Where We Have Been - USA - Las Vegas
As opportunities have come along for us to explore places rich with stories, we weren’t quite sure what to expect from the USA—especially given it’s a relatively young country, much like our own. But it delivered a stack of uniquely American cultural experiences we enjoyed far more than we’d imagined.
Just as memorable were the people: unfailingly friendly and helpful, often intrigued by our accents and quick to tell us how keen they were to visit New Zealand.
Overall, we were pleasantly surprised—and are already looking forward to returning.
We thought Australia was big—and it is—especially once you head inland and the population thins out. But the USA is on an entirely different scale.
If you’d like to follow our journey more closely, here’s our route and where we stayed along the way: Dallas, Austin, Dallas, New York, San Francisco, Monterey, Santa Barbara, Olancha, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon West, Grand Canyon South, Seligman, Las Vegas, Memphis, New Orleans, Lafayette, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Waco, Dallas.
We first arrived in Las Vegas at the end of our road trip from San Francisco and stayed a night at Paris before heading off to the Grand Canyon. We then returned for Christmas, this time staying at the Park MGM.
After the stress of driving into Vegas in heavy traffic at the end of a long day, we checked in and immediately went in search of two essentials: a cold beer and a burger. In our defence, we’d just come from Death Valley—famous for recording the hottest air temperature ever measured on Earth—so “hydration” felt like a reasonable priority.
We ended up at first floor Beer Park and grabbed a seat at the railing overlooking the Strip. Unbeknown to us, we’d landed ourselves a prime spot for the Bellagio Water Show. When the water started dancing and the lights hit, it was properly spectacular—and a pretty perfect welcome to Vegas.
After that we took a quiet stroll up and down the Strip, marvelling at the sheer extravagance of it all, then called it an early night. We were heading to the Grand Canyon first thing the next morning.
Las Vegas
Beer Park for a Great View of Bellagio Fountains
Paris, Las Vegas
On our way back to Las Vegas from the Grand Canyon we were feeling pretty worn out, so we decided to take a night en route to recharge. Because we had a multi-night booking at Park MGM (and it was Christmas), we emailed to let them know we still wanted the booking—we just wouldn’t be arriving until mid-morning the next day. We also made it clear we’d pay for the night we weren’t staying, since it was our booking.
So we rolled in mid-morning… and after waiting around (it was check-out time), we were told we’d been marked as no-shows and our reservation had been cancelled. After more than an hour—speaking to multiple people and showing them the email—we finally got a room allocated, but were then told it wouldn’t be available until mid-afternoon.
It was at this moment that we realised that in the scheme of things being a guest in their hotel was not a highly rated part of their business, we were simply a number. Not really surprising when Park MGM in Las Vegas reportedly had 2,993 rooms and 2,200 slot machines back when it opened in 1996 as the Monte Carlo.
A Small Part of the Park MGM Foyer
Slots or One Armed Bandits (they’ll steal your money)
Las Vegas by Night
We spent our time in Vegas doing what you do in Vegas—exploring. We wandered through Caesars Palace and The Venetian, and visited Mandalay Bay, which feels a little different from the others with its beach theme (we rode the Luxor Tram to and from, just because we could). We used the Monorail a number of times and even drove out and made a stop at a local Indian Motorcycle Dealer where David emerged with a number of t-shirts
One thing we learned very quickly is that getting anywhere in Las Vegas involves a lot of walking—often through casinos, gaming floors, and entertainment areas. That surprised us, especially because parts of them could feel strangely quiet at times, considering the scale of it all.
We eventually got used to the long trek through the MGM Grand to reach the Monorail, although it did have one redeeming feature: it gave us an excuse to pause at a small bar along the way and enjoy a drink and a bit of entertainment before launching back into the neon maze.
S’More – A Mess in Waiting
One evening we found ourselves in Hershey’s Chocolate World at New York-New York, where we decided it was time to try this thing Americans are so fond of: a S’more. We’re now convinced there is no way to eat one without ending up with it smeared all over your face. And if you try to fix the situation with a napkin, the napkin sticks to the marshmallow and you somehow look even worse.
It instantly brought back memories of the Nutella-smeared crêpes we devoured outside the Musee d’Orsay in Paris, France—equally delicious, equally messy, and absolutely worth it.
Paris, Ls Vegas
Inside, Paris, Ls Vegas
Inside The Venetian, Las Vegas
M&M’s on the Strip, Ls Vegas
S’More from Hersey’s, New York, New York
Hersey’s, New York, New York
You probably shouldn’t go to Vegas and not try the slots—which we did, watching our $20 each get swallowed in no time. Or go to a show.
The stars didn’t align for us to see U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere, but we did get to see The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil at The Mirage. The Mirage has since closed (it shut in July 2024 ahead of its Hard Rock transformation and projected 2027 opening), and LOVE took its final bow on 7 July 2024—so we’re very glad we caught it when we did.
Carolyn absolutely loved it. David… not so much.
C & The Bellagio’s Christmas Display
D @ Luxor Tram, Las Vegas
The Beatles Love by Cirque du Soleil
We departed Las Vegas, vowing never to return (a vow we’ve since decided will be broken), on a flight bound for Memphis.
Our View of the Bellagio Water Show from Beer Park
Tip: We found Las Vegas surprisingly hard to get a takeaway hot drink. In our case it was tea (David doesn’t do coffee), and after a fair bit of wandering we eventually found what we were looking for in the enormous foyer of Caesars Palace.
Highlight: It lived up to its hype—glitz, glamour, and extravagance dialled up to “too much”… but that’s the point. That’s Vegas.
Memory: In Vegas, the casinos rule. We didn’t expect to feel quite so much like a number—just another guest moving through the machine.
Closing thought: Las Vegas—what a madhouse. We once swore we’d never go back, but we’ve softened on that since learning about all the places we missed. Carolyn has a conference on her wish list that would bring us back, which would also give David the chance to tick off a bucket-list ride through Death Valley on a motorcycle. And if we can line it up with the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix (usually held in November), well… that would be very hard to say no to.
We’ve been lucky over the years to travel more than many—though nowhere near as much as we still aspire to. The world is a big place, and there are so many destinations left to discover: places we haven’t seen yet, places we want to explore more thoroughly, and old favourites we can’t wait to reconnect with.
Elsewhere on Crows on the Go, you’ll find:
• more about our travels and the places we’ve been
• our thoughts (and, in some cases, tips) on those destinations
• the places that have become “special” to us
• and more!