Red Rock Canyon

Red Rock Canyon lies just 15 miles west of Las Vegas.  

What a switch from all the hustle, bustle and bright lights of the city. 

Red Rock offers awe-inspiring views and lots of hiking trails...

among the towering red cliffs and desert vegetation.

The mountains in the Red Rock area were formed along  fault lines in the earth's crust...

a very long time ago. 

Some of the cliffs are 3,000 feet high...

made of sandstone which gets it's crimson colour from the build up of iron oxide over the centuries. 

Red Rock Canyon is part of a national conservation area...

and has a large visitor center.

Here we learned all about the plants, animals and people...

a history of this part of the Mojave Desert going back thousands of years.

It was at the visitor center that we began our 13 mile scenic drive...

stopping at viewpoints along the way.

 (Red Rock Canyon 1993)

We had visited Red Rock before...

nearly twenty years ago with our friends...

Dave and Janet.

So we knew sort of what to expect.

 We expected wild burros...

running free and wild....

and coming to see if we might possibly have treats for them!

That's how it was in 1993.

That's not how it is in 2012.

We never saw any burros this time...

and were informed by a park volunteer that they are still there...

but have gone into hiding in 'them there cliffs'.

It seems too many people have been touring this area...

some 1.2 visitors every year.

We never saw any snakes either.

Good thing.

The sky was blue.

The air was fresh.

The scenery was awesome.

The company was the great...

and so was our rental car.

Red Rock...

check it out if you ever visit this corner of Nevada.

the trump, the circus and the eiffel tower of vegas...

Our tour guide had little to say about the Trump Hotel...

other than the top two players along The Strip were not too welcoming of the newcomer.

We decided to check it out on our own.

Set back a little from all the other hotels...

the Trump non-gaming hotel towers above the rest.

We even rode the elevator to the pool deck.

Does that not look like a nice spot to spend some time...

in January?

There was not a soul in sight!

Of all the hotels we toured...

this was the quietest.

But most special!

We really thought we should have a coffee at the Trump Hotel coffee bar...

just to say we did.

We somehow thought it would come in lovely gold-gilded mugs.

That was not the case.

We sipped our Starbucks coffee from a disposable cup...

with the Trump sleeve.

Oh...and it was only half the price of the coffee we had at the Eiffel Tower!

I just had to post this picture of the old Circus, Circus Hotel...

which opened in 1968...

and features the largest permanent big top tent in the world.

Vicki left me a comment yesterday...

to say that she was married at Circus, Circus on April 4, 1981.

So this one is for you, Vicki!

We actually watched a short performance by an acrobatic troupe from Kenya at this venue.

And in the evening...

we rode the Eiffel Tower to the top.

It is an exact replica of the original in Paris...

built on half scale.

As for the line-ups to ride up...

there were none!

From the top...

we had an excellent view of the city in all directions...

and front row seats to the water works at the Bellagio!

The Paris Hotel...

all part of the same complex...

looked quite impressive from up there.

The Eiffel Tower restroom facilities should definitely be called 'comfort stations'...

...something Marg can attest to.

Also on the property of  the Paris Hotel...

...is the Arc de Triomphe.
It is two-thirds the size of it's counterpart in Paris.

And from on high...

I spotted our hotel...
set back a bit from the strip.

It was a fine place...

though we never spent much time there!

Since the guys planned the getaway...

it had to have something to do with farming...

don't you think?

We saw a chicken...

...and a cow.

Does that make it a business trip?

Next stop...

some fresh air at Red Rock Canyon!

a hop-along tour ~ Las Vegas

Hop-on.  

We'll be touring Vegas today...

and hopping off many times along the way.

This sign has been here since 1959...
not quite as old as the two posing beneath it! 

It was designed by Betty Willies and cost all of $4000 to build and install.  

Since everyone stopped along the way to take photos here...

the city recently created a wee spot for the tour buses and cars to make safe pit stop here. 

The Welcome to Las Vegas sign was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.

We rolled down The Strip...

past one opulent hotel after the next.

Every once in awhile...

we hopped off to explore.

What could possibly be inside the pyramid of the Luxor Hotel?

We checked it out!

There were some 35 check-in stations at reception.

They are prepared for the masses.

New York...

is in the same neighbourhood as Paris.

Only in Las Vegas!

We'll come back after dark...

and ride to the top of the Eiffel Tower for a better view.

The Bellagio...

where there is always a crowd gathered outside to watch the water show.

And inside...

...they are celebrating the Chinese New Year.

It's worth hopping off here...

just to stroll through the Mediterranean style botanical gardens.

And besides...

it's lunchtime.

We found a nice spot in the sunshine...

just across the street from the Bellagio...

with front row seats of the dancing waters.

Not far away...

...we toured the Wynn. 

This is one of the newest luxury hotels to hit The Strip.

They too were all decked out for the Chinese New Year with amazing floral displays.

Our next stop was not on the tour...

but provided great entertainment. 

We spent quite some time watching the window washers doing their thing...

some thirty and forty floors up.  

Yikes! 

The Excalibur...

...the Leaning Towers of Vegas...

...and the world's most expensive billboard.  

Our tour guide told us the stories behind each building.  

The Harmon Tower (meant to be a boutique hotel) did not pass final inspection...

and has been sitting empty for the past few years.
While 'the powers that be' decide what to make of it...

it serves as a billboard.

The Venetian Hotel was one of my favorites...

It may be as close to Venice as I ever get...

so I quite enjoyed our stroll on polished marble floors beside the canals. 

And the majestic Caesar's Palace...

...home of the Coliseum that plays host to world class stars.
The likes of Celine Dion!

Enough of our hotel tour for today.
Tomorrow...
I'll take you to the hotel that wasn't really welcome in Vegas.
The one that belongs to 'the Donald'.