Where in the World is Willy Wonky? part 2

Where in the world is this tremendous Dale Chihuly installation?

Part 2. Have you guessed where I am yet? I'll admit, it was pretty easy. I'm in Las Vegas. Sin City. What happens here stays here. But it wasn't a wild getaway. I had a very important reason for visiting Vegas? More about that later. First, some pictures.

The Tropicana

We went to the strip and saw the sights, the bright city lights

Typwriter Eraser by Claes Oldenburg

Paris

Love the emerald disco ball chandelier

There was art, architecture, lights, plenty of glitz. Las Vegas is a spectacle. I've been here before, but this time I had my real camera- much better than a camera phone.

So, the reason I came to Las Vegas was to visit with Uli, the woman from Germany who led me to my first quilt more than two decades ago. She was traveling with her family- husband Andy, who is a great guy, and two exceptionally well behaved boys.

I hadn't seen her in more than two decades. Egads, how time flies! Even though it seems like yesterday that we stood in a room full of quilts with Shelly Zegart in New York, much has happened since then. She went back to Germany after completing her studies and internship in New York, and returned this year with a simply lovely family. And I immersed myself in quilts.

Uli still has the indigo and white Drunkard's Path she bought from Shelly in New York. And I still have that first New York Beauty. I'm thrilled to know she's maintained an interest in American quilts, even though they aren't part of the German zeitgeist. Most of all, I'm happy that she's so happy and has such a good life, with a wonderful family.

Now that we've reconnected and seen each other in person again, we're going to keep in touch. Uli has expressed an interest in doing something more with quilts, perhaps selling them or having a gallery, and I'll continue to encourage her.

By the way, in case you were wondering, I stayed at THEhotel at Mandalay Bay.