Where is John Wilson?

by John Wilson

Here are some tips I have after a week of driving around Las Vegas as a tourist for 7 days this Summer:

1. Take your GPS – everyone has one, and they are expensive from the rental service
2. Don’t take the gas option – gas just off the Strip is cheaper than airport gas
3. Get familiar with the following North and South running streets:
   • Paradise Rd gets you from the Hilton to the airport with not too many stop lights
   • The Strip – besides 8p to 2a, this is a fun and exciting way to get around
   • Koval Road – this is the entrance road to most of the casinos on the Eastern side of The Strip
   • S. Valley View Road – a little more “seedy” but still useful for travel on the West side of the strip
4. Get familiar with the casinos on the strip and utilize the roads named after them including: Sahara, Desert Inn, Flamingo, Harmon and Tropicana
5. Be sure to pay close attention to the “self-park” signs for each casino, most are behind the casinos, but a few (like the Wynn and City Center) are right off of the strip
6. Stay in your lane – unlike in most cities, Las Vegas does not use paint to divide lanes, instead using round reflectors – this took me a day or so to get used to
7. Remember that half a mile from the strip, Las Vegas is a normal city. Make use of the restaurants, gas stations, Walmarts, Walgreens, etc.
8. Take your rental car back early. The complex is a bus ride away from the terminal and can take as much as 45 minutes to return your car and get to the airport.

Renting a car is a great way to see all that Las Vegas has to offer. I highly suggest renting one on your next trip.

photos and story by John Wilson

My wife and I had this conversation several times, all the way up to the minute before we boarded the plane. Now that we are back, I would say you can definitely have a good time with a baby in Las Vegas, but it is a different kind of vacation. Here is what to expect:

When we were trying to decide where to go on family vacation, our criteria was simply – have a good time, spend time together, get out of our current town. We typically try not to go to beaches since we live at one. I have always enjoyed Las Vegas, and have been there now five times. It fit all of our criteria and gave us a chance to do something you don’t typically do when visiting there, actually explore the city. It was also something we thought we could do with our five month old.

When most people think of visiting Las Vegas, I don’t think they consider it a “vacation” but more of a “getaway.” By that I mean most people go to Las Vegas with a mission – get drunk, gamble, find girls/guys, stay up all night. Our approach was different – let’s see what Las Vegas is like during the day. We planned trips to Hoover Dam, Red Rock Canyon and the West Rim of the Grand Canyon (we didn’t make it) as well as side trips to see the World Series of Poker, The Ultimate Fighter Training Center and the Pawn Stars pawn shop.

If you are taking a baby to Las Vegas, I highly suggest you rent an automobile and take your own car seat. The car seats offered by rental car companies, that I saw, are pretty raggedy. With the car, we had the opportunity to explore the outskirts of The Strip, something that would cost you a fortune (or your life) without transportation. Driving through Summerlin, up and down Paradise and Spring Valley Road, as well as making it to Hoover Dam are all things you can enjoy with a car. Paradise and Spring Valley Road are two of the “side roads” that you can use when trying to avoid the traffic on the strip.

There are some other things you can expect to do (or take advantage of) when traveling with a baby in Las Vegas:

1. Taking naps and resting more than usual (this makes Las Vegas much more enjoyable)
2. Carrying around bottles, diaper bags, toys, etc.
3. Searching for the elevators in Casinos (see future post)
4. Saving money by gambling less
5. Getting stopped to have people tell you how cute your baby is
6. Not being hung over every morning
7. Visiting more free attractions/exhibits/museums/parks
8. Saving money on alcohol and night clubs

Most of the above are positive. We really enjoyed the time we had in Vegas with our five month old and I wouldn’t have traded it for a month of babyless Las Vegas – just expect a different kind of Las Vegas.

by John Wilson

(Edit on July 23): Chow (dot) com took my comment down linking back to this article. Very nice and community like.

I just read an article about “What not to eat at work” (previously linked) at chow (dot) com. This article explains discusses all the of the pungent and bothersome foods your colleagues heat up and consume in cube farms across the country. This article inspired me to recount two stories about folks and food on my recent travels:

Watch your coffee: I was sitting in the bulk head of an MD88 on the aisle to the right as you’re walking back to your seat. A lady, blabbing with her telephone jammed on her shoulder, was carrying a Starbucks coffee in her left hand (away from me) and dragging her bag with her hand closest to me. Sure enough, as soon as she hit the economy section her bag jammed into my knee causing her hot coffee to spill all over the guy in the row across from me. He was ticked – and the girl apologized, barely, and kept right on yammering on the phone. Had it been me, I’m not sure how I would have reacted, but it probably wouldn’t have been pretty as I’m typically headed to a client meeting.

