Las Vegas Trip - Day 2 (Tuesday, January 7, 2003)
- Red Rock Canyon and Downtown Las Vegas -
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| Colorful landscape of Red Rock Canyon. (Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Nevada) |
I woke up a bit earlier than Joy and used a bit of that time to research about places in Las Vegas. When we finished getting ready and left the hotel, we stopped at the grocery store to buy food for lunch and the bank to get cash. After a fairly short drive west of the city, we entered Red Rock Canyon National Recreation Area.
At the Visitor Center area, we took our first look at the magnificent landscape of colorful rocks. On the short, paved pathway, I noticed a set of tiles with carvings memorializing the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Inside the Visitor Center, we learned more about the park looking the exhibits while listening to a handheld audio guide.
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| Canopy display at the Fremont Street Experience. (Las Vegas, Nevada) |
Driving onto the scenic loop road, we got a good, close look at the rocks. We got an even better look when we stopped to hike to the Calico Tanks, which naturally hold water from rains. When we got to the water, we relaxed and ate a snack. Then, we scrambled a little more up the rock to see a great view of Las Vegas, with The Strip clearly identifiable.
Back in the car, we continued on the one-way road until we reached the Willow Springs Picnic Area. Staying out of the cold, we ate lunch inside our vehicle, then stepped out to take a short trail that led us to a rock wall pecked with some petroglyphs. After that, we went on an easy path known as the Children's Discovery Trail. At its junction with the Lost Creek Trail, we headed right until we found a trickling waterfall. We took a break there, then went directly back to car on the Lost Creek Trail.
As the sun dropped behind the Spring Mountains, we began leaving the park, only stopping at the Red Rock Vista for a last look. On our way into the city, we stopped at Best Buy where Joy bought some things including film and a battery for her camera. For dinner, we went to a Thai restaurant caled King & I. Joy had a $25 gift certificate for the place that her mom, who won it in a raffle, gave her.
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| The volcano display at The Mirage. (Las Vegas, Nevada) |
After stuffing ourselves with good food, we continued our exploration of the city, making a brief visit to the Palms Casino Hotel because someone wanted us to check it out for them. I didn't see anything particularly interesting there. Next, we parked downtown and walked over to the Fremont Street Experience. Soon after arriving, the long canopy over us lit up in a sound and light show featuring disco hits.
The enjoyable show above our heads finished after a few minutes and we explored the pedestrian mall. Mostly, it had casinos on each side which we didn't enter, though we did stop to check out the artists doing portraiture or spray paint art. In some places, we found neon art, some of it with significance to Las Vegas history. Most of them were concentrated around a shopping and eating complex called Neonopolis, just beyond the canopy.
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| The fountain in Lago di Bellagio. (Las Vegas, Nevada) |
We caught one more sound and light show, this time featuring classic rock hits, before returning to The Strip. At The Mirage, we first looked at the tropical aquarium which happened to be behind the check-in desks at the registration area. We then caught a good look at the erupting "Volcano," spewing red lighted water and flames. Finally, we spotted one of Siegfried & Roy's white tigers sitting in a palatial room before leaving for the Bellagio.
I kept seeing the dancing fountain in Lago di Bellagio from the road while driving, but now I had the chance to stand still and watch the lighted night show. When that finished, we headed back to our room at the Stratosphere for a brief break. Then, we walked over to the elevators that took us up to the observation deck of the 1,149 foot tower. We spent some time enjoying the outside view and then relaxed for a while in the indoor viewing area. Returning to the room, we got ready for sleep but didn't for a long while, because we ended up doing quit a bit of talking.
Contact me if you have any questions or comments about this trip.
| Document last modified January 06, 2009. Copyright © 1995-2009 Andrew Sawadisavi. All rights reserved. |
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