Its odd when you experience something totally out of the world and yet when you try to explain it to friends , even the right words just don't give the experience the justice it deserves.

Well my Vegas trip could be one that i can categorize under such moments. Totally out the world, never seen before, an entirely virgin feeling. Jam packed with tourists and regulars at the hotels and casinos. Many of whom who come there in search of their fortunes and several who lose it. Neon lights , live performances , music and more music. Grandpas and grandmas sitting with a bundle of one dollar notes in front of the slot machines. Live Performances from Celine Dion, the Blue Men, Toni Braxton and even Kevin Federline. I've been told that every hotel here has been regularly torn down and remodeled to make the tourists experience something new.

I tried my hand at Black Jack, Roulette and the Slot machines. I liked Roulette where i felt i had a fair chance of winning. Black Jack, however didn't seem like a game that was even fair. But then I wasn't there for the gambling, I was there for the site-seeing. You see, most of the hotels carried their uniqueness through various themes they adopted and this was a site to see.

We visited the MGM Grand first. Here we saw a glass enclosure with lions inside, free to roam and play and it so happened that while we were standing under a glass passage, one of the lions just picked up a ball and brought it above us. While the lion lay above us, stretching and roaring another lion joined it and started playing with him. This got all of us totally excited thinking that the only thing that separated those lions from falling on top of us was the glass roof.

The Luxor had the Egyptian theme. Its building constructed to form a black pyramid torches a white beam of light from its tip at night. Added to this theme was the Museum of Tutankhamen, which was an audio tour of the boy king's tomb and how Carter the famous explorer discovered the tomb and its spectacular treasures. We also had a ridiculously funny ride on what was called the Magic Carpet.



New York - New York was more of feeling the New York City buzz. The Hotel showcased the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State building along with the city's thematic sky scrapers. We took the infamous roller coaster ride which rattled my head. I think it was the most scariest ride i have ever taken yet.


I think the hotel that I really liked is the Venetia. Very classy very contemporary. The famous gondola ride , the living statues, singing bands and the dinning experience was so memorable. And of course if i leave out Madame Tussaud's i would definitely not be forgiven.



Paris.... Oh la la . The music , the ambiance , the Eiffel Tower. I felt as though I left the US a long time ago. The Arc de Triomphe and the replica of the Louvre were as good as the real one itself.

I ve added a snap of the Hoover Dam ( 1931 - 1935). This dam is essential to the growth of the South West.

Situated between the State of Arizona and Nevada, the Dam collects water from Colorado River and creates a reservoir called Lake Mead.

As the Dam was earlier referred to as Boulder Dam, the city created here attained the same name called Boulder City. The Dam created many new job prospects which was timely during the Depression. Boulder city even now is the only city in Nevada which prohibits gambling completely.A friend pointed out that since Arizona and Nevada follow different time zones, two towers stood on either sides of the dam.


One showed the Mountain Standard Time followed in Arizona and the other followed Pacific Time Zone found in Nevada, which is one hour behind MST.

It was pretty chilly while walking along the dam. The view though, of the Colorado River was simply spectacular.

The Dam was constructed by several of those people who were never able too see it after it was constructed. Lake Mead itself destroyed several artifacts associated with the Pueblo Grande de Nevada, the Lost City of Native Americans.

From here we continued our way to Vegas 'Sin City'.

Las Vegas is probably the only city that continues to reinvent itself year after year. Also known as the Sin City, it easily adds itself to the list of cities that must be visited at least once in my lifetime.
On our visit, my friends and I visited almost all of the popular Hotel and Casinos there. My favorites are the Venetia, the MGM Grand, Luxor, New York - New York, Bellagio and Treasure Island. Amongst these are also Caesar's Palace, Harrah's, Wynn, Stratosphere, Mirage and many others.

My friends and I went on a road trip to Vegas which also gave us the opportunity to visit the Hoover Dam on our way.