AZ, UT, Las Vegas Trip Report
Oct 18th, 2003, 05:52 PM
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AZ, UT, Las Vegas Trip Report
Part One:
My husband and I just returned from our first trip to the Southwest. It was great! The weather was perfect and the scenery was absolutely breath-taking. VERY different from our current home in Boca Raton, Florida. My husband uses a manual wheelchair and we were a bit uncertain about how accessible some places would be, but all worked out very well.
Oct 4th
We arrived in Phoenix Saturday at 7:30 pm After picking up our rental car we headed over to The AmeriSuites Phoenix Metro Center. Since we did not take the time to figure out how to use the "Never Lost" navigational system, we got a bit turned around by the construction detours. Nevertheless, we finally found our destination. The AmeriSuites room was very large, clean and comfortable. It had a refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker. The breakfast buffet the following morning was plentiful. It is definitely worth the price, but if you go, ASK FOR A ROOM AWAY FROM THE HIGHWAY!! Despite all the pluses, our room was right on the highway and VERY NOISY!
Oct 5th
After the buffet breakfast we headed to Sedona. Could not believe the views. We had reservations for 2 nights at The Apple Orchard Inn B&B. We were thrilled with our accommodations. The Inn is at the end of a very quiet street, but still within walking distance of shops in Uptown Sedona. Jean the innkeeper was as nice as could be and immediately made us feel welcome, even though she was in the midst of dealing with a wedding taking place there as we arrived. Our room was on the main level and no problem with the wheelchair, although my husband was able to get around a bit easier walking with his cane. Our room was spacious and beautifully decorated with furniture, artwork and pottery made by local artisans. We had a private patio, TV and VCR, refrigerator filled with complimentary waters, sodas and juices and a jetted tub in the bathroom.
We spent the day driving around a bit and then heading to Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village. We loved the atmosphere and looking in all the shops.
We had dinner at Shugrue's Hillside Grill as recommended by many Fodorites. It was excellent! Everything was fresh and extremely well-prepared. The atmosphere was beautiful and there was a jazz guitarist playing throughout our dinner.
Oct 6th
Breakfast was served on the patio. We could not believe the gorgeous red-rock view! Fresh fruit, juice, home-baked muffins, vegetable omelets with bacon and freshly brewed coffee all served to us by our friendly innkeepers while we relaxed and took in the scenery. What more can you ask for?
We spent the first part of our day in Jerome to see this old mining town, check out the arty shops and look for "ghosts". On the way back we drove through the Red Rock Loop. Unbelievable views!
For dinner, we chose another Fodorite-recommended restaurant, The Heartline Café. WOW! This was the best! I had one of the daily specials, Cioppino, and it was by far the best I have ever tasted! A bowl of spicy tomato broth and pasta just over-flowing with seafood. In addition to the wonderful food, the ambiance was also terrific. We just loved it.
No More Time Now....Will Write More Soon.
My husband and I just returned from our first trip to the Southwest. It was great! The weather was perfect and the scenery was absolutely breath-taking. VERY different from our current home in Boca Raton, Florida. My husband uses a manual wheelchair and we were a bit uncertain about how accessible some places would be, but all worked out very well.
Oct 4th
We arrived in Phoenix Saturday at 7:30 pm After picking up our rental car we headed over to The AmeriSuites Phoenix Metro Center. Since we did not take the time to figure out how to use the "Never Lost" navigational system, we got a bit turned around by the construction detours. Nevertheless, we finally found our destination. The AmeriSuites room was very large, clean and comfortable. It had a refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker. The breakfast buffet the following morning was plentiful. It is definitely worth the price, but if you go, ASK FOR A ROOM AWAY FROM THE HIGHWAY!! Despite all the pluses, our room was right on the highway and VERY NOISY!
