After San Diego, we had decided to make a little detour and visit Las Vegas. It is the largest city in Nevada, and it is located in the Mojave Desert. Las Vegas is a very important destination in the United States. It is famous for its casinos, its shows, its huge hotels, and its malls, true temples of shopping.

So that morning, we hit the road to visit Las Vegas. As a little anecdote, we stopped for lunch at a McDonald’s in the middle of the desert! Yes, you can even find one out there in the desert! 😉

We arrived in Las Vegas in the afternoon under a magnificent blue sky and a perfectly bearable heat. And anyway, there is air conditioning everywhere in the United States, so you can quickly cool down if needed. We had hesitated about going to Las Vegas because with our very young son we were not sure it was the best place, but in the end everything went really well.

When you arrive in Las Vegas, the first impression is exactly the one you see on television: surreal, magnificent, and impressive.

On a friend’s recommendation, we had chosen a hotel on the Strip with no casino and no nightclub inside. A zen hotel, just the way I like them, and one that was a total contrast with the outside world. It was important to have some peace and quiet for our little boy at the hotel.

After a long drive, we jumped into the pool, much to my son’s delight! 🙂

At the end of the day, we made our first outing on the Strip and discovered a place where gigantism and excess reign supreme. There were huge crowds, and you have to walk a lot if you want to visit Las Vegas. To cross the road, there are many bridges above it from which you can discover and photograph the Strip. One thing is certain: between the illuminated hotels and the neon signs, your eyes will be full of wonder!

The next morning, we headed to the Stratosphere. It is 350 meters high and is the tallest tower in Las Vegas. In fact, it is said to be one of the tallest observation towers in the United States, and the elevators taking you to the top are among the fastest in the world.

So we went to the top of the Stratosphere, where you can find observation points, both indoors and outdoors at the very top, a 360° revolving restaurant, and 3 surreal rides!

Indeed, the unique setting of the Stratosphere makes these rides sensational for those who are not afraid of heights. Here is the detail:

1 – Big Shot is like a kind of launch ride, but at 350 meters high.

2 – Xscream is a tilting rail ride that gives the impression of being thrown into the void.

3 – Insanity the ride is a spinning ride at 274 meters above the void.

And if you feel like it, you can also do a bungee-style jump, Skyjump, from 260 meters at the top of the tower. My husband wanted to do it, but in the end, once at the top, he changed his mind. 😉

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The breathtaking 360° view over all of Vegas from the top of the tower!

We then took a tour around the city, and we quickly realized that Las Vegas is a real amusement park! In the end, visiting Las Vegas is a sort of round-the-world trip, with the Eiffel Tower on your right, the Sphinx on your left, all while discovering Venice. 😉

It really is a city apart, “lost” in the desert, but the experience is worth it.

        

        

In the evening, we went back to the Strip to discover the outdoor shows offered by the hotels, such as the Fountains of Bellagio, the Mirage Volcano, and the Treasure Island Pirates. These shows take place roughly every fifteen minutes.

At the same time, we wanted to discover the inside of the hotels, but we only saw a tiny part of them because it would take several days to visit everything! Every part of even the smallest hotel is a show, and you quickly move from one surreal atmosphere to another.

You should know that when you enter a hotel, everything is designed to lead you toward its casino, and very often the exit is hard to find! We experienced it. 🙂

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Visiting Las Vegas, the city that never sleeps, is a unique experience. We were not able to see everything or attend shows, so we will most certainly go back one day.