Las Vegas #2 & Red Rock Canyon

Friday, December 6th Las Vegas  

We planned on a later start today so we could spend some time on The Strip in the evening. We hate to leave Scout for too long and Las Vegas isn't a dog friendly town.  It was a great opportunity to check out the nice warm pool. A crisp 43 degrees and the swimming pool was as warm as a hot tub! I hardly think we would be swimming in Atkinson, NH with identical weather! Scott was back doing his thing and starting on our early dinner.

Scott made us a big chicken/broccoli/pasta lunch so we would just have a light dinner on the Strip at a traditional French restaurant, Mon Ami Gabi located at the Paris Hotel & Casino.  We first went up the elevator in the Eiffel Tower.  It is a duplicate of the original in Paris.  The builders used the same exact plans for this imposter so it is identical in every way except for the size which is exactly half scale.  It was a bitter night and the outdoor observation deck was windy and cold! 

View from the top of the Eiffel Tower

I had been dreaming of a huge crock of French Onion soup and was a tad disappointed that it was a bit too sweet.  Maybe that is typical in Paris with the caramelized onions, but, unfortunately for us Americans we are used to our sodium!  Nice french bread, salads...all in all a nice dinner with the prefect ending...good things come in three so I am glad Scott doesn't have a sweet tooth like us!

Next up was the Bellagio Hotel and the Conservatory's enchanted winter wonderland surrounded by more than 45,000 fragrant fresh poinsettias. The centerpiece of the display is Las Vegas' largest indoor holiday tree standing at 45-feet tall and weighing 8,000 pounds, hand-picked in Mt. Shasta, Calif. and flown in for the display.The life-sized snow globe surrounded by water arches and four drumming soldiers. 

A holiday favorite returns with a family of topiary polar bears adorned with 18,000 snow white carnations. Momma bear will watch over her two cubs as they frolic through the poinsettias and float on an icy pond.

The lobby is, in a word, grand, both in scale and in design. Above the 18-foot ceiling is a coffer filled with the most extraordinary glass sculpture, a chandelier called Fiori di Como by glass sculptor Dale Chihuly, whose work has been exhibited in every major museum in the world. This stunning piece is comprised of 2,000 hand-blown glass blossoms. Chihuly glass art sculptures also adorn the Bellagio Baccarat Lounge with the Clusters Persians centerpiece as well as his Blue Spears which outline areas of the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.

Out in front are the famous fountains. Las Vegas show of water, music and light thoughtfully interwoven to mesmerize its admirers. The most ambitious, choreographically complex water feature ever conceived amazes against the beautiful backdrop of Las Vegas' lavender sky. Each dynamic performance from the Fountains collection is unique in its expression and interpretation.

Saturday, December 7th

Welcome to Red Rock Canyon!  My Dad and I went down on a hike.  We left Mom and Tyler behind.  It was a great hike.  There were all these rocks and crevices.  One rock had so much gum and it was disgusting.  At the bottom of a crevice, the sand was a little mushy and there were some big puddles.  Once we climbed back up, we drove over to what looked like a dried riverbed.  Tyler had to go to the bathroom bad so my Mom and Tyler turned back not even half way.  It was just me and my Dad again.  It was pretty cold out.  There was one rock that was covered with ice and I climbed up and then slid all the way down.  We turned back when our feet were killing us.  My ankles hurt to from going in all different angles on the rocks.  When we got back, my Mom made me some warm hot cocoa.

~Jack

After dropping off the rental car, we had a short ride over to Red Rock Canyon.  There is a nice 13 mile, one way, scenic drive thru the Canyon.  The weather was rapidly deteriorating so we did the quick drive without stopping and settled into our campsite.  

We did some primitive camping, by primitive, I mean there are no hook-ups for water or electricity.  As long as we have a filled water tank, we are all set.  We turn on the generator for the microwave or recharging devices, and the heat runs off propane.  We also have battery backup for lights etc.  We always have everything we need.   

I check for the sunrise everyday. If it looks like it is going to be good, I run out in my Pj's and grab a few shots.  We had some stale french bread so I made a french toast bake the night before and had a yummy breakfast!

Sunday, December 8th 

Today was a much nicer day to explore Red Rock Canyon.  I was happy I did my 
reconnaissance the day before and we drove the same route again and were able to get out and explore a bit.

I'm happy that I am making a point to get in the photo instead of being the one behind the camera all the time.  Every time I drag out the tripod, people always come up to me asking to take their photo.  I am going to start asking for tips!  

We met a really nice couple with this old 1957 Ford. Wow, was that a beauty.  She had a binder full of original documents and photos of the car.  Her In-Laws purchased the car brand new for $4,200.  They had is completely restored in 2008 by prisoners.

Lastly, the rock climbers...

NANA & GRANDPA Click here for Short video of me and the kids.

~Linda