Oct 5th
After the buffet breakfast we headed to Sedona. Could not believe the views. We had reservations for 2 nights at The Apple Orchard Inn B&B. We were thrilled with our accommodations. The Inn is at the end of a very quiet street, but still within walking distance of shops in Uptown Sedona. Jean the innkeeper was as nice as could be and immediately made us feel welcome, even though she was in the midst of dealing with a wedding taking place there as we arrived. Our room was on the main level and no problem with the wheelchair, although my husband was able to get around a bit easier walking with his cane. Our room was spacious and beautifully decorated with furniture, artwork and pottery made by local artisans. We had a private patio, TV and VCR, refrigerator filled with complimentary waters, sodas and juices and a jetted tub in the bathroom.
We spent the day driving around a bit and then heading to Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village. We loved the atmosphere and looking in all the shops.
We had dinner at Shugrue's Hillside Grill as recommended by many Fodorites. It was excellent! Everything was fresh and extremely well-prepared. The atmosphere was beautiful and there was a jazz guitarist playing throughout our dinner.
Oct 6th
Breakfast was served on the patio. We could not believe the gorgeous red-rock view! Fresh fruit, juice, home-baked muffins, vegetable omelets with bacon and freshly brewed coffee all served to us by our friendly innkeepers while we relaxed and took in the scenery. What more can you ask for?
We spent the first part of our day in Jerome to see this old mining town, check out the arty shops and look for "ghosts". On the way back we drove through the Red Rock Loop. Unbelievable views!
For dinner, we chose another Fodorite-recommended restaurant, The Heartline Café. WOW! This was the best! I had one of the daily specials, Cioppino, and it was by far the best I have ever tasted! A bowl of spicy tomato broth and pasta just over-flowing with seafood. In addition to the wonderful food, the ambiance was also terrific. We just loved it.
No More Time Now....Will Write More Soon.
Oct 19th, 2003, 12:23 PM
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Part II
To continue, forgot to mention that before our dinner at Heartline Cafe, we went to Airport Mesa to watch the sunset. It was spectacular and a MUST DO for anyone spending time in Sedona. The location is right next to The Canyon Ranch Lodge.
Oct 7
After another terrific gourmet breakfast, we packed up and headed out to Grand Canyon. The initial part of our trip on 89A took us along the Oak Creek scenic drive. Beautiful views and lots of places to stop to take photos. Once we got to the Flagstaff area we headed west on 40 to Williams and then north on 64 to Grand Canyon. Since my husband is disabled, we were able to get a special permit at the park entrance that allowed us to drive along the same route taken by the shuttle buses. This made it much easier for us to get around. We were spending the night at The Cameron Trading Post near the east entrance of the park, so we decided to take West Rim Drive to Hermits Rest first. We stopped at all the shuttle stops and many were wheelchair accessible. There were also many stops that allowed window views right from the car without getting out. We were both awe-struck by all the natural beauty of the Canyon. We were then able to back-track and stop at Maricopa Point, Yavapai Point, Mather Point, Yaki Point and head east on Desert View Drive to get to Desert View in time to watch the sunset. It worked out perfectly. The sunset was spectacular! It was amazing to see the colors of the Canyon change with the setting sun. With people of all nationalities, speaking all languages gathered there in peace and harmony just watching the beauty of the sunset, it was the most moving moment of our vacation!
After sunset we headed out the east entrance to The Cameron Trading Post. We chose to stay in Cameron since it put us closest to our next stop, Bryce Canyon. Our room was adjacent to a beautiful rock garden. It was an accessible room and was quite large with two queen beds, hand-carved wood furniture and Navajo motif. It was very clean, quiet and we were pleased with our accommodations. The restaurant inside the Trading Post was very interesting with its tin ceiling and Navajo décor. The Navajo Taco is definitely worth a try, but beware, the large is definitely LARGE! After dinner, we found the Trading Post a great place to shop for souvenirs. Big selection and good prices.
Next stop Bryce Canyon...more to come.
