#60 Grand Canyon

Next destination after Las Vegas is the famous Grand Canyons!

It was a torturous 6 hrs drive away thus we stopped over at an eatery next to the the highway Route 66

It was Christmas Season and the interiors were soooo pretty

mistletoes, santa hats, socks and colourful lights

and some slightly disturbing animal heads..hope they're fake

famished from the drive, we quickly ordered dinner

ordered mine from the 'lighter' menu but it was greasy nevertheless

what the guys had: 

chicken cutlet w mash potato and mushroom gravy

chicken cutlet w hash and some southern/cream-based gravy

With the stomachs well-fed, off we head to our inn for the night!

the inn had such a cozy interior

and the weather is freezing!

there was even snow *_*

Breakfast was at a cafe down the street, recommended by our friendly receptionist

Famous bagel w ham and cheese for yuhua

never tried a bagel before, only read/watch about them on US TV

and salad w turkey ham and mustard for me ^^

Brandan enjoying his hot dog

There were many spots to stop for phototaking

try the antelope canyon or the south entrance to the grand canyons

i heard the scenery is better

I went to the south entrance! 

the scenery was breathtaking and looks like a fake backdrop in the photos

the weather was near 0 degree Celsius and I was wrapped in scarf/gloves/socks and all

and the guys decide to...

hot blooded youths.

please take care when going close to the edge! 

there's no railings and the free fall won't be fun, trust me

there were tragic incidents of visitors falling off the edge to take photos  

this was an exception because there was actually quite a safe area behind 

which Kai will fall onto if he really do fall

some tourists walked past and laughed

one Caucasian man even wanted to join them topless but gave up after removing his outer jacket

it was simply too cold!

hahaha love the openness of Westerners

There is a supermarket plus cafe in the tourist information centre area

where we grabbed some food and some raw nuts for me ^^ 

more hot dog

beef salsa for me! yay! one off my food checklist

beef, tomatoes, celery, onions and beans. skipped the cheese.

And that's it for the famous landmark of USA

Returned to Las Vegas in the evening, looking forward to heading to San Francisco the next day 

#59 Las Vegas - Ultimate Sin City

The drive to Las Vegas was beautiful and scenic with rocky terrains at the periphery

Anticipation and excitement filled the car after a 6 hours drive

It really is advantageous to have friends with driving licenses

US drivers are pretty friendly as well

Rule abiding and courteous, much unlike our... :)

And yes we have stepped into Sin City!

The famous landmarks and interiors of casinos you see on TV are certainly no computer effect

Every hotel is glimmering with lights from slot machines and shuffling sounds of cards

Please don't let the atmosphere clog up your rationality

It is easy to lose yourself especially with the free alcohol

Luckily I'm below 21 so I'm not allowed anyway ^^

Do have some fun! Just don't gamble with an intention to profit from it 

The view from our hotel room

Lots of hotels to choose from!

I suggest picking a cheap one (they're all pretty good) and spend the savings on other stuff

food, shopping, shows etc. 

We caught the famous circus show, Cirque Du Soleil at MGM Grand (the roaring lion)

it was truly amazing, acrobats flying above your head and the stage even rose up 

and did a 360 degree turn with the acrobats doing stunts on it! 

Dinner was at the gorgeous Eiffel Tower Restaurant overlooking Bellagio's famous fountain

Lucky us, Yuhua placed a reservation beforehand and we were given a table for 2 at the window

the server promised us he is excellent at capturing fountain shots at the right time
hahaha seems he's right!

Each dish served was done fantastically, truly worthy of the raved reviews I read about

Appetizer

pan seared scallops

Bone Marrow

Main Course

Pan-seared Crusted Salmon
DAMN GOOD. melt in the mouth goodness. *-*

Steak

Creamy Spinach as sides. this was a little overpowering for me. had a nibble.

Dessert

Chocolate souffle.
Server dripped the chocolate syrup over the cake and it instantly melted into the souffle.
Wasn't too sweet. Perfect ending. 

Thank you for the wonderful dinner darling! 

Had a stroll after the show and dinner back to our hotel along the colourful lit up streets of Vegas

saw this in one of the hotels

Bellagio Hotel, w the famous fountains

our hotel, the Flamingo, in the background

Las Vegas is a magnificent city to be for a short holiday

but too long and it will burn a black hole in your pocket 

Summer break is here for me!

Will be planning 2 school events and 2 holiday trips for myself at the same time

Taipei and Ho Chi Minh! :)

Till next time, take care!

Kylie Yuen