Acrobats with nets and tightropes had us astounded and late. We had to get back to the other end of the strip for our focus group. We tried to catch a bus back, but after a couple of blocks the bus driver told us to get out. Walking would be faster. Turns out the traffic jam the bus was stuck in was not an accident but a plan.
While thousands of Las Vegans and tourists missed flights, and work, and racked up massive cab bills Shania Twain paraded down the middle of the strip on horseback, like an ego maniacal rodeo queen. In honor of her signing a two-year contract with Caesar's Place she blocked off Las Vegas Blvd to make her grand entrance.
We got a glimpse of Shania and took off. After having to jog several blocks (we could have used one of Shania's horses) I made it to my focus group just in time to stand around and wait. In line I overheard that the third installment of "Hangover" was being filmed. The lady in front of me had gotten to meet the film's stunt doubles. Made me think the bearded, drunk Zach Galifianakis street impersonator I had seen earlier might have been better paid than his tip jar indicated.
The focus group went okay. I added a few notes, got snapped at by the moderator, but only once. From then I only nodded and smiled when hearing comments like "I like to watch the show because I think the main actor is attractive but not too attractive." It wasn't until the very end when I had to defend to invisible LA interrogators why I was the only person in the group to describe the main character as "annoying" that I was ready to leave. The facilitator didn't seem to like Isaiah much either and wouldn't let him talk. This is likely because his feedback for the medical drama extended beyond "have more car chases and explosions." We perhaps are not the ideal demographic as television reception in the van is a bit spotty.
Though a little disappointed in the content of the discussion we earned $50 for an hour of our time and the process itself was exciting.
We finished the day in Old Vegas. We stopped in at the famous Golden Nugget casino and saw the world's largest gold nugget, and caught an outdoor laser light show. We also passed Heart Attack Grille. This restaurant dresses patrons in hospital gowns, has nurses rather than waitresses, serves sides of cigarettes and has a industrial scale outside its doors. Anyone over 350 lbs. eats free. Thank you to Isaiah for talking me out of getting a butter milkshake.
To end the night we got to see the world's largest chocolate fountain and competed with 20 Latin beauty queens to get a picture of the Las Vegas sign. Never did find where they were filming the Hangover though.
World's largest chocolate fountain
Sign in Old Vegas
The Vegas sign
Waterfall at the Wynn casino
A wise looking tree
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