Batman Beyond #1

I have loved the Batman Beyond concept since I first saw the animated series in the late 90's, so when DC began printing further adventures of Terry McGinnis the future Batman I was all over the book. As the years past the Batman Beyond book evolved as more future versions of established DC characters were introduced, along with the original but now older Superman leading the new Justice League. Unfortunately all that came to an end as DC launched their weekly book Futures End which brought Terry into the DCU proper although 5 years into the future from the then current story lines (not confused yet), after given the book a few issues I decided it wasn't for  me and stopped buying it. Jump forward around a year and Batman Beyond is again on the shelf much to my delight, but unfortunately for me Futures End has dramatically changed everything about the book I loved.

There is a new Batman Beyond fighting crime in Neo-Gotham and his name is Tim Drake, now I don't know if its the present universe Tim Drake or the 5 years later Futures End Tim Drake?

Now it looks as if I will have to do some research to do if I am going to find out, what exactly happened to Terry but as you read the book you do find out he died fighting Brother in Eye Futures End (gutted).

As we start the issue Batman is fighting a gang of Jokez who are trying to take down a shield that is protecting  Neo-Gotham from the all seeing Brother Eye, or the not so all seeing Brother Eye if it cant find a city the size of Neo-Gotham shield or no shield. After sorting out the Jokez Tim is off to visit Terry's younger brother Matt, who seems more than a little miffed that Tim has the Bat suit and not him. His annoyance only covers a few panels but its something I'm betting will play out in the months to come, After his visit Tim,s on his way to a Brother Eye prison camp known as The Lodge, the prison has been built on the ruins of New York city (why is it always New York). Tim's reason for going to the Lodge is to try to find some of Terry's friends, who are rumored to be held there as Brother Eye interrogates them for information. While checking out the prison Tim has an encounter with a Brother Eye converted Superman that damages his suit beyond repair (for now), so we see a de-powered Tim join a line of new prisoners and once inside he encounters a familiar face from his past (spoilers).

Now I am torn over this book because Dan Jurgens pens a good opening issue and Bernard Chang does a great job on the artwork, its just that this Batman Beyond insn't my Batman Beyond, I also like the character of Tim Drake but not in his current role. Also this isn't the same time-line as the one I read and watched on TV, Futures End seems to have changed that time line and the grumpy old man in me just inst happy about it.

Having said that I will see out the first story arc to see where it goes before deciding if I will stay with the book or not, the completest in me say you have to stay but my head may rule the collector in me on this one.

Orlando 2015

After our hectic weekend at the Timegate convention in Atlanta (see post on the Needless Things website), it was off too Florida for a relaxing 10 days in Orlando (as relaxing as Orlando can get). So after a quick flight one hour and 15 minute flight from Atlanta we arrived in sunny and very hot Florida, I have to add at this point that my dear wife Helen slept the entire journey. She cannot remember seeing us pull off the gate as we prepared for take-off, she only woke up when we landed and asked the question ''are we taking off''?

My answer is not for the sensitive eyes of anyone reading this, but needless to say this wasn't the first time my wonderful wife has done this. Helen has the knack of been able to sleep on a plane even before it takes off, while I don't so guess who can occasionally get irritated when we fly. 

So after breezing through the airport it was on to I-drive and within an hour we were booked into our hotel, unpacked and sat in the Buffalo Wings bar enjoying happy hour which we enjoyed just a little too much if I am honest. Happy hour was a scenario that was to repeat its self over the course of the next 10 days, be it either in the afternoon or on a night as happy hour ran from 14:00 to 16:00 and 22:00 to midnight so we always managed to make one of them.

When we wasn't enjoying happy hour (this sound bad) we were visiting the parks be it water or theme, or just walking around the shops trying to raise the America economy. Below is a breakdown on my thoughts on each of the parks, I will add here that we didn't visit Disney not because we don't enjoy the Disney parks it was purely down to time and cost, mainly cost of a Disney ticket.






