Grand Canyon / Vegas for the Holidays
Where we stayed
You probably wouldn’t think of Vegas as being a big Christmas destination, but we had the BEST time visiting over the holidays. When you think about Vegas, you might picture the lights, shows, and people watching, but we stayed on the outskirts of the city where it was absolutely beautiful. We stayed at Chad’s sisters’ home in the Summerlin area, which is right up next to the mountains. The neighborhood is amazing and probably one of the cleanest areas I have seen. There were hiking trails right outside of the house, and Mount Charleston is just 45 minutes away. Not at all what I think of when when picturing Las Vegas!
What we did
Chad fell ill with the flu upon arrival, so he took the first few days to rest up and get better. The first night, we went out to dinner at Toca Madera, a modern Mexican Steakhouse with very unique and bold menu items. I highly recommend checking it out - especially if you love truffle! The Truffle Mac n’ Cheese was to die for. They even have live music and fire breathers for your entertainment.
The next night, we decided to go out on the town and explore the strip for a little while before catching a variety show. One thing I do recommend, is wearing COMFORTABLE shoes if you are planning to walk on the strip, because you will be walking around a lot - I made the mistake of wearing the most uncomfortable heels. We went to a cirque du soleil show called Mad Apple, where we saw a variety of comedy, acrobat routines, music, and dancing. I loved that the show was a little bit of everything!
Next, we made a trip out to Red Rock Canyon for a little sightseeing. If you ever plan to travel there, make sure you make a reservation online ahead of time! We did not know to to that, so we ended up driving around the back side of the canyon for some hiking, which honestly was just as cool! You can climb up the mountain pretty easily, and there are a few little caves to explore. It’s also a great area for a photo op.
We stayed in Vegas for both Christmas and to ring in the new year. We opted for lowkey celebrations at the house this year, especially since Las Vegas gets crazy busy for NYE, and streets get closed off early. We did get the chance to go visit Enchant Las Vegas, which has a huge light maze which was SO pretty, and it even has a few games for the whole family.
After Christmas was over, we took a day trip out the the Grand Canyon. It was my first time there, and it honestly took my breath away. Pictures truly do not do it justice, so if you can go see it at least once in your life, I would highly recommend it! We took a tour bus to see 3 different canyon spots. The first stop was roped off to prevent people from falling, but the last two were not, so we had to be extra careful since we went on a pretty windy day. On the second stop, we were able to walk out onto the sky deck and see the Grand Canyon below while standing on a glass floor. If you are afraid of heights, you might not like this, but it was pretty insane to see. You have to wear these funny looking shoe covers to protect the glass, if you were wondering what is on our feet in the picture below. 12/10 experience honestly!
Once the holidays came to an end, Chad and I finally got to celebrate our 1 year anniversary! Our actual anniversary is on Christmas Eve, but its a little hard to celebrate on such a big holiday. We decided to have a little date night to ourselves and explore the old strip in Las Vegas. We went to a restaurant called Therapy, which was more of a club/American restaurant with high end bar entrees. The food was delicious, and honestly the restaurant scene in Vegas is one of my favorite things about the city. We then walked around and got the full Fremont Street experience, complete with street performers and casinos on every corner. We both love people-watching, and this is the place to do it LOL. After that, we took an Uber to the new strip and I finally got to see the Bellagio fountain show, which was totally worth the wait. Our last stop was The Cosmopolitan for a quick photo op in front of the famous purple chandelier, and to eat some late night food before heading back to the house. I was hoping to get a fancy milkshake at Holstein’s, but unfortunately they had closed up for the night by the time we got there. Guess we will just have to visit again!
