was no way to get it to re-route like I could have done with Google Maps. I had to manually zoom in enough to find the next best route. And then I remembered that I had picked up some paper maps back at the Idaho rest stop for Wyoming and Montana, so with the GPS telling me where I was, I could use the paper maps to tell me which way to go to get to where I wanted. Old school navigation!
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The green pin at the far left is where my hotel was. You can see the green pit at the upper right where I got roadblocked at, and had to backtrack to the red pin and go south, way out of the way.</center>
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The alternate route took me back until I could pick up SR 296, Crandall Road, going southeast past Dead Indian Summit Overlook (about where the red pin is at lower right) onto Dead Indian Hill Road until I got to SR 120, Black and White Road (named for colored rock formations), which becomes SR 72 Belfry Highway because it runs into Belfry WY.<br />
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Then keep going north through Bridger into Rockvale, where I FINALLY hook back up with US 212 which was what the Beartooth turns into after it leaves the mountains. Rockvale is at the intersection of 310 and 212.<br />
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That detour, from when I took the picture of my GPS before turning around until I got to Rockvale, took me 3 hours and put me 90-120 minutes behind schedule. So I had to leave Little Bighorn on the list of things to see next time - it was either that or Devil's Tower. And of course, there's a traffic jam going north into Rockvale, because they had chosen that week to do road construction right there at the intersection of US 212 and 310 and cut everything down to a single lane. There's even a casino right at that intersection, who would have thought there'd be one in BFE Montana?<br />
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Stopped for lunch in Billings around 1:15, then back on the road headed east on I-94. Got stopped for speeding somewhere between Billings and Miles City, apparently I hadn't noticed the slower speed limit signs as I got close to a town, but the cop took pity on me (seeing that I was a tourist) and let me go with a warning. Yay! Past Miles City at 4:15, then east on US 12 towards the North Dakota border. I saw the sign, but I wasn't sure if someone was playing an elaborate prank and that North Dakota is still really just an urban legend, but I at least got a picture of the sign at 5:40. I'm now more aware of the clock, I've only got 3 hours to get to Devil's Tower before sunset.
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The green pin at top right is over the border into ND. The route I took was the shortest route through as little of the state as I could while staying on the highways. (The red and green pins are actually GPS dropouts and pickups.)</center>
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North Dakota was really flat and really boring. This is going south, not that it matters.<br />
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Just south of Belle Fourche, SD, you can take SR 24 west toward's Devil's Tower.<br />
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If you have plenty of time and want to go to <a href="http://www.nps.gov/deto/index.htm">Devil's Tower National Park</a>, it's $10 to get in and takes several hours to walk around the base. I had neither the time nor inclination to do that, but all you really need to do is wait til it's in sight and then pull off the road for your pictures. I got there at 8:45, just as the sun was setting, so I got to see sunset colors in the sky and then growing darker. I had my camera on my tripod taking time exposures, and I put the theme from "Close Encounters" on my phone speaker, but I did not see any UFOs.<br />
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Left the area around 9:15, stopped for a quick bite somewhere, and finally pulled into Deadwood around midnight (that's the green pin in the bottom right corner of the map). I stayed at <a href="http://www.hickoks.com/default.html">Hickok's Hotel & Gaming</a> because it was in my price range. Remember, it's Tuesday night, and the big motorcycle rally starts in Sturgis on Friday, so things were picking up. After checking in, I got something to eat, played a little video poker (lost $5), and walked down the main street for a bit before bed.<br />
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Left at 7am, stopped for the night around midnight. That's 17 hours, with stops, but still longer than I had originally planned. Oh well.<br />
<br />Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15001530336692435773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2858334190841634070.post-86671388436274662342019-01-07T21:07:00.001-06:002020-11-13T00:35:52.070-06:00Rockies and Great Plains roadtrip, 2015 part 3: Yellowstone (day 2)Monday, July 27, 2015<br />
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TL;DR version: Second of two days at Yellowstone National Park, taking a morning photography tour and a wildlife excursion in the afternoon.<br />
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Today's theme songs:<br />
<ul>
<li>"Photograph" (Ringo Starr) for the photo safari</li>
<li>"Wild Mountain Honey" (Steve Miller Band) for the evening trip</li>
</ul>
Weather report: 30-60% chance of storms, high 61, low 30 (brrrr!)<br />
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Monday I had signed up for two tours, first a 5-hour photo safari led by a guide in the morning (6-11am) and then a wildlife excursion late afternoon (they said it's the habitat for bears, wolves, elk, bison, pronghorn, eagles, and bighorn sheep).</div>
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The photo tour was described this way. I took the tour leaving from the Old Faithful Inn.</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>From early morning bison and elk whose breath condenses on the cool air, to the sun shining through the vapor clouds above thermal streams, to the rainbow only visible for a few minutes each day, and only from a single vantage point, in the mist of the Lower Falls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Yellowstone National Park is a paradise for shutterbugs. Your host, a driver-guide who is also a professional photographer, will tailor the tour to the interests, skill levels, and equipment of the group to create a day of memorable photographs for all. One of our safaris originates from Old Faithful Inn, and takes in thermal areas and wildlife north of Old Faithful Village; the other departs Lake Yellowstone Hotel to visit wildlife-rich Hayden Valley and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. For both, the goal of this five-hour tour is intriguing photographic opportunities coupled with (for those who’d like it) instruction on how to better use your camera means a limited number of in-depth stops will be the order of the day. For a fantastic outing for you and your camera, sign up for the <a href="https://www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com/adventure/land-adventures/picture-perfect-photo-safari/">Picture Perfect Photo Safari</a>!</i></blockquote>
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Black Sands <br />
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Firehole Spring<br />
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White Dome Geyser<br />
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Firehole Canyon Drive and Firehole Falls<br />
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Biscuit Basin<br />
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The evening excursion wouldn't leave until after 1600, giving me plenty of time for sightseeing after lunch. Since I was leaving the park early Tuesday morning, I got lucky and finally managed to get a room at the <a href="https://www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com/lodgings/cabin/roosevelt-lodge-cabins/">Roosevelt Lodge</a> in a Rough Rider cabin at the northeast side of the park - that would cut a couple hours off my drive than if I was leaving from West Yellowstone, and Tuesday was planned to be a very long drive anyway (around 14 hours). So I checked out of the hotel and kept my luggage in the car for the day (spoiler alert: nothing happened to it), planning to head to the lodge after the wildlife tour ended around 2015.</div>
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The main area I wanted to see that I hadn't seen yet was the Grand Prismatic, part of the Midway Geyser Basin. It was kind of cloudy and the steam made it hard to see much, unfortunately, but what I could see was spectacularly colorful.<br />
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My one major error came when I decided to take a cutoff road that went along the cliff overlooking the Gibbon River and the Virginia Cascade. This was a smaller one-way road off the main road.<br />
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At one point near the Cascade, I got out of the car to take some pictures - and the car door shut and locked, with my phone inside and the car still running. Here's where I was, on that white road segment below the blue segment:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPmFakBDRhtxu8v0rKyjJ1l-4E6NTmHB0NGkmzCR9C8DUtizWe8F_DCre8cxHis55s33QW5VJZz1eXq-5xBTjBaAX4h2fLLBEgPKeWS6FhGKti_vF3scfnXDzUhhMjAbuNiD-o4tEcIx0/s1600/Image27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="1264" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPmFakBDRhtxu8v0rKyjJ1l-4E6NTmHB0NGkmzCR9C8DUtizWe8F_DCre8cxHis55s33QW5VJZz1eXq-5xBTjBaAX4h2fLLBEgPKeWS6FhGKti_vF3scfnXDzUhhMjAbuNiD-o4tEcIx0/s640/Image27.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="text-align: start;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: start;">It took over an hour for someone to grab a park ranger and send him my way; not everyone stopped for me, and not everyone who said they'd find a ranger did so. I had my jacket (and camera) so I wasn't cold, and when the ranger came up he said that I was lucky that he got to me before a wrecker did, he uses the slim-jim to open the door for free while a wrecker would have charged me $100. I made it out to Canyon Village with about 30 minutes to spare.</span>
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The evening wildlife excursion was made up of two tour buses, leaving from either Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel or Canyon Lodge, whichever was closer. I chose the Canyon Lodge bus, leaving at 1615.</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>The single best place to watch the wild things in Yellowstone is <a href="https://www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com/adventure/land-adventures/evening-wildlife-encounters/">Lamar Valley</a>, habitat for bears, wolves, elk, bison, pronghorn, eagles, and bighorn sheep. Most of these animals are crepuscular – most active at dawn and dusk. Dawn is tough when you’re on a well-earned vacation, but we invite you to join us for a trip to Secluded Valley any evening you’d like on the Lamar Valley Wildlife Excursion. Departing from the Lake and Canyon areas, you’ll arrive near dusk and spend an hour seeing what presents itself, before retracing your route back to your evening’s lodgings. While we can’t promise which wild animals will appear (they’re wild, so we all take our chances), we can promise your interpretive guide will have great stories to tell about the wildlife and the larger story of why they still abound here, in the most wild part of the Wild West.</i>
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Tower Falls
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Little America Plains
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Little America
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After the tour, I had dinner at Canyon Lodge since I was right there, and then drove up to the Roosevelt Lodge. It had started to snow, which I wasn't really fond of driving in since I live in the South, and then I got confused following the GPS map and took a wrong turn that started me going up a mountain on a one-way road. I finally realized I was not in the right location and had to slowly back up down the hill to the road (up and back took at least a half hour in total) and then on to the lodge. By the time I got there they were closing up the front desk (though I would have still been able to check in had they been gone) and I got to my room, which was a cozy little cabin with a wood-burning stove to heat it, a couple of beds, a couple of desks, a sink, and most important of all, electricity with which to charge my camera batteries. (The shared bathroom was in another building.)<br />
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Here's the map of the day. Unfortunately I didn't think to bring my Garmin GPS with me to trace out my daily route, but the day started at West Yellowstone at the green pin at far left, then the Old Faithful Inn at the red pin, then I drove up 191 and east on 89 until I crossed over (and you can see the road right in the middle where I got locked out). The green pin in the middle is Canyon Lodge, and the one at the top right is Tower Falls, and the Roosevelt Lodge is right nearby. To the east of that is the Lamar Valley.<br />
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Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15001530336692435773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2858334190841634070.post-43691574575653139082019-01-07T01:14:00.001-06:002020-08-31T22:50:44.298-05:00Rockies and Great Plains roadtrip, 2015 part 2: Yellowstone (day 1)Sunday July 26, 2015<br />
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TL;DR version: First of two days at <a href="https://www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com/">Yellowstone National Park</a>, taking the "Yellowstone in a Day" guided tour.<br />
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Today's theme songs:<br />
<ul>
<li>"Yogi Bear Show theme song" </li>
<li>"Faithfully" (Journey) for Old Faithful</li>
</ul>
Weather report: Sunday in Yellowstone: sunny, high 70, low 36<br />
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On Sunday I signed up for an all-day tour of the park, called "<a href="https://www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com/adventure/land-adventures/yellowstone-in-a-day/">Yellowstone in a Day</a>" that runs 8am-6pm, it's like a traditional city tour bus where I'll see a bit of everything with a few stops instead of things in depth (and due to time constraints, I'm interested in breadth not depth).
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>It’s impossible to see Yellowstone National Park in a year, let alone a day, but if a day is all you have, or you wish to begin your days of exploring Yellowstone by hearing about all that there is to see, come along with us on our most comprehensive one-day tour. Boarding at Old Faithful Inn, this tour covers the entire 142-mile Grand Loop Road with efficiency across one very full day. Stops are limited, but include Old Faithful, Lake Yellowstone Hotel, the Upper and Lower Falls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Canyon Village, Mammoth Hot Springs, Fountain Paint Pots, and wildlife and other spots as time permits. Your driver-guide will describe and illuminate all these wonders, as well as those that the tour cannot take the time to enjoy in an effort to whet your appetite to return and spend many more days enjoying the wonders of the world’s first national park. For all that it is possible to see in this short a time, come join us on Yellowstone In A Day.</i></blockquote>
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At times, Yellowstone almost seems other-worldly, as an alien planet in a science fiction movie. Other times it's just amazingly tranquil. At every stop there's something different to see, from downed trees from a fire to bison to geysers to brilliantly colored pools of boiling water. Nature at its finest.<br />
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Here's a rough time frame as to when we hit each of the stops:<br />
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0850<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Kepler Cascades<br />
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0950<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Lake Yellowstone Hotel</div>
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1030<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Dragon's Mouth Mud Volcano<br />
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1050<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Sulfur Cauldron<br />
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1120<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Upper Falls<br />
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1140<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Artist Point<br />
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1215<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Canyon Village (lunch)<br />
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1400<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Tower Falls<br />
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1500<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Mammoth<br />
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1530<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Mammoth Hot Springs<br />
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1745<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Fountain Paint Pots<br />
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Lunch is included in this tour, but not dinner. The trip starts and ends at Old Faithful Inn, so that's where I made a reservation for dinner (you get either 6-8pm or 8-10pm), I opted for the later one so I could catch a full eruption of Old Faithful at 6:50pm and 7:49pm - the times are posted daily at the front desk.</div>
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Went back to the hotel in West Yellowstone after dinner. Unfortunately I didn't take my Garmin GPS with me to track my whole route on site, but it was basically a big circle going counterclockwise from there. Old Faithful and the lodge are at lower left, at the red pin. We went south past the lake, then north. Tower Falls is at the top right green pin, and Mammoth Hot Springs is at the upper left where the white road meets US 89. The green pin at far left is West Yellowstone just outside the park. The rest of the blue track inside the park is tomorrow's ride.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5XLHaEJMEccR7tMbK4Qjh78idxTvIiwwVvvKndiP5Uba4SJxF8iiEphA83OEO8-NUifCMtHHey2I0LpSqeJZCoLW20ajhQApcFnuIMsE1vOk7LaXlNV5Y8z_TXl4m2fyOO5y7ZmNJ7vk/s1600/Image3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="623" data-original-width="738" height="537" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5XLHaEJMEccR7tMbK4Qjh78idxTvIiwwVvvKndiP5Uba4SJxF8iiEphA83OEO8-NUifCMtHHey2I0LpSqeJZCoLW20ajhQApcFnuIMsE1vOk7LaXlNV5Y8z_TXl4m2fyOO5y7ZmNJ7vk/s640/Image3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15001530336692435773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2858334190841634070.post-86993627261346470872019-01-06T17:38:00.000-06:002020-08-31T22:50:44.300-05:00Rockies and Great Plains roadtrip, 2015 part 1: Salt Lake City to YellowstoneSaturday, July 25, 2015.<br />
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TL;DR version: fly into Salt Lake City, rent a car, quick tour of the LDS Temple, drive north into Idaho, detour to see Craters of the Moon, drive up to West Yellowstone for the night.<br />
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Today's theme songs:
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<ul>
<li>"Rocky Mountain Way" (Joe Walsh)</li>
<li>"Your Own Private Idaho" (B-52's)</li>
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Weather report: <span style="text-indent: -24px;">sunny in Salt Lake City for my plane to land, sunny for the drive, low of 36 in Yellowstone.</span><br />
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<a name='more'></a>Arrived in SLC around 10am, picked up my rental car. I had booked through Fox, after a lot of research figuring out where I wanted to start, go through, and end. Originally I wanted to fly to Chicago out of South Dakota, but the rental prices were expensive. I found that Fox had a deal - I typically only use them in Southern California - of picking up in Salt Lake City and dropping off in Denver that was relatively cheap, about $350 less than any other option, plus it made my air fare a lot cheaper. So that meant I had to drive 6 hours south to Denver from my last stop.
