We have experienced some hot days on this trip but Day 14 takes the cake!! We left Lone Pine, CA around 8am to try to beat some of the heat as we passed through Death Valley National Park but did not leave early enough. As we descended into Death Valley we watched the temperature rise to a scorching 117 degrees! The landscape was different than anything we have seen so far and the Mesquite Dunes were awesome. We would have sworn nothing could survive out here until we got stared down by a scraggly coyote as he sauntered across the road in front of us.
Knowing we had a nice Bellagio pool awaiting our arrival we sped through the desert for the oasis that is Las Vegas.
We intended to stop by the 'Pawn Stars' shop but the long line and wait that would cut into our pool time made us think twice.
After a few hours enjoying the pool at Bellagio we prepared for dinner and a show. A quick cab ride brought us to Mandalay Bay where we enjoyed their buffet (it was only average) and took our seats early for the Cirque du Soleil performance of Michael Jackson One. We loved the show as we are big fans of Michael's music. The show was a little light on typical Cirque acrobatics but included a lot more dance.
We left the show and Mandalay Bay to walk the southern portion of the strip back to our room at the Bellagio. Even at 9pm, walking outside was like stepping into a blast furnace. Laura enjoyed seeing all the different casinos and the unique style they each had including the Luxor and New York, New York. With perfect timing, we arrived back in front of the Bellagio just in time for one of their famous fountain shows before calling it a night.
We chose Bellagio because it was in the center of the strip and an iconic casino and hotel for Laura's first trip to Vegas. It was only a small perk that they had Tesla charging available. Much thanks to the valet at Bellagio for plugging in our car for the night! We awoke the next morning to a full "tank"!