Wet & Wild

This was our first visit to this water park and probably our last as Universal have announced they are to close it in 2016, however after reading a few negative reviews we were pleasantly surprised on how much we enjoyed our day there. The park is big there seemed to be something for everyone be it a little child or a large one, there was plenty of room to lay down and relax and the wave pool was a lot of fun if you didn't fall over (long story). The food was basic but edible which is always a plus, and it wasn't over priced especially if you shared a drink (were from Yorkshire). If asked I would recommend Wet & Wild as worth a visit, especially if you were staying on I-drive and didn't have a car.

Universal Studios

Universal has moved on quite a lot since our last visit in 2012 and as much as we enjoyed the Universal parks, apart from Harry Potter world they were starting to look a bit old and stale. 

Well all that has changed as a vast amount of investment has been put into the parks since we last visited, Harry Potter is now stretched across both parks Universal & Island of Adventure. In Universal they have added Kings Cross Station along with the Hogwarts Express that takes people from one park to the other, but the star of the park is Diagon Alley which is simply out of this world. The work that has gone into making Diagon Alley look authentic is utterly breathtaking, every little detail has been thought of and you can spend hours just waling around taking it all in. All the shops you would expect to find are there, along with an actual fire breathing dragon on top of the wizards bank Gringotts. 

There has also been a few new rides added to the parks with the Escape from Gringotts ride which is good, but not as good as the Forbidden Journey ride in Hogwarts in my humble opinion. We went on it twice and on both occasions they had technical issues with the ride, which changed our 30 minute wait into a 70 minute one so maybe my judgement is slightly coloured.  

A transformers ride has also been added to the park which if you have seen the films may make some sort of sense, we haven't so although we found the ride good and interactive the storyline was totally lost on us. What was very good was the Transformer that was stood outside the ride interacting with the crowd, I know there was a man in there somewhere but it did look very convincing.

The addition of Krusty Land which has been built around the Simpson ride is also fun, and adds a little bit more the the park as you walk around.

We also noticed (you could not miss it) the contruction that was going on between Jurassic Park and Toon Lagoon, I am led to believe that this will be a King Kong interactive experience set to open in 2016. It looked very impressive even in its part built state, and its an attraction I am looking forward to seeing when we visit again.

Sea World

Now I know Sea World has taken some flack in resent times after the documentary Black Fish, it is however a park that we enjoy and love to visit. Antarctica Empire of the Penguin has been added since our last visit, and although the ride is nothing to shout home about it is worth going on it to see the penguins at the end. 

We also booked a back lot tour on one of the days there which only cost $50 for the both of us, we were shown the conservation that takes place within the park and surrounding areas. How Sea World care and look after injured or abandoned animals in the park, before releasing them back to their natural habitat once healthy. We were given the chance to stroke a shark which is not as dangerous as it sounds, as this species of shark was only around 12 inches long. Much to the disappointment of one young boy on the tour, who thought he was going to see and touch a great white shark. The highlight of the tour was the chance to see a penguin up close and Helen was lucky enough to be able to touch one, as Helen loves penguins it was probably the highlights of the holiday for her.

                                

Food

We ate out most nights and in all honesty didn't have a bad meal while we were there, Chilli's do a fantastic set menu with drinks for $28 which is mad when you take into account their portion sizes and quality of the food. Buffalo Wings bar has a large selection of food that are all worth sampling, the 3 cheese pizzas and Big Jack Daddy burgers are especially welcoming.

It was our 36th wedding anniversary while we were away and we had our anniversary meal at the Olive Garden, the meal, drinks and whole feel of the place is just perfect for a special meal well worth a visit.  Add to that Bennigans American Faye and the pizza takeaway across the road from our hotel, and we were never going to go hungry on this trip.

                      

 

Wrap up

Its been a while since we had visited Orlando and I think the time away was a good thing, as we enjoyed the parks more with all the changes that had been made. It may be a few years before we go back again but its a place we enjoy visiting and love, I would encourage anyone who reads this blog that hasn't been to go at least once to see for yourself how wonderful Orlando can be.

