Christmas in Las Vegas

I'm not here to write a guide to visiting Las Vegas, I'm just here to share our holiday photos and experiences. Our last visit here was 2010, I think this was our 7th or 8th trip to Vegas. This trip also involved a visit with my cousin, our last meeting was 2007.

Christmas dinner on the plane with Virgin. I didn't select the Gluten Free option, I just ate around the wheat. Gluten Free dining in Las Vegas wasn't an easy option.

We stayed in a Castle. Our 3 year old Grandson was impressed.

The long corridors always remind me of Alice in Wonderland.

Our Hotel room, very basic and no tea/coffee facilities or fridge.

It added considerably to the cost of our stay having to purchase all hot drinks from Starbucks in the casino and was inconvenient having to get dressed at 7am to get tea or coffee.

We're used to having Christmas in the sun having lived in South Africa and Dubai, but don't be fooled, it was still winter. Warmer than the UK in the day and dry, but not hot and we still needed coats in the day.

We did go swimming in the outdoor pools, not too bad getting in, but getting out was a challenge.

Christmas Day was very quiet in Las Vegas, we had chicken salad from Walgreens in a pot on the street for lunch.

We had fries and milkshake for dinner. There was an offer of an alcoholic shot with the milkshake.

I had expected a bit more with the Christmas decorations, don't get me wrong they were spectacular, guess I was just spoilt after living in Dubai.

However, there are so many indoor and outdoor lights in Vegas, it's pretty much Christmas all year round anyway.

The casinos are brightly lit and melodic.

The Strip looks so pretty at night.

Everywhere was lit up.

There was so much to see and do in Vegas without having to spend a penny. All our spending was on food and drink and taxi's too and from the airport and an evening out where the bus didn't run too. Other wise we covered the strip and downtown on foot walking 10 miles most days.

Fountain show at The Bellagio. Typical the bus stopped right in front of the hotel.

Visiting movie sets. Caesar's Palace and Oceans 11 etc.

A trip to Paris.

Venice.

Egypt.

Not much had changed in Vegas since our last visit

Fremont Street felt more upbeat and busier than before with more activities.

We only saw one Elvis on this visit.

We popped into Pawn Stars.

We saw a magic show.

Got to love a good wonky building.

Whilst these signs are everywhere, Vegas stank of weed.

Can't get used to this mandatory tipping, in some cases it was just added to the bill or you couldn't move past until you'd selected the percentage. Sales tax in Nevada wasn't added until you reached the till either, so there was also a change with the price advertised and the price paid.

Whilst it started off quiet in Vegas with Christmas, by New Year it was absolutely packed and we said our goodbyes and flew home.

I'm not sure how many people were in vegas on New Year but I'm guessing they do this for a very good reason.

The highlight of our trip was the 3 days we spent with my cousin, her friend and our 3 year old 2nd cousin, who we got to meet for the first time.

2025 Week 2 - One Daily Positive and Project 365

Not a good start to the week for me. First day back in school was an inset day, it was a long day. We also found out that the student who died over Christmas had a sudden cardiac arrest and died in his sleep. He was 14, in year 10. I've known the student since I started working at the school in March 2022 in year 7 and have worked predominately with his tutor group. With Stephanie dying from a heart attack in theatre, it is too close to home for me and the students back in school on Tuesday with them already knowing about him there have been lots of questions, there has been lots of sadness. I've been able to keep myself fairly isolated in Room 19 with Alternative Provision and Tutoring now I'm back in work full-time.

The jet lag was sorted after a chat with the GP. It appears my medication wasn't helping. I'd not been sleeping well for several months, which I'd just accepted was part of grief, but the new meds can cause lack of sleep so she suggested I take them in the morning instead of at night. I slept Monday night from 9.30am through to 4am. The week just got better sleep wise

Day 6  

My 3am sleep buddy. I was awake anyway. First full day back in work, inset day, no students. I left an hour early anyway for GP appointment, then met Peter in town for coffee after I posted several parcels. Home for dinner, TV, bath and bed at 9pm.

Day 7 
I slept for a solid 6 hours. Tough day in work. First day back for students, sadly missing a year 10 who died over Christmas in his sleep from a sudden cardiac arrest. Also my first day back full time, meeting with senior team in afternoon to discuss tutoring with pupil premium students. Home to sleep, eat dinner, watch tv, video calls and bed by 8pm. Drained.

