When we got to the dam and pulled over at the security check point, we were asked to open our car top luggage carrier. Our small problem was that the keys were back in Vegas in the camper – oops! We were told we couldn’t cross the Dam unless we could open the carrier. We were pretty frustrated. Nowhere in all of the information that we read on the dam did it mention that our vehicle was subject to a search before crossing the dam. We turned around and headed back to Vegas. I was mad, but not at the rangers doing their jobs, I was mad that I now have to live in a country where being free isn’t really free. It was just another reminder of how our lives have changed since 9/11.
Fortunately, Vegas isn’t far from the dam. We decided that we would save the dam visit for our travel day to the Grand Canyon. We will have to come back through the area when we move, so it made more sense than coming back out today. Since we gained a few extra hours to use in Vegas, we decided to cruise the strip and check out the sights. It has been over 10 years since Tony and I were in Sin City, so a lot has changed. The kids (and Nana who was making her first visit to Vegas) couldn’t believe all of the glitz and couldn’t get over the sheer size of the casinos. We pointed out a few of the highlights that we were planning on doing while we were there. Then we headed back to the camper for lunch and naps.
The weather in Vegas is hot, hot, hot. The temp was 107 today! The downside to camping in a hybrid trailer when it is very hot outside is that the camper’s AC can only cool the camper 20 to 25 degrees below the outside temp. It was still 85 degrees in the camper. It’s cooler than outside, but not particularly refreshing.
In planning our fi
rst evening in Vegas, we decided to plan a little surprise for AJ’s 3rd birthday. Since he had been so focused on seeing the animals at the Rainforest Café’ when we were in San Francisco, we thought we would take him there for dinner tonight. There is one in the MGM Grand and we called and made a reservation. We told the girls not to say anything to AJ so that it would be a surprise. They had fun making up silly code names for the name of the restaurant so he wouldn’t know where we were going. Vegas, in an attempt to go green put in a monorail system. We decided we would check it out. Circus Circus is at the North end of the strip and MGM is at the south. We thought it would be more fun than taking a taxi. We still had to hike to the Sahara to pick up the train. Having your kids with you in Vegas is an interesting experience. There were numerous families there, yet if you have ever been there you know Vegas is not what I would call kid friendly on the surface. Since the casinos are looking for ways to separate you from your money, they are fraught with stores and restaurants and an
y gimmick or side show they can come up with to succeed in taking your hard earned cash. Since you can’t legally step foot onto a casino floor if you are under 21, navigating your way through these monsters with kids is interesting. You can walk through the casino, but you must stay in the aisle and you must not stop. You have to keep walking. That sounds easy enough to do unless you have a very inquisitive 3 year old who loves pushing buttons and things that light up. Wrangling him past the slots was no easy task.
rst evening in Vegas, we decided to plan a little surprise for AJ’s 3rd birthday. Since he had been so focused on seeing the animals at the Rainforest Café’ when we were in San Francisco, we thought we would take him there for dinner tonight. There is one in the MGM Grand and we called and made a reservation. We told the girls not to say anything to AJ so that it would be a surprise. They had fun making up silly code names for the name of the restaurant so he wouldn’t know where we were going. Vegas, in an attempt to go green put in a monorail system. We decided we would check it out. Circus Circus is at the North end of the strip and MGM is at the south. We thought it would be more fun than taking a taxi. We still had to hike to the Sahara to pick up the train. Having your kids with you in Vegas is an interesting experience. There were numerous families there, yet if you have ever been there you know Vegas is not what I would call kid friendly on the surface. Since the casinos are looking for ways to separate you from your money, they are fraught with stores and restaurants and an
y gimmick or side show they can come up with to succeed in taking your hard earned cash. Since you can’t legally step foot onto a casino floor if you are under 21, navigating your way through these monsters with kids is interesting. You can walk through the casino, but you must stay in the aisle and you must not stop. You have to keep walking. That sounds easy enough to do unless you have a very inquisitive 3 year old who loves pushing buttons and things that light up. Wrangling him past the slots was no easy task. We made it onto the monorail and enjoyed the cool ride down to MGM. The Vegas train was very different from the trains in the other major cities we have traveled. In New York, Washington DC and Chicago the trains are a whole different ball game. They are primarily commuter trains and the locals want no part of having “noodle head” tourists in their way. Anyone who has
ever ridden an express train in Midtown Manhattan at 5PM will understand this completely. The Vegas monorail was a lot more relaxed and laid back and felt as if it ran at a slower pace. With all of the walking through the casinos and the time spent on the train it took us over an hour to get to the restaurant! We got a chance to check out MGM’s lion habitat along the way. AJ was very excited to have dinner at the Rainforest Café’. He kept saying “Dis AJ’s party.” We enjoyed our dinner and the shows and splurged on a chocolate lava cake for desert. AJ wanted no part of the cake (yum – more for Mommy!) as he was too interested in opening his presents. We had picked up a few small things for him to open while we were on the road.
ever ridden an express train in Midtown Manhattan at 5PM will understand this completely. The Vegas monorail was a lot more relaxed and laid back and felt as if it ran at a slower pace. With all of the walking through the casinos and the time spent on the train it took us over an hour to get to the restaurant! We got a chance to check out MGM’s lion habitat along the way. AJ was very excited to have dinner at the Rainforest Café’. He kept saying “Dis AJ’s party.” We enjoyed our dinner and the shows and splurged on a chocolate lava cake for desert. AJ wanted no part of the cake (yum – more for Mommy!) as he was too interested in opening his presents. We had picked up a few small things for him to open while we were on the road. After dinner, w
e decided to head out and check out the strip at night. We enjoyed New York, New York and seeing the replica Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge. We went over to the Bellagio to check out their amazing fountains. They go off every 15 minutes and we stayed for a couple of performances. It was getting pretty late and it was still pretty hot (98 degrees) so we headed for the nearest Monorail stop to head back to the camper. We were pretty hot and tired and hit the sheets as soon as we got back to the camper. It was after 11:00 local time and the kids were troopers! We are looking forward to taking the kids to the Lied Children’s Museum tomorrow
e decided to head out and check out the strip at night. We enjoyed New York, New York and seeing the replica Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge. We went over to the Bellagio to check out their amazing fountains. They go off every 15 minutes and we stayed for a couple of performances. It was getting pretty late and it was still pretty hot (98 degrees) so we headed for the nearest Monorail stop to head back to the camper. We were pretty hot and tired and hit the sheets as soon as we got back to the camper. It was after 11:00 local time and the kids were troopers! We are looking forward to taking the kids to the Lied Children’s Museum tomorrow
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