TimeGate a convention we will never forget.

I have a guest post on the Needless Things blog site, talking about our experiences at our first State side convention Timegate. My thanks to the Phantom Troublemaker for putting the post up on his site, the links below will take you to the Needless Things blog and to the Needless Things Facebook page.

And after reading my post check out the wonderful blog that is Needless Things and the equally awesome Needless Things podcast.

 Needless-Things Facebook page



 Needless Things Blog

Star Trek / Planet of The Apes: The Primate Directive #3

Writers Scott and David Tippton bring us yet another unlikely but enjoyable franchise crossover, having already written a Matt Smith Doctor Who / Star Trek Next Generation story, they have now turned their talent to produce an original series Star Trek / Planet of The Apes crossover.

The crossover is explained by way of an advanced portal that has allowed the Klingons to enter the apes alternative time line so they can expand their empire without Federation interference, of course Kirk and and his crew love nothing better than a little interference when it comes to the Klingon Empire so they have followed them through the portal to see what they are up to.

At the start of the issue we find Dr Zaius in deep thought as he ponders potential food shortages, the general unrest among the ape population, and the increasingly uncontrollable gorilla army who seem intent on invading the forbidden lands. Elsewhere the Klingons are fueling a potential apes civil war by providing the gorilla army with advanced weaponry, while Kirk and his crew are having trouble not only from the apes they encounter but from Taylor the stranded earth astronaut from the first two ape films. Taylor is upset that Kirk has decided to invoke the Federations Prime Directive, and ordered his crew not to interfere with the evolution of the planet apart from putting an end to the plans of the Klingons. Having managed to beam on to the enterprise Taylor is giving Kirk and his crew the run-around as he looks for weapons that will put an end to ape dominance over mankind, the inevitable fight between Taylor and Kirk finally takes place with Kirk literally loosing his part of his shirt before the two men agree on a compromise.

The story as Spock would say is fascinating and the Tippton brothers have successfully merged two worlds that I didn't think possible to merge, the story is a plausible one as far as space opera and talking apes can be and the story doesn't feel forced (see Star Trek / X-Men).

Rachael Scott's art is fantastic and her character likeness of the Enterprise crew is uncanny, something that's not always easy to do when your dealing with such well known and established characters. Personally I enjoyed seeing the old series Klingons again, who I much prefer to the film and Next Generation style ones (sorry Worf). 

As strange a concept this book seemed when I first heard about it, it is a cracking read with great artwork and as they say in movie land well worth the price of admission.

Podcasts I currently listen too.

I have found myself listening to an ever growing list of podacasts over the last few years, when I first started listening to podcasts around 7 years ago I listened to 2 a month. Today I have 12 on my I-Pod all set up to automatically down load every time a new one is released, which can be weekly, fortnightly or monthly depending on the podcaste.  Now I don't know if 12 is a high, medium or low number of shows to listen too, but what I do know is its more than enough for me at the moment although 7 years ago I thought 2 shows was enough.

I usually listen to the shows during the 90 minute journey to and from work which is a lot of listening time if you add it up, which of course I have only to be shocked to find it added up to 15 hours a week. The shock wasn't for the time spent listening to the podcasts it was the time spent commuting too and from work (I need to win the lottery), if the 15 hours wasn't enough I also listen while I'm in the bath now I wont share what shows I listen too in the bath as I don't want to scar or scare anyone. 

Anyway the point of this is to tell anyone who read or comes across this particular post what shows I am currently listening to, and give a brief description on what they are about and any thoughts I have about them.

I want to state now that I am not saying these are the best podcasts out there (however, they probably are), but if you feel there are any that I should be listening too or indeed you have a podcast you think I should listen to please feel free to let me know.

