Vegas and the Canyons, 2018, day one and two
The protagonist of Shannon’s novel Synchro Boy admires the real-world synchronized swimming champion Bill May, and Shannon was eager to see May perform in his Cirque de Soleil water show “O.”
This was the seed for our October visit to Las Vegas, which grew into an eight-day road trip through Nevada, Arizona, and Utah.
Day 1: Arriving in Las Vegas
We left Victoria in the dark, as though fleeing the law, and arrived in Las Vegas around noon. A tortoise statue guarded the luggage carousel. In kindergarten, Sandy was famous for liking turtles and tortoises, so we cajoled her into posing.
For this trip, I tried to prearrange as much paperwork as possible and had set it up so we could simply pick any rental SUV we wanted from the Alamo lot and drive away without talking to a human. But when we arrived, the Alamo lot was empty.
I chased down a harried employee and explained that I had arranged to skip the line. “Skip the counter,” she corrected and pointed to me a line of people leaning sullenly on their suitcases by a row of parking spots without cars. We joined them glumly, but as we did, another employee said that anyone willing to take a minivan could leave right away. So that’s how we came to tour the Grand Canyon in a Grand Caravan.
It’s a complicated route from the rental car centre to the slightly skeevy strip mall where the best Thai food in North America is said to be, but I’d previewed it in Google Street View, so all the overpasses, tunnels, merges, and half-abandoned service roads came as no surprise. We were still bumbling with the minivan controls when sirens yowled and the police pulled over someone right ahead of us. Perhaps there was a story there, but it wasn’t ours. We just lingered on thoughts of U.S. law enforcement for a while.
The Thai lunch was delicious, although — importantly — not so breathtaking that we can never order Thai locally again.
We were staying at The Mirage, a tropical-themed hotel, in a room with a view of the desert hills and rooftop air conditioners.
Right after we arrived, I found myself waiting beside a penny slot machine, so I decided to play. When I sat down, someone told Shannon that this machine “was due.” Sure enough, it paid 50 to 1 almost immediately. Unfortunately, I had only wagered a penny, so my haul was 50 cents. This would be my biggest Vegas jackpot.
Once settled, we headed to their pool, which is styled as a grotto with a wide waterfall you can slip behind. Having only been to Vegas in the scorch of summer before, the pool was chillier than I expected, but we are hardy types. Hardy types with $75 in promotional poolside drink credits. (In Vegas dollars, that equals three daiquiris and a ginger ale.)
Evening took us across the street to the Venetian and the Palazzo, which are probably my favourite hotels on the Strip. Bridges cross artificial canals where gondolas spin helplessly in place.
We ate at The Black Tap, known for its ridiculous milkshakes.
Afterwards, we explored north to the Wynn hotel.
Then returned to our tropical island.
And its volcano.
Day 2: Cirque de Soleil
After a “twisted farm food” breakfast at Hash House a Go Go, we explored the Strip south to the Paris casino and onward to New York New York, about a mile on foot.
Sandy wanted a brand of toothpaste that isn’t carried in Canada, so we kept popping into drugstores to search, with no luck. I have removed many gambling-related jokes here.
We departed New York New York with Shake Shack and Bruxie untested, still too full from this morning’s towering breakfast to dare.
We walked through The Park, where there is a statue called Bliss Dance, and took the free tram north to Bellagio. The tram tilts to one side as you move.
The tram ends at the Bellagio, where the conservatory was dressed for autumn.
The atrium featured displays of woodcut animal at play.
Our last stop before returning to the Mirage was Caesar’s Palace, which was Sandy’s favourite hotel.
We relaxed back at The Mirage until it was time for Cirque de Soleil. Shannon and I shared a poolside frozen daiquiri that once had heard a mysterious passerby whisper the word “rum.”
Dinner was burrito-sized sushi at the Linq Promenade, a Disneyfied pedestrian-only street of restaurants where you could also buy a cupcake from an ATM.
The show “O” was a dreamy mix of synchronized swimming, trapeze acrobatics, clown pratfalls, pyrotechnics, mournful water crossings, cloaked orders, fairy kidnappings, and the impossible strength of small bodies. The synchronized swimming was raised to magical heights at times with the secret help of SCUBA. When we left, we kept remembering startling pieces that had been nearly eclipsed in our memories by some other spectacle. “…and then he was still on fire…” “…and suddenly they swung below the boat and you remembered…” “…the seafloor rose up and all the divers were…” “…and the clown had that line, what was it…”
Shannon was to meet Bill May after the second performance of the evening, while Sandy and I returned to our hotel. Before splitting up, we watched the Bellagio’s famous fountains.
Watched them twice actually. The sidewalks were so packed the fountains played again before we could leave the area.
Shannon met Bill May, who received his copy of Synchro Boy with sincere delight. (He had read the manuscript already and his review is on the back!) He took her backstage, enthusiastically showing her the costumes, pool, fellow cast members, technical secrets, and (for a competitive swimmer) the unimaginable luxury of endless towels.
Afterwards, late in the Vegas night, Shannon found her way home without being lured into even a single fairyland.
Day 3: Preparing for the Grand Canyon
It was time to leave The Mirage. I gave five dollars to a Willy Wonka slot machine, and we made our exit.
Before leaving town, I took the family to a favourite spot. It proved to be the highlight of the trip for Sandy.
This is Ronald’s Donuts. A cash-only Vegas institution, where the fritters have a crust of sugar like a lobster shell. And the top two racks of doughnuts are vegan. Sorry, ancient majesties of nature. You tried.
Thanks for reading this first chapter of our trip! Should you need any full-size photos, I’ve collected them in an album.
