The Strip

We arrived in Las Vegas at sunset, and the first impression was that it was just as fabulous as expected. There were lights and music everywhere, and the streets were packed with people too (on a Tuesday).

We stayed at The Mirage Hotel. I later found out that the Mirage Hotel was the first hotel of its kind on the Strip and was made famous by the Sigfried and Roy show. 

It was just getting dark when we started exploring the area around the hotel. We started with the Venetian across the street. It looked impressive from the outside and was even more impressive from the inside. You can walk along the „Grand Canal“ and take a gondola ride. An artificial ceiling makes you feel like you are outside in the sun. Everything was like an Italian city down to the smallest detail. You can really get lost there. It’s not just a hotel. It’s a small world with restaurants, stores, bars and of course a casino.

After we found our way back to the strip, we stayed outside because we were already tired from the drive. We watched the fountains in front of the Bellagio Hotel and the volcano show in front of the Mirage and then headed back to the hotel.

The next day we wanted to explore the rest of the Strip. I have to admit that Las Vegas is more impressive at night, but when you’re strolling through the hotels, it doesn’t matter what time it is. It’s crazy how much you spend in hotels or malls and every time you get back on the street, you feel like you haven’t taken a step forward. 

The environment around Las Vegas

After a full day in Las Vegas, we needed a break and planned a trip to Red Rock Canyon. The canyon is only 30 minutes from Vegas, perfect for a day trip. The weather was perfect for a hike, even I wasn’t in the best shape after Covid and felt exhausted after our hike. The nature is beautiful and varied, and the perfect break from the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas.

For our last day in Las Vegas/ Nevada we had a lot planned:D We drove to the Hoover Dam, which is located in the middle of the border to Arizona. The construction is really impressive. From the mountains you could see how high the water level used to be, and it was a little scary to see how low it is now.

Our next stop was the Arizona hot springs. This hike takes you (as the name implies) to hot springs. It’s a moderately difficult hike, so we weren’t planning on doing it completely. Stefan was hoping we could drive to the springs without doing the hike. When we arrived at the parking lot, we found that was not possible. A map at the beginning of the route indicated that it would be a 1.2 mile hike to the springs and Stefan tried to convince me to do the hike after all. I was not enthusiastic. After being so exhausted from the previous day’s hike and running out of water and food, it didn’t seem like a good idea.

Arizona Hot Springs

But I agreed and we headed off to the hot springs. To make a long story short: It was definitely more than a 1.2-mile hike. It took us more than two hours to get to the springs, the trail was more than moderate, and by the end I could barely put one foot in front of the other. It was dark when we got back to the car. And there was no time to enjoy the hot springs….

Anyway, in retrospect, the canyons we hiked through were beautiful, and it’s definitely a fun story to tell.

We ended the evening with a big helping of nachos at Nacho Daddy, a cocktail and a little gambling at the Mirage 😉

The next day it was time for us to head back to Los Angeles. Back in California, we took a little break in Calico. It is a „ghost town“ that was built after silver was found in the mountains. When silver prices dropped and it was no longer worthwhile to dig for silver, the citizens left and Calico became a ghost town. Many years later, the town was rebuilt for visitors. It is definitely worth visiting and was a great ending to our little trip.