Now as they say in no particular order the list of shows I listen too:

Raging Bullets: Now I said in no particular order but there is a reason Raging Bullets is the first on the list, that's because it was the first podcast I ever listened to and all of the others span out of my love for this show. Raging Bullets is a DC Comics podcast full of spoilers and plotlines, with the hosts Sean Whelan and Jim Sequlin talking quite extensively about recently released DC comics. The show is release weekly and can run from 50 minutes up to 3 hours depending on the subject, over the years the show has featured guest writers and artists all who help give a fascinating incite into the world of comics. The show will be 10 years old this year which is some achievement, and it thankfully shows no sign of ending any-time soon.

Podcast of OA: Born out of the excellent Blog of OA Myron Rumsey and Bill Giancoli review and talk about all things Green Lantern, if your a fan of the Green Lantern and the Lantern Universe then you should be listening to this show. The show is monthly and like Raging Bullets where Myron would sometimes guest on when they talked Lantern comics, the Podcast of OA has had some fantastic writers and artists on to the show although theirs are Lantern related . The show is informative and fun with both hosts clearly having a great time discussing the subject they both love, I would also like to add that if there is anyone with more Lantern knowledge than Myron then I have yet to come across them.

Comic Timing: Ian Levenstine and Brent Kossina podcast talk about anything comic related, with a revolving panel of guests and friends. Brent also has a show on gaming called BK's Bullets and Ian has a short show called Extra Point talking about anything that has peeked his interest. Comic Timing has a very relaxed feel to it and you can tell that all the guys on the show get on very well with each other, but be warned there can be bad language so it may not be suitable for younger listeners although having said that they may know more bad words than me. The best way to describe the show is its like listening to a group of friends talking with each other in a comic shop, they may not always agree but they have the same love for the medium and as Ian says ''There is always time for comics''.

The DiBBcast: This is a bit of a niche show as it primly centers around Orlando and its Theme Parks, it has the latest news and rumors from the parks along with helpful hints and tips for both new and seasoned travelers. The hosts Rob, Geoff (Geoffa), James, Mel and Grant present a great mixture of up to date information and Disney History, and we never go to Disney without it.

The ESO Network: ESO has grown dramatically over the past few years and is now known collectively as The ESO Network, at my last count there were 21 podcasts who are part of the network below are the ones I currently have on my I-pod. Please let me state here and now that the ESO Network shows I don't listen to at the moment isn't down to their quality, its purely down to not having enough hours in the day. So I do encourage anyone who read this blog to check out the link to ESO to see the full list of shows, as there is something for everyone on there.


Earth Station One: As the guys say its your station for all things geek and is hosted by Mike Faber & Mike Gordon, other guests also join the show dependent on the topics been discussed and can be one off's or return on a regular basis. The show is produced weekly with regular segments on the show that include, The Geek Seat where a guest is asked 10 pre-set questions, Rants and Raves and Mikes (Gordon) Con report where upcoming or past conventions are discussed. Show topics have ranged from the latest Si-Fi blockbuster to the Marx Brothers, so there is always something for everyone to listen too.

Earth Station Who: Your podcast for all thing Who, if you hadn't already guessed this is a Doctor Who podcast, were Mike Faber & Mike Gordon are joined by regular co hosts The Phantom Trouble Maker and Jennifer Hartshorn. All things Doctor Who are discussed past and present including episode reviews, the latest comic, toy and convention news.The show is currently running twice monthly but changes to weekly when Doctor Who is been aired, the great thing about this show is that the guys don't always agree with each others opinion. They do however always discuss it in an adult way, with differing opinions sometimes been changed sometimes not its simply a great show.

Needless Things Podcast: Hosted by The Phantom Troublemaker (El Phantasmas) and is a fabulous podcast, which covers a multitude of subjects such as toys, movies, music, wrestling and pop culture. The toy reviews are second to none and the love Phantom and his friends have for this subject, radiates out when ever they do one of these shows. The resent shows about the New York International Toy Fair are so good they had me wanting to collect toys, shows are weekly and they are backed up by a brilliant blog page which has posts to it on a daily basis.

