Day 8 (August 14, 2023): Vegas


We woke up feeling pretty tired after yesterday’s marathon of sightseeing on the hottest day of the trip, as well as the drive from The Arches to Richfield, UT.  But we were happy to know that there was just 285 miles between Vegas and us today, as opposed to 460, which would have been the case had we not driven to Richfield yesterday.

The Richfield hotel was a simple place with a simple breakfast, but we had enough to give us a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed start to the day, and we set off for Vegas at 8:45AM.

We made a couple of quick stops enroute, including in St. George, UT to see the large Mormon Temple there, and arrived at our hotel around 1:30PM.  After a quick acclimation, we returned the rental car, as it would have proven more of a parking hindrance than a help, in our exploration of The Strip.

We then took an Uber to ground zero of The Strip — The Bellagio — and started our exploration in the 102°F heat.  Every half hour, The Bellagio does a fountain show to one famous tune.  Even in daylight, it is a sight to behold.  We were able to take in two such numbers.  The Strip is over four miles long, so we just took in a portion, enough to see a few of the key hotels and sights.

For the record, I am not a fan of Vegas.  I see it as a man-made, shallow, place to chase greed, amidst some of the world’s most stunning landscape.  But since we found ourselves here, it merited a few hours of exploration.  As we wandered around in the heat, my dear wife reminded me of the importance of finding the positive, even here in Vegas.  Her advice did improve my attitude.  (I have to admit, I loved the Bellagio’s fountains and Conservatory!)

By 4PM, we had had enough and took an Uber back to the hotel.  We did take-out for dinner and headed to bed early for our 5AM rise and return home.



When we set out this morning, we committed to “no more landscape photos!”  But we couldn’t resist a couple, including this one.  Why?  Because of the stark contrast of the red mountain against it’s grey neighbour.  Stark contrasts in the soil and rock colour have typified this tour.


Another first for us:  seeing triple-container transport trucks.  Interstate 15 was filled with them.  We suspect that, at some point in the near future, these ‘trains’ will become driverless.


The second largest city in Utah is St. George, near the Utah-Arizona border in extreme southwest Utah.  In Atlantic Canada, waterfront views are sought after.  In St. George, the large elite homes are built on the ridges.


This striking building is the Mormon (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) Temple in St. George, UT.


It was cool to be on the territories of three States within a 30-minute period:  Utah, Arizona and Nevada.


Northwest Arizona is very mountainous!


The Arizona-Nevada border.


Even our hotel had the iconic and nostalgic Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada  sign in the lobby.


And here are five of the many famous hotels on The Strip.  

Treasure Island


The Wynn - Vegas’ only seven-star hotel.


The Bellagio with its world-famous fountains.


Planet Hollywood


New York New York


Part of The Strip’s skyline, as seen from the fountain pool at The Bellagio.


And no entertainment city would be complete without a mini Arc de Triomphe featuring Martha Stewart!


One of Vegas’ highlights is the Conservatory at the Bellagio.  It is filled with floral art installations.


Another Vegas highlight (at least for us!) is the lobby ceiling at The Bellagio, featuring all these large floral glass installations.


The Las Vegas Dome is a relatively new addition to the city.


We are not including this to be funny.  Actually, we find it very sad.  We include it because it speaks to the outlandish and over-the-top approach to life in Las Vegas.


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