Yes, it’s gawdy and overcommercialized and ridiculous, but we love it. Where else can you see a flashy, multimillion-dollar casino flanked by a McDonald’s, and surrounded by a crush of humanity the likes of which is not seen outside of India?

We decided to revisit the same hotel we stayed at on our honeymoon: the Rio Suites on Flamingo Road, right off the Strip. For $48 a night, we get a roomy suite with a sectional sofa, a parlor off the bathroom area, double marble sinks, and a table and chairs. What a deal, eh? Of course, everyone knows that they give these insane deals on hotels in order to get you to the casino floor. They did exactly that, and we spent our little egg of gambling money and left.

Since we didn’t stay on the Strip (and we gambled at the Rio and the Palms — also not on the main drag), we’re going to put on our walking shoes today and check out the shops and sights. Maybe we’ll catch the Fremont Street laser light show tonight as well. Maybe not.

It’s early to bed tonight to spend a travel day tomorrow. We need to make it to Grand Junction in enough time to rest our sit bones for the next leg of the journey.

We have to be honest here, too: we’re looking forward to coming home. Already, Dinner Theatre is sneaking into my thoughts, as is shopping for choir music and getting things ready for school. I have to shove the nasty details out of my brain, or they’ll trouble my sleep every night from here on out. Blah!

What day is it?

PS – HERE is the shirt I bought, silly people.