Las Vegas
Las Vegas was my first trip with friends . I was born in Jaffna, Srilanka, I migrated to Toronto, Canada when I was 9 years old , I went to University in Ottawa, and I worked in Seattle right after graduation . All throughout undergrad and grad school I was not interested in traveling or vacations.
When I was in the last year of my grad school, one of my good friends reached out to me during Christmas time wanting to go to Las Vegas. It was a really good deal. Around $400 for flight and hotel for four days. The flight was from Toronto and the hotel was Bellagio. Never being one to pass on a deal I agreed to go with her and 4 other friends.
It was a crazy trip. Being travel novices and young we booked a fight with 3 transfers to get Vegas from Toronto. We were exhausted when we got there but it couldn’t keep us from getting dressed and going out that night!
Bellagio
This hotel is a classic! The beautiful fountains at the front is one of the symbols of Vegas. I remember the rooms being very luxurious. We were there in December, and the hotels were beautifully decorated. I loved the chocolate store with in Bellagio. It had these intricate chocolate fountains. I brought back chocolates and macaroons for my family from this store. We also had breakfast one morning at the restaurant in Bellagio and it was yummy. Overall, I found the food at Vegas to be really good and a bit expensive. It was worth the expense though!
The strip
We were so excited that we didn’t sleep much the first two days. We were up till around 3 am, dressed up wondering the streets and taking in the surroundings and the energy ! It is amazing to look out of your room at 3 am and see the streets filled with well-dressed people, all the lights and music!
The first day we were up till 3 am and then woke up at 5 am to go explore the strip in the morning. I think the streets are empty around 6 am. At 3 am it is filled with people, if you ever need to get energy from your surroundings Vegas is the place to be! We went to the various themed hotels and explored the lobbies and the casinos at the different hotels. This is a must do at Vegas !
Shows
Afterwards we relaxed at the hotel for some time and then took in a show for the evening. Half of my friends watched Cirque du Soleil and the other half went to a comedy show ! The comedy show was really enjoyable. Vegas has so many shows – do try to catch one if you are there.
Grand Canyon
The next morning we headed out to the Grand Canyon on a tour bus. It was a full day tour. We passed by the Hoover Dam and even stopped to catch a mini Grand Canyon History documentary. The documentary is an additional $12 – but do take this option. It helps you learn the history of a place that is 2 billion years old !!
The Grand Canyon itself was magnificent ! This was my favorite part about Vegas !! One day I will go back to hike and white water raft through the Canyons ! On this trip we just did a mini hike and took in the views !
Outlets
Vegas has many outlet malls. We went to one that was about 45 minute bus ride from the strip . I found some great deals on Timberland shoes and Colombia jackets ! I have done shopping all over the US at outlets and to date the best deals I found was in Vegas. I was there during Christmas time !
Out and about
We spend the rest of the time eating at nice places, going dancing, people watching , roaming the strip and the stores and gambling !
Vegas is a great place to go when you need to recharge and just feel alive !!