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I figured that since downtown Salt Lake City and the Temple were so close to the airport, I should have a look around before heading north.<br />
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The Temple is an amazing looking building from the outside, physically imposing but not overwhelming. I spent about an hour or so on the grounds outside, looking at literally a couple dozen wedding parties having their pictures taken with the temple as the backdrop. Wasn't sure if that was because it was a Saturday, or summer, or if that's just how it is there. I went into the Visitor's Center because I wasn't allowed inside of the temple itself, they told me that only LDS members were allowed in. Oh well.
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Didn't want to stay TOO long, it was lunchtime (I got to stop at In-N-Out! But Whataburger is still better.) and I needed to get on the road in order to be able to see stuff in the daytime. In late July, at least the sun is up late.</div>
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From Salt Lake, I had to choose between two options to get to my hotel in West Yellowstone, just across the western border of Idaho from the park itself.</div>
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<li style="text-align: left;">Route A - the western route, take I-15 north into Idaho to Idaho Falls, then get on US 20 North/East up to West Yellowstone. That route I calculated using Google Maps to be 3:24 and 440 miles. </li>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">Option A1 would have me detour at Blackfoot, past Pocatello, and take US 26 South/West to <a href="http://www.nps.gov/crmo/index.htm">Craters of the Moon National Park</a>, adding 143 miles and 2:38 of driving. At the end is a <a href="ohttp://www.nps.gov/crmo/planyourvisit/loop-road.htm">7-mile loop road</a> that takes about an hour (with stops for pictures). Apparently this was so moon-like that during the 1960s the Apollo astronauts supposedly did some training there.</li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">Route B - the eastern route, take I-80 east out of SLC into Wyoming, and then take US 89 through Jackson Hole into Grand Teton National Park, coming into Yellowstone from the south, and then driving through the southwest corner of the park to get to West Yellowstone.</li>
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I ended up going Route A1, rationalizing that I'd see lots of mountains elsewhere in the trip, but Craters of the Moon is unique enough to warrant a stop (even if it's out of the way). Here's my GPS map.</div>
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Getting out of SLC into Idaho turned flat and boring pretty quickly. I stopped for a picture at the rest stop and felt like I was living in my own private Idaho. I left around 12:30 and didn't hit the border til after 3pm.</div>
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Heading up US 26 towards Craters, I was hoping for something more from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_City,_Idaho">Atomic City</a>, population 29, but it's just one bar and one store. I would have stopped for a beer but I didn't want to take the chance that an overeager cop would want to stop me after leaving the bar. Passed through at 5:20pm.
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From Atomic City, it was nearly another hour to get to the Craters park. The visitor's center closed at 6, which meant that there was nobody to collect the $7 admission fees to go in (I paid on the honor system, the National Park System is worth paying for). At the center where I stopped to take some pictures, I noticed that there were a bunch of motorcycle riders being tourists as well, and then I realized I had noticed them a lot in the area. I talked to them and found out that this was the week before the big bike rally at Sturgis SD, and a lot of bikers take that time to tour around the mountains. Sturgis is just a few miles from Deadwood, where I plan to be on Wednesday (the rally starts Friday).</div>
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Craters of the Moon National Park is basically a giant lava field, and lava does some weird stuff when it comes out. The loop takes you around various different types of lava flows, from various ages, and points out some interesting structures. It did take about an hour to do the loop, including photo stops and trips up and down the hills. Fascinating place, even though it was way out of the way it was worth it for the stop.</div>
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Then I had to basically backtrack my route to get back on to I-15 at Idaho Falls. Stopped for gas and dinner in Idaho Falls just before 9 - it was still light out. I asked at the gas station for some recommendations for some good food in town that wasn't a chain (for all I knew, they'd consider Applebees to be the best place). I got a recommendation but it turned out to be for a restaurant that was closing at 9pm, so I asked a few people coming out where they would suggest that was in the direction I was going. They recommended <a href="http://mitchellsrestaurant-idaho.com/">Mitchell's Home-Style Cooking</a>, and I figured that sounded definitely like not a chain. Had an open face roast beef sandwich (which I caught a lot of shit for when I posted the picture - that's brown gravy, not chocolate pudding or motor oil) and an apple pie.</div>
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West Yellowstone is about 2 hours north of Idaho Falls (the green pin at top right). </div>
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It's about 45 miles west of the main lodge meeting places inside Yellowstone, but (a) there are a lot more rooms there, (b) they're cheaper, and (c) they're available. Staying there adds to the travel time but it's best if you're on a budget, as the on-site hotels can be pricey. I found a good room for a good price at the <a href="http://www.madisonhotelmotel.com/">Madison Hotel</a>, no complaints and I'd stay there again. Because I was checking in so late, I had to call from Idaho Falls and arrange with them to leave me a key and I'd settle the bill and check in in the morning.</div>
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Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15001530336692435773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2858334190841634070.post-63152749390235382872019-01-02T23:49:00.000-06:002020-08-31T22:50:44.299-05:00Rockies and Great Plains road trip, 2015 (intro)Back in 2011, I was going to be laid off in mid-year and so I put together a cross-country road trip that would hit 10 of the 11 states that I still had not visited (Alaska was not feasible on this trip). My final plan was that I was going to drive over 4300 miles from Houston to Salt Lake City, UT (new state #1), and then hit in order Idaho (#2), Oregon (#3), Montana (#4), Wyoming (#5), North Dakota (#6), South Dakota (#7), Minnesota (#8), Iowa (#9), and Nebraska (#10) before driving south back to Houston. That would have taken me over 4300 miles and at least a good 3 weeks of leisurely driving and stopping wherever I wanted to (but no deadlines).<br />
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Originally, I wanted to fly into Portland, Oregon, then get Idaho on the way to Utah, then go up to Yellowstone in Wyoming, ("D" on the map below) flying home from Sioux City, Iowa, but the rental companies wanted about $2000 for that itinerary, to which I said "I can buy a cheap used car for that much". That's when I added my drives from and to Houston and rerouted Oregon. This is what I came up with:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9g2oStYB_Bk0L7l3RHQ_R-Fov-NqEgJm1IeDuSzje3Dzm828gnX_2dJJ-Gvgpkg3sk98D7io2ET2PoR_451f7lIvlN5bQFBHM-Pw1tTcs8XSB_UV3oIEF2Mjhje_myJy4wJkuWxNzuq4/s1600/Image17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="892" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9g2oStYB_Bk0L7l3RHQ_R-Fov-NqEgJm1IeDuSzje3Dzm828gnX_2dJJ-Gvgpkg3sk98D7io2ET2PoR_451f7lIvlN5bQFBHM-Pw1tTcs8XSB_UV3oIEF2Mjhje_myJy4wJkuWxNzuq4/s640/Image17.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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But then I decided to think bigger, and planned <a href="http://eurotour11.blogspot.com/2011/03/lets-see-whats-out-there.html">travel in Europe instead</a>. I kept this plan in my back pocket in case I could ever use it again.<br />
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Cut to summer 2015, I've got a new job, and nothing at work the week before my cousin's wedding in Chicago, so I dusted off my plans to see what would fit into the time frame of leaving Houston on Saturday morning and getting into Chicago late Thursday night. That left me just five nights to plan, way less than I'd need for the grand tour, so I had to make cuts to the west (the drive to Utah and stop in Oregon) and east (the drive across South Dakota to Minnesota and Iowa, then the drive home). Still got me 7 new states.<br />
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New plan, with the map below:<br />
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<li><b>Saturday </b>- fly into Salt Lake City ("A"), Utah (#1), and drive through Idaho (#2) with a stop in Craters of the Moon National Park ("B") to get to Yellowstone for the night</li>
<li><b>Sunday, Monday</b> - Yellowstone ("C") in Wyoming (#3)</li>
<li><b>Tuesday </b>- drive through Wyoming and across Montana (#4) to a tiny sliver of North Dakota (#5), then into South Dakota (#6), with a detour back into Wyoming for Devil's Tower ("D") and spend the night in Deadwood, after a LONG day of driving</li>
<li><b>Wednesday </b>- see Deadwood ("E") and the Badlands ("F"), stay near Mt Rushmore</li>
<li><b>Thursday </b>- see Mt Rushmore ("G"), drive south through Nebraska (#7) into Denver ("H"), fly to Chicago</li>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1eC8_2U_5Iq8UIHiK7osBlY6104g&usp=sharing">Click here</a> to zoom in on the map.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Kn84h1bsfLV6vY8fGIrsAleeppejKYVe9i6nJx41ibjoAMEjC9taY0f-xOb-KS9X-pP-ao9nC6lhnrNhTSRXQge1l-aTFoGxPaoI0g6nbmz4Mc0u8N87LbgPi9DYbXAilhKY5JtiqZk/s1600/Image18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="1006" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Kn84h1bsfLV6vY8fGIrsAleeppejKYVe9i6nJx41ibjoAMEjC9taY0f-xOb-KS9X-pP-ao9nC6lhnrNhTSRXQge1l-aTFoGxPaoI0g6nbmz4Mc0u8N87LbgPi9DYbXAilhKY5JtiqZk/s640/Image18.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I tried looking at driving to Sioux City IA or Sioux Falls SD to the east to fly to Chicago (which would allow me to be in Minnesota and Iowa), but the rental car companies wanted way too much money for the rental on that route. Even flying out of Rapid City SD was $350 more than driving to Denver and leaving out of there, so that's why I drove from Mt Rushmore to Denver to fly to Chicago (and that still got me Nebraska).<br />
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I ended up hitting Oregon on a later trip, and I'll save Minnesota, Iowa, and Alaska for another time Those are my last 3 states, but I don't foresee putting together a single trip that has all three.<br />
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The next 5 parts will be one for each bullet point above.Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15001530336692435773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2858334190841634070.post-36518842326194891142018-12-31T17:10:00.003-06:002018-12-31T17:22:43.242-06:00Las Vegas, 1993 (part 2: nighttime)Part 2 of my January 1993 trip to Vegas, my first. I was there over Super Bowl weekend. Part 1 shows my ride up the Strip to downtown and back, during the daytime; this is the nighttime stuff. I arrived the day after the Dunes casino closed, spent one night at the new Excalibur, then spent one day driving out to the Grand Canyon (seeing the Hoover Dam and getting in after sunset) and one day at the Canyon itself, leaving after dark for the drive back to Vegas where I checked in to the Lady Luck downtown (part of a package) on Friday night for 3 nights. I had all day Saturday and most of Sunday to spend, then watched the Super Bowl in a giant event room at the Sahara, flying home on Monday.<br />
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Unfortunately the video isn't that great, this is an 8mm video tape converted to VHS converted to digital. I did some screen captures of the video, and below you can see them matched up with what it looks like in 2018 through the magic of Google Maps.<br />
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Thanks to <a href="http://vintagelasvegas.com/">Vintage Las Vegas</a> for the dates and IDs of some of the old properties.<br />
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This video starts in my rental car along Tropicana, headed towards Las Vegas Blvd from the airport, goes up the Strip to downtown and back during the daytime. The pictures on this page cover starting at 16:35 of the video and then again at 31:53. (Note that the video has no audio, I had to strip it out due to the car radio being on.) Downtown Las Vegas on Fremont Street is eerily quiet at 2 or 3am, with no foot or car traffic. How much has changed!<br />
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Notice the Dunes on the left is dark, it had closed the day before I got there.</div>
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I took these videos while I was staying downtown at the Lady Luck (now the Downtown Grand). It was probably about 2 or 3am, no foot traffic and no cars downtown. Compare to the Fremont Street Experience now. Fitzgerald's is now The D.</div>
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<br />Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15001530336692435773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2858334190841634070.post-57722556387186334922018-12-09T17:55:00.002-06:002018-12-31T15:36:10.228-06:00Las Vegas, 1993 (part 1: daytime)In late 1992, I booked a trip to Las Vegas for the upcoming 1993 Super Bowl weekend because I had a free ticket on Continental that I had to use by the end of February, and I had never been to Vegas before. I had my travel agent book me a package deal for flight and hotel, and that's how I ended up at the Lady Luck downtown that weekend. I had borrowed a friend's VCR camera and filmed a ride up the Las Vegas Strip into downtown, then recently transferred it to digital (though unfortunately still at bad VHS quality). I did some screen captures of the video, and below you can see them matched up with what it looks like in 2018 through the magic of Google Maps.<br />
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I got to Vegas a few days early, spent one night at the brand-new Excalibur, spent the next day driving out to the Grand Canyon via the Hoover Dam. Got there after dark, saw the Canyon the next day, then drove back to Vegas after dinner. Then I had 3 nights at the Lady Luck. Rewatching this video recently astounded me as to how much the Strip had changed, and as I started going there regularly in the mid-90s I noticed the new casino construction but never really thought about what had been demolished in the previous year.
