Christmas at Gatwick–and Beyond!

Sorry we haven’t blogged for a while – it’s been very pleasurably hectic and James has smashed yet another camera which has made things awkward yet again!

After a really relaxing Christmas day in the Crown Plaza, Gatwick whiling away the day ………

….. with a Champagne picnic …….

…. and more (free) drinks in the bar!

Boxing Day saw us flying to Las Vegas where, just before landing, we got a super view of Lake Mead – the huge lake / reservoir made by the Hoover Dam.

The Luxor hotel has been our home for the last few days – this is the inside bit of the pyramid. The “ridges” are walkways to the rooms and the corners are the lifts (all at angles to make life interesting! We have been lucky and have been given a room in one of the towers which are quieter.

At night the “strip” is alive with noise, activity and lights.

This is our view from our room of the Excalibur hotel next door.

One of the most complicated hotels is “New York New York” constructed to show some of the buildings the city is famous for. 

Sitting in the middle of the desert the mountains are never very far from view.

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Since our last visit the architecture has changed to much cleaner lines – even though it looks as though an earthquake has just struck!

More new hotels are springing up just off the “strip”.  They are huge!

Inside the very new “Vdara” hotel there’s room for the biggest Christmas tree we’ve ever seen.

The Bellagio hotel is as wonderful inside ……….

……. and outside as ever.  This lake outside the hotel is where the dancing fountains perform every 1/2 hour or so.

The Parisian hotel is easily spotted.

Face booking!

Inside Caesar's Palace is quite extraordinary.  This is inside the building not outside.

the lights dim at night to give the authenticity of night time.

The Venetian hotel is just something else ……. the pics say it all!

St Mark’s Square --- again, the ceiling are painted with blue sky and clouds and it’s really pretty at night.

A little “treasure” outside the Treasure Island hotel.

The wonderful Fountains of Bellagio.

We travelled out of the city one day – a 500 mile round trip to the Grand Canyon, taking in the the Hoover Dam on the way.

The turbine halls way down at the bottom of the dam.

Lake Mead (which we saw from the air when we arrived) is way down on water level as can be seen from the white rocks.  If there’s not significant rainfall soon the lake will be dry by 2020.

On to the Grand Canyon – the most spectacular of sights.

We arrived mid afternoon when the sun was beginning to set.

It’s changed since we were last here: the rock on the edge of the promontory  has toppled over!

 

It was quite cold with some snow at the edges of the canyon.

The entry is a bit rushed as we’re in Las Vegas airport and just about to board a domestic flight to New York for a few days over the New Year.

We take this opportunity to wish everyone a very happy and healthy New Year!