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The journey from Las Vegas to Phoenix began in the city of lights and excitement, brought us one well-earned and pleasant reward, and then led us into a completely different side of America — with breathtaking canyons, red rock landscapes, the charming town of Sedona, and the cactus-filled deserts of Arizona
Day 1
Day 1
We left snowy Toronto early in the morning and, about five hours later, landed in hot (in every sense of the word) Las Vegas.
We checked into a hotel right on the Strip — the city’s main boulevard, where all the most exciting attractions are located. You can see our previous Las Vegas trip with the kids here.
We had three nights ahead of us, and there is a lot you can fit into Las Vegas in that time. We didn’t waste any time and headed out that very evening to see “O” by Cirque du Soleil.
I absolutely love all their productions, and this particular show can only be seen in Las Vegas, thanks to its specially built pool-stage. The show was absolutely incredible! Photography inside the theater is not allowed — except maybe for the clowns during the opening act
Day 2
Day 2
In the morning, we walked along the Strip and stepped inside several of the most interesting hotels.
Although “stepped inside” is probably not the best way to describe it… Each hotel in Las Vegas is basically a city on its own — with casinos, restaurants, shops, themed decorations, and real maze-like layouts where you sometimes have to find your way from one section to another, almost like IKEA. In addition, to make traffic flow easier on the Strip, there are very few street crossings, but plenty of pedestrian bridges over the roads. With all of this combined, you are guaranteed to walk thousands of steps — if not kilometers — every day. So we set off on our walk, and here are the hotels we “stepped into”:
One of the most iconic ceilings in the world and the famous chocolate fountain
The singing fountains, featured in many Hollywood films — the most famous of which is “Ocean’s Eleven”
A hotel designed in the style of Ancient Rome
Inside, you can not only walk around, but also sit in a casino bar
The Paris Hotel requires no special introduction, whether by day or by night
Famous for its small oasis
One of the most beautiful hotels in Las Vegas, designed in the style of Venice, with canals and gondolas both outside and inside
And these are exhibits inspired by The Wizard of Oz
This theme is very popular in Las Vegas thanks to the show of the same name currently running at the Sphere. The Sphere is a state-of-the-art concert and multimedia arena shaped like a giant sphere, featuring a massive LED screen both inside and on the exterior. It is used for shows, concerts, and immersive visual experiences.
The Sphere opened in 2023. This is what it looks like from a distance
One of the most luxurious hotels and casinos in Las Vegas. Since Chinese New Year had just recently passed, many of the decorations are themed around this celebration. Here, you can also see the famous bear statue
A pirate-themed hotel. It looks interesting from the outside, but feels quite old inside
We also stopped by the Rio Hotel, just off the Strip.
The following day, it would host the international photography awards ceremony — the Icon Awards — where the best works are selected from thousands of submissions by photographers from all over the world. My husband made it to the finals in the creative photography category. Today, we had the opportunity to join the discussion of the finalists’ work together with professional judges — it was incredibly interesting to watch how each photograph was evaluated. The voting results were kept strictly confidential, and tomorrow we will find out which place he will take
In the evening, we went to see the Absinthe show — a mix of circus and acrobatics with bold, adult humor performed under a circus-style tent
Day 3
We stop by a few more hotels
It is known for its enormous chandelier. We also discovered digital panels with changing projections in the hotel lobby
After that, we visited the ARTE Museum — an immersive digital museum where art is created using light, sound, and massive projections: from ocean waves to blooming gardens and fantastical natural landscapes. The space is designed so that you can literally walk through and inside these installations
There are also interactive rooms — for example, one where you can draw an animal and watch it “come to life” on the screen. At the end, there is a huge hall with impressive digital installations on various themes, constantly changing and transforming. And to finish it all off — a cup of cappuccino in a café where a small light show unfolds right on the table.
Then our friends joined us. We were now walking through places we already knew well. Very close to our hotel was Miracle Mile Shops — a shopping mall. Nearby, there was a Walgreens supermarket where we bought water and some groceries, and inside the mall there were also quite good restaurants and shops. For example, we tried a tasty Mexican place called La Salsa Cantina
And of course, there were some shopping stops and souvenirs along the way. We also visited the popular Pop Mart store, the one known for selling Labubu and similar collectible figures
In the evening, we went to the Icon Awards ceremony. The ceremony took place at the Rio Hotel and left a very positive impression on us. We were seated at a table with two other photographers from Canada, and in total there were several hundred guests — contestants, as well as judges from different countries around the world. On the large screens, we saw all the finalist works, and then the hosts announced the winners in each category. My husband received first place in the creative photography category, as well as the grand prize. He was pleasantly shocked, and I was so proud of him :)
Here you can find his Instagram. I completely forgot to show the city’s main attraction — its many casinos. We are not really into that scene, but just for reference, I’ll include one photo here
And for those who made it all the way to the end of this post — a small bonus. As they say: “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas"
Day 4
Day 4
Today begins the second part of our trip — the adventure section. We are renting a car with friends and heading out to explore some of the most beautiful natural landscapes in Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. I will write about this in the next part
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