One hears all sorts of stories about Vegas and how what “happens there stays there” and I have to admit that I was a bit trepidatious to go there especially with a boyfriend in tow. The best thing about Vegas in my opinion is the extremely cheap accommodations all ranging in the mid-twenties per night. We stayed at the Sam’s Town Hotel & Casino about six miles from the strip and headed into downtown to check out some of the more popular hotels; the interiors of Caesars Palace and the MGM Grand and of course the fountains at the Bellagio. At the Bellagio they also had an autumn decorated lobby with amazing glass work trees and a waterfall made out of oversized leaves. I’m upset that I did not bring my camera out with us but I didn’t want it to get in the way / stolen.  I had never gambled before because it never interested me but I did get really into the nickel slots (don’t judge me joe schaub) in which I won $16 and then lost it all within a matter of seconds. I can see why Las Vegas would be fun with a group of friends and a whole lot of money but after seeing it glorified in films I found the whole city to be rather anti-climatic.

The next day we headed to the Hoover dam to check out the structure. Parking is $5 on the Nevada side but if you drive across to Arizona and an eighth of a mile up the road you can park for free. The tours at the dam are expensive and lengthy so we walked across and viewed Lake Mead and the Colorado River. The Hoover Dam weighs 6.6 million tons but is only the 35th largest hydro powered facility in the world!