Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Off the Beaten Path II

I better finish telling you about Las Vegas before the year is over!  For those of you who might travel to Vegas and NOT gamble, here are a couple of other things you might be entertained by.  Of course, any time you travel, eating becomes part of the adventure.  We discovered this lovely German Cafe called the Heidelberg Cafe.  YUM.  We went there for an early dinner, and it is tasty authentic German food.  You can rely on my description, since M's parents are both from Germany.  The schnitzel is wonderful.  I had the Schnitzel combo plate.  M had the Sauerbraten.  It is a lot of food, so bring a good appetite.  This gem of a restaurant is only about a half mile off the strip.  Sorry I didn't take a single photo.  I can't think straight when I am hungry.

Other than Red Rock Canyon, I think the highlight of our recent Vegas visit was the discovery of the Pinball Hall of Fame.  M and I both love to play pinball.  M is a much better player than I am, having spent the better part of his youth putting coins into pinball games.  However, we both had a great time at the Pinball Hall of Fame.  This place is a must see!!!  There are over 200 vintage pinball machines in the Hall of Fame.  I remember even seeing a Pacman game, but we were focused on pinball.  The place is run by a man named Tim Arnold.  Mr. Arnold is originally from Michigan, and had a dream of moving to Vegas to open a Pinball Museum.  Now he has done it!  Only the cool part is that you can actually play the games in the museum.  It is a non-profit organization, and any leftover monies go to the Salvation Army.  It is staffed by volunteers.  Even if you aren't a pinball addict, like M and I are, you will have a fun time visiting this unique place.  Check out the rows and rows of pinball machines:  So cool!

 
 

We could have spent a lot more time and money at the Pinball Hall of Fame, but we only found it on our last day, when we were scheduled to go home.  We easily spent more money on pinball than we did at the casino.  M stopped in the bathroom before we hopped into the car for the drive home, and while I waited, I discovered the rubber duckie game.  That probably is not the official name, but that is what I call it.  I really wanted to try to get a rubber duckie, especially the one with the pirate hat, but we did really have to go home.  Next time!!!


 

Back home, to reality, work, chores, dishes, and all of those other responsibilities.  I am dreaming about our next visit to Las Vegas, when we will spend our time exploring Red Rock Canyon and playing pinball at the Pinball Hall of Fame.  I hope to bring back a rubber duckie.

7 comments:

Guzzisue said...

now so, so jealous. for years we had a pinball machine in our living room which eventually was given to another enthusiast who has restored it and passed it on to some one else to enjoy We used to have games parties which lastest late into the night when we were younger :-)

Patty said...

You are a multi-faceted woman! I never figured you for a pinball wizard.
Glad you had a great time!

Chris Daly said...

What a great idea. i would be in seventh heaven at this mueseum.

Archie and Melissa said...

oh what fun!

happy happy new year karine!

i cannot wait to see all the beautiful things you will create this year!

xoxox
m & e

bigBANG studio said...

happy new year, k! love the pinball hall of fame- so wacky! we're back in the hi-dez (obviously) and our guests are gone, and now time to hit the studio! i bet you're in there right now...

big hugs, and can't wait to see what you do with that new camera of yours! those shots your posted were GORGEOUS.
xoxo

desertbackroadfiend said...

Oh, YAY! PINBALL! I am so glad to know about this. We're in Vegas quite a bit and always in search of something moderately sane and fun to do.

Happy New Year!

bindu said...

What an interesting idea! I was in Las Vegas once for an afternoon, and found it too noisy and resource-consuming for my liking. Given more time, small discoveries like these might have endeared the place to me.