While I had initially planned to write this immediately after my Las Vegas trip in June, here I am with a renewed drive to write and I would love to actually get around to telling you about it even though it is now November.

To reflect on my initial feelings towards traveling to Las Vegas, Nevada this summer, I was a bit apprehensive because of my knowledge of the environmental impacts of tourism in an area that is already stressed on resources, namely Lake Mead. Las Vegas was the chosen family vacation spot because my Aunt had fallen in love and moved there a year earlier with my cousin and she wanted us to visit.

Plane Ride

This trip would be the first plane ride for myself as well as my brother and little sister, and it was evident in my stress levels from the moment we found parking to takeoff. The airport is like a maze and there are so many different places that you could need to go or don’t need to go and then you have to take off your shoes and then hope to get a good seat and jeez! The airport is so stressful.

Thankfully there are a couple vegan food options at the airport and I was able to eat a highly anticipated lunch before boarding the flight for a 3 hour trip to Las Vegas. We were all able to sit together with my brother at the window, me in the middle, and my grandma in the isle seat and my dad, stepmom, and little sister together in the row across from us.

Takeoff was certainly an experience, but landing was something else. Once you think you’ve landed, there’s a huge jerk and you know for certain you’re on the ground again. Overall, the plane ride was a huge highlight in the trip for me not only because it was my first plane ride but also because the trip had no traffic induced anxiety. That was a huge plus.

It was quite literally the longest trip of my life because we went back 2 hours because of the different time zones and we went out to eat for dinner with my aunt once we dropped off our things at the Airbnb. Once my head hit the pillow I was out, resting up for another long day of attractions.

Day 1: Hoover Dam

Our first tourist stop was the Hoover Dam. I knew a bit about the water levels of lake mead but standing on the dam and looking all the way down to see water was crazy. The dam was huge, bigger than I had originally thought and it was a lot of fun walking around. This was my first experience with dry heat and let me say: I love it! A dry 106 is a humid 90, my hair was never frizzy, and I didn’t have humid air sticking to my arms, neck, forehead, and clothes. It was great and I actually really enjoyed the weather during the trip.

Later that night, we hit up Fremont street just to say we did. It was LOUD. I’ve never gotten my ears blasted on a street before or seen so many half naked people. Workers had their own circle on the street and there were lots of performers playing music, making spray paint art, dressed extravagantly or with as little on as possible, and more. The most impressive part to me was the roof over the street. It was entirely lit up and electronic with ads music, everything it was a lot. Every thirty minutes the roof would play a video concert of an artist, and we were there just in time for Shakira lol. I was tempted to go on the zip line that went above the entire street but I chose to wait to go on a roller coaster the next day.

Day 2: Amusement Hotels

After the ear blasting night at Fremont, we did some tourist sightseeing at the extravagant Las Vegas hotels. At the New York hotel, my brother and I rode the roller coaster and it was a lot of fun. There wasn’t a really long line and we got in one of the first seats. The length of time that we were rising in the air was concerning to me until we reached the top and I could see the vast flatness of the desert and the beauty of the bird’s eye view before we dipped down and I was screaming with my hands in the air, going upside-down and all. It was definitely worth skipping the zip line for and it was a fun experience with my brother who used to refuse to go on a roller coaster that went upside-down.

After that, we went to the Bellagio Hotel and looked around their excessive botanical garden. There were animals, water, and so many real and fake flowers. My little sister loved it. We then went to watch the fountain show outside of the hotel and it went on for longer than expected and all I could think about was how much power was needed to push the water so high up in the air.

Day 3: Kustom Welds

The last full day in Las Vegas was a less packed, more relaxing day. I went with my dad and stepmom to visit the Kustom Welds display cars. It was really cool to see the art on the cars and all of the small details that were added to each piece. I would hate to know how much they cost and I would be even more scared to drive one around! On our way out, one of the main people from the Kustom Welds TV show pulled up in a sick green airbrushed truck and my dad got to fangirl and even got to talk to him. He was so star-struck that he forgot to ask for a picture, but I was a first hand witness and I will verify if need be!

Overall it was a really fun trip, contrary to the title of this post. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the desert weather, even if the chances that I return to Vegas are slim. There’s just too much novelty for me to enjoy it for longer than I was able to over the summer. It was definitely memorable and an experience I will reference for the rest of my life. There was a lot of family time in between the events I mentioned but I wanted to cover the things that made my Las Vegas trip different from every other vacation I’ve been on.

What was your favorite vacation that you’ve been on? Let me know and I’ll see you in the next post!

-Katelyn