Las Vegas: Our First Visit (What We Loved & What We'd Do Differently)

 After spending the past week hiking through National Parks, Las Vegas was a completely different pace—and honestly, it wasn't really our cup of tea. Though let me tell you what we enjoyed, what we skipped, and what we would do differently if we did it again.

A Missed Stop... for Good Reason

On our drive from Zion, I had hoped to stop at Valley of Fire State Park. I've heard it's absolutely beautiful, but with temperatures soaring in the middle of the day, we decided to keep driving.

Sometimes the smartest travel decision is knowing when to skip something.

Don't worry though... Valley of Fire is definitely on our list for next time!

Omega Mart

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Before checking into our hotel, we headed to Omega Mart.

I'll keep this short because I have an entire blog post dedicated to our experience (be sure to check that one out!).

The pictures? Amazing.

The experience? For our family, it was just okay.

If it hadn't been quite so expensive, I probably would have enjoyed it more. Looking back, I think we would have chosen a different activity—but then again, I would have always wondered if we had missed out!

If you're considering Omega Mart, definitely read my full review before you book.

While we were at AREA15, we also stopped by Fantasy Claw, which was a lot of fun. We actually visited another location in the Fashion Show Mall later in our trip, and the staff there were fantastic.

Staying at The Venetian

For our first trip to Las Vegas, we stayed at The Venetian, and we absolutely loved it.

If you're planning a trip, keep an eye out for their Black Friday deals. We found a great rate, and the hotel was beautiful.

Looking back, I wish we had spent more time exploring the resort itself because there's so much to see!

The Bellagio Fountains

 

That evening, we walked to the Bellagio Fountains.

Everyone says it's farther than it looks...

Believe them. 😂

We enjoyed the walk there, but after navigating the busy sidewalks and crowds, we happily grabbed an Uber back to the hotel.

If we did it again, we'd probably Uber both ways. Walking the Strip just wasn't our favorite part of Vegas.

While we were there, we also visited the Bellagio Conservatory.

It was beautiful, but I'll admit... I expected it to be much larger after seeing so many pictures and videos online. It was still worth seeing, just a little different than I had imagined.

Our Favorite Vegas Experience

            

If I had to recommend one thing from our entire Vegas visit, it would be The Wizard of Oz at the Sphere.

I picked it because it felt like one of those "only in Vegas" experiences.

Honestly, I wasn't sure how the boys would feel about it...

Turns out, it was one of everyone's favorite experiences!

It may have even made Byron's top two favorite things from our entire 14-day trip.

If you're visiting Las Vegas, I can't recommend it enough. (I'll be sharing a separate post with all the details!)

Riding the Zoox

 

Another unexpected highlight was riding the Zoox autonomous vehicle.

It's a free driverless ride, and we actually rode it twice!

The process was simple—just download the app and reserve a ride.

It was such a unique experience and definitely something I'd recommend if you're visiting Vegas.

(Be sure to check out my separate post for more details!)

An Unexpected Stop

One afternoon, we accidentally wandered into the Wynn.

I'm so glad we did.

The conservatory there was beautiful and ended up being one of my favorite surprises of our Vegas stay.

Sometimes the unplanned stops are the best ones.

Final Thoughts

Las Vegas was completely different from the National Parks we had been exploring, but it was a fun change of pace.

Would we go back?

Absolutely.

Next time, we'll spend more time exploring our hotel, hopefully visit Valley of Fire, and maybe catch another show at the Sphere.

The next morning, it was time to leave the bright lights of Vegas behind and begin our journey toward the Grand Canyon—and there were still plenty of adventures waiting for us.

Safe travels and happy memory making! ❤️

Kayla