To continue, forgot to mention that before our dinner at Heartline Cafe, we went to Airport Mesa to watch the sunset. It was spectacular and a MUST DO for anyone spending time in Sedona. The location is right next to The Canyon Ranch Lodge.
Oct 7
After another terrific gourmet breakfast, we packed up and headed out to Grand Canyon. The initial part of our trip on 89A took us along the Oak Creek scenic drive. Beautiful views and lots of places to stop to take photos. Once we got to the Flagstaff area we headed west on 40 to Williams and then north on 64 to Grand Canyon. Since my husband is disabled, we were able to get a special permit at the park entrance that allowed us to drive along the same route taken by the shuttle buses. This made it much easier for us to get around. We were spending the night at The Cameron Trading Post near the east entrance of the park, so we decided to take West Rim Drive to Hermits Rest first. We stopped at all the shuttle stops and many were wheelchair accessible. There were also many stops that allowed window views right from the car without getting out. We were both awe-struck by all the natural beauty of the Canyon. We were then able to back-track and stop at Maricopa Point, Yavapai Point, Mather Point, Yaki Point and head east on Desert View Drive to get to Desert View in time to watch the sunset. It worked out perfectly. The sunset was spectacular! It was amazing to see the colors of the Canyon change with the setting sun. With people of all nationalities, speaking all languages gathered there in peace and harmony just watching the beauty of the sunset, it was the most moving moment of our vacation!
After sunset we headed out the east entrance to The Cameron Trading Post. We chose to stay in Cameron since it put us closest to our next stop, Bryce Canyon. Our room was adjacent to a beautiful rock garden. It was an accessible room and was quite large with two queen beds, hand-carved wood furniture and Navajo motif. It was very clean, quiet and we were pleased with our accommodations. The restaurant inside the Trading Post was very interesting with its tin ceiling and Navajo décor. The Navajo Taco is definitely worth a try, but beware, the large is definitely LARGE! After dinner, we found the Trading Post a great place to shop for souvenirs. Big selection and good prices.
Next stop Bryce Canyon...more to come.
Oct 19th, 2003, 02:39 PM
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We are headed to Sedona in early December and I haven't made plans on where to stay yet. Your description of the Apple Orchard Inn is intriguing, though. How much was it? Do they have a web site? We are a family of 5 (three well-behaved children) - would it be good for them?
Oct 19th, 2003, 04:46 PM
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The Apple Orchard Inn does have a nice website: appleorchardbb.com. It is worth checking out. It shows photos of all the rooms and includes the rates. Our room was $160.00 per night. I seem to remember, however that they do not allow children. Please check with them.
Oct 20th, 2003, 09:20 AM
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Hi Marcia:
My DH and I were in Bryce on Oct 5 and then spent 3 days in Sedona. Your trip report brought a smile to my face just remembering how beautiful the area is..we also ate at the Heartline and hubby had the cioppino and loved it. I had the lobster/corncake app; duck; and a taste of his chocolate pate..delish.
We spent most of our time hiking and going to Montezuma's castle and well.
When I get my act together I'll post a report..LOL..may take awhile.
My DH and I were in Bryce on Oct 5 and then spent 3 days in Sedona. Your trip report brought a smile to my face just remembering how beautiful the area is..we also ate at the Heartline and hubby had the cioppino and loved it. I had the lobster/corncake app; duck; and a taste of his chocolate pate..delish.
We spent most of our time hiking and going to Montezuma's castle and well.
When I get my act together I'll post a report..LOL..may take awhile.
Oct 20th, 2003, 03:08 PM
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Part III
Oct 8th
Breakfast of Navajo Fry Bread and Pancakes at Cameron Trading Post was big and reasonable?enough to keep us until dinner as we headed out to our next stop Bryce Canyon. This was the most driving time of our trip.
THANK YOU Utahtea FOR GREAT DRIVING DIRECTIONS!!
