Hoover Dam - May 5 then to Las Vegas -- Hoover Dam very impressive and lots of people there. Something of 56% of their output is for Las Vegas. Seems like a waste of an engineering marvel.

Then, headed to Las Vegas and checked into the Stratosphere Hotel  at 702 380 7777. Very nice room and inexpensive--but then they charge you for EVERYTHING: wifi is $9.95 A DAY!!! They have a Starbucks in the casino area--and can't even get wifi there--have to use their computers with a minimum $5 charge and $.50/minute.

The hotel is overwhelmingly huge! It is the one with the tower with rides at the top--not my thing! It is an assault of the senses everywhere. Loud music and zillions of gambling machines. Even the pool has music blasting. There is an entire floor of tacky shops; oh well this is Vegas. 1st pic is a view from my window--I'm on the 16th floor of 24.

Definitely land of the proletariat.