13.08. Las Vegas

After a quick breakfast, Flo and the 2 older children are heading to the Allegiant Stadium for the American Football preseason game between the Las Vegas Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers. The anticipation is high - not only for us, but also for the other 65,000 fans making their way to the stadium from the Strip. The stadium is right next to the Strip, so we take a taxi and realize that we would have been faster on foot. The road is completely congested and we arrive about half an hour before kick-off. The taxi can't drive all the way, so we join the crowds on the remaining walkway.

Surprisingly, the entrance including the metal detector is quick, but unfortunately the security notices Sophie's phone case and determines that it is 2cm too wide (measured with a template). So either throw it away or 'check it in' for $20 at the cloakroom. The boys try to convince Sophie to just leave it outside (it probably cost less than $20), but we do anything for our sister and daughter. The check-in takes 20 minutes, so we only make it into the stadium after kick-off.

We are completely overwhelmed by the stadium. It is fully covered with glass and air-conditioned. The view from the steep stands is great. During the game, people are also walking around and getting beer and burgers at the numerous stands. The game can also be watched on screens everywhere.

The fans are sitting next to each other in a mixed manner, there are no dedicated fan sections like we know. Nevertheless, everything is very peaceful. There are no battle chants, but at least there is some cheering for the Raiders' touchdowns. It's mainly spectators in the stadium, not hooligans.

The Raiders win the game quite clearly with 34-7. Afterwards, we join the other 65,000 on our way back to the hotel. This time we walk and it takes us over an hour. But at least we get to see all the hotels on the Strip (some from the inside).

In the evening, we attend David Copperfield's show. He may not be the youngest anymore, but we are still entertained. He performs many tricks involving the audience (Sophie even crawls under the table). Sammy is fascinated by the UFO flying over our heads and the magically produced car. By the way, photography and filming are strictly prohibited.