Las Vegas: A Little of Everything

When I stepped away from social media it was Ash Wednesday and we were in Las Vegas.

I’m not going to lie. It was weird entering Lent while in the middle of Sin City. I wanted church bells, quiet countryside, or a mountain glade, but we were surrounded by flashing lights, an orchestra of bells and whistles from gambling machines, and the smell of marijuana (which, btw, was everywhere).

Oh, and we also had Donny Osmond. And the Cirque Du Soleil show “O”.

Donny Osmond was a last-minute decision: we were walking through Harrah’s, saw the ticket desk, inquired about same day tickets, and one hour later we were listening to him sing “Puppy Love.” For a spur-of-the-minute decision it was one of our best because the show was so incredibly entertaining. We were all smiles when we exited the theater later that evening.

On our last day we visited Red Rock Canyon. It was incredibly cold and windy so we decided to drive the loop, stopping along the way for short hikes or scenic overlooks. We saw more petroglyphs and again, standing in front of cave drawings from over 2000 years ago put me in a contemplative frame of mind. And ponder my place in the world.

That night we ate in Paris and then walked across the street to the Bellagio. On the way to the Cirque du Soleil Theater we passed several exclusive, high-end shops. At one point I stopped in front of Tiffany’s and said (rather hopefully), “Yes?” and Joe said (very emphatically), “No.”  

Huh.

Anyway, if you have ever been to a Cirque du Soleil show then you know what a magical experience it is. We left the theater trailing magic and fairy dust. Outside we listened to the music at the Bellagio Fountains. Then we turned a corner and …

saw someone vomiting into a gutter.

That's Las Vegas. A little of everything.