Earth Station MCU: A new kid on the block to the ESO Network but fast becoming a top source of information for all things Marvel on TV and Cinema, the show is hosted by Jennifer Hartshorn with a round table of guests to discus the latest Marvel shows, films and trailers. The resent shows about Agent Carter have been great given that it hasn't been shown over here in the UK, MCU has helped me to get some understanding of what the Agent Carter is about and how it connects with the bigger Marvel Universe. I have to admit that I'm a little behind with this podcast but that is deliberate on my part as they are presently discussing Agents of Shield, we are a few weeks behind the States in the airing of that show and I want to watch it first then listen to the show to avoid too many spoilers.

The White Rocket Podcast: Show host Van Allen Plexico is a new pulp best selling author, the show is usually Van and a special guest talking about topics that are an interest to the both of them. Resent shows have included an in-depth look at all the Bonds, the Avengers, and Conan, other shows have included looks at Space 1999, X-Men and Downton Abbey so the show covers a wide and interesting array of subjects.


So that's who I listen too and I encourage you to give these guys a try as well, they put a lot of work into putting out quality shows just for the love of it. If you think or know of any other podcasts you believe I should give a try, then please shout them out and let me know.

New York 35th Anniversary trip.

I usually look back on the past year to see what geeked me out and what didn't, well 2014 was the year of our 35th wedding anniversary so as far as geeking me out nothing could top that.
Below is an overall review on the things we did on our anniversary trip as I'm not good at taking notes or remembering what happened on what day, so the report will be a broad reflection on the places we visited during our time in Washington, Las Vegas and New York.

New York

Hotel:

We stayed at the Distrikt Hotel on 342W 40th Street at the side of the Port Authority, the hotel is not much to look at from the outside and only has 5 rooms per floor so its small or boutique to give it the modern term. What its lacking in size it more than makes up for in quality as its the best New York hotel we have ever stayed in, the staff are pleasant, very helpful and more than happy to help in any way they could. Before we left the UK I had emailed the hotel to ask if they had a preferred transfer airport service, not only did they came back with an answer they took all our flight details and booked the transfer for us and emailed me all the confirmations. Even when we were there they were happy to highlight maps to areas we wanted to visit but were unsure how to get there, and on one evening they rang a comic shop I was looking for to check opening times I was very impressed.

Our room on the 32 floor and had a view from the window of the Hudson to the right and the Empire State Building to the left, Helen was absolutely delighted with the view especially at night when the Empire State was lit up in all its glory. Our room was large, clean and the bed was comfortable, no bath but a big shower and bathroom area so we had no complaints about the room what so ever. Access to each floor via the lifts was only a possible by using your room key, it was a security feature I liked with the only down side been is if you forgot to swipe the key card once in the lift. 

You would just go past your floor to the top and back down again, something that happened more than once when we had drank one or two shandy’s in the bar. Having said that it is fun lift surfing when you are a bit drunk, well it did seem so at the time.

Food / Drink:

We paid a couple of visits to Famiglia Pizza as they do some great pizzas and we have never been disappointed when eating there, we also paid a visit to The Olive Garden in Times Sq a place we had never been before. We picked a meal off their set menu and to my surprise the meal was excellent, when Helen suggested going there I wasn't sure but I have to hold my hands up and say she was right again, so the next time you visit NY give The Olive Garden a try, you never know it may surprise you.

For our anniversary meal and after lots of debate on where we should or shouldn't go, we finally decided on the Hartland Brewery and the meal and service was everything we hoped it would be. We both had a starter and a steak meal with Helen also finding room for a sweet along with a few glasses of wine, plus a cosmopolitan cocktail while I played it safe with a few pints of larger. We wanted our anniversary meal to be one we would not forget and the Hartland Brewery certainly ensured that we weren't disappointed, an excellent meal and drinks with great staff and service we cannot recommend it highly enough. 

The Hartland Brewery was just round the corner from our hotel, so it quickly became our local watering hole as we wandered back at the end of the night. I recommend trying their beer sampling platter if you ever visit them, 6 different beers on one tray all of them very good in my humble opinion.