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Thanks to <a href="http://vintagelasvegas.com/">Vintage Las Vegas</a> for the dates and IDs of some of the old properties.<br />
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This video starts in my rental car along Tropicana, headed towards Las Vegas Blvd from the airport, and passing by the Liberace Museum. The pictures on this page cover the first 12:45 of the video. (Note that the video has no audio, I had to strip it out due to the car radio being on.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMeI4zzUOzgrY1ivYOaDX701c8IF1h84YthaAy1x2s7XnzQbFl4baL72S4LhtqpqMu49W_Fh8NyWmOrMG6lmbqzgx7T50S4g2f9mPlXTRZZj_cUwOb_gqa3HiQhX_7SBc_crM_SeXWlOE/s1600/Image1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMeI4zzUOzgrY1ivYOaDX701c8IF1h84YthaAy1x2s7XnzQbFl4baL72S4LhtqpqMu49W_Fh8NyWmOrMG6lmbqzgx7T50S4g2f9mPlXTRZZj_cUwOb_gqa3HiQhX_7SBc_crM_SeXWlOE/s640/Image1.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy2OpA-zI6vF9PjyOj_AUkHRd92h3o60g5xBg83DrsotC-rDq-5bFRFXH7UR_Loyw54SgiArauNis1joSb-3QpvKRVg_pgwzO57YRytPsU-8R02wKjs-OETpKm9XuDufK2nwP6F9tWo7w/s1600/Image1g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="1366" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy2OpA-zI6vF9PjyOj_AUkHRd92h3o60g5xBg83DrsotC-rDq-5bFRFXH7UR_Loyw54SgiArauNis1joSb-3QpvKRVg_pgwzO57YRytPsU-8R02wKjs-OETpKm9XuDufK2nwP6F9tWo7w/s640/Image1g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Corner of Tropicana and Las Vegas Blvd
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhopCIhI2qK2CWpDOiNTdZ2qcmW8gQI9iCHUxZfEbCU_zcFGI9B_Fafe1jq3f5W2N8B6vtyMdCgc1qBiDPZVDltr0bnIrwOltSGUzW5IH9UUN3tLevq-y_w0dIg6ffE12olk6xhxitIpec/s1600/Image2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhopCIhI2qK2CWpDOiNTdZ2qcmW8gQI9iCHUxZfEbCU_zcFGI9B_Fafe1jq3f5W2N8B6vtyMdCgc1qBiDPZVDltr0bnIrwOltSGUzW5IH9UUN3tLevq-y_w0dIg6ffE12olk6xhxitIpec/s640/Image2.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBruzvhXGnbX-ujf2dyHvhk3zlBp-4n940CQhSkanJ-7tN4AM2gafkFRvob9s88ffCmwvpsFLzYNBuUT7MTLIzHFSBbxx25VT8oORPGYo1rhrUmilkleeddxXBbo0_lPLbLE_mlSRLOKo/s1600/Image2g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="1366" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBruzvhXGnbX-ujf2dyHvhk3zlBp-4n940CQhSkanJ-7tN4AM2gafkFRvob9s88ffCmwvpsFLzYNBuUT7MTLIzHFSBbxx25VT8oORPGYo1rhrUmilkleeddxXBbo0_lPLbLE_mlSRLOKo/s640/Image2g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Up at the corner, there's an empty weed-filled lot where New York New York would eventually be built in 1997, and a construction fence on the northeast corner urging visitors to "Watch Us Roar in '94" as the new MGM Grand will stand.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPNrqsKpkv6z2J_elRyEgkBSecz5OIGjKErgEscuMZiBPTmD5DZRlX6hP6CWDvzo_LxLYz6uKiP2HDkIGFwgdF4LzP_sSilkCNjFaqK743S6pv6rkpLjRfVvBOowD0x2fuuBq8BzkJKcE/s1600/Image3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPNrqsKpkv6z2J_elRyEgkBSecz5OIGjKErgEscuMZiBPTmD5DZRlX6hP6CWDvzo_LxLYz6uKiP2HDkIGFwgdF4LzP_sSilkCNjFaqK743S6pv6rkpLjRfVvBOowD0x2fuuBq8BzkJKcE/s640/Image3.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyFgjNrH4P-CN8KxDJ7ocnZKr_FUnW07l6JYftsdWMra1ak27jwes7nGz4-VPu1-ZFEhp0fxcRiV3d5KeyqoDgHacvwdy71gtt6fGOvlbD48eEEmdwUDkbvH09DAvobo2BBj3KYbPeYPY/s1600/Image3g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="1366" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyFgjNrH4P-CN8KxDJ7ocnZKr_FUnW07l6JYftsdWMra1ak27jwes7nGz4-VPu1-ZFEhp0fxcRiV3d5KeyqoDgHacvwdy71gtt6fGOvlbD48eEEmdwUDkbvH09DAvobo2BBj3KYbPeYPY/s640/Image3g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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That looks like the same utility pole still there!
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigo0JthzZY-6aNg1m_vxBOooqO5Ok1d2bPbPRD9p7UfaSobZxWYjUTwfhjfM8MNQn-02moVbk9TNppSaDatXiTaXe-OfCPoo0Lu-fuci42bhs_3wWwbnn9XvYAqFTIs4vV63XhwbeDZa8/s1600/Image4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigo0JthzZY-6aNg1m_vxBOooqO5Ok1d2bPbPRD9p7UfaSobZxWYjUTwfhjfM8MNQn-02moVbk9TNppSaDatXiTaXe-OfCPoo0Lu-fuci42bhs_3wWwbnn9XvYAqFTIs4vV63XhwbeDZa8/s640/Image4.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeFUKblDrq3UO-VNBtgFaxLfLwyH92RR4te35YWfVtNhS7qQGe2oZe4xjrgu3cHZK28R31U7ZLgLhE1qTw8zof9Fig51AsUnzosshz0y5uWV5DOgkhS83LgfpQuCOhxEaawUe4ingPGI0/s1600/Image4g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="1366" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeFUKblDrq3UO-VNBtgFaxLfLwyH92RR4te35YWfVtNhS7qQGe2oZe4xjrgu3cHZK28R31U7ZLgLhE1qTw8zof9Fig51AsUnzosshz0y5uWV5DOgkhS83LgfpQuCOhxEaawUe4ingPGI0/s640/Image4g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Denny's is still at the same location, just a different building. The Full Moon (RIP 1995) is where the movie theater is now.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlm6QpLzmO96cdyBkra7cPhjZvpwuRb9f654472iwTIswj3NwTlRrGLyIPUX_OoYcdZG5z6tfX57Ak3m9WiQvUPkeTddLxO2fyoAwwSw-qBCJ5yF7pBr02CsMq_Du6Yrftl0kcyOFAMaQ/s1600/Image5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlm6QpLzmO96cdyBkra7cPhjZvpwuRb9f654472iwTIswj3NwTlRrGLyIPUX_OoYcdZG5z6tfX57Ak3m9WiQvUPkeTddLxO2fyoAwwSw-qBCJ5yF7pBr02CsMq_Du6Yrftl0kcyOFAMaQ/s640/Image5.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0DNugcpwQBt94oOoeioEGx40UiDTKsVdk4-Mje5eJXIWl7GegJ4s8_U9hi7Lqwez9pB4CzR-D2XO9wEs1QokzJ3_PBTwPa0FM6aeHHlzoPvLLNfYEM9E-LOxLBRHDtAmAR-KllTQ3BE/s1600/Image5g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="1366" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0DNugcpwQBt94oOoeioEGx40UiDTKsVdk4-Mje5eJXIWl7GegJ4s8_U9hi7Lqwez9pB4CzR-D2XO9wEs1QokzJ3_PBTwPa0FM6aeHHlzoPvLLNfYEM9E-LOxLBRHDtAmAR-KllTQ3BE/s640/Image5g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Travelodge is still there, but not the Tahiti (gone in 1995).
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggxl-B73U_qog-RCTw-Lh8TCovqKCJeefg2eIdLVjDBFz1cNiyT6BxcSkH7sVIYCpbhqnW4tBXYpx-BJMnOOGNuNYFQpIhtXVm2LZCzyBWsIdKkfk-sM0FLUrlMZphGNTuKpQQMNyJ9v4/s1600/Image7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggxl-B73U_qog-RCTw-Lh8TCovqKCJeefg2eIdLVjDBFz1cNiyT6BxcSkH7sVIYCpbhqnW4tBXYpx-BJMnOOGNuNYFQpIhtXVm2LZCzyBWsIdKkfk-sM0FLUrlMZphGNTuKpQQMNyJ9v4/s640/Image7.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLYeBYp5tNXceUnInynJM5o-HigHYMQWhBJ2JQOdcEukaEOQyreiXRGYE1B4atyDaWFQQYc_FJe0sBVr3JwRdTB-MKEEsZ8KAoixfF3b_CGeF05MOemGKBBFdiBa5znnVIBJZAFuXHK8/s1600/Image7g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="1366" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLYeBYp5tNXceUnInynJM5o-HigHYMQWhBJ2JQOdcEukaEOQyreiXRGYE1B4atyDaWFQQYc_FJe0sBVr3JwRdTB-MKEEsZ8KAoixfF3b_CGeF05MOemGKBBFdiBa5znnVIBJZAFuXHK8/s640/Image7g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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The old Aladdin was torn down in 1997 to make way for the new Aladdin which opened in 2000, but that failed and it was turned into the Planet Hollywood in 2007.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjye-6Nf8Es40W9R1zVUVVl_Xi6eoY3K5Ft4CbR3wlFCDlVmERXcWetChSP5ACT438DDvfl-vCNTJEn-yAwIP2yrJdQmqm0QVRZdcXmfI4SUa4kcjcz1YxZbZD7S7gF38WvP6BZtYD_Ax8/s1600/Image8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjye-6Nf8Es40W9R1zVUVVl_Xi6eoY3K5Ft4CbR3wlFCDlVmERXcWetChSP5ACT438DDvfl-vCNTJEn-yAwIP2yrJdQmqm0QVRZdcXmfI4SUa4kcjcz1YxZbZD7S7gF38WvP6BZtYD_Ax8/s640/Image8.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2q6uUDwZVQci2K8sZyer1EoGJPjcL5gb5HIq840kvMYGq3jSKWkpBCZrMzyoBxHoo2XH9hakNNotohXsp_5i21aG0sxGIVmqfe92xooHV6f6gHf7bkfePO9oB8e3VM5CqNCBqGuh_KNY/s1600/Image8g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="1366" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2q6uUDwZVQci2K8sZyer1EoGJPjcL5gb5HIq840kvMYGq3jSKWkpBCZrMzyoBxHoo2XH9hakNNotohXsp_5i21aG0sxGIVmqfe92xooHV6f6gHf7bkfePO9oB8e3VM5CqNCBqGuh_KNY/s640/Image8g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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The Dunes on the left, with Bally's, Barbary Coast, and Flamingo Hilton on the right. The Dunes closed literally the day before I got to Vegas, and the Bellagio is there now.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzwFPxu98AI0IHrNDVw29_5pqLqSi6iKdI3ZPFSBoe77z_RnsS0dpMJ2dXe7oU6AfP0Lpcs3chMNPKbDpJW42rQISQEJUTRRZOpW8B6HXsCSeBHf44q3E_DgApjho7W6g7rHCLZvAAsU/s1600/Image9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzwFPxu98AI0IHrNDVw29_5pqLqSi6iKdI3ZPFSBoe77z_RnsS0dpMJ2dXe7oU6AfP0Lpcs3chMNPKbDpJW42rQISQEJUTRRZOpW8B6HXsCSeBHf44q3E_DgApjho7W6g7rHCLZvAAsU/s640/Image9.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtGTVeZfOfWDo7IgmfWu2ZDNbaS4_hHAX_QyUIjFUzCyz4sWb2zWVtTBwztcsMX09g2cO6l0wMfUrE_mrMmcZY53A4U8m0qWX6c-XITtqLkeEgsXstA456UECAqqK-9GINRMyoCEU5v34/s1600/Image9g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="1366" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtGTVeZfOfWDo7IgmfWu2ZDNbaS4_hHAX_QyUIjFUzCyz4sWb2zWVtTBwztcsMX09g2cO6l0wMfUrE_mrMmcZY53A4U8m0qWX6c-XITtqLkeEgsXstA456UECAqqK-9GINRMyoCEU5v34/s640/Image9g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqbj9BfpQFU4rA5JE8FZvSOGk_xfLTMSBmA0MJ9MejXZc5NlYyYT_hP3J0Owt0hk99gGW6CoWoxLIl2FMkEMecg_HPHapDej5Jw9ORIQXJpFETuwKWjmXc4ohNO3YEDS3j8tWBpoR51MQ/s1600/Image10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqbj9BfpQFU4rA5JE8FZvSOGk_xfLTMSBmA0MJ9MejXZc5NlYyYT_hP3J0Owt0hk99gGW6CoWoxLIl2FMkEMecg_HPHapDej5Jw9ORIQXJpFETuwKWjmXc4ohNO3YEDS3j8tWBpoR51MQ/s640/Image10.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF84ml5BduLnQsASERS9Jl6JAp0H42qUegOO1T5rkA8afkJ0_rdvyOD5ExbEdtnAYA9qzP48nypnkxWrhtasZwHHkAoAyS3n2cIuYz1B9C35A-pX_xfcKobR-OAtkUGPxjXIeq3lKCvXM/s1600/Image10g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="1366" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF84ml5BduLnQsASERS9Jl6JAp0H42qUegOO1T5rkA8afkJ0_rdvyOD5ExbEdtnAYA9qzP48nypnkxWrhtasZwHHkAoAyS3n2cIuYz1B9C35A-pX_xfcKobR-OAtkUGPxjXIeq3lKCvXM/s640/Image10g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Barbary Coast and the Flamingo Hilton, now The Cromwell and The Flamingo.