Friday, February 10, 2012

Adventure Project #4 - The Freemont Street Experience



"Old Habits Die Hard...Right Bruce Willis?"

They say it takes four weeks to form a habit, four weeks to break a habit. Though I think heroine addicts might beg to differ... and beg for money... and beg for more heroine... it seems as though our "Adventure Habit" has formed and it is, in fact, quite addictive. Ah, good old heroine puns! We are four weeks into "Adventure Project 2012" and we are still going strong. For those of you who have forgotten, the goal is simple: have one adventure a week, each week. Maybe it's something wild and crazy, maybe it just something you've never done or a place you've never been. Though there are tons of things to do virtually anywhere you live, I will admit that occasionally it is hard to find a solid "adventure" and one that maybe doesn't cost too much. But sometimes you just have to get creative with your plans and just go for it! Either way, the adventure continues this week with "The Freemont Street Experience"!
"Anything You Want, You Got It..."

Welcome ladies and gentlemen to Freemont Street, a wild attraction located in North Las Vegas about a mile north of The Strip! In 1925, Fremont Street became the first paved street in Las Vegas and has since been home to many famous hotels and casinos including The Plaza, The Golden Nugget, and Four Queens to name a few. The street is no longer accessible to motor vehicles and has become a 1,500 foot long pedestrian mall filled with bars, casinos, shops, and, of course, deep fried Oreo's (3 for 99 cents!). Are you looking for the world famous Heart Attack Burger where if you are over 350 lbs you eat for free? You got your burgers! Are you looking for $2.00 Coronas at all Binion's Gambling Hall Bars? Tu tienes tus cervezas! Are looking for the World's Largest Pint Glass at Hennessey's Tavern? Ay laddy! Apparently no one told the Irish bar that a "pint" is a unit of measurement, hoidy toidy toidy!

"Bright Light City Gonna Set My Soul on Fire!"

Now you might remember Freemont Street being featured in movies and television such as hits like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Honey, I Blew Up the Baby, and, of course, Con Air. You might also remember that while watching Nickolas Cage chase after Cyrus the Virus, they pass through Freemont Street and you point out the massive canopy screen stretching over a thousand feet that includes a 12.5 million LED display (updated from its original 2.1 million light bulbs). You might also remember how your brother insists that you are wrong and that it is a hologram projected above the casinos and then proceeds to sit on you until you retract your idiotic statements and concede that he is in fact right and you are terribly, terribly wrong. But if that's not one of your memories, it should be noted that there just so happens to be a 90 ft tall canopy that displays an amazing light show every half hour after the sun sets. Along with that, it is also home to many Las Vegas relics and recognizeable icons from the old days which collectively make up what is known as the Neon Museum.

"Zippity Doo Da... Zippity Ay"

Now you might be thinking to your self, "Gee Whiz, Mickey Blogginsworth! That sure sounds like a lot of fun, but where's the adventure? Where's the thrill? What makes this street different from The Strip itself? What makes it so special? Why do you always root for the under-dog? Can't you agree that just because something is bigger, it doesn't necessarilly mean its worse? You and your liberal agenda are constantly acting oppressed but when you stop and think about it, a dark horse candidate or an underfunded project doesn't always equal better. Well I for one am sick of it!" If that's what you're thinking, I'm not sure we're talking about the same thing. But regardless, here's the adventure you've been waiting for: The Freemont Street Flightlinez! For fifteen bucks and virtually no waiting, you get to take an 850 ft ride 67 feet above the tourists and Las Vegans below (Holy Crap... brilliant idea... a chain of vegan fast food stores called Las Vegans... Slogan: Why Gamble with Gluten?!...). Even Erika, who is visibly terrified of heights, was able to rise to the occasion and go for a ride. This was my first time experiencing the awesomeness of ziplining but hopefully not the last. For an extra five bucks you can also take the ride after sundown, whizzing by the neon lights and displays. For an extra five hundred bucks I bet you could find someone who would let you litterally whiz onto the unsuspecting folks below. They could call it UnZIPPEDlining! Anywho, hopefully one of our future adventures will be a more extreme ziplining experience up a Bootleg Canyon. This attraction offers four ziplines that travel over two miles at times reaching speeds of upto 60 mph! Just imagine how much you could whiz on at those speeds!

"Slots of Adventures"

Freemont street is definitely a place to have yourself an adventure. You can watch the free concerts or karaoke competitions taking place right there on the street or get your picture taken with a celebrity impersonator. You can watch street artists create pop art in minutes with spray paint and skill or check out the aquarium/pool at the Golden Nugget, home to a shark that I'm pretty sure has diabetes. And if your adventure comes in the form of taking a gamble, there's no shortage there. Erika, in particular, loves to hit up the nickel slots and test her luck. In fact, just before hitting the old dusty trail, we popped into Glitter Gulch and tossed in a buck. With just fifteen cents left, we were ready to hit the road, when suddenly the sevens and diamonds aligned winning an amazing 1000.... nickels... oh yeah. Still, that's fifty bucks which pretty much paid for the entire adventure including the guilty pleasure lunch at In & Out Burger. On the other hand, trying to transfer 1,000 nickels from a tray to small plastic cups is less fun than it looks.
So there we go! Four Adventures in Four Weeks! Not sure what's in store for this weekend, but coming soon is an adventure 2,000 miles in the making! Massachusettes baby!

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