As is always the case when we go to NY a visit to Juniors is a must, not only do they sell great cheesecake they make the best burgers you can get your teeth into. This visit we both had the pastrami burger with fries (chips) and it didn't disappoint, Helen also had a large wedge of chocolate cheese cake which she had to get a doggy bag for. As she couldn't finish it off in the restaurant, it was however devoured later that night as she watched late night TV back at the hotel.

The Sights:

Despite having been to New York before we still hit all the usual sights as we love spending time in places like Times Sq and Central Park, Helen also loves riding carousels so the one in Central Park is always a must for us. It is only $2 to ride and must be one of the top bargains in New York, we also had the obligatory photo taken which was a bit more than $2 but what the hell we were on holiday. 

While we were in Central Park the geek in me couldn't resist visiting the places where the New York episode of Doctor Who was filmed, and Helen was happy to take photos of me sat on various rocks that the Doctor may or may not have sat on, well maybe happy is too strong a word.

The Brooklyn Bridge has always been a sticking point with Helen as she could not cross it on our first visit due scarred to death, the first time we went over she just froze when she realised you can see the river through the wooden slats that make-up the bridge. I of cause was very understanding and never tormented her or mentioned it once, so on this visit she was determined to conquer her fears and my tormenting and walk across the bridge.

So after buying 1 week subway passes for $31 each we took the tube to Brooklyn, and made our way to the bridge were this time she walked all the way across from Brooklyn to Manhattan. 

Now I use the term walk loosely, as in one of my photos Helen is clearly walking in what can only be described as in an Olympic style. Lord help anyone who may have got in her way as she strode over the bridge, I must add that a few days later Helen walked the bridge again in a much calmer fashion this time from Manhattan to Brooklyn, and I'm very proud of her for facing her fear in the way that she did.

On the day of our anniversary visited the Top of the Rock and we both agreed that it’s a better view than the one from the Empire State, partly because your looking at the Empire State so you get that iconic view of Manhattan. We took loads of photos while we were up there and again bought the obligatory photo of us on the steel girder, as we don’t tend to have many holiday photos of us both together and you only live once so why not. Helen is not a big fan of heights but nothing was going to stop her on this trip, and she went to the highest section of the Rockefeller she’s quite a brave lady when she puts her mind to it.

During one of our many visits to Times Sq we were asked if we wanted to have our photo taken, having had it taken we were then told it would be put up on the Sony screen in Times Sq. So we stood camera poised and sure enough there we were on the big screen, for all Times Sq to see we were well chuffed and had special memory on what was a special holiday.

Helen also managed to bump into the naked cowboy on one of our visits to Times Sq, and as it would be rude not to she had her photo taken with him.

We spent a good part of one morning walking on the Highline, we had planned to do it on an earlier trip but Helen had taken ill so we had to postpone. When I say ill it was self inflicted too many vodka sours but I am moving off the point, the Highline is fantastic and you get views of New York that you would not normally see, it was a great way to spend the morning. It took us around 2 hours to walk the whole line, one tip take plenty of water and wear a hat as there is little to no cover while you are waking on the High Line. I learnt a harsh lesson that say gagging for a drink, and a head as red as a tomato. 

Shopping:

Century 21, Disney Store and Macey’s were all visited as Helen loves a good shop when we are away, I find Macey’s overpriced and believe that it's living on its past name a bit like Harrods in London. I would also like to add that the men’s toilets in Macey’s were the worst I have ever visited and given that Macey’s promotes its self as a premier brand they should provide better and cleaner facilities. Century 21 has something for everyone and if you love shoes (what woman doesn't), you will love that section of the shop its that big we got lost in it.  While this didn't seem to bother Helen too much, I was starting to panic as I could feel my will to live slowly slip away. 

As a comic geek a visit to a comic shop is always on the cards when were away and this trip was no exception, after going to Midtown Comics in Times Sq I decided to spend my money In Jim Hanley’s Universe now known as JHU. After a particular trying day where we couldn't find the shop (I was on the wrong street number) we finally found it and I bought 3 rather nice Batman statues, along with the 4^th Doctors sonic screwdriver to add to my collection.