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4kLuRzkZR8B9RIEVQOjqzSbpnBHZHoi3Wdhf91eMbHPOlgErsgCIebo6-rTKrUYm6ptqWHIarXb_fZDYlpiTfwqLV2DiWHxUHYv2IaDLpOLWdMRoS2blny_1j-H85QQmdCNk3JjRMeE/s1600/Image11-12-13_stitch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="1518" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4kLuRzkZR8B9RIEVQOjqzSbpnBHZHoi3Wdhf91eMbHPOlgErsgCIebo6-rTKrUYm6ptqWHIarXb_fZDYlpiTfwqLV2DiWHxUHYv2IaDLpOLWdMRoS2blny_1j-H85QQmdCNk3JjRMeE/s640/Image11-12-13_stitch.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOQImLHB-x8Ou0EBnMqibcjMlVXKbbG5tDc0omS8RTsW_9xY-JJrsyKftNA3LHcztKXwbJ625y0MPy-u5HFE8OoQ_33QQqNlCqrgJKBHsD8gPV0lxTs_Xblmf1nfNe6NdmPofwOB4mMz0/s1600/Image13g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="1366" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOQImLHB-x8Ou0EBnMqibcjMlVXKbbG5tDc0omS8RTsW_9xY-JJrsyKftNA3LHcztKXwbJ625y0MPy-u5HFE8OoQ_33QQqNlCqrgJKBHsD8gPV0lxTs_Xblmf1nfNe6NdmPofwOB4mMz0/s640/Image13g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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The Dunes is dark, having closed the day before.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINigSQ22CcowhtSg4DJA481HBXhHcjvqq1CuMghFYP-HtJUu-nAlMzKrU8dX056lu0PFu-KCfLq2zaAc_8sDcjhjiOuLbyqEgF5a553aIBHdcjiJt7ZQPWcPyB_j7BkxO3F3o2ABCYpc/s1600/Image14.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINigSQ22CcowhtSg4DJA481HBXhHcjvqq1CuMghFYP-HtJUu-nAlMzKrU8dX056lu0PFu-KCfLq2zaAc_8sDcjhjiOuLbyqEgF5a553aIBHdcjiJt7ZQPWcPyB_j7BkxO3F3o2ABCYpc/s640/Image14.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rsFP6m3AWBKKCSLmyu-x0Mov37HKZHdSS7Yn5GUvVKiGF3Hb-luxVwGzZZXEa5zXnF4Q2miTjBRyrCFzYUGhk37PQ3uC9cRuUoohZeoq8zzs0I4snkaU0sALY0xSr3OkXCAgy6SILDQ/s1600/Image14g.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="1366" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rsFP6m3AWBKKCSLmyu-x0Mov37HKZHdSS7Yn5GUvVKiGF3Hb-luxVwGzZZXEa5zXnF4Q2miTjBRyrCFzYUGhk37PQ3uC9cRuUoohZeoq8zzs0I4snkaU0sALY0xSr3OkXCAgy6SILDQ/s640/Image14g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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It stopped being the Flamingo Hilton in 2000.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZSBBijuG7RC8DE2C225-itzDFPrtIgEZ2z2xLMeNxQ1o8LqMe2Cvmayb4rb5_tkejEZ4AC3ukF-eWKMfVrzoaDFuyBVOCM38LJaPUeu0oNEGs7ZJSUmgC13ImL6AV6hY-_18dp42uX_U/s1600/Image15.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZSBBijuG7RC8DE2C225-itzDFPrtIgEZ2z2xLMeNxQ1o8LqMe2Cvmayb4rb5_tkejEZ4AC3ukF-eWKMfVrzoaDFuyBVOCM38LJaPUeu0oNEGs7ZJSUmgC13ImL6AV6hY-_18dp42uX_U/s640/Image15.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfCNVQjYuZXdiXAwk9a7_2Vn6kQXkfzLp5iKDOKTOjA8e7etBOyxpQs8ySENpllhcC4jpzwAoI77hThuLjUD-zYL85naJvjDLl2PODzB5fSAp-H-uLngKONTzC6nzP6uTb5TXxcx7cHiM/s1600/Image15g.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="1366" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfCNVQjYuZXdiXAwk9a7_2Vn6kQXkfzLp5iKDOKTOjA8e7etBOyxpQs8ySENpllhcC4jpzwAoI77hThuLjUD-zYL85naJvjDLl2PODzB5fSAp-H-uLngKONTzC6nzP6uTb5TXxcx7cHiM/s640/Image15g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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The Imperial Palace behind O'Shea's, which was demolished to make way for the expansion of the LINQ after the IP was remade.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZALBfCcwE9ehfNXJFMYpackWFTA_gUOkAVI3oq-2dFkGfYlYCw7utr4Njh74gtlS2Dl3ygFss8OGXiVs-cM1a1WPg7VzXF2JRi1zKtA37pjBg_fVr2nEWhcmBqBIwanjzFRqzRvhvmOI/s1600/Image16.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZALBfCcwE9ehfNXJFMYpackWFTA_gUOkAVI3oq-2dFkGfYlYCw7utr4Njh74gtlS2Dl3ygFss8OGXiVs-cM1a1WPg7VzXF2JRi1zKtA37pjBg_fVr2nEWhcmBqBIwanjzFRqzRvhvmOI/s640/Image16.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMzzlf5qMA6mk0opTdYdkI1OrbuJ71a7H4XUOfo1T6KbZh_Kh6feYZzGZzQWZIrlqV87kGsdQf9ZhwkD6veQWOo637DvjZ9QzzjK_qU4FlFhfeEk8b8SGpZqAm4KfUCTJkFxJkBYUGoQ4/s1600/Image16g.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="1366" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMzzlf5qMA6mk0opTdYdkI1OrbuJ71a7H4XUOfo1T6KbZh_Kh6feYZzGZzQWZIrlqV87kGsdQf9ZhwkD6veQWOo637DvjZ9QzzjK_qU4FlFhfeEk8b8SGpZqAm4KfUCTJkFxJkBYUGoQ4/s640/Image16g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Harrah's looked like a riverboat in 1993 on the right, while Treasure Island straight ahead was still being built.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttIZwHdUbc5RqQUuOyTxAjVq9GuJZK9IoCHw0n7C4BXUFg5EwO3tpLM9UlhedhDQriEl8NnWlGts2sE0tqh7rVV0qT3agNtzNsZ1KztuHP7jp7D6zgzA-a1R1AoqsTEzSjPsVpAv7l1s/s1600/Image17.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttIZwHdUbc5RqQUuOyTxAjVq9GuJZK9IoCHw0n7C4BXUFg5EwO3tpLM9UlhedhDQriEl8NnWlGts2sE0tqh7rVV0qT3agNtzNsZ1KztuHP7jp7D6zgzA-a1R1AoqsTEzSjPsVpAv7l1s/s640/Image17.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNV4OKZdJ0h6PRTbXRgk-D0022mo9FwA7pwHEqDZ1Xb1XFG0H53kYtKci7ZotUu3tJ1IYu5y2n3J_4WiuMDMcg8OBxQtg-lLTqpRJOmgoh5eEbvi9B6osNYhB6ALQKLjUZ7PfnsGgXndE/s1600/Image17g.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="1366" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNV4OKZdJ0h6PRTbXRgk-D0022mo9FwA7pwHEqDZ1Xb1XFG0H53kYtKci7ZotUu3tJ1IYu5y2n3J_4WiuMDMcg8OBxQtg-lLTqpRJOmgoh5eEbvi9B6osNYhB6ALQKLjUZ7PfnsGgXndE/s640/Image17g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW22BXVlka_0EtgCaifOJEgXSUtTmS5_0U82OQTVuAC9uK_cQAQQ4bZkBX0_Axnv7G7D87l28QIfLDrt9n56WzDOjnGvdusJauweX1hqCUsgUYpD_GlMypjWbo5k5_zgguGNkTgUSkUtM/s1600/Image18.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW22BXVlka_0EtgCaifOJEgXSUtTmS5_0U82OQTVuAC9uK_cQAQQ4bZkBX0_Axnv7G7D87l28QIfLDrt9n56WzDOjnGvdusJauweX1hqCUsgUYpD_GlMypjWbo5k5_zgguGNkTgUSkUtM/s640/Image18.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisj7E3zVSI-ulo6NtASlN-yuK2TaB1KTDtLBJWyGzm4Xjv3EwtEAJL48VJz8-Oa8mghl-mWxTJkul1w3Rk7YPqHWBbOGgTCQF0zrHxky0e6l9l25RNh0R0mjuzwThXghZtdcHsfcK6EUI/s1600/Image18g.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="1366" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisj7E3zVSI-ulo6NtASlN-yuK2TaB1KTDtLBJWyGzm4Xjv3EwtEAJL48VJz8-Oa8mghl-mWxTJkul1w3Rk7YPqHWBbOGgTCQF0zrHxky0e6l9l25RNh0R0mjuzwThXghZtdcHsfcK6EUI/s640/Image18g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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The Sands was demolished in 1996 to make way for the Venetian in 1999.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgur0DdOC_lUjsqOkXcPNDUhnNaqrWOmXYnVrFFku5_RYsA6vVI2PlqHGgYunKuP9_8nFMn0HuBrHPD7pi322n21ogd-0qAfpFx9TW3NJ1YqQxM6DX0c880Mzw5B80zEWP_LHK7g-QYmsA/s1600/Image19.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgur0DdOC_lUjsqOkXcPNDUhnNaqrWOmXYnVrFFku5_RYsA6vVI2PlqHGgYunKuP9_8nFMn0HuBrHPD7pi322n21ogd-0qAfpFx9TW3NJ1YqQxM6DX0c880Mzw5B80zEWP_LHK7g-QYmsA/s640/Image19.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfyLTKW_c2TvpieO7_HpyX1VsXKcg-m5ymk4b9fAOtOR71Xhx8Vnzc-Pqrwd_Yc_u12wRo87eAVr9U7I4vJ6FnX9j_c_3duSPtwr2Eprr8XU3aSNNUVSQqfWHk33X6eTqWoILJFpHdpk8/s1600/Image19g.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="1366" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfyLTKW_c2TvpieO7_HpyX1VsXKcg-m5ymk4b9fAOtOR71Xhx8Vnzc-Pqrwd_Yc_u12wRo87eAVr9U7I4vJ6FnX9j_c_3duSPtwr2Eprr8XU3aSNNUVSQqfWHk33X6eTqWoILJFpHdpk8/s640/Image19g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uPzRkmJp_PoN0OvTPcr1lBi4qb9gDIAaj3NR48hy2QVD5Vxyu27tG3T9TKOb3ha4B23iQ53IcXoliJbYlabvDl_G_qLiuOU0o-FDooZ-UU2yiwmI8GTw6VwWvsTNKHMyvQyVcCsl2bQ/s1600/Image20.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uPzRkmJp_PoN0OvTPcr1lBi4qb9gDIAaj3NR48hy2QVD5Vxyu27tG3T9TKOb3ha4B23iQ53IcXoliJbYlabvDl_G_qLiuOU0o-FDooZ-UU2yiwmI8GTw6VwWvsTNKHMyvQyVcCsl2bQ/s640/Image20.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4zo4tBEl3gSPIe20Pdp3409cNkGGurhSnleioPCaf2zlSmI7aY3kY1FtLiahfUL5x9Z50xVX16vI60H_NV6Hxb1WWFC1jxEDCYAQCdMZz2a8QGykV3YgJD_UpGan4wdio4dEqXUCHaZo/s1600/Image20g.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="631" data-original-width="1366" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4zo4tBEl3gSPIe20Pdp3409cNkGGurhSnleioPCaf2zlSmI7aY3kY1FtLiahfUL5x9Z50xVX16vI60H_NV6Hxb1WWFC1jxEDCYAQCdMZz2a8QGykV3YgJD_UpGan4wdio4dEqXUCHaZo/s640/Image20g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYZx1GQtlgOJEqMVviq_7iWcIRGvXkaNjzER2CLwD9zeAlJFMqs4eeyxbCTC76h3e_EDfXlARIqrzS7IWqCnZ2ywb7jXds6c4tzeu596mAJ93_avEny7ySe-78o7063Ekusnu9gcCduQU/s1600/Image21.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYZx1GQtlgOJEqMVviq_7iWcIRGvXkaNjzER2CLwD9zeAlJFMqs4eeyxbCTC76h3e_EDfXlARIqrzS7IWqCnZ2ywb7jXds6c4tzeu596mAJ93_avEny7ySe-78o7063Ekusnu9gcCduQU/s640/Image21.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOtZOv-piQ5zttWGa3R3toRG8YIg3ffmD45DfBFr64iFrlKm0D_Of_4RMxfxWcN2PNUNqHFQ2ShyphenhyphenNo7KaCR7YpUnuh2DizW2Hwg-BFNTteKDt4IlPGPqeJETT08PCoynToGjIMcbVUdX8/s1600/Image21g.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="1366" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOtZOv-piQ5zttWGa3R3toRG8YIg3ffmD45DfBFr64iFrlKm0D_Of_4RMxfxWcN2PNUNqHFQ2ShyphenhyphenNo7KaCR7YpUnuh2DizW2Hwg-BFNTteKDt4IlPGPqeJETT08PCoynToGjIMcbVUdX8/s640/Image21g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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The Rosewood Grille, Tam O'Shanter, Days Inn, and the strip center used to be on the site of what's now Palazzo.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk1f8RKYT4acdw6I7Agw0TohyphenhyphenAQfLXuzxsbS1pIScRwqboBUUYsqibdEXVSjY5YApmK7xgNHvshYfwZz6DoRhZFKWBvPaZJaETaMKf8AHbsm7-DeltF8tl-31PYuHfJ1tCQOX7nascUcg/s1600/Image22.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk1f8RKYT4acdw6I7Agw0TohyphenhyphenAQfLXuzxsbS1pIScRwqboBUUYsqibdEXVSjY5YApmK7xgNHvshYfwZz6DoRhZFKWBvPaZJaETaMKf8AHbsm7-DeltF8tl-31PYuHfJ1tCQOX7nascUcg/s640/Image22.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyZ1hqnyiqI91OSKkaOtI319nikurb7Dw3b_L6IODco6Uc4eyRe5HvCx53sNxPG_3beFlJd51aW8rS23pJcCmAe30QWLNlt1JgPr8iCsH6t0cDdljwSBfvfA1WLnZNwnyDEGc9D4acdo/s1600/Image22g.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="1366" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyZ1hqnyiqI91OSKkaOtI319nikurb7Dw3b_L6IODco6Uc4eyRe5HvCx53sNxPG_3beFlJd51aW8rS23pJcCmAe30QWLNlt1JgPr8iCsH6t0cDdljwSBfvfA1WLnZNwnyDEGc9D4acdo/s640/Image22g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31B1ifgeLUTklGSphl5Uv3gB-7AuBwFeZWTN40TkgLyDgFIZDx8ck2cqiewBPt9DWG4AB5AMM6soptAH4i-jcoTp2C4_dprZE6OzM0ddRbQm-PEepC16KU5vQATHMdZMsU-CylgDupa0/s1600/Image23.