Düsseldorf to Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, Last Day in Europe 7.5.07

One last continental breakfast at the hotel before we hoofed it to the train station for a ride back to the airport and our return flight to the States. Three days in rainy Düsseldorf, and then we wrapped up the adventurous five week trip back in hot and dry Las Vegas in July after thirty hours en route.

The flight passing over what appeared to be Greenland and a number of clear blue snowmelt pools

Nearing descent, the pilot needed to make a second pass before the plane could be cleared for landing. The first pass ran west to east, but the second pass rerouted the plane north to south and right along the Las Vegas Strip in the midday summer, so there were plenty of opportunities to photograph the Strip hotels before landing at McCarran airport.

Looking west at the Las Vegas Hilton and the adjacent Country Club golf course

Looking west at the Strip with the green MGM Grand Las Vegas in the foreground

Looking northwest with Mandalay Bay and Luxor hotels in the foreground

Touchdown Vegas and greeted by the row of palm trees along Sunset Road

McCarran airport terminal

The tarmac road to anywhere

Crossing the finish line!

Home, home, home! First meal back? Frankand Fina’s Cocina. Yes, Mexican food. Five weeks tripping Europe and all we craved were authentic southwestern burritos, big as babies. Like the people, places, and experiences we have on our action-adventure travels, they were ever so tasty. Thank you for joining us! (Note: All images were shot using a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi.)

Düsseldorf 7.4.07

Third day in Düsseldorf. Another lavish hotel continental breakfast in the morning followed by more sightseeing. 

Frankenheim Bauerei und Breirgarten

Berad, one of the friendly locals having an Alt at Frankenheim

Hofgarten (Courtyard Garden) Map

Landschaftsschutzgebiet (Conservation Area)

The Ferris wheel by day at Rheinkiremes (The Rhine Fair)

(the largest fair on the Rhine)

Rheinturm (Rhine Tower)

Renowned architect Frank Gehry’s contribution to the Media Harbor, Der Neue Zollhof or Neuer Zollhof (The New Zollhof) at the Düsseldorf-Hafen (Media Harbor)

Both sides of the Rhine River

The respectable bodega beer selection we sampled between breweries and back at the hotel:

Erdinger Weißbier, Gatz Altbier, Warsteiner Premium Verum, Paulaner Hefe-Weißbier (Dunkel, Naturtrüb), König Pilsner, Veltins Pilsner, Schlössher (“Das Alt” or “Thee Alt/Old”)

 

Last dinner meal in Europe, we stumbled into a Chinese restaurant, ordered more takeout food than we could possibly eat, and wondered where our former traveling companions were dining instead of helping us finish the mess. Best and most reasonably priced of all the Chinese food we ate in Europe.

Fourth of July and our first ever Independence Day away from the U.S.A. Evening came without a firework in the sky over leisurely Düsseldorf.