We made a short stop in Kanab, Utah at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. My husband and I are both animal-lovers and are familiar with the tremendous work the organization does to help homeless and sick animals. One of the owners took us on a short tour of their acreage in Angel Canyon where they care for over 1500 animals. It was well-worth the stop to see the wonderful work taking place by this organization.
We arrived at Bryce in the late afternoon, but still plenty of time to see the park before dark. The views very totally unbelievable!! It was being amid a rock city of rock temples and even rock people! Although the Grand Canyon was impressive because of the magnitude, I think Bryce upstages it in beauty.
Our reservations for the night were at Ruby?s Best Western. Our room was huge with two king-size beds. The décor was typical Best Western?nothing to write home about, but it was clean, quiet and comfortable. With not much else around, we headed for The Cowboy Buffet for dinner. It was a typical buffet of chicken and beef dishes, vegetables and fresh salads. Lots to choose from and nobody left still hungry. After dinner we took a walk through Ruby?s General Store and bought some bagels and fruit for a picnic snack the next day.
Oct 9th
Our next stop was Zion, which was only about 70 miles away. The breakfast buffet at Ruby?s was also very plentiful and reasonable. Fresh fruits, cereals, bagels, muffins, eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, etc.
When we got to Zion we were told that all travel through the park was on shuttle buses and that they were all handicapped accessible. This was going to be different than the drive-through we had done at the other two parks. The drive to the park through the tunnel and then down, down, down, was phenomenal! Lots of places to stop and take photos. All the other places we drove up and now we found ourselves down and looking up!
The shuttle buses turned out to be terrific. The visitor center told us that Riverside Walk at the last stop of the shuttle trip was wheelchair accessible, so we decided to head there first and then work our way back. The ride to the last shuttle stop really gave us an opportunity to take in the beauty of the park. I still can?t decide if Bryce or Zion was my favorite. We got to Riverside Walk and it was somewhat paved and one mile each way. Beware to those of you pushing wheelchairs!!! We got about half way and I had to leave my husband on the trail and complete the trek alone. Some of the inclines were just too steep to push up with a 180 lb man! I think it may have been too steep for even a motorized wheelchair, so use your judgment on this one. It was a beautiful walk along The Virgin River and a must-do for all visitors that are able.
We headed back on the shuttle and stopped at each of the stop-off points. There were 7 mountain climbers up on the cliffs at Observation Point. Absolutely amazing to see them up there. The shuttle driver said it is a 2-day climb and they get a special permit to sleep on the cliffs half-way up! My congratulations to all of you out there who can do this!!!! We ate out picnic snack at The Gotto and then stopped off at The Zion Lodge. Hubby relaxed in the lobby while I took the Lower Emerald Pool Trail. It was a short walk, but neat to go under the ?waterfall?. I imagine it would be quite impressive after a rain when there might be lots more water falling. We finished our day at the Park just before sunset.
We had reservations at The Canyon Ranch Motel, which I found in the AAA book, but got no feedback any Fodorites. So maybe I am the first to place a ?review?. The motel just outside the south gate of the park. There are about 11 free-standing cottages, each with 2 rooms. The grounds and views are beautiful. If you don?t want to stay in the park and don?t want to spend a lot of money, it?s a good choice. The motel is totally smoke-free and allows pets. There are picnic benches and other seating where you can relax and enjoy the view. They have a pool and hot tub, but we did not use them, so I can?t comment. We had a large room with king bed, cable TV and a refrigerator. The price for ?high season? was $88.00, which is not bad at all. The mattress was a little saggy, but not bad. Furnishings were typical motel-style. It was very clean. With a little extra effort, however, it could be better. For example, we asked for extra pillows and we had to go pick-up the last two available pillows in the laundry/store room adjacent to the office. Also, instead of a box of tissues for the room, there was a pocket-size package of Kleenex! Also, there were only 2 bath towels. There was no coffee pot in the room. I discovered that they had free coffee and tea in the office, only after I bought coffee for breakfast the next morning and went to return our key. They should have let us know at check-in. One thing I liked very much was a folder in the room with menus from all the local restaurants and a map showing their locations. The menus were a bit outdated, but at least it gave you an idea of the types of food and general price range in the area.