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31B1ifgeLUTklGSphl5Uv3gB-7AuBwFeZWTN40TkgLyDgFIZDx8ck2cqiewBPt9DWG4AB5AMM6soptAH4i-jcoTp2C4_dprZE6OzM0ddRbQm-PEepC16KU5vQATHMdZMsU-CylgDupa0/s640/Image23.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoyDC8yckTXnRpJa98YVRN405TK6TmSdOg2Tnhv_ATc9uxQzuk3PN1Ux6Yy1IzbcFPCSP1162UsDZudDkAER3MI4qP8k3ibN_JuN_ex4jtu0R0joPxgy5xVWSX8jvba0D57KJV5KmaBQI/s1600/Image23g.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="1366" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoyDC8yckTXnRpJa98YVRN405TK6TmSdOg2Tnhv_ATc9uxQzuk3PN1Ux6Yy1IzbcFPCSP1162UsDZudDkAER3MI4qP8k3ibN_JuN_ex4jtu0R0joPxgy5xVWSX8jvba0D57KJV5KmaBQI/s640/Image23g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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The Desert Inn was demolished in 2001 to make way for the Wynn in 2005.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivs79Q1jTSQfAM292zhoy5AwJKfCXFTFFGiTBFj7cdxv1A9PsN703Oz-i_z-3nMfQg8Ugx1z8hKj0s009lkf1VYS9WtyzyrUCtke86QiF43XHwccH4TcsSPiljSdYdYZXZySf_h39KPj8/s1600/Image24.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivs79Q1jTSQfAM292zhoy5AwJKfCXFTFFGiTBFj7cdxv1A9PsN703Oz-i_z-3nMfQg8Ugx1z8hKj0s009lkf1VYS9WtyzyrUCtke86QiF43XHwccH4TcsSPiljSdYdYZXZySf_h39KPj8/s640/Image24.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYOYjfO6-HO6XCUIw4GL5peQYHYI8QkSs_BcNMN64PxGvVe1DXegbJ7Z-NyWvINJ_4dDYh5YeHhlXdQ79kRkGbwl-AvN_69wKSjWPjlZbJ3mSGCvsUhOBsRMCWEcr2hUOJ7FQYsMGxPAA/s1600/Image24g.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="1366" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYOYjfO6-HO6XCUIw4GL5peQYHYI8QkSs_BcNMN64PxGvVe1DXegbJ7Z-NyWvINJ_4dDYh5YeHhlXdQ79kRkGbwl-AvN_69wKSjWPjlZbJ3mSGCvsUhOBsRMCWEcr2hUOJ7FQYsMGxPAA/s640/Image24g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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The Monaco was demolished in 1995 and its site is now part of the Encore property.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLGw4e4YgvwZL_T5bK62ZnIDcwk76EGOS4uqqQ_hZDvWImOUAixlJqGMXpH9769i9UsG4VP6Rgw6gVybggp4QcE1eYnddszEv0naWbG9onFsF3CW1T40f1THcFBUC2TU88tFrzS1cMzjs/s1600/Image25.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLGw4e4YgvwZL_T5bK62ZnIDcwk76EGOS4uqqQ_hZDvWImOUAixlJqGMXpH9769i9UsG4VP6Rgw6gVybggp4QcE1eYnddszEv0naWbG9onFsF3CW1T40f1THcFBUC2TU88tFrzS1cMzjs/s640/Image25.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLGpyClO_iRS8Rk8V0HbXtRDHjPr9C3fxfZrkph_Oc8TTy_GlIi_B43AnCquB3aj1F7FJC6ZxZUOOqpD0ugQx3VFd8cQKzzIe7nW5xhQNW-ROTAlbBWBltDoLI-Prb29zn24RBHqZ3XpE/s1600/Image25g.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="1366" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLGpyClO_iRS8Rk8V0HbXtRDHjPr9C3fxfZrkph_Oc8TTy_GlIi_B43AnCquB3aj1F7FJC6ZxZUOOqpD0ugQx3VFd8cQKzzIe7nW5xhQNW-ROTAlbBWBltDoLI-Prb29zn24RBHqZ3XpE/s640/Image25g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Silver City Casino closed in 1999 and is now the Silver City Strip Mall.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsFTTGmwWTqITwrk0V-6DG6FIUEE9Mddxkxi55DN0ilAuL78-kGWCSOCCNH45H8MIkQc4b_CPQCUpYagU1dN3drOLVi2L-pDG3EPzY0q4wNgeRKirKypeSVQ56-4V1LlcE19Oj3-l74C0/s1600/Image26.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsFTTGmwWTqITwrk0V-6DG6FIUEE9Mddxkxi55DN0ilAuL78-kGWCSOCCNH45H8MIkQc4b_CPQCUpYagU1dN3drOLVi2L-pDG3EPzY0q4wNgeRKirKypeSVQ56-4V1LlcE19Oj3-l74C0/s640/Image26.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsSkEwKeNWQDQOq7Z3rWzIzuA3B87uJY1SZyYwWHmc8IeEy5QPhDit5lbO0w4nW5URkyHoFOzTQVEJdijOAEtKH8yHTwe7p1NXYTllPKt8WxZXmFPq3b-wL468I2rrP-zewOspTQjsxkE/s1600/Image26g.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="1366" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsSkEwKeNWQDQOq7Z3rWzIzuA3B87uJY1SZyYwWHmc8IeEy5QPhDit5lbO0w4nW5URkyHoFOzTQVEJdijOAEtKH8yHTwe7p1NXYTllPKt8WxZXmFPq3b-wL468I2rrP-zewOspTQjsxkE/s640/Image26g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAn6ygDw9JjI799Ii4wJ8iUEtLU1z2uS-oIm8Lt5Maeeh_PLbte513HUOvHUJSqi8mMenOzU_nLc41XDNvKxlH9XvpcQakie0TK2G1k9qYauRGg8MOfwvrAcQcaxgFWKEySMUMYctRI6c/s1600/Image27.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAn6ygDw9JjI799Ii4wJ8iUEtLU1z2uS-oIm8Lt5Maeeh_PLbte513HUOvHUJSqi8mMenOzU_nLc41XDNvKxlH9XvpcQakie0TK2G1k9qYauRGg8MOfwvrAcQcaxgFWKEySMUMYctRI6c/s640/Image27.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjayGmbLGU__yWER5qBMMkw51pr0gHOr5rWut7xnFXBHDkg441v0W83AFiNZsZwCocL9UfjKcVTaXqlB8Ow-48eY0eST5NH27HV4RZ1GcuIERzeaVai7yAH1KFJHQPDJi_6Fje4nwgHeFI/s1600/Image27g.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="1366" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjayGmbLGU__yWER5qBMMkw51pr0gHOr5rWut7xnFXBHDkg441v0W83AFiNZsZwCocL9UfjKcVTaXqlB8Ow-48eY0eST5NH27HV4RZ1GcuIERzeaVai7yAH1KFJHQPDJi_6Fje4nwgHeFI/s640/Image27g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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The Peppermill is still there, but the Morocco (2003), La Concha (2004), and Riviera (2015) are not.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi327NTnyYRLOS9uvjxZKWDO_Pz51FDgRYtY8rZVxvsIM31Z6BLSaIcCRXv6QxuB5XFgv3b7_IFdMab98GukjhQSCVVkvh8HZAvXy1uVQCVedjEBTuHOtxgiXCE0iwxZOEpLP-sCnUQmvs/s1600/Image28.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi327NTnyYRLOS9uvjxZKWDO_Pz51FDgRYtY8rZVxvsIM31Z6BLSaIcCRXv6QxuB5XFgv3b7_IFdMab98GukjhQSCVVkvh8HZAvXy1uVQCVedjEBTuHOtxgiXCE0iwxZOEpLP-sCnUQmvs/s640/Image28.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKC5D6w0JODRl-0lcVcdM9uQrSL0keB-hEBUGVbPU6Izfr0slfn1HAn-BH5n2qlXAzVe2hptMbBKaYluDero5iIqO6I2BdjZB2pD3U-v3rYTrHzD5-XqqrP0Rhp_eSvteMWk9qhNFSB2s/s1600/Image28g.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="1366" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKC5D6w0JODRl-0lcVcdM9uQrSL0keB-hEBUGVbPU6Izfr0slfn1HAn-BH5n2qlXAzVe2hptMbBKaYluDero5iIqO6I2BdjZB2pD3U-v3rYTrHzD5-XqqrP0Rhp_eSvteMWk9qhNFSB2s/s640/Image28g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJoddRlXJqMGDII2UnfVTON9u5LqQQKLeDYLp0GVYYSio9tOoqKRApHBq-kQCZ5Dn7yseyPDnVtf2ds5fLXtOzyeYPP49qNv-_y734ml-PpH1OTvrHB8-SKAd-x0f-njVrOVmf_E8n0o8/s1600/Image29.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJoddRlXJqMGDII2UnfVTON9u5LqQQKLeDYLp0GVYYSio9tOoqKRApHBq-kQCZ5Dn7yseyPDnVtf2ds5fLXtOzyeYPP49qNv-_y734ml-PpH1OTvrHB8-SKAd-x0f-njVrOVmf_E8n0o8/s640/Image29.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkNyV_ykSh2r067DBlic2uPEPwphyphenhyphen-yxEq2WT0cxRZYk35qAeEHZKI8q7TWqjtTgQbEt2RjGQAYLkqXnbZbWEfmSQlKjP5s0WYF3BBZ-oW1McUyzt-yrje_FDEYj92D2m3LQlvQ4DSro/s1600/Image29g.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="1366" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkNyV_ykSh2r067DBlic2uPEPwphyphenhyphen-yxEq2WT0cxRZYk35qAeEHZKI8q7TWqjtTgQbEt2RjGQAYLkqXnbZbWEfmSQlKjP5s0WYF3BBZ-oW1McUyzt-yrje_FDEYj92D2m3LQlvQ4DSro/s640/Image29g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Candlelight Wedding Chapel and The Algiers (both closed 2005), and the El Rancho (closed 1992, but not demolished until 2000). Currently the home of the Fontainebleau project.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2uQhs97CYSe-1PKq6_T308B_THGHefJZcVdApHBYBbVESVvm5RSANE4lKaq5pC0tEa71yL5OcJnyCffYksfTkCqAXndrMlJ3C2aXey-nz_ODxECzulIflIC-7usqlpWRaZbSE5bXSb4/s1600/Image30.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2uQhs97CYSe-1PKq6_T308B_THGHefJZcVdApHBYBbVESVvm5RSANE4lKaq5pC0tEa71yL5OcJnyCffYksfTkCqAXndrMlJ3C2aXey-nz_ODxECzulIflIC-7usqlpWRaZbSE5bXSb4/s640/Image30.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8NEgZi9QpFy6mb48YIW_oQr3Y4PDVU1yo_BhHhhPMvS0Z7l6jUDomJsvu7x99x7ahZ1IZhfJuZ_HNrFyfe0fCGpL4aC6eJmegE-uyTiUZzl4WMiuuMuvFDBhXalvFadsdnfRkgaG9KlE/s1600/Image30g.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="1366" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8NEgZi9QpFy6mb48YIW_oQr3Y4PDVU1yo_BhHhhPMvS0Z7l6jUDomJsvu7x99x7ahZ1IZhfJuZ_HNrFyfe0fCGpL4aC6eJmegE-uyTiUZzl4WMiuuMuvFDBhXalvFadsdnfRkgaG9KlE/s640/Image30g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nJNUDJ4EUt9EFjZwdmqwanYozrEEqDW6KLmCOI2o3c9_hTymu29hAm0O5iukZl5xMHVuRQROrD7nK9uWGcwBLk2NmcuGU_c_Mg20Bl7MIBy1poMMSBGH2u23byQiijcLBiY-dH9V4x4/s1600/Image31.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nJNUDJ4EUt9EFjZwdmqwanYozrEEqDW6KLmCOI2o3c9_hTymu29hAm0O5iukZl5xMHVuRQROrD7nK9uWGcwBLk2NmcuGU_c_Mg20Bl7MIBy1poMMSBGH2u23byQiijcLBiY-dH9V4x4/s640/Image31.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgSDt2wTXwwfX7gGFPUsaq0nHLqflRMJUserfLJvAyXwiMr3hb6BKsfYezcOkSo989Tam9IjyJVBb141ZEO00EwGisx8kbttY40rBkuadpHwxyOX2NOpWpyQo5Tz1Scxhh__I-oxZdmDQ/s1600/Image31g.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="1366" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgSDt2wTXwwfX7gGFPUsaq0nHLqflRMJUserfLJvAyXwiMr3hb6BKsfYezcOkSo989Tam9IjyJVBb141ZEO00EwGisx8kbttY40rBkuadpHwxyOX2NOpWpyQo5Tz1Scxhh__I-oxZdmDQ/s640/Image31g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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The Sahara is now the SLS Casino and the W Hotel.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwpl-uyz-Ytd6rwM7lG3rHPdE8RalaHzCw_nYiFTJ0g_YvHcawXh00NCSVSL9WIQJM08MUer8OL3iWFM0da9A9Ebm2IC-eQh_Qv6ke36XRc96RPNm6MHZZZzYI1LiHXYh1lzdsj2R9VY/s1600/Image32.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwpl-uyz-Ytd6rwM7lG3rHPdE8RalaHzCw_nYiFTJ0g_YvHcawXh00NCSVSL9WIQJM08MUer8OL3iWFM0da9A9Ebm2IC-eQh_Qv6ke36XRc96RPNm6MHZZZzYI1LiHXYh1lzdsj2R9VY/s640/Image32.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioCNWbQ7TDUdjtP2SENIlC4BFjWLcVZ4zoVgOWJDpg2lfqVGZ6IsNJ05PoU-0_KnVtRECZQn1ClGHA2oj1SryP-T7KL9JUSV_AdMsX-JuNh6ka7Y99hltO4g_vGr7UbGkI00lY6cKXj_k/s1600/Image32g.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="1366" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioCNWbQ7TDUdjtP2SENIlC4BFjWLcVZ4zoVgOWJDpg2lfqVGZ6IsNJ05PoU-0_KnVtRECZQn1ClGHA2oj1SryP-T7KL9JUSV_AdMsX-JuNh6ka7Y99hltO4g_vGr7UbGkI00lY6cKXj_k/s640/Image32g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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The Holy Cow Casino & Brewery is now a Walgreens.