In 1984 we remember checking into a Motel 6 on Tropicana Avenue, around the corner from the Las Vegas Boulevard (or the Strip, as it is commonly known)We were entertained then by Dean Martin at the MGM Grand and the Follies at the Tropicana.
Jump forward 27 years and as you can see by the photo, good ol’ Motel 6 is still standing, the Follies are no more and poor Dino is no longer holding up a bar anywhere and the O’Dowds have checked into the LUXOR- that’s the art deco pyramid shaped casino with a sphinx at its entrance.

During our time here we are trying to visit every casino on the strip. We’re having a competition between the two of us. $5 each in each one and at the end we see who wins the most. Denis has come up with a beauty. Once inside each casino, he finds a drinks waitress and then races ahead of her, props himself on a slot machine, and when she breezes by to ask if he wants a free drink, he casually says “One Bud please, and a cocktail” They’re all free, so we figure we’re winning here, even though we’re losing.

Melbourne is often referred to as a “Nanny-state” with rules about rules, however there are some Las Vegas habits that perhaps need some rules………
1. wheeling infants right through the gaming tables
2. walking the strip from casino to casino with beer or over-sized dacquari in hand
3. wheeling infants in prams with beer or over-sized dacquari in hand!!