What Happened in Vegas

So it's been a few weeks... I figured that's the perfect time to update on a trip we took.
Just enough time for no one to care one bit about it or remember.
I do things in a timely manner, let me tell ya!

So in mid-October the husband and I took a trip together out west to Nevada!

Can I tell you something I'm so sad about? This is the FIRST TIME Greg and have flown together for a getaway since our honeymoon! 

For a girl who loves to travel and even lived abroad THAT is a fact I am not proud of.

But, it did make the trip all the more sweet. And it was quite fitting since the trip fell right around our 5 year anniversary!

Greg's good friend Kris was getting married in this rinky-dink little town that no one has ever heard of:

Las Vegas.

I'd never been to Las Vegas. Actually I'd never been to Nevada either.

My mom, the baby book guru, was kind enough to text me while away informing me of this fact and that she can now add another state to the list of states I've been to. Ya'll, I wasn't joking when I said my mom is the hardest of the hard-core baby-bookers. She's a baby-boomer baby-booker... if you will.

While I knew the reputation that the city had, and while it probably definitely wouldn't have been my first choice for our first get-away since our honeymoon, I was still looking forward to experiencing something new with the one I love! :) Adventures are so much more adventure-y with a spouse, especially a cool one like I got!

So we packed up at the absolutely last possible minute

Gave sweet kisses and hugs to our little Lu like a million times over
And headed to Las Vegas.

Well... we did have a hiccup or two.

1. For some reason, unbeknownst to me, I booked our flight in my maiden name.
I mean... I've been married F I V E years. Using "Moad" for all of those five years and somehow, I booked this trip with my maiden name. I just have no answer for that, folks. I don't know. But it sure struck absolute panic when I discovered it weeks in advance  on the drive to the airport!!!
A big thank-you to Southwest Airlines for saving the day and letting me hyphenate my name... never thought I'd be a hyphenator, but here we are. 

2. Our flight was delayed... 3 hours. 

Boo. Hiss.

But that's the joy of traveling with someone you like as much as your spouse - it's always an adventure! Greg and I found a cozy booth in a little throwback diner and played tunes on the table-side jukebox while we enjoyed warm apple pie and coffee.

Good times!

Just Greg Moad and Melissa Manz-Moad doing our thing.

Now... I'm not a travel blogger. (I'm not even sure what kind of blogger I am... but travel definitely isn't it) So I'm not gonna be able to give you a big run-down on Las Vegas with what to do, what to see, when to do it and how to get it done.

Because we big-time failed with the planing and researching and organizing ourselves to do what was most recommended in Vegas.

Oops!

We stayed at a beautiful resort hotel about 15-20 minutes away from the strip. This was the hotel where the wedding and all it's events would take place so it made sense to stay there. 

Prior to booking we had thought we would stay on the strip and commute. We were SO glad we did not decide to do that, for a number of reasons, not the least of which was the ridiculous price of a taxi in Las Vegas! 

The resort was beautiful and our room was spacious and luxurious. 
Hotel rooms are seriously one of my favorite things about vacation. I've felt that way ever since I was little and we used to vacation as a family. I LOVED to just hang out at the hotel. It had things our house didn't - like... little soaps, 1 TV, 1 bathroom and a mini fridge. For some reason this appealed to me as a young person. 

But as an adult my love for them has only grown - primarily because most hotel rooms are much more luxurious than any home I'll ever have, and... I have to do no cleaning! I can throw my towel on the floor and leave my bed un-made and by afternoon it will all be back to how it was originally... plus with a fresh supply of shampoo and conditioner. Throw in some room service and cable and... heaven, I tell ya. Heaven

Truthfully, through most of the course of my traveling life I have tended to be a terrible tourist and of course spend a lot of time in the hotel room... even if outside of it's walls were the 7 wonders of the world waiting my discovery. You can ask my traveling buddy from Spain: we were in some of the most beautiful cities of the country and we spent a lot of our time napping in the hotel / hostel or at H&M. Shameful, I know. 

This was no different. Just having the time to sit and relax with no one needing us, no strict time schedule, no house-project waiting in the wings - just Greg, me and some HGTV! 

my kind of vacation! 

We ended up going to the strip on Saturday night with the wedding party just to see it and a few of the sights. Our time was limited as we left the hotel at 9:00 and had to catch the last shuttle back at 11:30. Basically... this is my take of my first Las Vegas Strip experience:

1.) There is some gorgeous, amazing architecture and creativity along that road.

2.) The fountains at the Bellagio were one of the neatest things I've seen. 

