Day 8 - Las Vegas

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Our final day in Las Vegas was without a doubt our best. We checked out of the hotel and waited in the lobby for an 11am pick-up to head to the Maverick helipad located right near McCarran airport.

We checked in for the helicopter flight but were told that we had about 30 minutes spare before the flight so we walked a few minutes down the road to the famous 'welcome to Las Vegas' sign. We took some photos and also witnessed what I'm sure was an intelligent conversation between Elvis and Big Bird who spend their day there offering to pose in photos for money.

Back to the helipad and we were greeted with a bit of Australia with a video of Jules Lund doing a story for Getaway about the Grand Canyon. After all the safety info we took off in a helicopter for six people and the pilot. I think we were both a little stressed at first however after the initial takeoff, it's a very smooth ride.

The ride itself was one of the best things we've ever done, it would be hard to find anything similar. We flew over Lake Mead, had a close up view of the Hoover Dam and crossed over some housing estates that are mainly used by the elderly. These are basically trailer parks that are so remote you wonder how they get by.

We then reached the Canyon itself and it's hard to explain what you actually see. The views are spectacular and you probably need to do it a few times as there is so much to see. We ended the trip going over the Las Vegas strip which was also great to see. Our tour guide was excellent and for anyone going to Vegas, it's something that you must do.

We arrived back at hotel and as we had already checked out, we had plenty of time to kill before the flight. It was 3pm and flight wasn't until 11.30. We decided to go hotel hopping to see inside some of the others. I'm glad we did this because it gave us an insight into how good the buildings are and the attention to detail that each one has. We looked inside the Bellagio, Caesar's Palace, Mirage and others. While most of them have the same casinos and shops, they all have their own feel. Speaking of shops, I did make myself laugh when I saw the canine version of Gucci, a shop called Pucci. For some reason Lauren didn't find it as funny as me but that's her loss!

We did heaps of walking today and hit the wall at about 7pm. We found a bar with a lounge to kill a bit of time and then off to the airport. For anyone reading this who likes basketball, watch Blake Griffins dunk on Kendrick Perkins. It just so happened the basketball was on tv in the bar (I swear this trip has not revolved around watching basketball, just a few coincidences).

Arrived at Las Vegas airport and had my carry-on back pack emptied by customs officials and was told that two Disneyland snow domes were a risk to the plane and had to be declared through the baggage check in. Work that one out. Sally they almost became the most expensive presents ever until the lady allowed us to put the extra bag on for free instead of a big charge.

Flew three hours to Atlanta where we have a three hour stopover and then we're off to Cancun, Mexico. Currently in the food court at Atlanta airport, it's 7.30am and we're on minimal sleep. Luckily the next four days will be spent poolside ordering waiters around!

Hopefully we have internet access there, want this blog to keep going as we are finding it hard to remember some things we've already done, and we've still got 4 weeks to go!

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