We ate dinner at The Spotted Dog Café at Flannigan?s, which came highly recommended by several Fodorites. Once again, they were right! The food and atmosphere were great and I would definitely be one of those to recommend it to others.
Tomorrow we?ll be off to Las Vegas!
Oct 8th
Breakfast of Navajo Fry Bread and Pancakes at Cameron Trading Post was big and reasonable?enough to keep us until dinner as we headed out to our next stop Bryce Canyon. This was the most driving time of our trip.
THANK YOU Utahtea FOR GREAT DRIVING DIRECTIONS!!
We made a short stop in Kanab, Utah at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. My husband and I are both animal-lovers and are familiar with the tremendous work the organization does to help homeless and sick animals. One of the owners took us on a short tour of their acreage in Angel Canyon where they care for over 1500 animals. It was well-worth the stop to see the wonderful work taking place by this organization.
We arrived at Bryce in the late afternoon, but still plenty of time to see the park before dark. The views very totally unbelievable!! It was being amid a rock city of rock temples and even rock people! Although the Grand Canyon was impressive because of the magnitude, I think Bryce upstages it in beauty.
Our reservations for the night were at Ruby?s Best Western. Our room was huge with two king-size beds. The décor was typical Best Western?nothing to write home about, but it was clean, quiet and comfortable. With not much else around, we headed for The Cowboy Buffet for dinner. It was a typical buffet of chicken and beef dishes, vegetables and fresh salads. Lots to choose from and nobody left still hungry. After dinner we took a walk through Ruby?s General Store and bought some bagels and fruit for a picnic snack the next day.
Oct 9th
Our next stop was Zion, which was only about 70 miles away. The breakfast buffet at Ruby?s was also very plentiful and reasonable. Fresh fruits, cereals, bagels, muffins, eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, etc.
When we got to Zion we were told that all travel through the park was on shuttle buses and that they were all handicapped accessible. This was going to be different than the drive-through we had done at the other two parks. The drive to the park through the tunnel and then down, down, down, was phenomenal! Lots of places to stop and take photos. All the other places we drove up and now we found ourselves down and looking up!
The shuttle buses turned out to be terrific. The visitor center told us that Riverside Walk at the last stop of the shuttle trip was wheelchair accessible, so we decided to head there first and then work our way back. The ride to the last shuttle stop really gave us an opportunity to take in the beauty of the park. I still can?t decide if Bryce or Zion was my favorite. We got to Riverside Walk and it was somewhat paved and one mile each way. Beware to those of you pushing wheelchairs!!! We got about half way and I had to leave my husband on the trail and complete the trek alone. Some of the inclines were just too steep to push up with a 180 lb man! I think it may have been too steep for even a motorized wheelchair, so use your judgment on this one. It was a beautiful walk along The Virgin River and a must-do for all visitors that are able.
We headed back on the shuttle and stopped at each of the stop-off points. There were 7 mountain climbers up on the cliffs at Observation Point. Absolutely amazing to see them up there. The shuttle driver said it is a 2-day climb and they get a special permit to sleep on the cliffs half-way up! My congratulations to all of you out there who can do this!!!! We ate out picnic snack at The Gotto and then stopped off at The Zion Lodge. Hubby relaxed in the lobby while I took the Lower Emerald Pool Trail. It was a short walk, but neat to go under the ?waterfall?. I imagine it would be quite impressive after a rain when there might be lots more water falling. We finished our day at the Park just before sunset.