Raining Sprite: Yesterday morning, on the way to Philadelphia, a woman set her 20oz bottle of Sprite in the overhead bin while she rummaged through her bag for a magazine. As she went to put her overstuffed bag in the bin she must have tipped the bottle (I didn’t see this, I’m assuming). She also must have not cleaned it up because as we began to take off, the gentlemen sitting in the aisle seat a few seats behind where she spilled her bottle received a Sprite shower. This was easily the maddest I’ve ever seen anyone on an airplane that hadn’t been sitting on the tarmac for 3 hours.

Either of the two incidents above could have been avoided had the passengers followed a few of my airplane etiquette rules… or just some common sense.

by John Wilson

During our family trip to Las Vegas, we took a side journey to Red Rock Canyon. This park is only about 30 minutes from “the strip” and is well worth the journey there, especially if you have a rental car. You can see the canyon from the strip if you know which direction to look.

From what I could see, there are three main activities to do in Red Rock Canyon for the typical tourist:

1. Drive the 13 mile scenic road – This relatively flat, 13 mile drive is an excellent way to see the entire park with little effort. Along the way there are several stopping points or parking lots, to get out and take pictures. The road is one-way and plenty wide enough to let those folks who are driving a little to fast, or a little too close, to drive around you.

Chasing white-tailed antelope squirrels around the roads and parking lots was my family’s favorite park activity. These chipmunk-looking creatures hang out near the parking lots and the roads, and are very skittish of humans and cars. We had a hard time getting a good photograph of them, even with my zoom lens, because they are so quick to run off the road. With that being said, we saw more than one squished one, probably thanks to the idiots we let pass us driving too fast earlier on the road. As you drive the road, be sure to watch out for these little guys.

The white-tailed antelope squirrels photographed below were the only ones of the hundreds we saw that would sit still long enough for a photo.

The only one that would pose for us

Squirrel running down the road

2. Hike/Bike the trails – The day we toured Red Rock Canyon, it was over 110 degrees in Las Vegas. Despite this, we saw several folks bicycling and hiking the trails. There are over 35 guided hikes a month and miles of bike trails to explore. For the extra adventurous tourists, there are several rock climbing paths as well.

To see the upcoming tours check the Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Association’s website.

For a list of hiking trails see the wiki on Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area web site.

3. Visitor’s Center – The visitor’s center is small and mostly a souvenir shop. When we were there, however, there were two folks sitting at a desk answering questions about the park. They were well informed, seemed mostly bored, and answered all of my questions. They also stamped my son’s State Park Passport book (even though she informed me RRC isn’t really a state park).

View from the Visitor’s Center

It is well worth your time to visit Red Rock Canyon while in Las Vegas. Admission is only $7 or so per car and you can visit the town of Summerlin while you’re there.

Lizard at Red Rock Canyon

A broken “Shaq-tus”

To see additional photos from Red Rock Canyon, see my set on Flickr.

photos and story by John Wilson

LAS VEGAS: Parker Wilson, known at the tables at “Bubbie” was crowned 2010 WSOP Champion, earning his first bracelet.

In the final hand, Parker held AJ and his final opponent held ATs. When the flop came J,,J,4 of mixed suits, the champ was crowned. The final two cards were the three of spades of the seven of clubs.

Wilson outlasted each of the record setting 7318 other opponents to become the 2010 champ. Wilson learned poker just over the last five months from his father, prominent journalist, photographer and product developer John Wilson, watching him play at the popular online poker site, Poker Stars.

Wilson, a man of few words, simply smiled, babbled a few lines to the camera and was wheeled off by his mother.

Parker on the way back to South Carolina with father and coach John Wilson.

Picture of champ Parker Wilson

by John Wilson

We made a quick day trip out of going to Hoover Dam. The drive is only about 45 minutes (tops) and you get to see a lot of Las Vegas off “the Strip” including a great view of Henderson from Highway 515.

