Midlife Creative

Las Vegas
We spent 3 days at a hotel in Las Vegas.
The last time Mark and I were in Vegas was 12 years ago. I was excited to go back and show the kids the Bellagio Fountain, my favorite spot in the city. We walked from our hotel to the Bellagio, stopping on the way for a slice of pizza. By the time we got to the fountain, Ivy, my 9 year old was holding her tummy and complaining of feeling sick. She was crunched over and moaning, “I need to go back to the hotel. I don’t want to be here.”

At first, I thought it was the pizza, but since none of the rest of us who had eaten the pizza were feeling sick, I wondered if what she was feeling was anxiety. We found a quiet hallway and sat down to take a break. We talked through how she was feeling about the cigarette smoke, walking through a casino, and seeing people dressed up in masks of clowns and Donald Trump. She was able to communicate that she didn’t feel comfortable in Las Vegas. She had a similar reaction in New Orleans. She said it was too loud and there was too much smoking.

The next day, we decided to drive outside the city and see the Hoover Dam and Memorial Bridge. The girls enjoyed that day more than the first. The third day, Mark stayed with Ivy back at the hotel and Malia and I went back to the strip and walked through the Bellagio flower show, Caesar’s Palace, the Mirage, and the Venetian. Two hours was plenty for Malia and I. We share a preference for quiet, outdoor spaces in nature over noise and bright city lights.

We were all set to go to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and then carry on to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Mark woke me up the morning we were scheduled to leave and said “We have to talk!” I am not a morning person, but the urgency in his voice woke me up pretty quickly. “The North Rim isn’t even open!” he said. “And it’s going to snow and rain all week at Arches”
I felt so dumb. I hadn’t even checked the website to know that the North Rim doesn’t open until May 1st. Snow and ice are common well into May in this part of the country. We quickly came up with a new plan and headed to Flagstaff, Arizona and the South Rim.

When we got close, we saw that there was a long line of cars waiting to get into the Canyon. Apparently, spring break brings the crowds. We were informed there would be up to a two hour wait just to get into the park. We waited until a little later in the day when the line had died down. We arrived around 2:30pm and only had to wait in line for about 30 minutes.

The Grand Canyon is AMAZING. When I first walked out to Mather Point, I felt my eyes well up with tears. I wasn’t expecting to cry, but the beauty and grandeur of the canyon filled me with emotion. I’d been to the North Rim before, but this was my first time at the South Rim. There were more options for trails to walk at the South Rim and shuttle buses to take you to the different overlooks.

Many people have said a good time to visit the National Parks is in the fall instead of during the summer or over spring break. It was busy, but I didn’t mind that much. It’s such a huge area, and you can always find places off the beaten path if you get tired of the crowds of people taking selfies. Photos really don’t fully capture the Grand Canyon; you really must visit at least once during your lifetime!