Viva Las Vegas (But Viva Red Rock more)

On the return trip to Vegas from Pahrump, we were again impressed by the landscape. Red Rock Canyon was Nevada’s first National Conservation area. We decided to set aside one of our days and take a tour. We were staying at the Cosmopolitan, a Marriott hotel, which is billed as a luxury resort. And it certainly was. Next to the Bellagio, the Cosmopolitan boasts 27 restaurants, rooms with views for miles, a huge casino (naturally), a spa, numerous swimming pools and loads of high-end shopping. Kind of like being on a cruise ship, but on the land. There would be no real reason to leave the hotel, although we did take a long walk on the strip, and hit up a few art shops. If we had had several thousand dollars we didn’t need, we probably would have considered an art purchase.

Bob and I may actually have had one of the most boring Las Vegas trips in the history of sin-city. Neither of us is interested in gambling, there were no shows to attend, many of the tours were shortened or not available, and at one point the temperature dropped so low we bought a few extra layers of clothing to stay warm. While there were a fair number of people out walking, mask wearing was somewhat limited and there were a large number of folks who seemed to think their mask was a cloth beard. Our room was spectacular, with a balcony and an outside sofa, a huge soaking tub and a very comfy bed, so we spent most of our time in the room. We did manage to find a tour of Red Rock Canyon through Pink Adventure Tours. Our guide was Sandy, and she was a wealth of information about the history of the canyon, the flora and fauna, and took us off the beaten path since we were her only guests. We got lots of great pictures. In the one below, you can just make out the handprints of the people who lived in these caves and crevasses hundreds of years ago.

Finally, we climbed back in to Stinky Car and headed back to the airport for an uneventful flight home. This was my third or fourth trip to Las Vegas, and while I am always hopeful, it just doesn’t seem to appeal to me. It has been described as Disney for adults, so I guess I’m still a kid, as I much prefer the real thing. Next year, we plan to head back this way on our Rte 66 adventure, and we look forward to seeing the Grand Canyon then.

Penny was happy to see us.