Memorial Day Weekend in Vegas

This is one of my favorite places to stay in Vegas. It's centrally located on the strip, the rooms are small, but luxurious, and there's a huge mall on the lower level where you can find anything you need (including imitation thunderstorms). There's a rooftop pool that overlooks the strip, and a dip at dusk is an awesome way to relax! The casino is good too, with many bars and restaurants surrounding the area.

This casino/hotel is by far the worst I've stayed at on the strip. I call it "strollerland". This is where all the families and babies are and it's impossible to walk around without running over a child or stroller. It's very loud in there and chaotic. It's a long haul from one end of the hotel to the other. The pool is "dumpy" in my opinion. The decor is "cheesy" but fun and I can see why it would draw kids. It's situated right next to New York, New York and The Luxor. This hotel is probably one of the cheapest on the strip so it does make it affordable if you want to keep the costs down.

Words can not express the beauty of this natural wonder. You can take a tour which you can book through a travel agency like Liberty Travel or directly through your hotel when you get in. An excursion by small plane is about 45 minutes or you can drive there yourself, which is about 5 hours. The tour is fun, you're with about 8-10 other people, you fly over Hoover Dam and Lake Mead and onto the Canyon. The plane itself is small and the ride is quite bumpy, but seeing the Canyon is worth it. On the tour you get lunch and water and when you land an air conditioned bus picks you up and drives you around the rim, stopping at various locations so you can take pictures and soak in the beauty. I like this tour because you do get to walk around. The helicopter tours have pretty views, but you never get the chance to experience the Canyon for yourself. Be forewarned, excursions leave usually very early in the morning and can book quickly, so try to book a spot first thing; also tours don't run everyday or in very windy conditions.

Although this is nowhere near as beautiful as the Grand Canyon, it is worth seeing as a shorter day trip. It's only about 15-20 minutes away from the strip by bus/car. You can book this tour directly at the hotel you're staying at, and the tours generally leave early in the morning. You do see natural beauty out in the desert with rock formations that are rusty red in color at the top and beige/grayish at the bottom, which is explained in the tour. You will see wildlife, which can be turtles, burros (like a donkey), mountain lions, etc. There are also old ruins and drawings along the way of the scenic tour.