We had reservations at The Canyon Ranch Motel, which I found in the AAA book, but got no feedback any Fodorites. So maybe I am the first to place a ?review?. The motel just outside the south gate of the park. There are about 11 free-standing cottages, each with 2 rooms. The grounds and views are beautiful. If you don?t want to stay in the park and don?t want to spend a lot of money, it?s a good choice. The motel is totally smoke-free and allows pets. There are picnic benches and other seating where you can relax and enjoy the view. They have a pool and hot tub, but we did not use them, so I can?t comment. We had a large room with king bed, cable TV and a refrigerator. The price for ?high season? was $88.00, which is not bad at all. The mattress was a little saggy, but not bad. Furnishings were typical motel-style. It was very clean. With a little extra effort, however, it could be better. For example, we asked for extra pillows and we had to go pick-up the last two available pillows in the laundry/store room adjacent to the office. Also, instead of a box of tissues for the room, there was a pocket-size package of Kleenex! Also, there were only 2 bath towels. There was no coffee pot in the room. I discovered that they had free coffee and tea in the office, only after I bought coffee for breakfast the next morning and went to return our key. They should have let us know at check-in. One thing I liked very much was a folder in the room with menus from all the local restaurants and a map showing their locations. The menus were a bit outdated, but at least it gave you an idea of the types of food and general price range in the area.
We ate dinner at The Spotted Dog Café at Flannigan?s, which came highly recommended by several Fodorites. Once again, they were right! The food and atmosphere were great and I would definitely be one of those to recommend it to others.
Tomorrow we?ll be off to Las Vegas!
Oct 21st, 2003, 05:25 PM
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The Final Chapter:
Oct 10th
OOPS!! Just realized that I forgot to mention one of our really great stops. On the way from Cameron to Bryce we stopped at the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area at Lake Powell. Wow! What beautiful views. Thank you to Utahtea for your recommendation. You were right-it was definitely worth stopping for some photos!
Getting back to the 10th, we ate our leftover bagels, fruit and coffee for breakfast in the gardens taking in the gorgeous mountain view. We knew we were planning on some good eating in Vegas and did not want to fill up!
The drive from Zion to Las Vegas was mostly boring highway. Everyone told us we couldn?t go to Vegas without stopping at Hoover Dam. Well, we both agreed that it was a wasted extra drive. We were both very unimpressed and we both thought it was VERY commercial. You had to pay $5.00 just to park to get out and take a look! After seeing the Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell, Hoover was a real let-down.
Entering Las Vegas was definitely culture shock coming from the Parks. It was like going from a decibel level of 1 to 1,001! The strip was jammed with cars and people and dirt and NOISE!! Different music coming from every building. We had made arrangements to return our rental car today, since we really were not going to need it to get around Las Vegas. Hertz has a rental desk at Harrah's, which made it pretty convenient (if you can get there before their 3:30 closing time). Fortunately we gained an hour crossing into Nevada! To make dealing with the luggage and the wheelchair a bit easier, I dropped hubby and the luggage at Bally's (where he took care of our check-in) and I drove the car down to Harrah's. It worked out well, since Hertz had no transportation back to Bally's and I had to walk. The walk gave me my initial, first-hand taste of Las Vegas and I thought I was ready to leave in about 5 minutes! I think I was just a bit overwhelmed by it all. We chose Bally?s because it was very centrally located and they gave us the best rate. It was a holiday weekend and rates were pretty high. Our room in Bally's was in the South Tower. The room was pretty spacious, the furniture was a little dated and the bed and bedding could use some updating. But the view was FANTASTIC! The Eiffel Tower was right outside our window. We overlooked the Paris pool and we could also see the Bellagio fountains. By time we settled in and got cleaned up, we were ready