We went very early in the morning and were literally the first car in the parking lot. NOTE: We drove directly into the parking lot from the road that takes you into Hoover Dam, however, as we were leaving that afternoon there was a very long line, 200 or more cars deep, waiting to get in. I highly recommend you get up early so you don’t have to wait. If you go early in the week of your trip, you may still be on EST. Be careful on the drive in as their are several sharp turns, poor visibility and no guard rails.

We walked across the top of Hoover Dam first, since the museum/tour didn’t open until 9a. On the walk across you will see the memorial to the 112 people that died during the construction of the dam (one was a visitor). You will also see the divide between Nevada time and Arizona time, as well as a great view of both sides of the dam. the It’s a relatively short walk, and if you go far enough you can walk into Arizona. I thought the state line was actually on the bridge, but the sign made it seem as if it was actually a good 200 yards on the other side of the river.

The $11 tour of the dam was not the most informative tour I’ve ever been on, but worth taking since you’re already there. It explained some of the history of the bridge through a short movie then walked you through the caves to the power plant. You literally walk through carved-out caves to get to each part of the tour, so if you are at all claustrophobic, you should probably take a pass on this tour. One lady in our tour turned around because so many people were crammed into the elevators, and because the caves are a tight fit (the pathways are probably 10×10.

The Hoover Dam is incredibly difficult to take competent pictures of because it is so big and you can only get so far from it. Be sure to go to the top of the Visitor’s Center to have your best chance of a good photograph.

The last piece of the tour worth noting is the near completion of the Mike O’Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge. When that bridge is complete, you will no longer be able to drive across the Hoover Dam. This project has been in action for years, but was accelerated by the events of September 11. On the top floor of the Visitor’s Center there is an entire section devoted to the bridge.

Parker waiting in the “caves” for the next part of the tour

On your way back to Las Vegas, be sure to stop and take a look at Lake Mead on the left just a quarter-mile past the guard post.

Below are a few pictures from the visit. You can see the remainder of the set on my Hoover Dam picture set on Flickr.

The Hoover Dam

The Hoover Dam Bypass near completion.

We stopped at Tony’s Pizza in Boulder on the way back to Las Vegas.

by John Wilson

On our first full day in Las Vegas, Parker, Amanda and I spent a good deal of the day at the pool at the Las Vegas HIlton. We rented a cabana to avoid some of the heat (it was 106 degrees). Here are some benefits of renting at cabana at the Las Vegas Hilton:

1. Avoid the direct sun light (especially if you’re as pale as me). There are other cabana like structures, but none with the sun blocking ability of the cabanas.
2. Flat-screen tv in the cabana for watching sports, catching up on the news or to provide noise to nap to.
3. Twenty free non-alcoholic drinks are including with choices of Coke, Diet Coke, Cranberry and Apple Juice, Sprite, Diet Sprite and water. It was hot, and we still ended up bringing some back
4. Soft couches to sit on including a few lounge chairs to drag out into the sun
5. Privacy to pull shut the cabana door if you need to change
6. A ceiling fan to blow around all that hot air
7. Plugs for your computer or cell phone
8. A lockable safe to protect your stuff

All of this for $125. For a few bucks extra you can rent a cabana that overlooks the strip with more of mesh walls to let the breeze flow through.

After spending the day in the pool, the three of us ventured down to the MGM Grand Casino to eat a the Rainforest Cafe. We figured Parker would love it – unfortunately, he slept through the whole thing.

Below are some more pictures from Day 1. You can see the whole set by visiting my flickr page here.

Pool at the Hilton Las Vegas

Parker going for a swim

Parker sleeping with the fishes

Sunset at MGM Grand Casino

Sunset on Day 1

by John Wilson

Parker had a great time at the Mt. Pleasant Pier, taking in all of the Fourth of July activities. He was big hit on the dance floor, earning his own cheering section. Unfortunately, his hands are still too small to sign autographs.

Parker also enjoyed watching the fireworks, which his mother was worried would scare him. He was watching them very intensely. I didn’t take my tripod, so I don’t have many good fireworks shots, but I did catch some good shots of Parker while we were waiting for the show.

Parker and Dad waiting on the fireworks.

Dance Machine

Almost showtime!

Everyone going home

by John Wilson

Happy Fourth of July from www.whereisjohnwilson.com.

I hope you have the chance to buy (or see) more than one “firework.”

I took this picture of a firework vendor across the street from Carrabba’s on SC 17 North.