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN3wzVU5EMV1TMf3aV_hRlIivzCOiu97HQhOVtX8kbHx45DVKHmAs1xq9F7Uyv2XLY4NSYCx8gIqH7hsNRV9YQCMR3YI9LtkWxVs7O1RtEpdjCPO4e4m9ONWjkb6GybLS0Jk1LZtXzBtE/s1600/Image32x.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN3wzVU5EMV1TMf3aV_hRlIivzCOiu97HQhOVtX8kbHx45DVKHmAs1xq9F7Uyv2XLY4NSYCx8gIqH7hsNRV9YQCMR3YI9LtkWxVs7O1RtEpdjCPO4e4m9ONWjkb6GybLS0Jk1LZtXzBtE/s640/Image32x.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicUd376_oUASluBq2usc8Qkywo-iBlK_41FrqThAIT-XsAbKLApJjIr3g-iLhfkqazxuhx9A-g2AmMNfuxHL7Gm0txfFiMJIuMO5O6SfFSDjTcfDq3M225t9FkQrgx0uMfdddG2JZwLC4/s1600/Image32xg.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="1366" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicUd376_oUASluBq2usc8Qkywo-iBlK_41FrqThAIT-XsAbKLApJjIr3g-iLhfkqazxuhx9A-g2AmMNfuxHL7Gm0txfFiMJIuMO5O6SfFSDjTcfDq3M225t9FkQrgx0uMfdddG2JZwLC4/s640/Image32xg.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Part of the Fun City complex is still there.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgONew0yZQWDFPsUHNHUOBzAquS5X0QmO0EvmSJrae1qtIKNkU9LgzNCSlY6uI5C3Xkmyilfy4A2DRViYdErvy_sHesjm6dpj2qKSUf7jL7rJi0WS7hNChzBppRT3zNaQSRyMNPY3HSuGY/s1600/Image33.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgONew0yZQWDFPsUHNHUOBzAquS5X0QmO0EvmSJrae1qtIKNkU9LgzNCSlY6uI5C3Xkmyilfy4A2DRViYdErvy_sHesjm6dpj2qKSUf7jL7rJi0WS7hNChzBppRT3zNaQSRyMNPY3HSuGY/s640/Image33.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0x3ancbuuX55xbUDa1uAqhyphenhypheng9RumR0QiJc98JOUfAejIAhLHP6hoDB8z5cUwtcoIF1mDs88_rbwapWRxp9qA8Y9FFztV_aWOp3d7TwwGa-ELDwLulcP5mB8GRJsXhrgoK8fa6cYr9TBI/s1600/Image33g.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="1366" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0x3ancbuuX55xbUDa1uAqhyphenhypheng9RumR0QiJc98JOUfAejIAhLHP6hoDB8z5cUwtcoIF1mDs88_rbwapWRxp9qA8Y9FFztV_aWOp3d7TwwGa-ELDwLulcP5mB8GRJsXhrgoK8fa6cYr9TBI/s640/Image33g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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The Holiday House, Holiday Motel, and Little Vegas Chapel are still there, across from the Stratosphere.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMwFqYZIRQaVTqJ7kRJMgRfqKmoU79FGzcV36ACC-HxdhfhJMKdfVcRtzBGg11xCMEjW4CYL1CtU6M79e10zy5N29SzLHG5K88fLRpL_4AL3XM6kZaVpNER0kxeBADQoJchyNZQL1AA0/s1600/Image34.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMwFqYZIRQaVTqJ7kRJMgRfqKmoU79FGzcV36ACC-HxdhfhJMKdfVcRtzBGg11xCMEjW4CYL1CtU6M79e10zy5N29SzLHG5K88fLRpL_4AL3XM6kZaVpNER0kxeBADQoJchyNZQL1AA0/s640/Image34.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9B_tGLx5JmIHqR43LffBiXBXJ2gNdwuZJ6yATj-408bszAcGE7jnJLP3j9_7bagNf9uC3jf0qMsIEnShWHl852oRD_ydM-HswNtG8rJPIXRqpmFNEVylHYDnW2Zpyyss144YtMEUfLs/s1600/Image34g.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="1366" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9B_tGLx5JmIHqR43LffBiXBXJ2gNdwuZJ6yATj-408bszAcGE7jnJLP3j9_7bagNf9uC3jf0qMsIEnShWHl852oRD_ydM-HswNtG8rJPIXRqpmFNEVylHYDnW2Zpyyss144YtMEUfLs/s640/Image34g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Further north on Las Vegas Blvd, Saint Louis Square is still there.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXUTdX0jHkiwl02WZvm4TfTrCLL57LH6443slj29r7Tn9dc9OoQgbPvSlNXV5TouKwLAEVQ0y-zJuNF1fFUAWpilLLNr92QDcLM4Etwe0uwnuWjUcwXc-_Zk08O3SMOrKFmrkcYpC7moQ/s1600/Image35.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXUTdX0jHkiwl02WZvm4TfTrCLL57LH6443slj29r7Tn9dc9OoQgbPvSlNXV5TouKwLAEVQ0y-zJuNF1fFUAWpilLLNr92QDcLM4Etwe0uwnuWjUcwXc-_Zk08O3SMOrKFmrkcYpC7moQ/s640/Image35.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXOZnBbuxHmVRxXyn2mcfa9Oe5bZOWiqtkehcFAcPeS1ovxTOEXxatebpJ5UK8W826o4rC5E4Ow7YpB7XdCxPTwSHI7YtM-dG01yeBJee4vsTvGACn_m-zrnGC_lbN4L4fHsd-AnfZ0k/s1600/Image35g.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="629" data-original-width="1366" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXOZnBbuxHmVRxXyn2mcfa9Oe5bZOWiqtkehcFAcPeS1ovxTOEXxatebpJ5UK8W826o4rC5E4Ow7YpB7XdCxPTwSHI7YtM-dG01yeBJee4vsTvGACn_m-zrnGC_lbN4L4fHsd-AnfZ0k/s640/Image35g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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In the video, I make my way down Ogden and then Fremont to the east, passing the Showboat Casino (closed 2000, now an empty lot.
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I came back later and took some photos around Caesar's.
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5w9T5P88uyazpybi-5R9aHsfxQWaW2xDKzRl4uKLHy1FWY_0bcf7kay1dMw6WvZ-zBHGxD10Bl4dmZhSYbXtdEh5QbHqcUJGEmeiIDCN1CSRdEb6qgIuq6RFn4jBlwPrUP2g86DLqbo/s1600/image043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1148" data-original-width="1600" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5w9T5P88uyazpybi-5R9aHsfxQWaW2xDKzRl4uKLHy1FWY_0bcf7kay1dMw6WvZ-zBHGxD10Bl4dmZhSYbXtdEh5QbHqcUJGEmeiIDCN1CSRdEb6qgIuq6RFn4jBlwPrUP2g86DLqbo/s640/image043.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh33CtlsT8lIH56wy1C3iUfnVL0jRzcKrZJCror3gh0VqRcC94QtQckDgEIeRjVYEA4xnpy2ke0ucq1LNOuOhyphenhyphen-Y7jJgBf41B2uuVsvXrjagfQftXyEIxKyingbgWX33H1ZnDoXoqWx1sQ/s1600/image043g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="1366" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh33CtlsT8lIH56wy1C3iUfnVL0jRzcKrZJCror3gh0VqRcC94QtQckDgEIeRjVYEA4xnpy2ke0ucq1LNOuOhyphenhyphen-Y7jJgBf41B2uuVsvXrjagfQftXyEIxKyingbgWX33H1ZnDoXoqWx1sQ/s640/image043g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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The arch is gone from the front of Caesar's main entrance pavilion.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvFZA5o0lW4rtLQgfFIiQTExmiNDi1cvAxchRWzF67NEe0799GCxe_Ce_vw-NKTpHBn7xi3JDfyZUos2UWOK07zQaqKlJJOD9HnuLmdfhnOPOSRSfYqYjLQ8gscyWVn-G4epB5nem3Ao0/s1600/image044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1148" data-original-width="1600" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvFZA5o0lW4rtLQgfFIiQTExmiNDi1cvAxchRWzF67NEe0799GCxe_Ce_vw-NKTpHBn7xi3JDfyZUos2UWOK07zQaqKlJJOD9HnuLmdfhnOPOSRSfYqYjLQ8gscyWVn-G4epB5nem3Ao0/s640/image044.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUbufSA6d9s8VWmDyQn7e3KMzNLl4W1guMGrip-EIiH-NGgcCKuvKpWkgnjHUL-XjDHchyphenhyphenSuwCa7LlHTOVx5vRUA1QiG6aNV43-5bzOi1qi6vq-hR_hvkGklH2tcm66pSkViJrVaZn7M/s1600/Image044g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="1366" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUbufSA6d9s8VWmDyQn7e3KMzNLl4W1guMGrip-EIiH-NGgcCKuvKpWkgnjHUL-XjDHchyphenhyphenSuwCa7LlHTOVx5vRUA1QiG6aNV43-5bzOi1qi6vq-hR_hvkGklH2tcm66pSkViJrVaZn7M/s640/Image044g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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The horses are gone from the main entrance to the Forum Shops, replaced with a replica of Rome's Trevi Fountain.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQs-Xpg31jlYfB5HUvPSWGSXNaLIqlkOgiPunARjX2Ue2taankqXW2kORUPe-kNO6sDAiXgVfdyVMuQKf0cI-N0JA-Zw1dBODxNDEB1WXHTzUelTQUgP7mlvuiiBF0ZubXgumly8Qd78/s1600/image045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1148" data-original-width="1600" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQs-Xpg31jlYfB5HUvPSWGSXNaLIqlkOgiPunARjX2Ue2taankqXW2kORUPe-kNO6sDAiXgVfdyVMuQKf0cI-N0JA-Zw1dBODxNDEB1WXHTzUelTQUgP7mlvuiiBF0ZubXgumly8Qd78/s640/image045.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3F61219Lza3JIAzjeaTJKquekkvBtuQBXm85jwjivfTA_m-PPh8O2wZVyV9lELkkFQRP_Zi5Mwp3F8acrWIIOACd26AH_hcodnTr5gJx1ICWc8KI75OlvsUJi_mxXhAllX3faesGIuIE/s1600/image045g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="1366" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3F61219Lza3JIAzjeaTJKquekkvBtuQBXm85jwjivfTA_m-PPh8O2wZVyV9lELkkFQRP_Zi5Mwp3F8acrWIIOACd26AH_hcodnTr5gJx1ICWc8KI75OlvsUJi_mxXhAllX3faesGIuIE/s640/image045g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcuAsGESTSzH6Xy4aKgdEfPkPDkINNLK85RACTDXR71TKtMLcJ_NdWuFW5XV4ZukgFgGW7p8Kjh_j0RTDEK2WLgDXANBpYdERedZRzDknh3njkNjkhl9LEHZzMWf2FbiT2_mcDdXN2S88/s1600/image047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="1600" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcuAsGESTSzH6Xy4aKgdEfPkPDkINNLK85RACTDXR71TKtMLcJ_NdWuFW5XV4ZukgFgGW7p8Kjh_j0RTDEK2WLgDXANBpYdERedZRzDknh3njkNjkhl9LEHZzMWf2FbiT2_mcDdXN2S88/s640/image047.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWp9BjJz5KFlQu_q95gNbKPWFyn0pj8Mcb-f3NZfRqh_wsJZzJWQEhRP6ksdDUyEXxJVn4AVeNxZ1EUTBc-CW1G1TiXsP5kGokuRxtYyQJheXRY56RKWcHTxhX7MV_eU2jt700luhZXPw/s1600/image047g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="1366" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWp9BjJz5KFlQu_q95gNbKPWFyn0pj8Mcb-f3NZfRqh_wsJZzJWQEhRP6ksdDUyEXxJVn4AVeNxZ1EUTBc-CW1G1TiXsP5kGokuRxtYyQJheXRY56RKWcHTxhX7MV_eU2jt700luhZXPw/s640/image047g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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The Imperial Palace, Flamingo Hilton, Barbary Coast, and Bally's view, replaced by the Linq, Flamingo, Cromwell, and Bally's new facades.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKbKLzi8IYtH02Os5Oc7DeDC6IcJalaAgvgfx3aIEa3YuH4b4MVYNRfeOy-4IkGBsLnRCqHPpnKmRotvpTEUTtiNO3s6fpxNJCdcM7JmicVFBoFgAYkSUq5tEWrvBhaL21ftJxglBoGkc/s1600/image048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="1600" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKbKLzi8IYtH02Os5Oc7DeDC6IcJalaAgvgfx3aIEa3YuH4b4MVYNRfeOy-4IkGBsLnRCqHPpnKmRotvpTEUTtiNO3s6fpxNJCdcM7JmicVFBoFgAYkSUq5tEWrvBhaL21ftJxglBoGkc/s640/image048.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIzuMbOw96GKq0rBCnuuOPIrOEYcSkwllXdz89RPZftq38oQfd0uPQp7N4olZloAQGZRLE_g0gjvJaxpp7N5qxgTyaitmCm6PJt83X7DDBJSx3p4Y2CXzkjLqWbYO4uBbDkF3-PKARbOs/s1600/image048g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="1366" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIzuMbOw96GKq0rBCnuuOPIrOEYcSkwllXdz89RPZftq38oQfd0uPQp7N4olZloAQGZRLE_g0gjvJaxpp7N5qxgTyaitmCm6PJt83X7DDBJSx3p4Y2CXzkjLqWbYO4uBbDkF3-PKARbOs/s640/image048g.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Widening the Strip and putting in the median blocks the view of Harrah's from this vantage point (which has changed from a riverboat to Carnaval theme).
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</center>
Part 2 covers the sights of the Strip at night.
Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15001530336692435773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2858334190841634070.post-72676265247277809452016-03-30T18:47:00.002-05:002018-12-31T02:50:14.678-06:00China/Korea 2009: days 20-22 (Seoul)Seoul days 3-5: Saturday, Sunday, Monday 10/17-19/09<br />
Here are the photos from <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/sets/72157622605988262/">Saturday</a>, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/sets/72157622486584011/">Sunday</a>, and <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/sets/72157622498349009/">Monday</a><br />
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Took a bus back from Daejeon to the Seoul airport on Saturday morning, then caught the train back into the center of town. I checked in at another Ibis Hotel (a sister property to the one I had stayed in the previous weekend) and went back out to the Namdaemun Market. I love local markets and seeing how similar and different they are from what I'm used to. I didn't really have much on my list of things to do for the weekend except enjoy it.<br />
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The one big thing I had, though, was the Texas vs Oklahoma football game. I had made arrangements with the local Texas Exes alumni group via email to meet up, as they were going to be watching the game at a bar that was going to stay open past normal hours, and watch the game over the internet from someone's Slingbox back in Detroit. Due to the time differential, the game started at 1am on Sunday in Seoul, and I left around 5am. Made it back to my hotel to see the sun rise around 6:30.<br />
<br />
Didn't mean to sleep the whole day away, but I woke up around 4:30pm on Sunday, having slept the entire day. The only thing left on my list to do was to go up to the Seoul Tower, which I had planned to do during the day, but oh well. There's a park at the base of the tower where the kids were playing in the laser light show, and wireframe models of people flying that were illuminated after dark. Had dinner at Cibo Cima for Italian, then made my way via metro over to the Hongdae area for drinks and a look around the night life part of town.<br />
<br />
Monday morning was a travel day. Off to the airport and my long flight back to Atlanta, about 14 hours - though due to the time changes, it would only be an hour or so after leaving ICN that I'd get into ATL. On the flight out, I was stuck in the middle on the left side of the plane (a 747 in 3-5-3 configuration), on the flight back it had improved slightly to be the #2 seat in the middle section, with one guy on my left and nobody on my right in the #3 seat (but couldn't move there because the #4 and #5 seats were occupied). So at least I had an armrest to myself. Had the Korean food option over the American option, for one last Korean meal. My flight from Atlanta to Houston at least gave me an aisle seat with nobody in the middle.Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15001530336692435773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2858334190841634070.post-14917135944212399282016-03-30T18:20:00.000-05:002016-03-30T18:48:25.675-05:00China/Korea 2009: days 15-19 (Daejeon)Daejeon days 1-5: Monday 10/12/09 to Friday 10/16/09<br />
Here are the photos from this week at the conference in Daejeon (<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/sets/72157622443581553/">10/12</a> and <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/sets/72157622459654029/">10/13-16</a>)<br />
<br />
This week was spent at the 60th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), venturing out only at night for dinner. I stayed at the 007 Hotel, whose neon sign was the James Bond 007 logo.Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15001530336692435773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2858334190841634070.post-53458766473142296902016-03-30T18:13:00.001-05:002018-12-31T02:50:53.467-06:00China/Korea 2009: day 14 (Seoul/DMZ/Daejeon)Seoul day 2: Sunday 10/11/09<br />
Map of my Seoul and DMZ stops, this day in blue; <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/sets/72157622437192783/">here are the photos</a> from today. Yellow highlights in the text correspond to flags on the map.<br />
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Placeholder until I get my notes together:<br />
<ul>
<li>Left the hotel around 8am, drove up to Imjingak and saw the Memorial Altar and the bridge that used to bring North and South Korean families together. Saw the Dorasan train station, which will eventually link up to the North and allow rail travel to the Trans Siberian Railway and the Trans Chinese Railway. At the DMZ, there was an overlook to see into North Korea, and we visited the 3rd Tunnel built from the North into the South in preparation for an eventual invasion. </li>
<li>Drove back to Seoul for lunch and some time to explore the Namdaemun Market and a bit of the surrounding city.</li>
<li>After a few hours drive, we made it to Daejeon and I found my hotel, dropped off my stuff, and went out for some hot pot for dinner and a quick tour of the area nearby.</li>
</ul>
Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15001530336692435773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2858334190841634070.post-76060444517590814952016-03-29T15:45:00.000-05:002018-12-31T02:51:19.540-06:00China/Korea 2009: day 13 (Seoul)Seoul day 1: Saturday 10/10/09<br />
Map of my Seoul stops, this day in blue; <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/sets/72157622436046407/">here are the photos</a> from today. Yellow highlights in the text correspond to flags on the map.<br />
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Through the International Astronautical Conference (IAC)
planners, I booked a side tour of Seoul for the weekend immediately preceding
the conference (which started Monday 10/12). I flew into <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Incheon
Airport</span> from Hong Kong on the overnight flight and went to the area set up by the IAC to handle travel
arrangements. They set me up on a bus going into town that would drop me off at
the hotel. The tour picked up at the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">IBIS Gangnam hotel</span>, so I figured I'd stay there anyway on
Saturday night, we'd have a day tour on Saturday of Seoul and then Sunday we'd
go off to the DMZ and then be dropped off at the convention center in Daejeon.
Our van only held about 15 people so it was a comfortable size. And it was no
state-run tour to fleece us out of money, like in Beijing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The first stop was the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Gyeongbokgung Palace</span>, built in the late 14th
century. The palace was very Chinese-influenced, from the shape of the
pagoda-like roofs and their totems on the roof edges to the archways and
interior design. Since I had just come from Beijing's temples a few days
earlier, the similarities were obvious. Nearby the Palace is the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">National Folk Museum of Korea</span>,
where we spent about an hour. A few minutes away was the next stop, at the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Jogyesa Temple</span>, which is
the largest Buddhist Temple in Seoul. Inside there are three giant golden
(colored?) Buddhas, and it's an active temple so there were a number of people
inside praying. We stopped for a hot pot lunch in a restaurant at the top of a
tall building that had a panoramic view of Seoul. Hot Pot is a popular style of
eating where the meat ingredients are boiled in oil and then mixed with other
ingredients (vegetables like onions and lettuce, kim chee, etc.) and eaten in a
lettuce wrap. </div>
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After lunch we went down to <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Insadong</span> and were given an hour or so to walk
around. Insadong is a very crowded, very popular street market with everything
from dried squid and other street food to antiques and calligraphy sets. I
picked up another box of bandages, as my feet were still blistered from so much
walking, starting back in Shanghai two weeks before. With the boat and bus
trips in Hong Kong, plus a lot of driving in Seoul, my feet were finally
getting the rest they needed but I wasn't totally healing yet. Next up was the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Cheonggyecheon Stream</span>, a
public recreation space in downtown Seoul that was part of an urban renewal
project just a few years before. Nearby is an exhibit with flags of all nations
that took part in the allied forces with the South during the Korean War. The
river is sunken down from the ground level, with shopping and businesses at
ground level. There's a JS Texas Bar that I sadly did not get a chance to go to
but would totally have gone there based on the name alone. </div>
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Back at the hotel, I
rested for a bit until I was hungry, then went wandering the Gangnam area til I
found something that looked interesting. I settled on a place called Scarlett
The Shrimp Restaurant that had, well, a lot of shrimp dishes. I had a shrimp
Caesar salad and some sweet & sour shrimp with rice as I was in the mood
for something I was familiar with.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<i>Scarlett restaurant (shrimp & modern American), grilled shrimp Caesar salad and chili shrimp w fried rice.</i><br />
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Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15001530336692435773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2858334190841634070.post-17950162942164188682016-03-29T15:40:00.000-05:002018-12-31T02:51:36.700-06:00China/Korea 2009: day 12 (Hong Kong)Hong Kong day 3: Friday 10/9/09<br />
<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zPuG2JQ8oEY4.k-iD-Z2zRN6A&ftr=earth.promo&hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&ll=22.29132%2C114.170609&spn=0.079416%2C0.154324&t=h&z=13">Map of my Hong Kong stops</a>, this day in purple; <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/sets/72157622431172031/">here are the photos</a> from today. Yellow highlights in the text correspond to flags on the map.<br />
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Because I had to buy a new camera, that took up the part of
the morning that I was going to try to do something else. Even though I mapped
out all 3 camera shops, I couldn't find any of them, and of course I ended up
getting ripped off by the shop I did go into (Intelligent Camera on Nathan,
don't shop there). Basically, it was a bait-and-switch. They had the camera I
had found online, and it was significantly cheaper than in the US (like a $300
camera for $200). They used an old carbon-copy credit card machine to get my
number, but then they said I had to wait while they got the camera from another
of their stores. While waiting, they upsold me to a different camera which
looked to me like it was better, but I had not researched it and knew nothing
about the specs. I did like the new one better, so they ripped up my carbon
receipt and sold me the other camera for $300. When I got back to my room and
looked it up, I found the camera listed for about $175 in the US. I got upsold
to a cheaper camera! Nothing I could do about it, though, except admit I got
suckered. </div>
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Did my Blue Bus tour on the Kowloon side, which took us to a number
of places for walking around and shopping, including the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Temple Street Night Market</span>,
and the shopping districts for electronics, sports wear, and ladies fashion. I
got off at the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Jade Market</span>,
a couple blocks from the Night Market, and I spent a couple of hours shopping
and sightseeing. The Night Market, of course, wasn't really open much in the
daytime, but I got to look at the daytime farmer's market and the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Tin Hau Temple</span>. The bus
drove down the west side of Kowloon over to the southeastern coast near the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Coliseum</span>. Then with my
new camera I retraced my steps a bit to get pictures of the things I had lost
yesterday, including the Space Museum, and Tea at the Peninsula which I had
accidentally taken with my old camera's internal memory instead of the flash
card. (Note: they strongly prefer that you don't take movies inside the
Peninsula.) </div>
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Then for some relaxation (finally!) I took the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">sunset cruise</span> of the
Harbour on the Star Ferry. A really nice place to watch from, and you can catch
it from either the Central or Kowloon stations. I went back to the terminal at
Central to grab a bite to eat and wait for the special <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">nighttime cruise</span>, which is on the water in
the middle of the Harbour at 8pm when the light show starts. You get to do a
tour of the Harbour and watch the show, so it's like twice as long. Bring extra
camera batteries and flash cards. Both tours are definitely worth it, but in
retrospect I would have done them on different days instead of back to back.
After the cruise, I went back to my hotel to pick up my bags (having checked
out that morning) and head to the airport for my flight to Seoul after
midnight.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The main things in Hong Kong I had marked off that I wanted
to do but didn't get to were Stanley Market and Aberdeen, which I could have
done with another half day. Oh well, next time!<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15001530336692435773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2858334190841634070.post-41528557462011440772016-03-29T15:35:00.001-05:002018-12-31T02:51:52.082-06:00China/Korea 2009: day 11 (Hong Kong)Hong Kong day 3: Thursday 10/8/09<br />
<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zPuG2JQ8oEY4.k-iD-Z2zRN6A&ftr=earth.promo&hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&ll=22.29132%2C114.170609&spn=0.079416%2C0.154324&t=h&z=13">Map of my Hong Kong stops</a>, this day in green; no photos from today. Yellow highlights in the text correspond to flags on the map.<br />
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I lost my camera at the end of this day, so I'm going by
memory, pamphlets, and limited notes on my iPod since I don't have my photos
with their time stamps. </div>
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With only a couple days left in Hong Kong, I started
going through my list of things left to do and prioritizing and organizing them.
I went to the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Space Museum</span>
again, this time it was open. It was relatively cheap and had some cool stuff
but being in the space business some of their info was dated. They did have
more on the Chinese space program than I had known before, though. East along
the river from the Space Museum is the Intercontinental and the New World
Center, and on the east side of that is where a bus tour starts. I saw the bus
on my first day, but already had my Peak and Macau trips planned out, so I
waited to do my city tour at the end of the trip rather than the beginning (of
course, I should have done this first) and after picking up the pamphlets the
night before at the Star Ferry terminal, it had many of the things I wanted to
do. It's called <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">The Big
Bus Company</span>, and they have a Kowloon bus (the Blue Bus) and a Hong Kong
bus (the Red Bus) tour. You can buy both but you have 24 hours to use them. I
did the Red Bus tour this day, which started at Central. It's a hop-on, hop-off
double-decker bus, with an audio tour playing from included earpieces. Mine
never worked, so I used my iPod headphones which have the same plug. Go to <a href="http://www.bigbustours.com/eng/hongkong/default.aspx">http://www.bigbustours.com</a>
for more info, but I'll hit the highlights of what I did. </div>
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The Red Bus drives
around all the major buildings on Hong Kong island, talking about the history
of them, the unusual architecture (like the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">IFC</span>, <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">HSBC</span>, and <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Bank
of China</span> Buildings), the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Convention Center</span>, the differences between how things used to be
under British rule until 1999 and how they are now with Chinese rule (like the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">PLA HQ building</span>), the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Cross-Harbour Tunnel</span>, and
stops at the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Peak Tram</span>
and Lan Kwai Fong. I got off at the tram stop and went up to the Peak so I
could see the skyline in the daytime. Still spectacular. Afterwards, I took the
Star Ferry back to Kowloon so that I could head up to the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Temple Street Night Market</span>
(which is several blocks long) for dinner and shopping. That is a giant flea
market where they sell everything from power converters to knockoff purses to
fresh fruit to sex toys, and there are hole-in-the-wall restaurants all over
the place. I had dinner at a place where I pointed to pictures on a menu for
what I wanted to eat (English subtitles, I got Vietnamese stir fry). </div>
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By 11 or
so I was ready to go back to the hotel, so I found the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Yau Ma Tei</span> metro station and took it back
to the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Tsim Sha Tsui</span>
station. I had just exited the station going up to the street level when I
realized I had left my camera on the metro. The guard told me I'd have to leave
my contact info with lost & found in the morning. Adios, camera! Now, if
you're going to buy a new camera, Hong Kong is a great place to do so, but you
have to know what you're looking for and how much it costs. If you don't know,
they'll rip you off. On my way back to the hotel I saw them filming a scene
from a TV show that I was told is like a Hong Kong version of CSI. At my hotel,
I spent a couple hours online looking for cameras and figured out what I wanted
and how much it cost, and found the locations of 3 shops who were known to be
reputable.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<i>Shakeys pizza. Pineapple chicken salad, penne carbonara, mango daiquiri. Dinner in temple st night mkt, Vietnamese stir fry beef noodles w egg rolls. Lost camera on subway, saw scene from HK Police Force (CSI)</i></div>
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Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15001530336692435773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2858334190841634070.post-20321546079135827572016-03-29T15:31:00.000-05:002018-12-31T02:52:35.051-06:00China/Korea 2009: day 10 (Hong Kong & Macau)Hong Kong & Macau day 3: Wednesday 10/7/09<br />
<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zPuG2JQ8oEY4.k-iD-Z2zRN6A&ftr=earth.promo&hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&ll=22.29132%2C114.170609&spn=0.079416%2C0.154324&t=h&z=13">Map of my Hong Kong stops</a> and my <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zPuG2JQ8oEY4.k-iD-Z2zRN6A&ftr=earth.promo&hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&ll=22.29132%2C114.170609&spn=0.079416%2C0.154324&t=h&z=13">Macau stops</a>, this day in yellow; <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/sets/72157622412593321/">here are the photos</a> from today. Yellow highlights in the text correspond to flags on the map.<br />
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This was the day for my trip to Macau. Bring your passport,
they stamp you leaving Hong Kong, entering Macau, leaving Macau, and entering
Hong Kong. There are two companies that travel between the two island cities,
New World First Ferry which leaves on the half hour from the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Kowloon Ferry Terminal</span>,
and Turbojet which leaves every 15 minutes from a special ferry dock just west
of Central on the Hong Kong side. They're only a couple dollars apart, so
whichever one you take depends on timing and location. Make sure you get a copy
of the departure schedules, you don't want to be stuck overnight in Macau if
you don't have to be. I bought a one-way ticket on New World, since it was on
the Kowloon side, but their last boat leaves at 2230 and I wasn't sure if I'd
be there or not. Turbojet leaves around midnight for their last boat. </div>
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It's
about 1h15m ride from Kowloon to the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Macau Terminal</span>. Customs each way isn't bad. Despite my problems
with unofficial guides in Beijing earlier, I hired one in the terminal to take
me around the island. There are loads of bus tours, but I was willing to pay
more for a personal tour, and although it was a total crap shoot as to who I
got, I lucked out and picked a good one. We negotiated a price of about $100 US
for 3 hours in the car, and he drove me around. I had a couple of maps and a
guidebook so I had an idea of what I wanted to see, but he covered everything
and then some, so I was very pleased. We pretty much stuck to the central
peninsula area, given our time constraints, but I don't think there's really
much to see outside the central peninsula area. In some cases he'd drop me off
at point A and said to meet him at point B in 45 minutes and I could walk
around the area at my leisure. I didn't leave Kowloon until noon and by the
time I was finished with lunch (a local pub called La Comedie Vous Café, where
he waited outside for me to eat) it was after 2, so I only had 4-5 hours anyway
til dark; I suppose I just would have done more wandering around sightseeing
had I had more time. </div>
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We started out going through the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">downtown/casino area</span> (there are 5 US
casinos like Wynn and MGM and about 20 Chinese), and then went to the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Macau Tower</span> at the
southern end of the peninsula, which was an extra fee. The view from the top is
amazing, and they've got a glass floor to look down. They also have a walk
outside the tower (tethered) and a bungee jump, which you might have seen on The Amazing
Race. We drove south across one of the bridges to the
southern island of Co-Tai and rode around a bit, showing off the casinos (like
the Venetian) and sights, then back north across one of the other bridges and
up to the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Largo de Senado</span>
area, an oddly European style plaza in the midst of the Chinese. I had about
30-45 minutes on my own here, but could have lasted longer. We drove a few
blocks over to the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Ruins
of the Church of St. Paul</span>, dating back over 400 years, for a free tour.
