Las Vegas

We are recently back from a week-long vacay to Las Vegas.  Good Lord, seven days was way too long in that place.  It’s not that there wasn’t more than enough to do – believe me! – a person could spend months there and never run out of new things to see and do.  If you can image a Disney World for adults, that is Las Vegas. 

Fremont Street area

Entrance to Fremont Street

People who obviously have way too much money go there.  We spent too much money there (in my opinion), but we had a great time seeing shows and doing things.  The cost of living is much higher there than in our part of the country.  Someone loves to play slot machines – I have zero interest in playing slots.  I’m not a big risk taker so after losing a little money, I’m ready to do something different.  Someone can play slots all night and finish up plus or minus $20 from where he started and be as happy as a clam.  I suppose it’s whatever floats your boat.  Gambling is not for me. 

Emily and Erin came with us.  It was nice to have them along, and fun for them to experience for the first time something in the western USA.  The landscape in Nevada is nothing like here – when we landed back on Terra Firma Sunday (at the Cincinnati airport), we were all grateful to see green trees again.  Perhaps the biggest shock for all of us was seeing woman (and some men) so scantily dressed in public in Las Vegas (primarily on the strip where there are so many people).  It was not at all unusual to see women walking around in fish net tights and no panties at all, or just a thong.  Sometimes there was nothing on top but for pasties – I mean, absolutely nothing left for the imagination.  We saw women (usually in pairs) walking around like that, and wouldn’t you know, oftentimes men would wait until the women walked past them, then turn around and snap a photo of their butts.   Yep, that’s pretty nasty.  We also saw men wearing nothing but thongs and flip flops...gross.  I didn't see any woman snapping photos of their butts.

Some lights on the strip

We loved watching the fountain shows in front of the Bellagio (so does everyone else)

Sharing vacation with these two made it especially nice.

This view captured from near the top of the High Roller - a big ferris wheel

The lights on the casinos and in the casinos were, of course, excessive.  When you walk down the strip, most people have drinks in hand.  Recreational marijuana is legal there, but (unfortunately), I never saw a place to buy it.  You could smell it and see people smoking it.  It must not be sold anywhere near the strip because we did a lot of walking on and around the strip and I never saw a shop. 

We saw a Cirque du Soleil show (O, at the Bellogio) which was the favorite vacation thing for all of us.  Someone got us fantastic tickets - center, near the front - so we could even see the performers’ faces up close.  The entire show was a total treat – amazing stunts and so much happening on the stage at any one time that it was hard to take everything in.  That show was worth the money, for sure!

We spent a day in the Valley of Fire State Park, near Las Vegas.  That was inexpensive and fun – we climbed around in the rocks and sand.  We also took a day to visit the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam.  At the Grand Canyon, we walked out on the Sky Bridge which was a waste of money, but part of a package deal we purchased, so I did the bridge walk.  It’s not really that much of a thrill.  In a place like that, looking down is not nearly as impressive as looking out. 

Typical scenery - Valley of Fire

Climbing up - because they can

Hiking?

The weather was unseasonably cool the whole time we were there.  In fact, Someone got so cold at the Grand Canyon that he bought a sweater (because they were on sale and much cheaper than sweatshirts).  The temperature was in the 50s, it was raining off and on, and it was very windy.  None of us had clothes that were warm enough.  At times, we were downright miserable.  In Vegas, the temp was in the upper 60s to low 70s.  Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised, but had I checked the weather before we left Kentucky, I would have packed more pants and fewer shorts.  We had a washer and dryer in our villa, so it turned out OK.

Grand Canyon

More Grand Canyon

Overlooking Lake Meade from above Hoover Dam

Our flights were surprisingly timely.  Perhaps things are getting better these days (I had not flown for nearly three years).  All went well except that Delta lost Someone’s bag on the way home.  Fortunately, it turned up and was delivered to us within 48 hours. 

So that was our big vacation for 2019.  Someone and I, now that our kids are grown and we are nearing retirement (and debilitating old age is just around the corner most likely), have made up our minds to travel more.  Our next big trip (just Someone and me) will be to Hawaii.  The thought of sitting on a plane for all those hours is a total turn off, but it’s someplace that Someone wants to go.  We will go...in 2020.  As for me, I want to visit Yosemite and Lake Tahoe.  Perhaps that vacation will happen in 2021.