The Hodges: 4 days, 4 states, 1446 miles, 2 hotels, 1 dam, and a Las Vegas adventure!!

Last weekend, Memorial Day weekend, we went to Las Vegas.....first time for both of us!!! We drove through Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, and on into Nevada.....2 new states for Allie!! Chris actually had to meet with a client in Park City....so we got the day off on Friday to do that along the way! We got in Vegas early, in Vegas terms, and checked into the Trump International and walked the strip for a bit!! Our five-star hotel experience was quite nice, minus NO hot water on Friday night!!! For the next 2 days we walked all over the city and through all of the hotels. We also rode the roller coast in "New York"...through the mock city....where the hotel looks like a series of connected buildings in the "Big Apple". The hotels and casinos are incredible......the money, detail, ingenuity, and creativity put into those structures is amazing. We had a blast exploring and seeing the sites. To our complete suprise, my cousin Ward, was in Vegas last weekend too for a bachelor party!!! We had no clue that we were both there, until my aunt called me to tell me on Saturday morning!!! They got in late Saturday....so we stopped by to see them at the Bellagio after we went to Terry Fator's show. Which, the show, was incredible.......he can sing and sound exactly sound like the artist he is impersonating with his mouth CLOSED!! His puppets were so intricate and hilarious. We loved it!!!
After talking with and watching Ward and crew for a bit, Ward talked me into joining them at the Blackjack table....with his chips and his advice on every move!!! It was great!!! I had sooo much fun spending that quality time with Ward. He is really quick and smart with that game. I (well actually he----told me every move!) won a bit of money....which Ward added to his big winnings for the night. The winnings didn't last long though I don't think ;). Saturday night we stayed at another resort/casino further down the strip.... called the Southpoint. It was nice, but more redneck than the places downtown.
Sunday night we went to dinner at St. Mark's Square in the Venitian, and then we went to see Cirque Du Soleil's show "O" at the Mirage. We ate a yummy Italian dinner, followed by some freshly-made gelato (my favorite!!) in the middle of the replica square. It is indoors, but the ceiling is painted like the sky and there is a river that runs through the hotel with gondolas, and it is made with walking streets and shops....just like Venice (well made to be like it!). We were serenaded by a live band too! After we got our bellies full, we walked around and bit and went to visit Ward again, then headed to see "O". It was jaw-dropping!!! We sat on the very first row in the center!! The staging was incredible. The show is half under water and half above. The whole stage was a pool with moving levels to change with the scene, creating different sections with different depths of water. Dancers, synchronized swimmers, gymnists, acrobats, and divers made up the multi-talented crew. We were so close that we get splashed quite a bit!!! During one of the scenes changes, with the clowns......Chris was pulled up onto the do dance with one of the clowns!!!!! He kept teasing that I was gonna get pulled up there....but HE was the one!!!!! Of course, anyone who knows him knows that, he loved it!!!
We would head back to our hotel around 1:30 every night...and the city was just coming to life!! it was way busier from midnight on into the morning then any other time of the day! We saw some crazy and sketchy people in that place!! Wow....only in Vegas! It is also kind of depressing to see people, who have no money, throwing away money in the rare hopes of winning big. Those casinos aren't that nice because people are winning lots of money...that is for sure! It is sad to see what the world is living for.....and that is so apparent there. We are just thankful that we are not in those chains!! Oh the freedom in Christ!
Monday morning we ventured to the Hoover Dam. It is an amazing structure! We had a great time learning about it and touring the inside generators and all. One more "Wonder of the World" visited!!! We didn't tarry to long, cause we had a 10-hour drive ahead of us. We ended up making it back to Pinedale a little after midnight. Lots of late nights that weekend!
We had a wonderful weekend.....but won't be visiting Vegas again for a looooonnnngggg time (if ever). It is a really fascinating place to visit, but not a place that you want to go often, that is for sure!!!

Double, full rainbows on the drive down.

The in-mirror TV in our bathoroom at the Trump. Look how redneck we are taking a picture of it!! We don't stay at 5-star hotels, except when we get them cheap on Priceline!!!