Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Circus Circus KOA, Las Vegas, NV IV
September 22, 2006
The day had finally arrived. Zorah's birthday! She woke up not remembering what day it was, but then, we really haven't stressed at all the day, date, and time thing with her. After breakfast, we all took her to get her present. At the casino they had a shop where you pick an animal, watch it get stuffed, and pick out its clothes. A Build-A-Bear type of thing, but with more variety, perhaps, in the animal selection. Zorah picked a koala and, of course, a pink princess outfit for her. She had fun watching her koala get stuffed. The guy offered to let her do it herself. "No, fanks," she said. She named her new friend Kwala La, after Kwala, a koala on this great site (www.boowakwala.com) which has fun games for kids. Check it out!
Anyway, Brian headed back over to the foosball room at the Riviera, and Ian and I took Zorah to the Adventuredome, an indoor amusement park within the Circus Circus complex. There, we bought all-day bracelets for the rides. Z was a bit dismayed to have a grey bracelet, but that was quickly overshadowed by her excitement at going on the hot air balloon shaped ferris wheel and the carousel, which she had been eyeing since we arrived in Vegas. We had also found out that the clown shows were held in the Adventuredome, so her anticipation at finally seeing some clowns was at an all time high.
So the first thing we did was walk around looking for the clown area. We couldn't find it, so we asked a friendly Adventuredome employee where it was. We were informed that there were no clowns to be seen. Apparently, the stage reserved for the clown acts had been requisitioned for their Frightdome event. All of October Adventuredome would be following a Halloween theme. Sigh. So, yes, believe it or not, it was impossible to see any clowns at Circus Circus. We quickly made our way over to the ferris wheel. We rode once with Zorah sitting next to me. When the ride was over, Z wanted to go again, so we flashed our bracelets and remained seated. Next, she sat by herself, then with Ian and Kwala La.
After three ferris wheel rides, I was feeling a bit dizzy, so we took a break. Ian and Z walked around while I ducked out of the Adventuredome for a smoke. I think it is the only non-smoking area of the casino. No, wait, the Midway where the circus acts perform is also.
We walked around for a bit, then proceeded to the carousel. It was one of the few we have found
that didn't go too too fast. Still fast enough to make us a bit dizzy though. Are they dizzy? Or thinking? 
We rode that four times, I think, then walked around some more. There was a lot of stuff to see. Booths with useless items, an arcade, and midway games.
Zorah and Ian found bumper cars and rode that two or three times too. I think that might have been her favorite ride, and I know it was Ian's favorite. After that, Zorah wanted to try a game at the midway where you throw ping pong balls into a bowl. Depending on which color bowl it landed in, you might win a prize. Total luck. Anyway, I let her try it twice, with no luck. She took it pretty well. I wasn't sure if she expected to win something.
Afterwards, Z decided that she didn't want the pink outfit anymore for Kwala La. Fortunately, I had kept all the packaging, so I put everything back in the bag exactly as I had found it, with the exception of the tag not being attached to the dress. Then we walked back to the store. The guy looked at us rather suspiciously, but agreed that we could exchange the dress as long as it hadn't been opened. Hum. Whistle. Kwala La now has a red dress with roses on it.
Z decided to take her bracelet off after that, so our time in Adventuredome was over. Ian went back to the trailer, and Zorah and I watched a few more circus acts. In between, we walked around the games surrounding the stage. Again we came across the ping pong ball game. Zorah tried again, and this time, she won! She won a big, pink stuffed rose, which was exactly what she had wanted. Hooray! After the contortionist, Zorah asked me to try the Chicken In A Pot game.
In this one, you have to put a stuffed chicken on a catapult type thing, hit the thing with a mallet, and have the chicken fly into a pot. I got one chicken in, which meant I won a little white tiger. Zorah named him Konki. What a great name for a prize won by conking something!
We ate at the Italian restaurant at the Riviera for dinner. I ordered osso buco, and gave Zorah most of the marrow since it was her birthday. Afterward Z had fun running around the foosball tournament. It was weird seeing a few people we knew and hadn't seen for years. I guess it's a bit like how it would have been if I had gone to my 15th high school reunion.
Anyway, Brian headed back over to the foosball room at the Riviera, and Ian and I took Zorah to the Adventuredome, an indoor amusement park within the Circus Circus complex. There, we bought all-day bracelets for the rides. Z was a bit dismayed to have a grey bracelet, but that was quickly overshadowed by her excitement at going on the hot air balloon shaped ferris wheel and the carousel, which she had been eyeing since we arrived in Vegas. We had also found out that the clown shows were held in the Adventuredome, so her anticipation at finally seeing some clowns was at an all time high.
So the first thing we did was walk around looking for the clown area. We couldn't find it, so we asked a friendly Adventuredome employee where it was. We were informed that there were no clowns to be seen. Apparently, the stage reserved for the clown acts had been requisitioned for their Frightdome event. All of October Adventuredome would be following a Halloween theme. Sigh. So, yes, believe it or not, it was impossible to see any clowns at Circus Circus. We quickly made our way over to the ferris wheel. We rode once with Zorah sitting next to me. When the ride was over, Z wanted to go again, so we flashed our bracelets and remained seated. Next, she sat by herself, then with Ian and Kwala La.
After three ferris wheel rides, I was feeling a bit dizzy, so we took a break. Ian and Z walked around while I ducked out of the Adventuredome for a smoke. I think it is the only non-smoking area of the casino. No, wait, the Midway where the circus acts perform is also.We walked around for a bit, then proceeded to the carousel. It was one of the few we have found
that didn't go too too fast. Still fast enough to make us a bit dizzy though. Are they dizzy? Or thinking? 
We rode that four times, I think, then walked around some more. There was a lot of stuff to see. Booths with useless items, an arcade, and midway games.
Zorah and Ian found bumper cars and rode that two or three times too. I think that might have been her favorite ride, and I know it was Ian's favorite. After that, Zorah wanted to try a game at the midway where you throw ping pong balls into a bowl. Depending on which color bowl it landed in, you might win a prize. Total luck. Anyway, I let her try it twice, with no luck. She took it pretty well. I wasn't sure if she expected to win something.
Afterwards, Z decided that she didn't want the pink outfit anymore for Kwala La. Fortunately, I had kept all the packaging, so I put everything back in the bag exactly as I had found it, with the exception of the tag not being attached to the dress. Then we walked back to the store. The guy looked at us rather suspiciously, but agreed that we could exchange the dress as long as it hadn't been opened. Hum. Whistle. Kwala La now has a red dress with roses on it.
Z decided to take her bracelet off after that, so our time in Adventuredome was over. Ian went back to the trailer, and Zorah and I watched a few more circus acts. In between, we walked around the games surrounding the stage. Again we came across the ping pong ball game. Zorah tried again, and this time, she won! She won a big, pink stuffed rose, which was exactly what she had wanted. Hooray! After the contortionist, Zorah asked me to try the Chicken In A Pot game.
In this one, you have to put a stuffed chicken on a catapult type thing, hit the thing with a mallet, and have the chicken fly into a pot. I got one chicken in, which meant I won a little white tiger. Zorah named him Konki. What a great name for a prize won by conking something!We ate at the Italian restaurant at the Riviera for dinner. I ordered osso buco, and gave Zorah most of the marrow since it was her birthday. Afterward Z had fun running around the foosball tournament. It was weird seeing a few people we knew and hadn't seen for years. I guess it's a bit like how it would have been if I had gone to my 15th high school reunion.
