Las Vegas – in the Sin City

One should, if possible, visit Las Vegas during the week, as almost all hotels are significantly more expensive on weekends. While even the major luxury hotels offer affordable prices during the week, they are often more than four times as costly on the weekend.

We are lucky with the weather - so far it has been nothing but sunshine, with pleasant temperatures. Our journey from Bishop with a stop at the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest was optimal, as we enjoyed comfortable temperatures around 20-25 degrees Celsius due to some thunderstorm clouds, rather than the expected desert heat. Even in Las Vegas, where one might expect temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius or more at this time of year, it is only 35 degrees, which is quite bearable.

We are spending two nights at the Venetian, a hotel right on the Las Vegas Strip, featuring replicas of Venetian landmarks like the Rialto Bridge, St. Mark's Square with its Campanile, and the Venetian canals, complete with gondolas and singing gondoliers. Those who want to avoid getting lost while searching for the elevators to the suites should take a look at the 'Property Map' and the 'Floor Plan' beforehand. The hotel is not only luxurious but, compared to most European hotels, it is also enormous. It boasts an incredible 67 restaurants and cafés, even more shops, and has numerous pool areas, not to mention the hotel’s own casino halls (plural intended). The hotel rightfully describes itself as a ‘City’ and ‘filled with endless opportunity and adventure’. It is no wonder that some guests spend the first one to two hours just trying to find the right elevator to the suites.

Las Vegas is fascinating and represents entertainment at its best, but it also embodies excess and human vices. A city in the middle of the desert that consumes enormous resources, water, and electricity. It stands in stark contrast to the incredible nature of Yosemite National Park with the world’s largest trees or the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest with the world’s oldest trees, like Methuselah, a long-lived pine that is over 4800 years old. Many people have lost everything here, a few have won. Should one avoid Las Vegas with children because of this? No – a two-day visit is definitely worth it, as the city is an attraction in itself. The challenges that arise from this urban planning concept, as well as the gambling and associated problems, can certainly be discussed with children aged 8 and up.