Nevada

On Monday morning we left Denver and made our way to Las Vegas, NV. A snow storm coming in from the west forced us to head south to New Mexico. We stopped in Santa Fe for lunch around noontime. I kept waiting to see the Santa Fe skyline off in the distance as the GPS drew us closer and closer, but nothing. Then we arrived in Santa Fe, Nevada's capital, yet we still saw no buildings. Apparently Santa Fe isn't like most cities. The city is made up of 2-3 story clay-like buildings sprawled out for miles. It was very cool stuff. We didn't spend much time there but would love to return and visit more of the cool shops and restaurants. Julie is very excited to visit the city someday with mom, auntie Mare, and her sisters. After lunch we set off on the road destined for Sin City. We became very tired half way through Arizona and stopped at a Best Western in Flagstaff. About a mile before the hotel however we encountered a 'white out'. The snow was so thick and coming down so fast I could barely see 3 feet in front of my car. Our night time road enemy (the 18-wheeler) suddenly became our ally as I used the lights off the one in front of us as a guide through the terrible weather. We made it to the hotel safely, went for a quick soak in the hot tub and then fell asleep. The next day we had a small breakfast provided by the hotel and set off on the road again. Arizona is much like New Mexico with the rolling mountains off in the distance, although the rocks seemed more red. And much to Julie's dismay we had still not seen any untamed wildlife (ie: mountain lion! 'Roar' Jaden!) On the Nevada/New Mexico line we encountered the Hoover Dam - a very cool sight to behold. We stopped to take in the scenery for a moment and then left for Las Vegas! I called the Sheas to say hello and by chance Big Pat had received an offer in the mail about cheap hotels in Vegas. I then began calling some of the Harrah Hotels before settling on the 'Flamingo'. Vegas is town of unlimited fun and activity. Julie and I had never been attracted to Vegas before but after seeing all it has to offer we definitely conclude that it is a fun time. We gambled a bit on roulette, enjoyed a buffet at Planet Hollywood hotel, and then saw a hypnotist show which was very funny. We didn't get to explore all the hotels on the strip but we would just like to say that the Bellagio is one of the nicest hotels we have ever seen. It is the one with the water fountains out in front that are synchronized to music. The money I lost on roulette will be given back to me as a credit at the Flamingo as part of a promotion from joining the rewards club for Harrah's casino's. So we will be returning in June (Note to Amy, start planning for the weekend of June 13th and 14th, make it happen!) Cheers! Tim