This past weekend (plus Monday and Tuesday) my family and I took a trip to Las Vegas. Hope students had the two extra days off for Winter Break and my mom wanted to take advantage of what might be the last time my family is (mostly) all able to get together for a family vacation.
We flew out on Friday night, which ended up about three in the morning Detroit time in Las Vegas.
That Saturday we visited the Strip, which is the long stretch of hotels, casinos, shops and restaurants. At night it feels a lot like Times Square.
The hotel lobbies in Las Vegas are extravagant. I found myself looking at the scenes of replicated cities, monuments, places and wondering whose idea was this?
I’m sure whoever decided that Las Vegas would be what it is today had money on their mind.
The next day we visited the Grand Canyon in Arizona and the Hoover Dam on the way back. Those are two landmarks that simply awe you in their presence. One land-made and one man-made, I couldn’t help but wonder how it all happened.
I also got to see a Cirque Du Soleil show that night… and you bet I was wondering the exact same questions as I did when I saw the Strip, the Grand Canyon and the Hoover Dam.
On our last day, Monday, we sat by the pool and explored a more rural Las Vegas at a local mall. The contrast between the bustling downtown and the quiet mall was strong. It felt just like an outdoor mall back at home.
Our plane was scheduled to leave that Monday night, but ended up getting delayed and canceled at three in the morning Las Vegas time. We finally got a ride back the next afternoon, and my mom dropped me off at Hope this morning, just in time.
While my last 24 hours have been exhausting, the trip was well worth it. Las Vegas isn’t really my city, but it’s definitely an experience that you should have. The same goes for the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam. (And the Cirque Du Soleil. It’s on my list of top ten favorite things, ever).
Thanks for reading,
Brooke