I think this has to be one of my favorite pictures from our trip.  This was taken (by me) atop the Stratosphere in the inside observation deck.  The tower has three rides, non of which I was brave enough to get on.  One ride sends you off the side of the tower, while a second is swings that rotate away from the tower over the nothingness below.  Sorry but there’s just something about being some 800 feet in the air that makes me want to stay on solid ground.

Gameboy wanted to eat at the ‘Top of the World’ restaurant, which rotates, but not only do you need reservations, their prices also start at $35.00 a plate.  Being a family of four that price would have been a bit steep for our pockets.  I bet they had good food though.

I’m not a person who likes to fly and was dreading the plane rides to and from Vegas.  Well, let me tell you, Southwest Airlines made the trip easy. Not only was all of our flights either early (going to Vegas by 20 minutes) or on time, but the crews were pleasant and helpful.  On our trip out the flight attendants acknowledged our kiddo’s first time flying by announcing it over the PA (everybody applauded) and on the flight back they wished gameboy a Happy Birthday.  Our connection in Nashville was seamless as was boarding and best of all…they didn’t lose our luggage on the connection.  The only downside to Southwest is the lack of in-flight entertainment (no movies or music) and real meals (just snacks, though very good snacks.  But for the price we paid (round trip for 4 was right around $900.00) I can’t bring myself to complain too much about that either.  I’d take them over US Air (who lost my husbands luggage twice on the same trip-both to and from Korea and when they finally showed up with it the bags were damaged.) any day! In my book Southwest is A-Okay.

Today Gameboy turns 11.  How many 11 year olds do you know who got to go to Vegas for their birthday?

If our plans are going as we want, we’ll be here today.

Hoover Dam, also known as Boulder Dam, is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Arizona and Nevada. When completed in 1935, it was both the world’s largest electric power producing facility and the world’s largest concrete structure. It was surpassed in both respects by the Grand Coulee Dam in 1945. It is currently the world’s 34th largest hydroelectric generating station.^[3]

The dam, located 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Las Vegas, is named after Herbert Hoover, who played an instrumental role in its construction, first as Secretary of Commerce and then later as President of the United States. Construction began in 1931 and was completed in 1935, more than two years ahead of schedule. The dam and the power plant are operated by the Bureau of Reclamation of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981, Hoover Dam was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1985.^[1][4]

Lake Mead is the reservoir created behind the dam, named after Elwood Mead, who oversaw the construction of the dam.

Thank you Wikipedia!

In 1941 hotelman Tommy Hull built the first Hotel-Casino named El Rancho Vegas on what is now vacant land opposite the current Sahara Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.

And from what I’ve found out, opened in 1941 the El Cortz is the oldest casino still open and operating, Though I’ll have to get back to you on how accurate that bit of info is.

While we’re away, I thought I’d post some pictures I found on line.

Will probably end up on my blog the end of next week.  Yep, tomorrow, much to my chagrin, we’re flying to Vegas.  And by we, I mean all four of us.  Should be an interesting trip with two children in tow and my nearly paralyzing fear of flying.  I have to deal with five hours on an airplane there and back. *gulp*  Okay, but I’m not going to try and think about that now.  There will be plenty of time to freak out tomorrow.

Once we’re there (and I drop to my knees and kiss the ground) for three days we’ll enjoy everything that Vegas has to offer (that you can do with two kids) and watch my brother-in-law get married.  Which after all is the purpose for the trip.  Though I’m thinking it will be a perfect opportunity to do some research for a book I started and shelved.  The couple in the story go to Vegas to get married *imagine that!*

So I think I’ll be taking lots of detailed notes and tons of pictures to reference back to later, some of which may very well end up here and on my myspace page.   So check back on Thursday to find out how things went.