As this was our 35^th anniversary trip it just wouldn't have been complete without a visit to Tiffany’s, I told Helen that if she saw anything she liked she could have it (within reason). After visiting different floors she settled on a silver bracelet with a Tiffany heart on it, her face was a picture as she posed outside the store with her blue Tiffany bag in hand, and after 35 years living with me she deserved to be. The whole Tiffany experience was fantastic and the staff that we saw treated everybody the same, regardless if they were spending money in the store or not. The lady who served us was very patient as Helen browsed various items, she made us feel like we were the only people in the store which made our experience all the more special.


Wrap Up:

Then before we knew it the adventure was over and we were waiting for the bus to take us to the airport, our trip had been around 3 years in the planning and proved at times to be physically tiring especially when we walked around Washington. However, we loved every minute of the trip and it was everything we hoped it would be, we have fantastic memories and meet some really great people it was a fitting way to celebrate our 35th anniversary. 

Las Vegas 2014 35th Anniversary trip

I usually look back on the past year to see what geeked me out and what didn't, well 2014 was the year of our 35th wedding anniversary so as far as geeking me out nothing could top that.
Below is an overall review on the things we did on our anniversary trip as I'm not good at taking notes or remembering what happened on what day, so the report will be a broad reflection on the places we visited during our time in Washington, Las Vegas and New York.

Las Vegas

It was an early rise 4am so we could catch our 8:00 flight to Las Vegas, after a coffee and a sandwich at the airport it was time to board the fight and off we went. 5 hours later we landed in Vegas at around 10am due to the time difference, and after a quick transfer we were at our hotel and all checked in for 11:00.

Hotel:

We stayed at the MGM Grand which is a fabulous hotel you cannot fault it for the entertainment, varied food on offer and the vast array of ways provided for you to lose your money. However we just found the hotel to be too big and noisy for us, I want to stress that its not a knock on the hotel it’s just a personal preference. 

We were there for 6 nights and even towards the end of our stay there, we were still getting lost as we walked around the casino and food court areas. Then there's the music that seems to be playing where ever you go, in the casino, bars, food court and the lifts there was no escape from it. When music isn't playing there are various announcements of upcoming events blasting over the system, letting you know about upcoming and present events.
I now know that Lady Gagga the biggest star on the planet (their words not mine) was performing there, Aerosmith with special guest Slash, yes Slash (again their words) making an appearance alongside them. As I said it’s a great hotel and I'm sure as a younger man I would have loved it, unfortunately I am a grumpy older man and the hotel just wasn't for me. I do however have to give a special shout out to the MGM food court which serves some great food, and was a morning life saver for Helen providing her with a much needed morning cup of tea.

Our room was large as you would expect and was clean again as you would expect from a hotel of this standard, I particularly liked the small TV that was in the bathroom area mirror but that’s just the geek in me. There was no bath but there was a very large shower which was big enough for two, just in case we needed to shower at the same time to save a bit of water (doing my bit for the environment). Unfortunately we did find out that our room had been double booked, when a Japanese couple tried to get into our room at 5:30 one morning. We were offered a room upgrade which I declined as I didn't want to repack all our clothes up again, so we were given $75 to spend in any MGM owned hotel as long as we charged it to our room so happy days.

Gambling:

Despite my bravado prior to our holiday about hitting the Black Jack and Roulette tables, the Yorkshire man in me wasn't 
willing to risk the $25 minimum bet most of the tables were asking. 
So we happily played the slots while we drank our free beer and cocktails, that we ordered from the waitresses who came around as you played. Helen was the biggest winner cashing out $78 on her first night not big bucks but we were happy, one of the disappointments on playing the slots is that you don't get money when you win or cash out. You are paid with a money slip that you can exchange for money at a vendor machine at a later time, perhaps I've seen too many films where the money just jingles into the payment cups of the machine but that's what I wanted to hear. Over the 6 days we saved up any money slips we won until the day we were leaving, and found we had over $300 when we cashed them out so not too bad.

