To 'Vegas With Love: That's all, folks!

And so we bid farewell to the United States of America. This afternoon, we fly with American Airlines to LA, change onto Qantas and fly home. We will also need to change aircraft at Brisbane, and will finally touch down in Canberra around 10.25 am local time on Tuesday. Because we cross the International Date Line, we won't have a Monday.

We've really enjoyed our holiday. It took us to Orange County where we did the theme parks, such as Knotts Berry Farm and Disneyland, to LA for Universal Studios and to San Diego for SeaWorld. We hired a car and drove slowly to San Francisco, touring Hearst Castle at San Simeon and the Monterey Peninsula, taking in a brief stop in Santa Barbara along the way. San Francisco was great. While there, we visited Alcatraz, bought a nice painting, fed some homeless people, went to Yosemite, and saw some of California's Redwoods and sequoias at Muir Woods. Here in 'Vegas, we've played Black Jack and Roulette in about 17 casinos, gone to the mighty Grand Canyon, and been entertained by the fabulous Celine Dion, the clever magician David Copperfield, and the colourful spectacle of the Cirque du Soleil.

We rose early today, and breakfasted in the Cosmopolitan. We took out 'Identity Membership' of the Cosmopolitan, gaining $25 worth of free gaming on the slot machines. I'm over the gaming now, so Jean played a slot machine, turning the $25 into $54. We then went one last time to the Paris Casino, where Jean played Black Jack. And I had one last Martini. I asked for a Chombard Martini, although I'm not sure that's what I got. It was still good, though.

The Paris Casino, of course, has the look and feel of being outside in Paris in the early evening. It has two sections for Black Jack and Roulette, those being the Rivoli which is near the Central Bar (what I refer to as the rotunda), and the Etoile. In the Montmartre section, craps, as well as Roulette and Black Jack are played. In the Concorde section, pai gow poker, Asia poker, Baccarat, and Black Jack are available for play. There are also many areas with slot machines. And for those with more money than the ordinary punter, there is the exclusive Le Salon des tables.

The Paris Casino has many boutique stores built in the Parisian style. There is also the Gordon Ramsey Steakhouse, Le Village Buffet, Le Cafe ile St Louis, and Mon Ami Gabi, a classic French bistro. There are also La Creperie, La Pizza, the Burger Brasserie, the Cafe Belle Madeleine, and JJ's Boulangerie. And of course the Eiffel Tower restaurant, which I understand is expensive. I paid $14 to take the elevator to the observation deck above the casino, and snapped some more photos of 'Vegas from a great height.

There are also several bars in the casino. There is Gustav's Bar, Le Bar du Sport, and the Central Bar, which is my favourite. The bar is round, some folks call it the Gazebo Bar. There is also Le Cabaret lounge for sitting, drinking, listening to musicians or for dancing.

This is the most amount of time I've ever spent in the 'States. Thirty two years ago, on a visit to Alaska, a guy told me I should learn some American English. And now I have. Below, on the left, are some expressions and words unique to the US. On the right is the normal English.

Vegetable medley. An assortment of vegetables

Were they calling for rain? Did they predict/forecast rain?

At the top of each hour. Every hour on the hour

Vista Point. Lookout

To be stateside. To be in the US

Felony. Crime

Vacation. Holiday

Holiday. Public Holiday

Elevator. Lift

And there are many more!

We've liked many things about America. Most of all, we like that most people just accept other people for who they are, and don't pass judgement. At least, this seems to be the way in San Francisco and in 'Vegas. It doesn't matter whether you're black, white or brindle. It matters not whether you're thin or fat or gay or straight. If an old, skinny white man is living with a much younger fat black man, nobody cares, and they're just accepted. There's a lesson there for the rest of us. If we accept others, they'll accept us. If we mind our own business, others will mind theirs. But if we have a problem with another person's lifestyle, it has an impact on their life. What right do we have to decide what other people's needs are? This lesson is what we will take away with us from America. Let's stamp out the real things that matter, such as prejudice of all kinds. It inhibits humanity's progress.

I knew this bridge, inside the Paris Casino, represented a real bridge in Paris. I asked a manager which bridge it was. He'd worked here 13 years but didn't know. I learned 10 minutes later that it was based on the Pont des Arts in Paris. Couples can buy padlocks here, and lock them onto the bridge, preserving their love for ever more, just like in Paris and all over Europe.

Inside the Paris Casino, from the Pont des Arts bridge.

Inside the Paris Casino - part of the leg of the Eiffel Tower can be seen here.

Inside the Paris Casino

The Paris Casino beneath the Eiffel Tower

The High Roller is 550 feet in height. The Eiffel Tower in 'Vegas is 540 feet, but the observation deck is 460 ft. The real Eiffel Tower is 1080 feet high. The Paris Casino paid $28 million to build this Eiffel Tower and recouped the costs in just two years. They wanted to build it as high as the real Eiffel Tower, but were opposed by the nearby airport.