Tag 1: Las Vegas

As expected, we wake up early. At 5:30 a.m., we can't sleep anymore and get up. We take it easy and have breakfast in our hotel room. We have 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living room. We start at 7 a.m. It's already warm. Today, temperatures are expected to reach up to 43°C, so the 2 kilometers to the Las Vegas Sign are easily manageable despite the sun. After a short wait, we capture beautiful photos. Just around the corner is a small fire station and we are warmly welcomed. The kids even get to operate the blue light and siren. Unfortunately, only René can buy a t-shirt, as there are none available for the kids. After that, we take the bus to the Strip and explore the large hotels. It's impressive how large the properties are and unimaginable how much maintenance effort is hidden in these complexes. The Venetian Hotel features canals like in Venice, with gondolas inviting for a ride. We are so early that many shops are closed. It doesn't bother us, as we can look around undisturbed. Then our path leads to the Flamingo Hotel, which has a free animal facility with ponds. There we see flamingos, pelicans, turtles, and other birds.
The sun is becoming more intense, and it's only bearable in the shade. We make our way back to the hotel. A short detour to another fire station to buy children's t-shirts is unsuccessful. After lunch, we return to the hotel around 12 p.m. We jump back into the pool and retreat for a nap. It's still very hot. Around 5:30 p.m., we take the bus to Fremont Street. It takes us over an hour to cover the 10 kilometers because the bus keeps stopping at stops and lights. We finally reach Fremont Street. This street is also home to numerous hotels, and before the large casinos were built on the Strip in the early 90s, this was the center of the entertainment industry. Today, part of the street is covered and adorned with LED display boards. Live music plays, and many street performers are on show. The LEDs display different motifs, and everything is blinking. The atmosphere is lively, and visitors are celebrating and dancing. We watch the acts and then have dinner. Around 9 p.m., we decide to take a taxi back to the Strip. We lack the energy to sit on the bus for another hour. The ride takes 10 minutes but costs 35 dollars. The last item on our agenda is the fountain at the Bellagio Hotel. The water show starts shortly after our arrival to the sounds of Ed Sheeran's song Perfect. The water can shoot up to 140 meters high and comes from 1,200 nozzles that spray the water in different directions. We had seen the water show in Dubai half a year ago and can compare. Maybe the fountains in Dubai are bigger and more spectacular, but in Las Vegas, it's the original, and significantly fewer people are present. We leisurely watch the show. Even the kids prefer it here to Dubai. Then we walk back to the hotel. Many people are out looking for parties. The atmosphere is lively, and the casinos are busy. For us, the day is coming to an end because around 11 p.m., we fall exhausted into bed.