Waiting for the fountains. Which go off every 15 minutes... and apparently cost the hotel like over 100K a month or something crazy! But it's free to watch, and that's my kinda show! 

3.) The Venetian Hotel, which had an amazing replica of the streets of Venice, complete with a painted-sky ceiling, a river running through it with gondola rides available, was my absolute favorite part. We only stumbled upon it because we were looking for a bathroom! Best bathroom search ever! It was incredible and if we had had time I would have spent hours there! 

It's also a mall, with all the shops open super late! And one part of the Venetian is lit to look like a plaza at night complete with multiple gelato stands! PERFECTION. Someone dropped a pretty penny to make this possible, but I'm sure glad they did! 

4.) And lastly, much of the night is burned on my memory from the moments walking from one place to another and seeing things I never, ever want to see again. 

I didn't take photos of that. mm kay. 

And there is no # 5 because after the bathroom search... and trying to make our way through the labyrinth of hallways and doors leading out of the Venetian we were about to miss our shuttle... so the remainder of our Las Vegas Strip experience was running through the streets to get to where the shuttle was before it left!

The plan originally was to return on Monday evening, after all wedding festivities had ended in order to see a show and have dinner... but I have to be honest. I was so disgusted with the majority of what I saw while on the strip I didn't want to go back... even if it meant a yummy dinner and seeing a once-in-a-lifetime show. 

I did somewhat regret that decision and wish we had figured out a way to go to dinner and a show and avoid the streets all together. It wasn't until later that I learned you can park in any of the hotel parking garages for free and avoid the crowds and vulgarity all together. 

oops.

I will give a little advice as per our mistakes in planning the trip: 
Here are some things that people should do in Vegas that we didn't:

1. See all the cool things to see on the strip: Bellagio fountains and Venetian the only two things we did see, the lion exhibit at the MGM, the conservatory at the Bellagio, New York New York hotel has a roller coaster and re-creates time square inside, the Bellagio hotel itself is apparently the prettiest thing ever inside, and so on - do research. Find out what there is. Go see what interests you. 

2. Eat at one of the many incredible, world-famous restaurants on the strip. We drove the strip during the day looking for a restaurant, didn't know we could park at any hotel, ended up on Freemont Street, which is weirder and grosser than the strip was! And ate at a disgusting restaurant in a casino. Worst.decision.ever. 

3. Avoid the bedlam in the streets as much as possible. It was seriously worse than I could have ever imagined. Truly. 

4. Give yourself plenty of time to explore the different hotels and restaurants. 

5. Go see one of the many shows that are offered. I learned while there that they spend MILLIONS on these shows. Which means, they are amazing. We were going to see Cirque de Soleil's Ka. How about you go see it and tell us how it was so we can pretend we did actually do that. 

But all that aside - the time with the wedding party at the rehearsal, wedding and reception were lovely! The wedding was beautiful and we loved getting to celebrate with Kris and Courtney! 

Plus, Greg and I enjoyed many wonderful meals together at the hotel in one of it's many restaurants and on Monday we did sight-seeing!

We rented a car and drove through the gorgeous mountain-lined highways of Nevada. We first went to the hoover damm to see it in all it's grandeur. It was only about 45 minutes from Las Vegas so totally worth the drive! 

Standing on the Damm looking at that insanely massive bridge. I did NOT want to go up to that. I don't like heights and I stayed far from the edge of the damm! 

Selfie-nation

We also decided to take the power-plant tour which takes you deep down into the depths of the damm to see how it all works.

This was a Greg-idea. He's got a mechanical mind and that was right up his ally. I was claustrophobic and wanted to run for the exit... which was a narrow hallway filled with hundreds of people leading to one or two little elevators. Not my jam. 

We then drove to see the Red Rock Canyon - and got there shortly before sunset so we had do try and see it quick before there was no more light. It really was beautiful. 

We had a lot of fun setting up the camera and trying to take photos using the self-timer.

I mean, er, uh... we had our own personal photographer to capture these special moments in the canyon. Try not to imagine me balancing my camera on the car hood and then quickly running to where Greg stood to get a shot. Mmm kay?

We also had some out-takes because we struggled with the self-timer and because we are funny people. 

Being the avid hikers that we are, we of course did some hiking. 

hashtag ihatehiking

hashtag wereallydidntdoanyhiking

All in all it was a nice trip away together. Nevada is a beautiful state and has lots to offer! We missed Lucy like crazy and couldn't wait to get home and see her in person and not just on our phone screens!! 

And that was our once-in-a-lifetime trip to Las Vegas!