The last drive ending at the city of sinAs the sun rose over Zion we little campers said goodbye to Utah, the towering Navajo Sandstone cliffs and stunning scenery.
What we were leaving behind :(First stop WALMART!
This is where we all stocked up one last time before heading to the city of sin
Before entering the city that never sleeps, we took a detour to Springs Preserve (The old springs) which once upon at time supplied Las Vegas with the ever so precious H2O before it dried up and Hoover Dam took the honours. We gandered around the preserve watching videos, poking cacti and learning about the history of Las Vegas in a human and geological context.
In the Preserve there is a sustainability gallery which teaches visitors to live sustainably. Remember the quote campers.... "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". (United Nations 2009)
It does this through interactive methods allowing all ages to participate in the learning experience. The things this includes are a video in a recycling truck and a driving experience whereby you can learn about how unsustainable cars are and the more energy efficient alternatives. Also one other thing we got excited about (well Emma did anyway) was the sustainable house and the fun ways of adapting your house to be sustainable. Our fun was cut short as Greg demanded (politely) that it was sadly time to leave.
The cool dustbin cart• Las Vegas is Spanish for “The Meadows”
• Population of the Metropolitan District of Las Vegas is 1.95 million.
• Hoover Damn was built in two years and to those who have seen this immense mount of concrete can appreciate the ingenuity and hard work that went into this construction (Video in Ori-Gen Centre).
• 2 million gallons of water are conserved in Las Vegas each year
• 90% of Las Vegas water comes from the Colorado River
Upon exiting the old springs, Duncan decided to fuel up as Janet watched by forgetting that she had even less fuel than Big D and thinking that singing in the mini bus would make things all right. As Janet lagged behind students were thrilled at the opportunity\embarrassment of pushing a FORD minibus down the strip for all to see. Meanwhile bus 1, 93 and…… Chris's, were marvelling at the sites with their heads bopping and cameras flashing as they rolled down the strip in style (with fuel in their tank). Left to our own devices we entered the Flamingo Hotel and after writing this blog we are now ready for what the night has to offer.
The Flamingo Hotel that we are staying in certainly has a lot of history surrounding it. It first opened on New years Eve 1946, and its owner was none other than the ganster Bugsy Siegel. However it has been completely rebuilt so nothing remains of the original hotel/casino. The hotel is on the larger side with a huge 3,626 rooms and a large casino to match (Vegas.com 2010)
To sign off we leave you with this inspirational lyric from the Big man himself; Elvis Presley……VIVA LAS VEGAS!!!!
Emma, Rachael and Alice
References:
United Nations (2009) Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future [online] Available from: http://www.un-documents.net/wced-ocf.htm [Accessed 16th May 2010]
Vegas.com (2010) Flamingo Las Vegas [online] Available from: http://www.vegas.com/resorts/flamingo/ [Accessed 16th May 2010]
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