Las Vegas

So we took our kids to Vegas… for the gas prices.

We were headed back toward the coast and Joshua Tree National Park when the gas prices right across the Nevada border appealed to our fearless leader. Once we were fueled and only a “few miles” down the road from Vegas…why not? I had no real need to experience Vegas and certainly not with my children, but our fearless leader really thought we’d all love it. I caved. Where does one park an RV in Vegas? Well at this fine establishment. Oh. My. Goodness.

 

Our unit on persuasion became relevant as the girls looked around the casino for the first time and exclaimed, “ Wow, they really want to persuade you here!” We ducked through Circus Circus most nights to catch a circus act and try our hand at arcade games. We quickly learned the pains of gambling as the grabber took dollar after dollar keeping that Shopkin stuffed animal far beyond our reach. We made out with Ski Ball though. $10 in tickets got us 6 pieces of candy. Six. Score. We totally made out. 

We spent a day walking the strip and showing the girls the casinos. We loved the opulence of The Venitian, The Bellagio, The Flamingo, and Caesar’s Palace. I had planned on driving to each to avoid the streets, but we risked it and walked. I was pleasantly surprised. The “cards” were swept away from the night before, and I only had to cleverly shade eyes a few times from suggestive ads. Two homeless men even flipped down their signs when my children passed. Much appreciated. At about 4:00 PM we were hustling our kids down the street. The scene was quickly changing. We escaped with one questionable, “Momma, are those girls security?” Ummm…sure.

The Venetian

The Bellagio

Caesar's Palace

Gelato!

We spent a day exploring the Hoover Dam marveling at such an engineering feat. I love art deco, the gilded era, and well, everything about the 20’s. I loved taking in the history of the dam just as much as seeing the dam itself. I had just finished Boys in the Boat and could imagine Joe Rantz hanging from the sides hammering away. We crossed the bridge overlooking at dam, an engineering feat in itself, and were inspired to try our own hand at bridge building the next day at school! On the way home we hiked in the Lake Mead Recreational Area through the railway tunnels once used to cart supplies to the dam. It was a breathtaking view.

 

Most of our days were spent doing school and capping off the day with a hike, a circus act, or one day a Christmas light show in a cactus garden and a chocolate factory tour. YUM! I was also able to introduce my family to my Aunt Emmy. She has been a close friend of my parents since I was born, and is a part of my childhood memories. It was so good to reconnect!

 

We decided it was time to depart when someone ran through “mud.” Shawn went ballistic and I was confused. He was yelling, “You DO NOT run through mud at an RV park! Do you hear me!? It is NOT MUD! It is NEVER Mud.” Oh. My. Goodness. It’s not mud.

What happens in Vegas… Well, actually mom will talk about it on our blog. It’s funny. We’ve got gas, we’re slightly more worldly, and with that we’re off to Joshua Tree National Park.