Day 7: Drive to Boulder Creek

After rereading our Vegas blog, I realized that it didn't sound too impressive.  What we learned from that portion of the trip is that if you want to party in Vegas, be prepared to spend your life savings.  Only ballers can party hard in Vegas.  You either empty your wallet in the slots while you get free drinks, or pay around $10 a pop at any of the bars.  Our advice:  buy alcohol before and mix in your room.  You can walk on the streets and though the casinos with any type of cup, so long as it is plastic...Just like at home!  Needless to say, we had a great time, but didn't have to file for bankruptcy.

We packed up and headed out for our last leg of the trip: Las Vegas to Boulder Creek.  A ten hour car ride and we arrived at our final destination...2,238 miles from where we started.  On the way, saw signage reading, "Not evereything that happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.  Get tested."; we passed a store selling "Alien Jerky" and also went through an "Agricultural Check-point". The rest of the drive was pretty uneventful, other than stopping at a Popeyes for some much needed sweet tea.

BOULDER CREEK

Days 5 & 6: Las Vegas

Just kidding!  

We stayed two nights at the hotel New York, NY on the Vegas strip. 

Upon check-in, we washed away the canyon dust and got sexed up for a night on the town.  We ate at an Asian infusion restaurant in our hotel called Chin-Chin.  I got the lemongrass pad thai, and Jess got orange chicken, as usual.  We hit up the daiquiri bar and got $20 pina coladas and then lost all of our money in the slots so we decided to talk the strip because that is free!  We saw lots of interesting sights including someone getting arrested in the nude. Day two in Vegas started late....we finally had a break from driving. We went to the Aria hotel and casino (Jess's personal favorite) gorgeous finishes on the interior for a FREE buffet. After the buffet, we went to the miracle mile of shopping on the strip and finally got to go to H&M. We headed back to the hotel to shower up before we headed to Treasure Island to see the Cirque du Soileau show Mystere (the one they showed in Knocked Up when they were tripping on shrooms (with the man baby)). It was insane, beautiful, amazing...everything you would expect from a Vegas show. After the show we toured the Venetian hotel, which has a lovely chlorinated river upon which you and your lover can share a gondola ride while hundreds of strangers stare you down. Luckily, the Venetian has gourmet restaurants that are open until 6am with extremely friendly waitstaffs. After we enjoyed our meal we took a cab back to NYNY where we spent the last hours of the night at an "authentic irish pub" enjoying Boddingtons and the smooth sounds of  a cheesy cover band. Needless to say we met some real characters. We escaped quickly when the lights came up at the pub and headed back to the room...alone.  

 View of the strip from a skywalk.

New Development at CityCenter  (This one is for Ryan and David) 

 Peepshow starring Holly Madison!  

Paris

Hot air balloons inside the Bellagio

Viva Las Vegas.  Next stop, Boulder Creek! 

Day 5: Grand Canyon and Drive to Vegas

The hotel that we stayed in was the oldest, most haunted, hotel in Arizona.  We stayed in the "Wine Room" which entailed decorations of dusty grapes and used wine bottles.  After a delicious omelet breakfast at a nearby cafe where some Italian man implied to us Americans that we were unhealthy because all they had was coffee and we were eating a full-on breakfast, we made the short trek to the Grand Canyon.

Our exploration of the canyon included rock climbing, hiking, sunburns, and photographing ourselves in precarious locations.  See below.  

It was beautiful and indescribable.  

Along the way to our next stop, we took a side trip to the Hoover Dam.  It was pretty DAM impressive! 

We got back in the Saturn for our next stop...VEGAS.  After a four hour drive, we made it to the city of sin.  But, as you know, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas...sorry.  ;)