Food:

We ate a various places during our stay and had some great meals, with the stand out meal for me been The MadOnion, it was across the road from the MGM  and I had a steak to die for. We both had a starter and a main meal with a drink and it only came to $55, if you’re visiting Las Vegas I strongly suggest you visit this restaurant. Other places we ate in were Hooters which was standard burger and fast food, however I don’t think people are drawn to Hooters due to the standard of the food but I could be wrong. Continuing with the fast food theme we visited Denney’s and Panda Express both of which were better than I thought they would be, and if you’re looking for good tasting fast food you could do worse than giving these places a try especially Panda Express. The RainForest Café in the MGM was a bit hit and miss for us, the food was good as was the cost of the meal but unfortunately our server forgot to order our starters. So after sat waiting for around 30 minutes our main meal turned up, the poor man who brought it had no idea what had happened to our starter and didn't know what to do. When our server turned up she said that she had forgot to order it as she had been very busy, she apologised then walked away so we ate our meal and left a little disappointed to say the least.

During the day we kept fuelled up with plenty of coffee and cakes which kept us going, we also made visits to The Earl of Sandwich, Ben & Jerry’s, Subway and The Sugar Factory, all them helped keep our energy levels up.

The Sights:

Well what can I say that hasn't been already said about Vegas you either love it or hate it and we love it, we visited every hotel & casino on the strip and some off it as well all have their own plus and minus points and I could go on forever about them. 
My favourite hotel was the Bellagio not only does it have the fantastic fountains but there is an air of opulence about the place. I loved sitting near the reception area listening to the piano player go through his repertoire. 

Helens favourite hotel was the Wynn she fell in love with the flowed carousel and gardens, which I have to admit were very impressive and shows what you can do with a bit of imagination and a few million dollars in your pocket.

 A mention also has to go to the Tropicana where we spent a few nights gambling in the bright music free casino, based on the casino area and bars alone the Tropicana is a hotel we would consider if we ever go back to Vegas.

We paid a visit to Freemont Street as we never made it there the first time we visited Vegas, we took the Deuce bus after buying a 3 day pass for $20 each. After a bit of breakfast in Denny’s at the entrance to Freemont Street we wondered around the casinos and had a bit of a gamble. It was quite busy and there were a lot of street sellers who were trying to get your attention along with several people with cardboard signs, a scantily dressed devil lady asked if I wanted a photo with her. She was clearly topless under the large fans hiding her modesty so I thought it was safer to decline, especially as Helen was walking alongside me not looking too impressed. Along with the devil lady there were a couple of show girls again topless, and it was only mid-morning as they say only in Las Vegas.

Shopping:

We visited the Fashion Mall on the strip but nothing really caught our eye so came out empty handed, however that wasn't the case when we caught the Deuce bus to the Premium Outlet where we found loads of stuff to flex our prepaid $ Card on. I was particularly pleased with my purchase of the War Doctor’s sonic screwdriver for half the price you pay in the UK, along with the Doctor Who and Batman wallets and the shopping trip was a successes as far as I was concerned. Helen bought some earrings and bangles as well as a few other bits and bats, so a good shopping trip was had by all.

The Hard Rock Café on the main strip was a must visit despite the rather worrying KISS lookalikes in thongs stood outside, how those guys didn't get sunburnt is beyond me and from the looks of things the sock shop did well out of them as well but I digress. I picked up a Las Vegas Hard Rock T-shirt and baseball hat so I was sorted, then it was off to Ross Outlet on the main strip where Helen picked up 3 bottles of Elizabeth Taylor perfume for $16 each, which she believes is the bargain of the century and who am I to argue.

Las Vegas Show:

We went to see KA which is a Cirque du Soleil show at the MGM Grand, I had heard good things about it but nothing could prepare us for the spectacular show we saw. Those acrobats did things I didn't think possible and to be honest I still don’t, the tickets were $86 each and well worth the money. We were sat at the back of the theatre and didn't have any viewing restrictions what so ever, its a great show and one that I would recommend to anyone who was thinking of seeing it.