Las Vegas, also known as Sin City, is a sprawling cosmopolitan of neon lights, 24/7 entertainment, casinos galore, and flashy décor. The strip can take days to explore, as each hotel and casino spares no detail in theme based decorations and events. Take a gondola ride along the canal, winding between gothic style storefronts in The Venetian, or pose with the sphinxes in front of The Luxor, then hit up a pizzeria in the Brooklyn look alike neighborhood of New York- New York. We also strolled through Caesar’s Palace where the Roman statues appear to belong in Florence, not Nevada.
The Bellagio fountain show is a must, with water displays that dance to music and light. Treasure Island offers its own unique entertainment, with a theatrical pirate production culminating in the treasure ship up in flames and sinking to its death.
Vegas boasts some of the best entertainment in the world, with nightly concerts, acrobatic shows, and classic theater. We attended two different Cirque de Soleil shows, both of which surpassed all expectations, as the acrobatics were phenomenal.
We also managed to get “fake married” by an Elvis impersonator, a definite bucket list moment. And don’t worry yall, we have refrigerator magnets of our matrimony as proof.
One night we explored the Stratosphere, particularly the outer circular deck at the top of the tower. The theme park rides jet out over the city below, flinging tourists at rapid speeds into the dark abyss of the sky. And if that isn’t enough of a nail biter for you, hop on over to the Sky Jump, where a fearless soul can bungee jump from the top of the tower plunging towards the street below.
One amazing happenchance during our Vegas trip was the opportunity to tour the Grand Canyon by helicopter. We happened to stumble into a tour agency in between our hotel pursuits and were offered a half price helicopter ride that very afternoon. Due to two people unexpectedly canceling their ride, the other two girls who had signed up for the tour were left stranded, in hopes that two random street goers would join in order for the flight to still take place. As the hours ticked by, the price of the tour gradually fell as each minute passed in desperation. And voila, we jumped at the once in a lifetime chance. Before we knew it, we were flying over the desert heading for one of Mother Nature’s greatest masterpieces.
Water’s majestic force is omnipresent as the Colorado River carves its course through the stone, unmasking layers of colored rock that tell the story of centuries. The burnt umber, sienna, and ochre are illuminated by the mid day sun, with layers of indigo, navy, and mauve in the distance. As the sun sets, the gold rim of the canyon transforms into crimson as the rock descends into the river basin. The cliff face varies between smooth waves and stark crags, with a sheer jaw dropping descent.
Las Vegas offers unlimited opportunities for entertainment, partying, gambling, pool lounging, and surprisingly outdoor adventures. We hope to return to this neck of the woods soon as Cirque de Soleil is calling our names once again. And next time we visit the Grand Canyon, we hope it will be in a raft touring the canyon from a new angle: from below.