Travelling to Las Vegas

 Monday July 7, 2025  

Today we are excited to (at last!) be off on our big summer travels. We had to skip last summer, but are very happy to be back to our old travelling ways! Our trip this summer consists of some of our favourites and also some new places. We have so much trouble picking where to go because we always have a VERY long list of places we want to see and places we want to return to, so we try to do a little of both if at all possible.

At the Victoria Airport, ready to go!

We start Part One of this trip with Las Vegas. Steve is very excited to play some poker again (we haven’t been to Vegas since 2019!) I like Vegas too… but not as much as Steve. I think I would prefer it in April or May when the temperature isn’t scorching hot. For the week we are in Las Vegas this time, the high is around 42 celsius (about 107 degrees Fahrenheit!) every day, and the low is around 28 degrees celsius (about 82 degrees Fahrenheit). Thank goodness for air conditioning!

Because the first leg of our trip has a short flight, we didn’t have to be at the airport at dark o’clock and were actually able to spend some time getting organized in the morning before we left. We were also able to get an Uber to the airport because we we're leaving at a reasonable time, which was very convenient. I was a little worried that nothing would be available because we live in a small town, but we were able to get a ride in about five minutes, which I think is pretty good!

Our first flight was delayed, but luckily we had enough time to make our connection with time to spare. 

Side note: If you fly to Vancouver from Victoria and then need to connect to the U.S.A. you will literally walk from one side of the airport to the other (make sure you have time!) and you will also have to go through security and customs before getting on the flight. This didn’t take a lot of time (maybe 30 minutes?)… but you still need to budget a bit of time.

Our flight to Las Vegas was pretty smooth and both of our bags showed up! Yay! We have learned to pack half of our clothes in each other’s suitcases and at least one outfit in the carry-on because our bags have been late several times before. Conveniently this time, our bags came with us, so all of our careful packing was unnecessary!

Side note: I am in awe of all of you people who travel with carry-ons for a multiple week vacation. We have two, almost full, suitcases (about 40 pounds each) and 2 carry-ons for the two of us. I literally can not see how we could pare it down… yep… we’re princesses!

When we arrived in Las Vegas, we caught an Uber to the hotel. The ride itself was great, but you can not imagine (and I don’t think I can describe it!) what the area of the parking garage looked like where the Ubers pick you up. There were hundreds of people waiting for rides and at least 50 cars at all times! It was a bit chaotic to say the least!

This time we are staying at the Horseshoe. If you haven’t been to Vegas in a while, this used to be called Bally’s. The WSOP tournaments are being held this year in the Horseshoe and Paris, so we decided that this would be a convenient place to stay. It is also very central on the strip, it is across the street from Bellagio. The room was very inexpensive, which was also a plus. There is a resort fee of $50 US per night (I wish they’d just include it in the regular price) which only includes wifi for 2 devices! Thus, these blogs are being typed in real time, but won’t be posted until we get to London. (I caved and paid the $15 for wifi for an extra device for one day. I'm going to try to load up multiple blogs at a time!) I need the wifi for my phone so Steve can message me from the poker room and tell me how many thousands of dollars he is winning!

Side note: When we entered the hotel, I could “smell” Vegas. It’s in my scent memory I guess. If I ever smelled this somewhere else, I would think it was Vegas. The only way I can think to describe it is stale cigarette smoke, axe body spray, and an air freshener trying to cover up the previous two smells, but not succeeding!

Steve decided he was going to try the $20 trick when we checked in. I was skeptical… but it worked! We booked the very cheapest room and ended up with a larger room on the 21st floor with a view of the high roller and the sphere, which is endlessly interesting to watch at night (I know… I’m easily amused!). The rooms are okay, a little worn… but definitely worth the price you are paying.

The view from our room at night!

The projection on the outside of the sphere continuously changes.

The plan was to go out and get some drinks and do a little exploring… but in true Lisa fashion, when we got to the room…. I just fell asleep! 😀 Steve went out and got some drinks and protein bars for us for us while I slept (he really is the best isn’t he?!)

Looking forward to exploring Vegas tomorrow!