Viva Las Circus

With old man winter in full display, we were forced to alter our travel plans. Originally, following the Grand Canyon, we were going to drive up to the picturesque Bryce Canyon in Utah. The night before, we checked the forecast there. -14 degrees with a windchill of -40. That's 40 BELOW zero. Needless to say, we had to punt. What else was nearby, and largely indoors, with fun stuff to do? That's right..... Vegas, baby!!! So, off we went, to Nevada.


Now you ask, what is there to do in Sin City with a bunch of small kids? Gambling? The Sports Book? Elvis impersonators? Maybe we could catch Wayne Newton in concert..? No, there's really only one thing to do there, on a limited budget, with little kids:  the circus.

Flying trapeze artistry

Circus Circus Hotel and Casino is a perfect microcosm of Las Vegas, but for children. Bright, flashing lights. Cool, over the top shows. Noisy. Shiny. Awesome. Besides just a hotel and a casino inside this sprawling complex, there's also an indoor amusement park, tons of stores and restaurants, and of course, a circus. With free shows every half hour, the kids were enthralled. Trapeze artists. Foot jugglers. Hula hoopers. Acrobats. Clowns. Everything you could want in a circus. Also, there was a Midway area attached with tons of carnival games for the kids to play. Large stuffed animals were there to be won, if only you could get the ball in the hoop, the rings around the jar, the dart in the balloon. Seems like easy pickings, right? Dollar after dollar was spent, with very little to be shown for it. Just like the adult version of Vegas.

As if a free circus wasn't enough, a good sized indoor amusement park is also part of the Circus Circus experience. The Adventuredome, as it's called, features lots of rides, including a decent sized roller coaster. The girls enjoyed a competitive round of putt-putt golf, and some rides all in the comfort of this warm, indoor playground. Nina and Clark rode 'The Canyon Blaster', a looping roller coaster that twists and turns throughout the place. Norah and Nadia opted for the much calmer airplane ride, but had just as much fun in doing so.

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas...

Here is where our adventure really began.

After a tour of 'The Strip' to see all the lights of Vegas, we took the girls by a place dear to our hearts. Fourteen years ago, Jenny and Clark were married in a chapel here in Vegas. The Little Chapel of the Flowers sits right off the strip, in the shadow of the massive Stratosphere. It has changed a bit since our wedding, with a couple new buildings added on, and the 'Little' no longer part of their title. While there, we saw a bride and groom posing for pictures outside, just as we had done years before. Hopefully their journey will be as memorable as ours has been.