Vegas – Tabitha Crystal Eck

Las Vegas isn’t too far away from Eugene, Oregon for it to be a semi-regular vacation destination for the Eck family . . . 2 days by car or 3 hours by plane. A city that inspires (and sometimes overwhelms!) all of the senses, Las Vegas vacations have proven entertaining for us whether we were traveling as a couple or with the kids for a family-friendly Vegas experience.

Family Travel

Despite its strong In 2019 (moments before the the Pandemic, coincidently!) we flew the kids out to Vegas for Christmas and New Years Eve festivities. Every evening the live entertainment as well as the breathtaking views of the various casino attractions kept us occupied and roaming for hours. Daytime jaunts included a visit to Hershey’s Store, pool time and riding the roller coaster at New York, New York, and photo ops at every turn with parrots, pretend hookers and giant rabbits in bathtubs:)

Skylines & Hotels

Inside or out, Vegas offers views in every direction. Truthfully, I found myself taking a ridiculous number of pictures trying to capture the lights or the buildings or the extravagant food from every angle. There’s an exoticness to Vegas that inspires these kind of attempts to capture every moment. For instance, why is it I can stay up until 2pm in Las Vegas, sleep for five hours and then pop wake for a snazzy breakfast under the Eiffel tower at Mon Ami Gabi, but struggle to stay awake past 8:30 pm at home?!?

And the Bellagio Fountains never get old! There’s always some new art exhibit hanging from a casino ceiling somewhere. I know many people talk about the opulence of Vegas, but the same urge to consume rich food, pay for expensive shows, and stay snazzy hotel rooms also helps us appreciate the unique experiences, drink in the sights and sounds of the city that never sleeps.

Beds, Baths and Balconies

Not only is there plenty to see wandering the Strip at ground floor level, Vegas is a city with elevated hotel room views to spare. Each hotel boasts rooms with views of this or that, but our most glamorous hotel experience was definitely at the Cosmo. For our 10th Anniversary, we chose a Suite with open-air balcony and watched the Bellagio Fountains from 19 floors up! We can’t afford that kind Vegas vacation every time, but I am grateful we got to go all out at least once:)

Eating Out

From Tomahawk steaks and Crepes to Fried Chicken and Mocktails, Las Vegas has all the flavors. We will often look for the best hotel deal, but we NEVER skimp on the food! And no matter what hotel we end up staying in, we always go out of our way to make it to Momofuku at least once a trip. It can be hard to get a reservation, but we usually can find a seat at our favorite spot . . . the kitchen bar watching the whole culinary orchestra with front row seats.

Pools & Patios

Pools in Vegas appear to be more for lounging around than for swimming. That being said, with a wide array of hot tubs, shallow pools, and manmade waterfalls as well as more exclusive adult-only pools to chose from, Vegas offers wet options for everyone. Sometimes we made hotel choices based on the kind of pool experience we wanted. In 2021, for instance, we drove down to Las Vegas with our youngest and chose to stay at New York-New York because of the kid-friendly amenities. We could watch the roller coaster from our lounge chairs at the pool!

Road-tripping to Las Vegas

Speaking of 2021, that was the year we jumped into our brand new Jeep Mojave instead of an Allegiant plane ride and ventured south for the scenic route to Las Vegas. Las Vegas is a comfortable two-day jaunt by car from Eugene, Oregon – our home base – with a one night stay in Reno. With stops for all the views and a little rock hounding, we ended up adding about 4 hours to the 2nd leg of our journey. I’d never had a vehicle truly designed to go off-road. It surprisingly fun, almost as if we were going where no man has gone before because we could literally just drive off the side of the road and take off into the desert! And with a car at our disposal, we also did day-trips past Las Vegas and into Lake Mead National Recreation Area . . . but those are stories and pictures for another day;)