Vegas, baby!
We flew back from Las Vegas on Wednesday night, it was a fantastic trip! Hubby found a non-gambling hotel just off the Strip, and the weather was around 37C/100F all week.
The first surprise was a Friday excursion to the Grand Canyon. A coach took us to Boulder City, where we got in a plane that flew us over the Hoover dam:
![The Hoover Dam.](https://www.quantumtea.com/content/images/wp/2007-08-hooverdam.jpg)
When we got to the canyon, there was a helicopter waiting to fly us down to the bottom. I've never been on a helicopter and they put me in the front seat next to the pilot. Once I got over the clutching-the-seat terrors, it was an awesome flight!
![The Grand Canyon.](https://www.quantumtea.com/content/images/wp/2007-08-grandcanyon2.jpg)
At the bottom there was a boat, a shelter, and some ice cold water. We rode along the Colorado river for a bit. It was the muddiest looking river I've ever seen, with St Louis style humidity. The coach driver had been complaining of how humid the day was, we'd thought it was dry.
![The Grand Canyon.](https://www.quantumtea.com/content/images/wp/2007-08-grandcanyon.jpg)
Another surprise was a trip to the Star Trek Experience to see these guys:
![Star Trek Experience: The Borg.](https://www.quantumtea.com/content/images/wp/2007-08-startrek1.jpg)
![Star Trek Experience: Spaceships.](https://www.quantumtea.com/content/images/wp/2007-08-startrek2.jpg)
There are two rides, and both are excellent, plus a cool museum and timeline and the occasional Borg or Ferengi wandering around.
And then there was Phantom:
![Phantom in Las Vegas.](https://www.quantumtea.com/content/images/wp/2007-08-phantom.jpg)
Second row seats, and a wonderful show, shorter than usual but with more pyrotechnics and an impressive chandelier. We also saw a couple of other shows, and managed to avoid sunburn.