Las Vegas PLUS

Posted on 26 Feb 2014 by WH

Las Vegas.

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. We could venture details of the Pinball Hall of Fame, of a young team member being asked for his phone number by a waitress at Hooters, or the many other fun things that may or may not have occurred, but we won't. But...

PLUS.

Luckily we on the Scottish Rifle Team aren't merely a bunch of hedonists (some of us were surprised too!) and honour was maintained (and in some cases, restored) by partaking in multiple wholesome activities.

En route, one bunch explored the mortifying, blistering and beautiful depths of what Death Valley had to offer. Half the group took a plane flight (or helicopter for the one who forgot his ID!) to explore the biggest Kodak moment on earth, the Grand Canyon. Another van decided to explore freedom more openly and took to Battlefield Vegas, an indoor range where participants discharged pistols, sub-machine guns, assault rifles and even grenade launchers!

The most hotly anticipated venture amongst the team however wasn't anything based around the glitz and glamour of the strip, but a shop out of town. Yes, a shop. This wasn't any ordinary shop. This was Bass Pro (Google it). The Mecca of outdoor sports and right-wing merchandise. The team took the opportunity to stock up on shooting equipment and drool over vast speedboats and firearms that haven't been legal in the UK for decades.

One busload of tourists left Vegas early to go and explore the Queen Mary in Los Angeles, which was sadly not open for lunch. They also went to LAX to greet and help transport the five (yes five - Sandy had been replaced!) newcomers and ensure they didn't have to do all the driving to Harris Ranch after a long flight.

Returning to the Ranch in the evening meant the tired tourists required an early night before embarking on day one of the team shooting (and in one case before some middle-of-the-night Skype job interviews), luckily only a practice day for the Palma Championships - a perfect format for the remainder of the team, who had arrived in the afternoon from Los Angeles, to get settled in. There would be a surprise in the morning too...