On our way on another adventure. New year! New Trip!
I thought Vegas was warm. Nope!
But it was a great get away.
Finding a hotel that is close enough but still quiet was our goal and we found one but we are still close enough to see it. If you know us we are not big gamblers and drinkers and we prefer to go on outside adventures so this had a good balance. We were close enough to visit the hoover dam and go on a few hikes but at night we were able to walk the trip several times from top to bottom.
These two pictures were taken a few hours apart. The skyline of New York is just beautiful whichever it is viewed.
We had to stop at the M&M store.
Have you done the world of coke tasting?
Wonderful view waiting for our tray of tasting cups.
The line was long but it went pretty quick. It was a good laugh and we enjoyed staying warm inside.
That was fun but we decided we like the American version best.
The lights on the strip are beautiful. It was raining for us but it is still just as beautiful. It may have deterred many from heading out so the crowds were not too bad.
We found a Starbucks!
We went into several hotels along the strip. This is an amazing adventure in itself. There are places to gamble and watch many of the little free shows.
Walking through the lobbies of all the hostels is a must.
Amazing Staircase!
Make sure to go into all of the hotels. Even if you are not staying in them. They are beautiful. We happened to go during the holidays. They did an amazing job.
We meandered into the Venetian and checked out the Gondolas. They were beautiful and had a very long path where they could go. The Gondoliers sang and entertained the many spectators as well as the paying customers. The décor was extravagant and there were many small areas where they had entertainers there to encourage you to sit and get a gelato and enjoy the ambiance.
Gelato was a must next to the Gondoliers
We did stop to see a comedy show and a drink. When you bring your 22 year old daughter and she turned 21 during covid this is a must, But as you see she claimed them all.
We went into Circus Circus to see a Trapeze act. They are posted on line but if you check the stage they are changed regularly.
This was fun!
They have themes and have concerts on the roof. There are many sites to see but they are not always G-rated. We ate at Whiskey Licker Saloon up at Binion's . We had great food. This would be a wonderful place to go to when you want to see any game on a big screen. The servers were amazing and the food was wonderful.
Before you head to Freemont street make sure to stop at Container Park. They have a cool atmosphere. There are many different restaurants made out of rail cars.
Love Locks before you enter.
It was not too crowded since it was cold and rainy. This may be our year of rainy trips.
They have a large Praying Mantis that lights up and breaths fire at night. Going during the day is enjoyable but seeing the lights is even better. There is parking around the area that is pay parking but it is not too bad.
Next stop
Coyotes Buttes and The Wave
You do need a permit to enter. There is a guard that you can purchase one from but I recommend doing this on line before you go.
My daughter decided to climb to stairs to see the Pictoglyphs before the Wave and get me a picture that she never sent me.
Before you get to the Wave there is a bunch of rocks sitting in the middle of a prairie. This is an actual camping area. If you want to do this look into it. It would be amazing to stay there.
The winds really make the rock look amazing.
There are mountain sheep through the area. If you come when it is not too hot you may just see them. They will come down to lick the salt off the roads.
This is the Wave in Red Rock. It is a must hike. This was the perfect time to go. Most of the way is in full sub so the summer would have been too hot. Is you go in the summer bring plenty of water. It is also steep and slick climbing so wear good walking shoes no flip flops. My daughter looks so small up on top.
It was dry today but make sure you look at the weather as this is a slot canyon and it can flood quickly.
It was cloudy but still the rocks were showing off their beauty.
It is a rather long hike so be prepared.
This is the look out before you go down the path to the wave. It is beautiful and I am sure in full sun even more spectacular.
Turn right before you go down to the wave and you get to an overlook where you can see the whole valley.
This was a beautiful and amazing site to see. Go early as it was crowded as we finished the tour. The sun decided to show its face today.
This year the lake was very low. it was so low that they were finding cars and other things as the edges were drying up. Reservoir dries up But there are tours you can take down into the dam and these were amazing. They are a must do if you are planning on visiting the area.
Here is the link top the tours. Tour info I recommend to do the full tour. They bring you down into the tunnels so you can see out one of the vents. Below is a view from one of them. We took a picture out and then in. All I can say is amazing.
This is the view down the tunnel from the vent. If you are severely Claustrophobic I would recommend to stay top side. But it was amazing. They talked about the amazing Engineering they had to come up with as they were building it. They had to account for the Earthquakes as well as weather related issues.
When you are done you come out of the tunnels to the top of the bridge. Enjoy the sites from both sides. Make sure to go over to the other side and look down to the bottom of the spill ways.
These two Engineers were really excited about all the facts they were hearing and the massive amount of concrete. There was no getting their attention. I had to wait it out.
This is the view from the top of the Dam. you can see the white line. That is the flood line. This is how much water they are down. I linked the drought page above.
Walk up to the very top view point on the other side of the dam. It was amazing. to see all of it.
From the window I showed you earlier you can see this bridge. This is a great way to see the dam from the other side. It is a small walk when you leave the parking area. Make sure to stop here. It can get breezy so if you have a problem with heights I do not recommend this but if you can it is a must see. There is a small wall that has information on it about the bridges construction.
I was amazed to see the wires hanging like this and I was worried but I was told that this is normal.
We found a hotel in Silverton, NV that had a Mermaid show. We had to go see it. So cool. They do have a show schedule on line. Mermaid Schedule
We found a cool coffee place in Jean. We were in need of coffee. This was a whirlwind trip.
Seven Magic Mountains in Jean, NV
This was a quick stop that was fun to see. It was not too crowded due to the weather but it was interesting to see.
Our trip back top to the airport was beautiful. We love the mountains and the scenery is just beautiful.
The airport has beautiful scenery while waiting for our delayed flight. Instead of complaining about a delayed flight sit and watch the planes and the beauty outside. We travel a bunch every year and we have been delayed so much but we have learned that every time this happens we know that the people that are trained to get us from place to place are trying very hard to get us where we need to be safely. Nothing is more important than that. Just breather and enjoy the sit. Life is so hectic and this is just making us sit and wait.
Our reentry to Chicago was a little interesting. Looking out the window and seeing this was a little nerve racking but we made it and the American Airlines employees were able to get us to our gate safely and calmly.
Las Vegas is a gem a that I have explored through best tours from las vegas and wanna tell you that enjoyed its nightlife too.
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