Vegas, Baby!

Tal and I just returned from an amazing 4-day trip to Las Vegas. (Savannah stayed with Grandma Barbara.) Our trip was our Christmas gift to each other and our first vacation in more than 1.5 years.

Tal and I chose Las Vegas because we're on a quest to visit all 50 states in our lifetimes. So far, we've visited 21 states.


During our stay, Tal and I spent many hours walking up and down Las Vegas Blvd. and touring various hotels and restaurants.

Luxor

Venetian

The Mirage

Caesar's Palace

Paris and The Eiffel Tower

Bellagio

Bellagio and Caesar's Palace

Hard Rock Cafe

House of Blues Restaurant

Fremont Street

Fremont Street

View from our Gondola Ride at The Venetian

Mandalay Bay

While in Las Vegas, Tal and I stayed at THE Hotel at Mandalay Bay.



Our suite was 700 square feet and reminded me of an upscale urban apartment. Tal and I felt like we were living in luxury!



Our spa-inspired bathroom with a glass shower, huge soaker tub, and waterfall faucet made us feel so pampered. :-)

Fountains of Bellagio

On Monday night, Tal and I witnessed the Fountains of Bellagio. What a beautiful sight!

The dancing water fountains were choreographed to music. At night, the show ran every 15 minutes outside the Bellagio Hotel.


The Fountains of Bellagio were even better in person than in the movie Ocean's Eleven! To watch a clip of the fountains, click below:

Grand Canyon Tour

On Monday, Tal and I took a spectacular airplane ride above Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, and the Grand Canyon.

During our 70-minute flight, we flew in a Cessna with 3 other couples.



Below is Hoover Dam, which was completed in 1935. It is 726 feet high. Today the Colorado River helps the dam provide hydroelectric power.



As shown below, Lake Mead was created by the Hoover Dam and is the largest man-made reservoir in the United States.


Finally, here is the Grand Canyon, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The colorful cliffs are beautiful!

Royal Links

On Tuesday, Tal and I went golfing at the Royal Links Golf Course, which was located about 25 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip.


As usual, I happily rode along in the cart and read my magazines while Tal was golfing.


The Royal Links course featured 18 holes that were inspired by 18 of the best holes on various British Open courses.

Tal, who's a huge fan of English and Scottish golf courses, enjoyed playing holes inspired from St. Andrews, Turnberry, Carnoustie, and many others--all in one day!








The #8 hole was one of Tal's favorites because he was able to play the famous "postage stamp" at Royal Troon.




Shown below, Tal practiced hitting out of the deep bunker on the eighth hole.


At Royal Links, Tal had fun playing some of the famous holes!