Viva Las Vegas!

Las Vegas. So much comes to mind when one thinks about it... busy nightlife, elaborate casinos, off-broadway shows, etc. I experienced almost all of this when my family and I went on vacation a couple of weeks ago.

Of course, there's not a lot to do in Las Vegas when you're under twenty-one. But my family and I managed to keep busy, and it really was one of the most enjoyable parts of my summer.

After driving for nine straight hours from Rocklin to Vegas, we finally arrived at the Wyndham Resorts (time share!), which is actually a really nice hotel. It had three separate buildings, two pools (which I enjoyed thoroughly), a gym, and a sauna. After settling in somewhat, my family and I decided to go out for the night and try and find the rollercoaster I wanted to ride located in New York, New York (New York, New York is a mini model of New York city, complete with a huge model of the Statue of Liberty). It was a hot night, and at almost 11:00 PM, it was still about 95 degrees outside. We never did make it to the rollercoaster, but we did get to walk the streets and listen to hilarious drunks singing "Sweet Caroline" outside a bar, view amazing hotels such as the Bellagio and Caesar's Palace (reminded me of the Hangover), and snap a couple pictures with the famous blue people from Avatar.

I got a picture with some Avatars!

The next day, my family and I made yet another long drive to see the Grand Canyon in the neigboring state of Arizona. On the way over, we stopped to get lunch at a tiny diner in a town called Dolan Springs. Dolan Springs is literally in the middle of nowhere; once you drive out of there, it's nothing but desert. But this diner, called Mystic Munchies, was amazing. I don't know if it was the aura or just the fact that we had stopped for food in a cool, faraway place, but I thought Mystic Munchies was just the coolest thing I had seen in a long time. If you ever go to the Grand Canyon, make sure you stop by.

Anyways, we eventually reached the Grand Canyon about an hour later and began our tour of the canyon. It was honestly one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had. Being on a ledge hundreds of feet up from the bottom of the canyon without any guard rails was definitely nerve wracking, but allowed for an experience that you couldn't get anywhere else in the world. We went at about sunset too, so it made the scenery even more beautiful (if that's even possible).

A fun fact I learned during the trip was one about guano. Guano is bat poop, and it used to be mined on a regular basis in the canyon. The mine was closed for safety reasons, but guano is still a hot commodity because it is used in makeup. Yes, makeup. For us girls, we are putting products containing bat poop on our face every morning (guano is in our mascara and our lipstick mainly). So there's your fun, but gross, fact.

A view of the canyon's bottom from the ledge. Eagle's Point. The eagle is in the center,
with outstreched wings.

I'd have to say the Grand Canyon was the highlight of the trip, but we still did some pretty amazing things after that. For instance, my family and I watched the off Broadway production of the Lion King, which was absolutely amazing. Considering I am an absolute Disney fanatic, I'm pretty critical about anything Disney related, but this surpassed my expectations. The music and the props were magical, and it was pulled off in such an artistic way. If you're going to see a show anytime soon, see the Lion King.

The next day, my family and I packed up and loaded our rental car for the drive home. It was a long nine hours back, and I missed the craziness and beauty of our trip already. But as much as I loved living the "Las Vegas life" for a couple days, it was nice to be home. Not having to wither up in the 112 degree heat everytime one stepped outside was just one of the many positives of being back in Home Sweet Rocklin.