During the trip, the driver (who spoke excellent English) gave me a history
lesson, pointed out interesting sites dating to Colonial days, and was in
general very good. [His name is James Kan, (853) 6686-8909.] </div>
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He dropped me off at the MGM Grand Casino,
where I played for a little while, and then went to the Wynn where I won enough
at blackjack to pay for dinner. (However, blackjack and craps are almost
non-existent over there, it's all baccarat, and I mean like hundreds of
tables.) I went to the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Grand
Lisboa</span> casino to see a non-US place, and ended up eating at The 8 for
Cantonese. I finished dinner around 10 and made it back to the terminal after
the last boat on New World First left (2230), so I took Turbojet back to the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Hong Kong/Macau terminal</span>
near Central. I got in too late for the ferry so I took the metro from Central
to <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Tsim Sha Tsui Station</span>
on Kowloon and went back to my hotel.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<i>Macau ferry, private tours at terminal for $600 ($73) for 2 hrs. Lunch at La Comedie vous cafe. Good tour, add 90 for tower and 200 for extra hr in Cotai. Drop at MGM, lost 160. Wynn looks just like Encore, won 385. Dinner at Grand Lisboa - steamed crab claw w ginger in wine, shredded chicken with pomelo and a honey lime sauce. Dessert a golden crunchy 8 cake w chocolate, Cointreau sauce, Graham cracker</i></div>
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Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15001530336692435773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2858334190841634070.post-10591564374316007032016-03-29T15:25:00.000-05:002018-12-31T02:52:53.055-06:00China/Korea 2009: day 9 (Hong Kong)Hong Kong day 2: Tuesday 10/6/09<br />
<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zPuG2JQ8oEY4.k-iD-Z2zRN6A&ftr=earth.promo&hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&ll=22.29132%2C114.170609&spn=0.079416%2C0.154324&t=h&z=13">Map of my Hong Kong</a> stops, this day in red; <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/sets/72157622529711562/">here are the photos</a> from today. Yellow highlights in the text correspond to flags on the map.<br />
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<i>Up late, laundry,
lunch at patisserie, space museum closed, Peninsula tea, flash card, taxi to
ferry, 2.3 for ferry, 9.8 for bus to Peak, L side of bus has views on ascent of
hill early. L16 slow. Bathrooms at Felix overlook the skyline. Ning Sling while
arguing over Swiss in EU. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Laundry – R out of
hotel, then L, cross over to mall, go R then L, go L at fountain, inside Japan Home
Center, hrs 830 to 2100, $30 for 1st 7 lbs and $2/ half lb (HK$). Delifrance.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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I needed to run some errands and sleep a little late, so
after lunch at a nearby Delifrance patisserie and stopping at a laundromat in
Ocean Centre I went off to see the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Hong Kong Space Museum</span> – which, unfortunately, was closed on
Tuesdays. So I wandered off towards the next thing on my list, but got
sidetracked and went to the Peninsula Hotel for afternoon High Tea instead –
very British. Then went to the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Star Ferry</span> across the river to <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Central</span> (less than a 10-minute ride), and from
there I planned to go up to Victoria Peak (aka "The Peak") via the
tram in late afternoon, stay through dusk and nightfall, then head back down. </div>
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From Central, I walked to <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Hong
Kong Station</span>, which has an Airport Express stop, a bus station, and the
huge International Finance Centre Mall. I got lost inside the Mall, and it took
me about a half hour to get from Central to the bus. To get to the Peak, I took
the 15C bus (exact fare or they don't give you change) and get out at the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Peak Tram Lower Terminus</span>.
I somehow missed that tram stop (or I got on the wrong bus) and ended up taking
the bus all the way to the top of the Peak (inadvertently saving some money), a
45-minute ride but with a great view on the way up the hill (if you do this,
and it's a nice trip, sit on the left side of the bus).<br />
<br />
At the top is the <span style="background: yellow;">Peak Tower</span> and the Peak
Galleria, both of which have shopping and food. The top of the Tower has an
observation deck you can pay to go up to, or just off to the right you can see
the cityscape from a pedestrian road for free. I got there about 20 minutes
before dusk and got to see the transition from day to the lights coming on to
nightfall. Seeing pictures doesn't do it justice, it's really breathtaking from
up there. I got some dinner at the L16 restaurant (good food but slow service)
before the 8pm light show, which is a computer-controlled laser/spotlight show
among many buildings on the Kowloon and Hong Kong sides of the river. As I
found out later, it's not nearly as spectacular from up there as it is at the
water level, where you are in the middle of it and you also have choreographed
music. </div>
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Around 9pm I bought a ticket for the Tram down, then took a cab over to <span style="background: yellow;">Lan Kwai Fong</span>, which is a
big party area with tons of bars and restaurants. Had a couple of beers and
wandered around, and walked back to the Central terminal and caught the 10:30
ferry back to Kowloon. I walked down the riverside promenade taking pictures of
the Hong Kong skyline lit up at night. On the suggestion of Richard, I made my
way to the <span style="background: yellow;">Peninsua Hotel</span>
to the Felix Bar at the top for a couple of drinks overlooking the skyline, a
Ning Sling while at a table listening to a bunch of Europeans argue the merits
of whether Switzerland should be in the EU or not. I made it back to my hotel
around 1am.</div>
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Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15001530336692435773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2858334190841634070.post-40452471833870072492016-03-29T15:20:00.000-05:002018-12-31T02:53:07.452-06:00China/Korea 2009: day 8 (Hong Kong)Hong Kong day 1: Monday 10/5/09<br />
<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zPuG2JQ8oEY4.k-iD-Z2zRN6A&ftr=earth.promo&hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&ll=22.29132%2C114.170609&spn=0.079416%2C0.154324&t=h&z=13">Map of my Hong Kong stops</a>, this day in blue; <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/sets/72157622522200016/">here are the photos</a> from today. Yellow highlights in the text correspond to flags on the map.<br />
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Early but uneventful cab to the airport for uneventful flight to Hong Kong.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Monday’s newspaper
says 1.5 mil people were at Tiananmen Square Sat and Sun, police overwhelmed at
limits. Mid autumn festival, 8 day holiday. Tiananmen Square closed for weeks prior
for rehearsals. The 56 pillars at the Square are new and represent ethnic
minorities in China, 1st addition to the Square since Mao's tomb on 1976, but
possible bad feng shui.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Flew into the <span style="background: yellow;">HKG airport</span> and bought a round-trip train ride on the Airport
Express. You can take it to <span style="background: yellow;">Kowloon
Station</span> and get a free transfer to a bus that will take you to your
hotel. It's fast (only a 20 minute train ride) but more expensive than the bus
or regular rail. After dropping my stuff off at my hotel (<span style="background: yellow;">The Butterfly on Prat</span>) I
grabbed a late lunch at King's Noodles & Dumplings, a typical HK noodle
place. Walked down Chatham to the waterfront <span style="background: yellow;">Avenue of Stars</span> (think the Hollywood Walk of Fame,
only for Hong Kong and Chinese movie people) right outside the Hotel
Intercontinental, and watched the people fishing, biking, and being tourists.
Got there around 4:30 and stayed through dusk around 6:15 and after sunset
around 7pm. Wandered up Nathan St. and around the Kowloon area til about 10,
then stopped in <span style="background: yellow;">Genki
Sushi</span> inside the Ocean Centre Plaza for dim sum (sushi on plates on a
conveyor belt). Took pictures of the neighborhood til about 11.</div>
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Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15001530336692435773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2858334190841634070.post-71462179848878996512016-03-29T00:28:00.001-05:002018-12-31T02:53:22.869-06:00China/Korea 2009: day 7 (Beijing)Beijing day 4: Saturday 10/4/09<br />
<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zPuG2JQ8oEY4.kpJXUwnrzmZw&ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=40.130591%2C116.327362&spn=0.522893%2C1.234589&z=10">Map of my Beijing stops</a>, this day in purple; <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/sets/72157622514180540/">here are the photos</a> from today. Yellow highlights in the text correspond to flags on the map.<br />
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At lunch the day before, my Great Wall buddies told me that
when they visited the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Forbidden
City</span>, they hired an English-speaking tour guide outside the gates.
Basically you pay for their admittance and a set fee for their time. They told
me they had a great experience so I figured I'd try the same. There are lots of
unofficial guides outside waiting for tourists and who knows what you'll get.
My guy took me on a tour that only lasted about 2 hours and only showed me
maybe a third of the place. He also took me to a "special" store
where one of two nephews of the last Emperor (who would be the Emperor if they
still had one) had an office where, as he's a noted calligraphy artist, I could
get a "deal" on something custom made. I spent a little more than I
wanted but did get something nice looking. But after that my guide left me and
I had no maps, only my guide book (for some reason they didn't have maps or
audio guides inside, only outside). </div>
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I spent another 3 hours on my own doing the
rest of the tour. As it was my last day in Beijing, I opted to do the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Temple of Heaven</span> over the
Summer Palace due to travel distance. That was about a half hour cab ride,
which gave me under 2 hours to see it all (it closed at 6pm). I did, however,
rent the audio tour, which was GPS-based and would automatically start when you
got to the right location, and kept track of which spots you'd been to. I
exited the park on the west side and the metro stop is on the east, so I had to
take a cab (my feet were hurting and cabs are cheap). The plan was to go to <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Makye Ame</span>, a Tibetan restaurant
(in what I didn't realize until later is the embassy section of the city), so I
took the #5 to the #1 and got out at the Yonganli station. However, right there
was the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Silk Street Market</span>,
a 4-story building that's a haggler's delight, with everything from real stuff
to knockoffs, at any price range. I got a couple of silk shirts there and after
checking the place out, I was too tired to go down to Makye Ame so I hit up <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Café Flat White</span> right
outside, a New Zealand restaurant, for some pizza. Cab back to the hotel.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15001530336692435773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2858334190841634070.post-3360499174797925822016-03-29T00:23:00.000-05:002018-12-31T02:53:35.140-06:00China/Korea 2009: day 6 (Beijing)Beijing day 2: Saturday 10/3/09<br />
<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zPuG2JQ8oEY4.kpJXUwnrzmZw&ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=40.130591%2C116.327362&spn=0.522893%2C1.234589&z=10">Map of my Beijing stops</a>, this day in magenta; <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgrabois/sets/72157622507435972/">here are the photos</a> from today. Yellow highlights in the text correspond to flags on the map.<br />
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Got up and wandered down <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Wangfujing St</span>, was going to catch the metro at the
end of the street and go up to the Temple of Heaven, but I spent too long
meandering and neglected to note when the Temple closed, so I missed it. Ran
into a couple who I had met the day before on the Wall tour and they treated me
to lunch near their hotel – it only cost about $3 and was filling but good. Place was called Merry Home. Wangfujing is mostly a pedestrian market on the southern half, with
supermarkets, clothing stores, jewelry stores, fast food, pretty much
everything. Near the end is the <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Night Market</span> with all the nasty food on a stick, like scorpions,
larvae, and starfish. It's all great for people watching and just wandering.<br />
<br />
Made a right on Xichangan St which passes between the Forbidden City on the
north side and <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Tianenmen
Square</span> on the south, and after a few pictures with Mao's portrait I
crossed over and went into the Square. The National Day parade had been just
two days before, and the Square had been closed to the public for practicing
for weeks; all of the floats from the parade were parked in the Square, so the
Square was jam packed with people celebrating. I bought some flags and medals
to get into the spirit of it. On the east side of the Square is the National
Museum and on the west is the Great Hall of the People, which I think is where
their Assembly meets. Didn't have time to go into either, and for some reason
Mao's Tomb was closed due to the holiday. Spent about 4 hours there, which
covered daytime, flag lowering, dusk/sunset, and darkness, so I got some really
good photos. Went souvenir shopping in the mall nearby (where I had dinner the
night before) and at dinner at a hole-in-the-wall place in the hutongs nearby.
Cab back to the hotel.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15001530336692435773noreply@blogger.com0