Nomad UT/LV Trip, Day 9: The Strip

September 25, 2018

So...this was interesting. Rachel and I took the kids to the Strip. I figured we might as well since we were there...lots of lights, glitz, and glam, and it'd be a fancy evening for my birthday. They'd like it! And they did. It was just insane walking there with six kids. I don't really feel a need to go again, with or without kids. Just not really my thing, but I can at least say I did it.

Slot machines! Right out of the parking garage.

At some point prior to this, I had been listening to music from Wicked and the song "Defying Gravity" came on. Two asked me what "defying gravity" means. I explained it. Fast forward back to the present and Two got all excited seeing this sculpture. "Mom, it's defying gravity!"

Fountain wall

"Look, mom! It's a bird chair!"

{Three}

Not *exactly* Friluftsliv, but a little bit.

Vortices in a mall

Purple for Four. Do you know how many shots I had to rapidly snap to get this kid with her favorite color as the colors changed?

And this one for Three and orange.

Two is a Slytherin and she loves snakes.

These are ice sculptures. Alana tried to touch one. She almost made it before falling into the water and freaking out the mall security and staff. We got talked to about that. Hahahaha!

Out of the mall, away from tantalizing ice, on the second story walkways.

{Four, Two, Three, One, Five, Alana}

"Take a picture of me with this horse!"

{Three}

Five

Because Paris. And Eiffel Tower. And Despicable Me.

{Two}

Inside the Bellagio

Further in the Bellagio...these tigers are made of lentils and rice.

It was around 10 pm at this point. So this *IS* Three's happy face to be posing with tigers.

Water feature under the tiger's branch

These fairies were taller than me. Not hard to do, but just letting you know they're full-sized. 

Flower made of roses

Remember how the fairies are life-sized? Their sleeping queen was even larger. Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream, anyone?

{Four, Two, Alana}

Back outside the Bellagio, waiting for the fountain show to start. They run every half hour to different music, lights, and choreography.

Fancy chandeliers!!!!!

{Two, Three, One}

And then we were all beyond tired, with aching feet, and just needed a solid way to get to the walkways from this building. They had one sign at the entrance and from there, nothing was marked. Four fell asleep in the stroller and Five piggybacked on me. It was around 11 pm when we pulled out of the parking garage!

Nomad UT/LV Trip, Day 9: Clark County Museum, Cacti, and Chocolate

September 25, 2018

So...I turned 30. That's a thing that happened. Everyone wanted to make a to-do of it...cake, presents, do special things. I feel like I let them down by not liking cake, not wanting or needing presents, and being content to just be on this trip enjoying my time. Rachel couldn't get over the fact that while I was constantly decorating cakes as practice for my cake decorating class while she and I were roommates, I didn't actually like eating it. So she asked about pie. Rachel loves making pies. I told her that if she really wanted to make one for me, I'd eat it, but be just as content without it.

We went to the Clark County Museum which has a lot of history for the area. They started right off with reminiscing about Al Gore's lock box. Of all the things I remember from US Government in high school, the Gore/Bush SNL skits are in the forefront.

Inside the museum

Rachel and Jillian, who's nickname is Jilly Bean!

(We forgot to take a picture of her in front of the restaurant Chilly Jillyz that we ate lunch at the day before in Boulder City.)

This picture didn't turn out well, but I've never seen wrapped beeswax candles like these before.

Do you know what Clark County Museum is famous for? I didn't until this guy, the museum curator, walked in doing an interview and mentioned Pawn Stars. OH, MY GOSH! And then I casually or not so casually hung around acting like I was looking at the exhibit but really waiting to see if maybe the interview would end and I could tell him that he was my favorite part of Pawn Stars and snag a picture with him. Buuuuuuut….the interview kept going and I ended up just leaving.

The big cardboard at the entrance looked only vaguely familiar.

The Clark County Museum is outside more than it is inside. Houses, cars, churches dating back to the 1930s.

This headline had me baffled for a while, wondering why a black widow bite would be particularly fatal to a vegan (VEE-gan). Then I realized it was Vegan (VAY-gan), as in one who lives in Las Vegas, and suddenly it made much more sense!

Row of houses and Four

The kids thought this one was particularly funny because it was like Aunt Becky.

One thing I LOVED about Clark County Museum was the paper pamphlets they had for the kids with pictures of objects to find throughout the museum. Everyone was actively engaged the whole time we were there!

We went back to Rachel's house for lunch, then set out again for Ethel M Chocolate Factory and Cactus Garden.

I don't remember all the cactus names, but this one is a Saguaro. One got really excited when he saw it. Apparently he learned about it in a book on ABC Mouse.

Two loves Saguaro cacti because they remind her of a friend from Arizona, Dee Hall.

This is jojoba! As in jojoba, the popular carrier oil for essential oils.

Barrel cacti

Two wanted to take a picture of me with the solar panels because I love solar panels.

We had a fun few minutes in the cactus garden where a couple kids wandered off down a different path and we had to find them. The garden was contained, relatively small, but still sent the mom hearts racing. It was over 100 degrees!

After finding the kids, we went inside for air conditioning and water. Ethel M is set up so that there are window walls for watching the chocolate making processes. At each step, there are explanations of what you're viewing. "1. Here is where they..." Whatever. You know what was funny? We went through reading all the steps and they weren't making anything. We did see them boxing up the chocolates at the very end of the line.

#ChocolateWall

{One, Two, Four, Alana, Three, Five, Jillian, Maddie}

Yeah, sometimes we make it to the front side of a camera.

{Me and Rachel}

More saguaro pictures

{Jilly, Alana, One, Three, Two, Five}

Two