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Sometimes on a long trip, like one around the United States for an entire year, you find yourself doing strange things.
That’s how we found ourselves in Nevada. Our nice Las Vegas strip hotel didn’t have a complimentary breakfast, so in our pursuit for healthy options, my 9 year old daughter, the hubby, and I were standing in the grocery store comparing the nutritional content of diet shakes. Yes, a new low. We’d already done the whole gamut of granola/breakfast bars and were looking for alternatives. Don’t ask me why we didn’t go to the produce aisle or even to the nutrition items; no, we were in the pharmacy area looking at generic Slim Fast shakes for something nutritious for breakfast. What surprises me even more is that we bought some! Let me just say that I can see why you lose weight by consuming a nutritious shake in the morning and another for lunch…because you’re starving all day, that’s why!
Our classy Las Vegas strip hotel may not have had a continental breakfast, but it did have huge floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows. The hubby, who was working at the desk with the lights of the city in the background, looked regal. How ironic: one day we’re staying at an out-dated, 2 star hotel, doing 4 loads of laundry in the coin operated machine, and the next night we’re staying in the lap of luxury on the 22nd floor! We even had a TV in the bathroom to which the son insisted on taking a bath to “clean his dirty feet.” That’s a first – him being concerned about his dirty feet! Well, they were sparkling on this leg of our journey.
During our week in Nevada, we visited Hoover Dam, Las Vegas, and Reno/Sparks. Is there anything left, besides military training grounds, in Nevada after that?!?
Here are some highlights (and lowlights) from Nevada:
Worst Meal: The snacks from the gas station that we ate as a meal because we couldn’t find anything else on the long, solitary drive from Vegas to Reno!
Never so Happy to See This Restaurant: McDonald’s. We aren’t typically McDonald’s patrons, as we prefer to taste the local flavors, or at least something we didn’t have available in central Illinois! In fact, that’s part of the reason we waited until our kids were 9 & 12 to go on the trip, so we didn’t have to stop at every McDonald’s. However, after the gas station lunch and the same prospects for dinner, we’ve never been so excited to see a McDonald’s!
Biggest Waste of Money: Shark Reef Exhibit at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas. There are just so many better, bigger aquariums across the United States. Save your money and skip this one.
Best Deal: The free entertainment and “education” our children received by just walking down the Las Vegas strip.
Most Teary-Eyed Moment: Walking with my family in the Donate Life Walk behind a group who had lost their young daughter because she didn’t receive a transplant in time and knowing if more people were registered to become organ donors, she could be alive today. Being so very thankful for my hubby being there with me in the walk all because of Annie Gift of Life.
Best Memory: Discussing as a family what to do with the $ we found at our casino hotel, and all agreeing to turn it in because we felt it was the right thing to do in God’s eyes.
Best Kodak Spot: Hoover Dam. I loved the view looking at the Colorado River with the new bypass bridge in the background.
Most Fun: Playing with the kids in the Mandalay Bay lazy river. It wasn’t so lazy, though, because you didn’t have to use tubes, so we ran around and around and around until I wore them out! J
My NV Hike: Walking the strip from Mandalay Bay to TI - and back! So it wasn’t my typical, scenic walk in the park, but it was definitely a hike!
Nevada, I must say you surprised us with your beauty!
Our classy Las Vegas strip hotel may not have had a continental breakfast, but it did have huge floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows. The hubby, who was working at the desk with the lights of the city in the background, looked regal. How ironic: one day we’re staying at an out-dated, 2 star hotel, doing 4 loads of laundry in the coin operated machine, and the next night we’re staying in the lap of luxury on the 22nd floor! We even had a TV in the bathroom to which the son insisted on taking a bath to “clean his dirty feet.” That’s a first – him being concerned about his dirty feet! Well, they were sparkling on this leg of our journey.
During our week in Nevada, we visited Hoover Dam, Las Vegas, and Reno/Sparks. Is there anything left, besides military training grounds, in Nevada after that?!?
Here are some highlights (and lowlights) from Nevada:
Worst Meal: The snacks from the gas station that we ate as a meal because we couldn’t find anything else on the long, solitary drive from Vegas to Reno!
Never so Happy to See This Restaurant: McDonald’s. We aren’t typically McDonald’s patrons, as we prefer to taste the local flavors, or at least something we didn’t have available in central Illinois! In fact, that’s part of the reason we waited until our kids were 9 & 12 to go on the trip, so we didn’t have to stop at every McDonald’s. However, after the gas station lunch and the same prospects for dinner, we’ve never been so excited to see a McDonald’s!
Biggest Waste of Money: Shark Reef Exhibit at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas. There are just so many better, bigger aquariums across the United States. Save your money and skip this one.
Best Deal: The free entertainment and “education” our children received by just walking down the Las Vegas strip.
Most Teary-Eyed Moment: Walking with my family in the Donate Life Walk behind a group who had lost their young daughter because she didn’t receive a transplant in time and knowing if more people were registered to become organ donors, she could be alive today. Being so very thankful for my hubby being there with me in the walk all because of Annie Gift of Life.
Best Memory: Discussing as a family what to do with the $ we found at our casino hotel, and all agreeing to turn it in because we felt it was the right thing to do in God’s eyes.
Best Kodak Spot: Hoover Dam. I loved the view looking at the Colorado River with the new bypass bridge in the background.
Most Fun: Playing with the kids in the Mandalay Bay lazy river. It wasn’t so lazy, though, because you didn’t have to use tubes, so we ran around and around and around until I wore them out! J
My NV Hike: Walking the strip from Mandalay Bay to TI - and back! So it wasn’t my typical, scenic walk in the park, but it was definitely a hike!
Nevada, I must say you surprised us with your beauty!
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