to eat! A friend had recommended two buffets to us. The Bellagio and Todai Japanese & Sushi Buffet. We decided to try Todai, which was in The Desert Passage Mall in Aladdin. The Mall was incredible!A thunder storm took place right in the middle of the Mall! It reminded me of Disney World. We got to Todai at about 4:15 and found it did not open for dinner until 5:30, so we headed for Bellagio. We had heard that the buffets get really jammed and it is best to go early, so we thought this would be perfect, especially since this was Friday on a holiday weekend. We got to Bellagio just as it opened at 4:30. There was a line to get in, but we did not have to wait long. The food and selection was as fantastic as everyone said it would be. Everything was gourmet quality, not like buffet food at all. There was everything you could want and more, all equally well-prepared. My favorite was the Chilean Sea Bass. Out of this world!!! And the desserts tasted as good as they looked. Everything was just first class. The biggest surprise was that there was never a crowd. If you like buffets, and are willing to spend the extra bucks, definitely go to this one! After dinner we just started walking and walking and walking. Las Vegas is very wheelchair accessible and we had no problems getting around. We started on one side of the street and checked out all the hotels until The Mirage. Outside The Mirage there were flowers, pictures, stuffed animals, cards and other items to wish Roy Horn a speedy recovery. We crossed The Strip to The Venetian. The magnitude and decor of the hotels is really hard to believe, as is the money that has been spent in creating them. Unfortunately the batteries of my camera died and I could not take any pictures in The Venetian, so I knew we would have to head back tomorrow. We continued along, stopping into each hotel's casino to check out the action. We are not really gamblers, but are definitely people-watchers and there was plenty of entertainment there! Back at Bally's we played the slots a bit and decided to call it quits while we were still ahead.
Oct 11th
We headed out in the opposite direction on The Strip this morning. Once again we checked out each of the hotels and casinos along the way. I was very happy to find the Monorail at Excalibur that took us to Mandalay Bay and The Luxor! Entering each hotel you could really see how dated and ordinary Bally's is in comparison. When we got back to Bellagio, we decided to continue on down to The Venetian again to get those photos I missed. The weather was in the 80s and beautiful, so with enough water in our bottles, we were able to keep on going. At Venetian we relaxed in the casino a bit while playing some video poker. By time we got back to Ballys it was after 5, and since we had not eaten since a light breakfast snack, we were ready for some sushi! Todai proved to be a sushi-lovers paradise! The selection was amazing and everything was very fresh. Besides sushi there were hot foods, including lobster. We were definitely happy with this recommendation. When we paid, we were given a coupon for the Aladdin casino slots. If you play $20.00 you get $10.00 extra play. Sounded good to us. We had an evening of entertainment playing video poker and came away ahead! A good way to end the evening.
Oct 12th
Back to Florida this morning. Anxious to see our dog and cats, but not so anxious to get back to work. It was a great vacation. Hope I did not bore you with so many details.
Oct 10th
OOPS!! Just realized that I forgot to mention one of our really great stops. On the way from Cameron to Bryce we stopped at the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area at Lake Powell. Wow! What beautiful views. Thank you to Utahtea for your recommendation. You were right-it was definitely worth stopping for some photos!
Getting back to the 10th, we ate our leftover bagels, fruit and coffee for breakfast in the gardens taking in the gorgeous mountain view. We knew we were planning on some good eating in Vegas and did not want to fill up!
The drive from Zion to Las Vegas was mostly boring highway. Everyone told us we couldn?t go to Vegas without stopping at Hoover Dam. Well, we both agreed that it was a wasted extra drive. We were both very unimpressed and we both thought it was VERY commercial. You had to pay $5.00 just to park to get out and take a look! After seeing the Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell, Hoover was a real let-down.
