Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Las Vegas - Day 3

With very little alcohol consumed on this trip, I feel like I have a hangover

That's what dragging 3 kids through the dessert will do to you, I guess.

Today was our Hoover Dam day.  It was a bust.  I'm here to tell you.

First........we ordered breakfast and packed for our adventure.

Carter gave his second sandwich I packed yesterday to a homeless man and was brought to tears with the man's gratitude.  (him and me)

So, he requested I make several today to pass out.

Love that kid.


Budget travel tip:  The vacation fairy brought each kid a new Target $1 spot water bottle.  This gets them excited about using them and saves me plenty of money on drinks at each stop we make and in between, too. 

Bottled water costs $3 here.  We filled our bottles with ice and tap water........less expensive and easier, too.
Carter opted to remove the childish Circus wrap.  Can't say I blame him.


OK, so we drove off into the desert in search of a huge hole carved into the earth. 

Which took us into Arizona.  Kind of.

The heat was worse today than yesterday. 

We took a quick run through and were in and out.

Pressed pennies for their collection!


Carter opted for a fake "celeb" ID for his souvenir. 

Look how sweaty this poor kid is.  INSIDE.  With air conditioning.

(He's not mad.  He's trying to look tough.)

This photo accurately sums up Jack and Lainey's interest in the dam. 

They were over it before we even got there.

They are typically pretty good about these kind of excursions......but I think the heat just drained their energy.


Despite the heat, I did appreciate the experience.  It was cool to see.




Still showing the ID.

It says his name is Nick Jonas.




Some interesting facts:

*The dam was constructed 2 years ahead of schedule, in 1935.

*112 people died building the dam.  The first was a surveyor, J.G. Tearney in 1922.  He was scouting out an ideal spot for the dam and drowned.  13 years later - to the day - the final man died while building the dam.  It was his son, Patrick Tearney.

*High scalers, like the bronze statue pictured in an earlier picture, hung from ropes on the canyon walls while they drilled and packed dynamites.  They hired circus acrobats to perform these duties.

More hereTravel and history nerds like Caroline and me love this kind of stuff.


With 2/3 of my punks!  Hot and sweaty.


111.  Sweet baby Jesus.

DQ on the way back.

A cruise through UNLV.

Hello, air conditioning.

Around 4:00, I dropped the kids off with my friend, Ashley, who is watching them this evening.  She is such a fantastic person.  So glad we're in touch.

And, since then I have taken a dip in the jacuzzi, ordered room service, read my book, caught up on the Bachelorette, and watched the sun set over the Vegas strip.  Blake is at dinner.  He'll be home with our little lunatics soon enough and my quiet hotel room will resume its normal state.

Last night in the desert! 

We'll play at the pool tomorrow and head back to San Diego in the evening.  We are tempted to stay another night.  Stay tuned!


14 comments:

Kittie Flyn said...

how was your Dam guide? Snicker, snicker...yes, I'm 9.

you and the kids are troopers considering i broke into a sweat just looking at the photos.

Pam Bowers said...

I was right around Carter's age the one and only time I ever went to see Hoover Dam. I think it was just as hot when I went too. I don't do well in extreme heat! I have to say though, you look amazing in that picture. Go Casey!!!

If the shoe FITZ said...

stylin in your glasses and cute dress! did the heat remind you of being in TX? at least it wasn't humid!
Liam totally melts down too in the heat.

Carter is a stud!

Dee Stephens said...

I told you it was going to be hotter out there!!
Another factoid I'm sure they told you is that Las Vegas really became what it is today due to the Dam.
There were casinos and a 'red light' district to entertain the workers.

Heather said...

I love Carter! So so precious. Super interesting about the dam. I'm surprised Derek hasn't dragged us up there. He totally gets into all that stuff... all engineerish and all.

donatelli98 said...

I can't believe you came to AZ and didn't visit me Casey!! LOL!! But it's a DRY HEAT!! It was 116 hear the other day - Sweet Baby Jesus indeed! Tough guy Carter looks much tougher without skinny jeans on!! Love him!!

Clare said...

I love Carter, what a sweet boy!!

The father son drowning thing is crazy and gave me chills!

Your dress and Lainey's dress are so cute!! Lookin good ladies!

The heat...Yuck! I hate heat, it's supposed to be 102 actual temp here on Friday, be glad you aren't coming home here.

Kay Dattilio said...

Love your pictures! Keep 'em coming!

The Lenzers said...

love carter's pimp hat

timmonstimes said...

Your kids are going to have awesome memories! So fun :)

Vincent Family said...

The heat would drive me crazy; I can't hang! But it looks like it would fun to do at least once (maybe in the winter?!) Love your dress!

Coco said...

Sounds terrible.

Merry Mack said...

Good for you for going to the damn. Interesting stuff. Very twilight zone. Carter and the sandwiches... So sweet. What a great kid! I also LOVE your dress.

Kim said...

What a sweet kid Carter is! I am kinda glad I am not suffering in the 110 heat in AZ right now :).