Wednesday, June 20, 2018

I'm Baaaack ~

 
It was WONDERFUL to get away, but as always, great to be back home.  We had a terrific Las Vegas vacation.  Jake had the time of his life (including his first ride in a jet) and it was good to see my son.  We were so busy, I need a vacation from my vacation. 

Unfortunately my son Bill could not get away from work, so a couple days Jake and I just hung around his apartment and went to the pool. 


We made up for it in the evening.  The first evening we headed to the Stratosphere, a unique fixture in the Vegas skyline, the 1,149 foot tall Vegas resort Tower is the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States. 
 
 

There are 3 rides at the top.  We rode two of them.  Let me tell you, the X-Scream was one of the scariest things I've ever done.  Check it out.

 
We also did the tower ride.  Seats were on all four sides.

 
And then it shot you up this tower.  Scary, but nothing like the X-Scream.


From there we went "downtown" to Fremont Street.  Here's Jake enjoying the light show.

 
We topped the evening off with a trip to In-N-Out Burger.  Jake had to see if he liked it better than 5 Guys.  He liked it better, but I vote for 5 Guys :)
 
 
I drove my son to work the second day so Jake and I could go to Hoover Dam.  It was my first time driving an extended cab Dodge Ram.  I have never driven anything so big and it was almost as scary as the X-Scream :)
 
The plaque states:  "A modern civil engineering wonder of the United States.  One of seven selected by the American Society of Civil Engineers.  1955"  To the left is Nevada and to the right is Arizona. 

 

 
Lake Mead.  The white area surrounding the lake used to be under water.  It was down 150' (yes feet) because of the drought.

 
Hoover Dam
 

Art Deco influence


 
I had not heard of the show, La Reve (The Dream) but I believe I read it has been the #1 show in Las Vegas for 8 years.  Think of it as a Cirque du Soleil type show performed over and in a round pool.  (Of course videos can be found on You Tube.)  One of my son's friends is a rigger for the show and his wife Kelly is one of the performers.  She was able to get us complimentary tickets.  This was definitely the highlight of my trip.  There are 79 cast members from all over the world and many dozens of behind the scenes personnel including more than 2 dozen divers who help the cast members under water. 
 

This was the coolest part of the show and I found out afterward that Kelly was one of the performers and most likely the one hanging by her arm.


 
 

 
I have much more to bore you with in another post or two.
 
Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs :)
Lauren

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Happy vacation! Enjoyed seeing all your pictures!
My heart stopped beating when i saw the ride. So scary:)

acorn hollow said...

I would not go on the xscream you are brave! Love the show I spoke to my aunt last night and she is headed to Vegas and she mentioned she has tickets for this.
I can't believe how old Jake looks.
sounds like you had fun.
Cathy

Jacqueline said...

Sounds like a very memorable trip. You have a lot of guts ! Thanks for sharing.

NMK said...

Wow , your vacation looks great , but those rides ….I'd pass out & have a heart attack !!! You are very brave !

Saundra said...

I'd have never gotten on either of those rides! Jake is growing fast too, my 13 y/o grandson Zach is over 6' tall now. Looks like a vacation you and your grandson will remember forever.

Patti said...

I am going to Las Vegas In September. Not my favorite city, but my husband loves it. Thinking that I need to check out that show...
Thanks for sharing!
Blessings, Patti

Julia said...

What a great vacation you had. I had to go and check the videos about La Reve. I'm so glad you got complimentary tickets.
I must say that you are braver than me. I don't think I would have gotten oh that scary ride. I think you rock. I would be scared that my old heart would stop.
I can't believe how grownup Jake looks. He's so tall. I'm looking forward to more photos of your Vagas trip. The drop in the water level in the river is astounding.

Have a great rest of the week.
Hugs, Julia

woolwoman said...

Jake is turning into quite a handsome young pup! I CAN NOT believe you got on that Xscream thing - OMG - I would not even go in that tower much less on that or any ride like that. You are one brave soul my friend! It was fun seeing all your photos and hearing about what you did. Sounds like a fun and fantastic trip. Glad it was a safe one too. Mel

The Eveningstitcher said...

All I can say is....ARE YOU A LUNATIC??????????????? That ride would have killed me....you are a brave gal!! Jake is a doll...getting too big too fast!!! The pictures are gorgeous...glad you had a great time...I'll be in Cleveland for the weekend...oh the exciting life I lead...see you soon!

Farm Girl said...

Not boring at all!!! That is all so cool. Now the rides, that is another thing. My goodness! It made my stomach leap just watching the video. I am so glad you got to go and visit and you got to see Hoover Dam.
I can't wait to see what else you did. I am glad you are home.

moosecraft said...

OMG!!! I would DIE on that X-Scream! lol! And ummmm.... when did Jake grow up? ;-) lol!
I seriously can not imagine a burger better than 5 Guys....tho my hubby was in CA for job training one year and he says in-and-out really is better than 5 guys...maybe one day I can get out there and give it a try.