Entering Las Vegas was definitely culture shock coming from the Parks. It was like going from a decibel level of 1 to 1,001! The strip was jammed with cars and people and dirt and NOISE!! Different music coming from every building. We had made arrangements to return our rental car today, since we really were not going to need it to get around Las Vegas. Hertz has a rental desk at Harrah's, which made it pretty convenient (if you can get there before their 3:30 closing time). Fortunately we gained an hour crossing into Nevada! To make dealing with the luggage and the wheelchair a bit easier, I dropped hubby and the luggage at Bally's (where he took care of our check-in) and I drove the car down to Harrah's. It worked out well, since Hertz had no transportation back to Bally's and I had to walk. The walk gave me my initial, first-hand taste of Las Vegas and I thought I was ready to leave in about 5 minutes! I think I was just a bit overwhelmed by it all. We chose Bally?s because it was very centrally located and they gave us the best rate. It was a holiday weekend and rates were pretty high. Our room in Bally's was in the South Tower. The room was pretty spacious, the furniture was a little dated and the bed and bedding could use some updating. But the view was FANTASTIC! The Eiffel Tower was right outside our window. We overlooked the Paris pool and we could also see the Bellagio fountains. By time we settled in and got cleaned up, we were ready to eat! A friend had recommended two buffets to us. The Bellagio and Todai Japanese & Sushi Buffet. We decided to try Todai, which was in The Desert Passage Mall in Aladdin. The Mall was incredible!A thunder storm took place right in the middle of the Mall! It reminded me of Disney World. We got to Todai at about 4:15 and found it did not open for dinner until 5:30, so we headed for Bellagio. We had heard that the buffets get really jammed and it is best to go early, so we thought this would be perfect, especially since this was Friday on a holiday weekend. We got to Bellagio just as it opened at 4:30. There was a line to get in, but we did not have to wait long. The food and selection was as fantastic as everyone said it would be. Everything was gourmet quality, not like buffet food at all. There was everything you could want and more, all equally well-prepared. My favorite was the Chilean Sea Bass. Out of this world!!! And the desserts tasted as good as they looked. Everything was just first class. The biggest surprise was that there was never a crowd. If you like buffets, and are willing to spend the extra bucks, definitely go to this one! After dinner we just started walking and walking and walking. Las Vegas is very wheelchair accessible and we had no problems getting around. We started on one side of the street and checked out all the hotels until The Mirage. Outside The Mirage there were flowers, pictures, stuffed animals, cards and other items to wish Roy Horn a speedy recovery. We crossed The Strip to The Venetian. The magnitude and decor of the hotels is really hard to believe, as is the money that has been spent in creating them. Unfortunately the batteries of my camera died and I could not take any pictures in The Venetian, so I knew we would have to head back tomorrow. We continued along, stopping into each hotel's casino to check out the action. We are not really gamblers, but are definitely people-watchers and there was plenty of entertainment there! Back at Bally's we played the slots a bit and decided to call it quits while we were still ahead.
Oct 11th
We headed out in the opposite direction on The Strip this morning. Once again we checked out each of the hotels and casinos along the way. I was very happy to find the Monorail at Excalibur that took us to Mandalay Bay and The Luxor! Entering each hotel you could really see how dated and ordinary Bally's is in comparison. When we got back to Bellagio, we decided to continue on down to The Venetian again to get those photos I missed. The weather was in the 80s and beautiful, so with enough water in our bottles, we were able to keep on going. At Venetian we relaxed in the casino a bit while playing some video poker. By time we got back to Ballys it was after 5, and since we had not eaten since a light breakfast snack, we were ready for some sushi! Todai proved to be a sushi-lovers paradise! The selection was amazing and everything was very fresh. Besides sushi there were hot foods, including lobster. We were definitely happy with this recommendation. When we paid, we were given a coupon for the Aladdin casino slots. If you play $20.00 you get $10.00 extra play. Sounded good to us. We had an evening of entertainment playing video poker and came away ahead! A good way to end the evening.
Oct 12th
Back to Florida this morning. Anxious to see our dog and cats, but not so anxious to get back to work. It was a great vacation. Hope I did not bore you with so many details.
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MicheleVee
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Apr 25th, 2008 04:28 AM
andalusian
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Jul 2nd, 2006 06:49 PM
