Travel Las Vegas Attractions and the Grand Canyon

chillibreeze writer — Pallavi Sinha

A word of wisdom from one recently enlightened: If you are one of those who think that Las Vegas is only about casinos, you cannot be more wrong. If you are a gambler, then Las Vegas, the entertainment capital of the world, the Mecca of gaming and will find slot machines at the airport and in grocery stores too.

But, even if you are not interested in gambling, it still has innumerable attractions for you to enjoy. In fact, you could have a great time in Vegas without spending a single penny in the casinos. The ‘Dancing Fountains’ that leave you spellbound, an artificial volcano that erupts at regular intervals, a ride up the fake Eiffel Tower, scary adventure rides, lion and shark habitats, and many more. In addition, there are various spectacular shows that definitely contribute to Las Vegas being the entertainment capital. If you are lucky, your stay may coincide with your favorite pop-star’s show at any of the Las Vegas hotels. We missed the Bryan Adams show at our hotel by a day and were a week early for the Celine Dion one. Boo hoo!

Las Vegas is also a shopper’s paradise where all big designer brands have set up shop. Not to forget that quickie six-minute-marriages are also possible here if you feel like tying the knot.

All the major hotels and casinos are located on a street popularly called The Strip. Most of the famous Las Vegas hotels, most of them with elaborate themes, are located here and are the epitome of grandeur and opulence. They give the term ‘excess’ and ‘large scale’ a whole new meaning and yet you cannot help but be impressed with their presentation. While The Venetian recreates the romance of Venice with its canals and gondola rides, Caesar’s Palace attempts to give you the feel of the mighty Roman Empire. Similarly, there is Hotel Luxor in the shape of a pyramid and Hotel Excalibur built like a fairyland castle.

The Strip requires a lot of walking and, as I discovered to my discomfort, the heat drains you quickly. But in no way does it reduce the pleasure of walking from one hotel to another to see their unique attractions. And of course, there is always an option of entering a casino midway and taking a break in its blessed air-conditioned coolness. There are no restrictions on entering any hotel or casino and playing there if it takes your fancy.

An interesting discovery that I made in Las Vegas as a woman was that you could never feel out of place however you may choose to dress. The entire spectrum is covered - women dressed to the nines in designer formal wear as well as those dressed super-casually in flip-flops.

A distasteful and unattractive aspect of Vegas is the scores of men and women lining the walkways distributing pamphlets and information about professional escort services available, at times shoving them at you. It is probably an unavoidable aspect of the city which plays host to all kinds of visitors.

The Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is a five-hour drive from the city of Las Vegas. We had opted for a helicopter tour to avoid the long drive as well as to save time. The helicopter charter is a tad expensive but the experience is well worth the expense.

The tour included an aerial view of the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead and flying into the West Rim of the Canyon with a brief landing stop at the base. The Hoover Dam, considered a construction marvel for the 1930s, interestingly kept Las Vegas and other nearby towns relatively unaffected by the Great Depression due to the employment opportunities at the construction site.

The first glimpse of the rugged rock faces as we flew into the Canyon left an indelible impression on my mind. The view was so spectacular that I could not decide whether to simply soak up the sights in front of me or to capture them with my camera. After a brief tussle, the camera lost and the Canyon had my undivided attention.

The helicopter landed at the base where we had lunch, as part of the tour package, surrounded by the Canyon on all sides and the Colorado River flowing below. It was difficult to imagine that this narrow, serene river as it exists today is responsible for the thousands of years of erosive action that resulted in the world’s deepest canyon. It is a fascinating area and a must-see for any travel enthusiast. We left the Canyon a mere three quarters of an hour later, wishing that we had spent more time there. It is an experience that I will treasure for life.

My gambling saga

Before I reached Las Vegas, had anyone told me that I had a gambling streak, I would have laughed outright. In fact, in stark contrast, my friends call me Miss Sensible- Cautious- Practical. Yet, Vegas brought out this new aspect of my personality. The first two days were spent playing the slot machines where I won some and lost much. However, simply sitting and pushing a button for the results got tedious and boring. I found myself checking the tables at the casinos but discovered that I was not familiar with any of the available options like blackjack, craps, different kinds of poker or baccarat.
My husband, Alok, who had brushed up on his blackjack knowledge before this trip, helped me understand the game and suggested that I play it on a machine to get a better idea about it, which I did for the next two days.

We had kept the final day of our five-day Vegas trip totally free and had intended to spend a relaxing day doing whatever took our fancy. After breakfast, we decided to spend some time in the casino of the hotel we were staying in. Guess it was my lucky day, because I first tried my hand at roulette and won. This encouraged me to stay on and expand my gaming horizons. Next I tried the blackjack tables and was hooked by the game. Of course, it helped that I was winning. Credit for my enjoyment and wins must also be given to my fellow players at the table and a helpful dealer, all of who were ready to share their expertise with a novice. As a result, I ended up at that blackjack table for eight straight hours, skipped both lunch and dinner, and left only when it became imperative that I do so, to pack and catch my return flight scheduled for a couple of hours later. Needless to say, I shocked myself. I left the casino jubilant with my winnings, having recovered all earlier losses and then some more.

Adieu or Au Revoir?

You may not fall in love with Vegas though it does manage to charm you in its own inimitable way; but you would definitely come away awed by the sheer transformation of a small stretch of desert. And of course, the lure of the lucre and the casinos would keep calling the gambler in you – to return for another round of Vegas extravaganza.

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—About our writer:

Pallavi writes for chillibreeze.

Travel Las Vegas Attractions and the Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon

My gambling saga

Adieu or Au Revoir?

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