New Year’s in Las Vegas

We flew into Las Vegas and checked into the Hilton Flamingo on the strip, on Thursday Dec. 27^th.

The next day, the first thing we did was to drive to the Red Rock canyon. This canyon is located about 13 miles outside Las Vegas. Here there are large red rock formations, a set of sandstone peaks and 3000 feet walls called the Keystone Trust. There is also a 13-mile scenic drive through this canyon with striking colors to witness. Many millions of years ago, this was once a desert with vast expanses of huge shifting sand dunes. These dunes lithified, cemented with calcium carbonate and iron oxides, to develop as the colorful Aztec Sandstone.

Afternoon spent at the busy “The Mirage” casino. Evening we went to a magic show of Chris Angel, at the Planet Hollywood. After the show, we had a good buffet dinner at this casino.

Drove to Black Rock canyon at Lake Mead for a cruise that starts at the Lake Mead marina. We bought tickets and sat in the boat. Unfortunately the boat had mechanical problems and the cruise had to be cancelled. The cruise was to see the Black Rock canyon and the back of the Hoover Dam. Evening we went to see the show, The Beatles “Love”, Cirque Du Soleil at the Mirage. It was the most exhilarating performance to famous Beatles songs. This is a must see.

The next day Sunday, we got up early and drove 270 miles west to see the Bryce Canyon in Utah. This canyon is made up of thin walls of rocks called fins. Frost-wedging enlarges the cracks in the fins, creating holes or windows. As windows grow, their tops eventually collapse, leaving a column. Rain further dissolves and sculpts these limestone pillars into bulbous spires called hoodoos. The delicate climatic balance between snow and rain ensures that new hoodoos will emerge while others become reduced to lumps of clay. This was the most wonderful experience to see nature in this form. One almost feels like you are on a different planet. Unfortunately, due to the partial Government shutdown, we were only able to view the canyon from the Sunrise and Sunset points.

Monday, we spent all day on the strip – visiting the casinos, shops and shows.

Evening after sunset, we went to “The Bellagio” to watch the musical water show. With the popular songs being played, everybody was rocking. The casino had an amazing evening buffet. After dinner, we hung out at the strip to witness the massive fireworks display on New Year’s Eve. Lots of OOHH’s and AAHH’s.