Have you ever been to Las Vegas? It’s a place I’ve never really had any desire to visit, but this week I had the opportunity to spend four days in Sin City. As I’ve been travelling, today’s Simple Living Sunday post will be a short one. It’s a reflection on the contrast of chaos and calm, along with some photos and highlights of my trip.
There’s just no quiet in Vegas.
Barry Manilow
Three simple pleasures and highlights
Continuing my practice of celebrating the simple things in life, here are three simple pleasures and highlights of the last week.
- My daughter Laura arrived home safely from Australia.
- Being able to travel to Las Vegas and gather with friends and colleagues.
- I had a small win on the slots…and I was smart enough to quit while I was ahead.
This week’s simple living focus: Chaos and calm
Sensory overload…that’s the only way to describe Vegas. It’s a city of spectacular light displays, bustling casinos, non-stop entertainment, abundant food and drink, and shopping.
Day 1 – The chaos of The Las Vegas Strip
We arrived around noon on Thursday and spent the afternoon exploring the strip until our room was ready. We had lunch at Gordon Ramsay’s Fish & Chips and, as Chef Ramsay would say, “The fish was beautifully cooked…absolutely glistening.”
It was extremely hot and, after a couple of hours of walking, we learned how dry the desert air really is. I was tempted to jump in the water during the Fountains of Bellagio performance.
Tuesday evening, we went to a show at Mirage. It was Cirque du Soleil’s LOVE featuring the music of the Beatles. It was colourful and fabulous—a treat for the ears and eyes.
After the show, we walked back down the strip to Mandalay Bay. The strip really comes alive at night. I commented that the only place in the world where you can walk from Paris, to New York, to the pyramids of Egypt in 10 minutes is Las Vegas!
We walked close to 35,000 steps on Tuesday. Needless to say, our feet were a little tired.
Day 2 – The calm of the Grand Canyon
If you can escape the city, there is calm not far away. In just a couple of hours, you can be at the Grand Canyon—one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
We took the opportunity to escape the city on Wednesday with Grey Line’s Grand Canyon West Rim Tour. The tour took us through the Joshua Tree Forest, on the way to the west rim of the Grand Canyon. On the way back, we saw the Hoover Dam.
Eagle Point was our first stop at the Grand Canyon. Considered a sacred place by the people of the Hualapei nation, it got its name because one of the rock formations is shaped like an eagle in flight.
Deep down, nature is inherently peaceful, calm and beautiful. The universe as a whole is perfect. The chaos is on the surface.
Amit Ray
Visiting the Grand Canyon really highlighted the contrast between the chaos of Las Vegas and the calm of the surrounding nature. While we took in the spectacular vistas of Guano Point, we comemented how quiet it was, despite how many people were around. Everyone was just quietly taking in the awe-inspiring views.
Desert vegetation
Something I found interesting was how different the vegetation is in Arizona. I’m used to green trees, grass and wildflowers. I was fascinated to see cactus growing in rock on the edge of the canyon. And the 800-year-old Joshua Trees are a sight to behold. Joshua trees grow only in the desert.
When we got back from the Grand Canyon, we had dinner and then I had some luck on the slots. We’re not gamblers but I told myself I would gamble $20 on the slots when we were in Vegas. After finding a machine I liked the look of, I put in $20 and within 5 minutes, my $20 had turned to $140. I quickly cashed out and called it a day. I know enough to quit while I am ahead.
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Day 3 – A little calm and a little chaos
We started the day on Thursday with breakfast at The Buffet at Luxor. It was delicious with lots of selection. The only thing that disappointed me is there was no hot tea. I always find that frustrating in the USA—you can rarely get a good cup of hot tea. So, I had to settle for an unsweetened glass of iced tea with my breakfast.
After breakfast, we went to FlyOver Las Vegas which was fabulous. If you’re familiar with Soarin’ at Disneyland or Walt Disney World, it’s the same kind of thing. We saw the Wild West film, and loved it.
After a little souvenir shopping and a walk on the strip, we headed back to the hotel for a little downtime.
Thursday evening, we went to dinner at Ri Ra, an Irish pub. I had Irish chicken curry and, of course, a pint of Guinness. Then, we went to T-Mobile Arena to see the Golden Knights take on the Winnipeg Jets. The Knights won 5-2.
Thursday was my last day to be a tourist before my meetings on Friday. It was a fun, and tiring week, with over 75,000 steps walked in 3 days. A day of meetings sounded like the perfect way to recover.
The only order in the universe is just a cycle of calm and chaos.
Toba Beta
Now that I am safely back home in the (relatively) quiet city of Kitchener, Ontario. I look forward to some calm after the chaos of the last few days.
I may miss the sights and sounds of Vegas, but I definitely won’t miss the smells. Between cigarette smoke, cigars, marijuana and people wearing too much perfume, it was too much for my nose to handle.
Oh, and I will really savour my cup of tea on Sunday morning.
When you travel, do you prefer bustling cities or the quiet of nature? Tell me your thoughts below.
Balanced trip, don’t you think? And congratulations on keeping your money from the slots. Haha. That must’ve been fun. The famous rock climber Alex Honnold lives in Las Vegas and I thought how odd since my idea of Vegas is casinos and chaos and he seems to be the opposite of that. Then I saw the part like yours and Alex lives in Red Rock and I finally understood. Oh and for me, definitely small, quiet travel locations!
Ha ha. You don’t have to travel too far outside the city to see mountains. It’s definitely an interesting contrast of commercialism and nature.
Looks like you had a nice trip, Michelle! Like you, I’ve never had any real desire to vacation in Vegas (sensory overload as you mentioned and the strip just doesn’t seem like a fun place to be, for me at least). I have always, however, wanted to visit the Grand Canyon and see a Joshua tree in person! One of my favourite books of all time has a quote about Joshua trees:
“It’s the Joshua tree’s struggle that gives it its beauty.”
(Also, once, I told myself I’d only spend $20 at the slots and if I lost I lost, oh well.. well I lost.. lol after one GAME! I was devastated beyond belief and haven’t touched the slots since! LOL)
Yes, there’s something very spiritual about the Joshua Trees. Even the cactii that grow there. We also saw huge fields of pistachio trees—they can grow with very little water. Amazing.
My win on the slots was just a fluke. That’s why I cashed out. I knew if I sat there for 5 more minutes, it would be gone.
Excellent description (and photos!) of the contrast between Vegas and the nearby Grand Canyon. Like you, I’ve never had the desire to go to Vegas. The sensory overload would be tough to deal with.
However, your Grand Canyon and Joshua tree photos have inspired me to consider that area for a trip.
Well done for winning $140 and knowing when to “fold ’em,” as Kenny Rogers said (cards, yes, but you know what I mean!)
He he. Yes. Sensory overload is a good way to put it. The Grand Canyon is amazing. The last time I went, I went from Phoenix, through Sedona and to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. It was beautiful. You would love Sedona.
LOL. Now I’m humming The Gambler.
Oh, that sounds incredible! Yes, I’m sure I would love Sedona! I’ve got to put that on the list too! LOL
Were you? LOL That is my fault because I’ve been humming it too!! xoxoxo
I enjoyed reading about your trip.
I’m not sure if I would want to visit Las Vegas. I prefer somewhere a bit quieter!
Thanks Rachel. It’s definitely a crazy place.
I will take the quiet of nature. Your pictures are beautiful. So happy for you that you had such a good time, and profitable. 😃
Thanks Judy! It was a good trip but I am glad to be back home.
Always good to get home.