Las Vegas 2015

It is official, Las Vegas has become an annual tradition.  This is our 6th consecutive trip.  We stayed at The Encore which has become our mainstay and as usual food was a big part of our trip.

We had afternoon tea at the Mandarin Hotel. Michael drank Mandarin Orange and I had Darjeeling. We lost count of how many cups of tea we drank in the course of our meal. The front row seat by the window was a plus too, great view of the strip.

These were the little plates of food we ate. They may look small but by the time we finished them all we were very full. We had savory plates of curry chicken salad, smoked salmon and black forest ham role ups. There were two types of scones and 3 spreads/jam to put on them. And finally desserts which were 4.

And then there were two.

We chose to do something outdoorsy this trip. Michael picked Valley of Fire State Park which is 55 miles northeast of Las Vegas and 6 miles from Lake Mead.

Upon entering the park there are signs posted that say no drones. Glad that our state parks are keeping up with modern technology.

Valley of Fire derives its name from red sandstone formations, formed from great shifting sand dunes during the age of dinosaurs, 150 million years ago. Complex uplifting and faulting of the region, followed by extensive erosion, have created the present landscape.

These rock formations are called Beehives, unusual sandstone formations eroded by wind and water.

We took a little hiking trail on Mouse's Tank (3/4 mile). Named for an outlaw who used the area as a hideout in the 1890s, Mouse's Tank is a natural basin in the rock where water collects after rainfalls, sometimes remaining for months. There was no water at this time. The ground was covered by this soft powder-like sand. 

Rainbow Vista. Multi-colored sandstone and our turning around point. 

255 pound Wynn tower fashioned entirely of gingerbread, fronted by a replica of the show's talented cast of singers, dancers and musicians, crafted entirely from gingerbread, sugar, chocolate and fondant.  We enjoyed our dinner at the buffet. Happy Holidays!