I know you must have thought I got swept away in all the Cali rain but I was just taking some time off the grid.  But I am back and want to share a little of that Vegas experience with you.
Most people who visit Las Vegas stay on the strip but as a regular visitor to Sin City, I usually stray a bit and try to take in the local flavor.  I have seen the Longhorn Casino for years and always wondered what it was like in there. When B and I stepped in, we were transported to old Vegas and perhaps to an alternate universe. There was the usual smokey haze that one can expect in Vegas casino but this seemed like a real "smokey haze" like we had crossed over to a parallel universe.  If you have ever read Jorge Luis Borges' Ficciones , you know exactly what I mean.
 Now, I am not exactly recommending this lovely establishment as a must see but I am recommending stepping out of your comfort zone and doing things that you normally wouldn't do.  We didn't enjoy the Chicken Fried Steak special but for about 4.99 each we had the steak.  No, it was not the best steak we ever had, but we definitely will remember this meal and all the silliness that was going on in this place.  The Longhorn is a bit of a time warp and it was a fun experience because we just went with it, we had no expectations, we just wanted to eat for cheap and see what up in there, ya know!  You might describe it as a "dive" casino but everyone in there was having a hoot, yes dolls, a hoot and that's all that matters, right?

 
What about you?  Have you ever felt like you entered an alternate universe?