Day 8 
Had 8 hours sleep, jet lag cracked. A difficult day in work emotionally, took myself for a coffee and to read my book. Home and made a tuna pasta salad. We watched TV, had a bath and I was in bed by 9pm.

Day 9  

A good sleep. Work ok. Met Peter for coffee on his way home from shopping. Home for dinner, TV, bath and early bed for me. Feeling much more relaxed now I’m getting some proper sleep.

Day 10 

This week has felt like it’s had eleventy days in it. All planning done for next two weeks for new students who are settling in well. All I’ve got to do this weekend is sort a new wreath for the front door now the Christmas one is down, too early for spring.

Day 11 

A lie in, then off to Kenilworth Castle for the day. We popped the roof on the van and cooked soup for lunch in the car park. A walk round Leamington, then home to wash, dry and iron and watch the footie for Peter and cook dinner and batch cook for me. A bath and an early night. Didn’t get above freezing all day, but we were toasty warm and the cat has been in a fight, got a limp and feeling sorry for herself.

Day 12 

A busy day visiting friends and family in South Wales and the Forest of Dean. Home to dinner from the slow cooker, catch up with Gone Fishing, bath and bed.

On the blog this week: Gluten Free dining in Las Vegas (well the lack of)

What's made me happy this week:

Spur of the moment days out, new nails and the cat.

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10th - 12th January 2025 - Post Comment Love

Welcome back to #PoCoLo with Stephanie from Bosworth.Life and I. I hope you all had a great Christmas and are having a fabulous tart to 2025.

We spent Christmas in Las Vegas. It was something we had booked before our daughter died in October and I'm glad we had or we would've ended up moping around and feeling obliged to be visiting people that we just didn't want to spend time with. 

New Year was strange as we were flight on our way home, with the Captain announcing the New Year as we flew near New York. Does that count as me saying we spent the New Year in New York? Hubby says no.

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We'd also appreciate your help spreading the #PoCoLo word on Twitter, tag us and we'll RT. You can find us on twitter here: Stephanie - @BosworthLife and Suzanne - @ChickenRuby 

I'll be catching up with reading your posts, sharing and commenting over the next few days. 

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Gluten Free dining in Las Vegas.

The first hurdle on any holiday for me is the plane. I don't order Gluten Free meals on planes, it's terrible. I just pack sandwiches, fruit, snacks and eat what I can. I do pack food with me when I travel some biscuits and cakes that I can have with coffee while I am out and about, then I'll go shopping on arrival to purchase what I need for the rest of my stay. However, it's not often I travel and stay in a Hotel and have to eat out for every meal and I was disappointed to discover that Las Vegas is not at all Gluten Free friendly.

I was unable to locate any stores on the Strip that sold Gluten Free food other than food stuff that is Gluten Free anyway. 

I wish I'd packed Gluten Free bread rolls and bread so I could've swopped a burger or a sandwich out in a restaurant or had something to dip in my soup. I never tend to feel full after a meal when the GF alternative is just to remove the bread/pasta etc from the dish.

We did find a Gluten Free restaurant and had an amazing dinner one evening. We were comped the meal, but at $250 it wasn't somewhere we were going back to. 

For breakfast I had fresh fruit and greek yogurt and I could have Gluten Free toast. Although the quality and varied from place to place. The first bowl was $5, the plate was $15.

I was surrounded by donuts, pastries and pancakes. 

I was tempted, but if I eat wheat it's a trip tp A&E for me. A friend in the UK recommend a cafe that sold GF donuts and we tracked it down. When we arrived it was $10 a donut, it was also vegan, it looked greasy and there were only 2 left, they were small and looked unappetising, so I declined.

I stuck to ice cream/sorbet. Mind you, that was $10 a scoop.

I can always find something to eat when I'm out, it's just my choice is limited and I have to read labels and it takes me longer to choose. I had a chicken salad pot for Christmas lunch and we sat in the street outside New York New York to eat it. I had chips and a milkshake for my dinner. There weren't many places open other than fast food joints which limited my options to eat.

With the lack of food options available to me, it was pretty much the focus of the holiday for me. Mind you most times away from the home unless I take a pack lunch are difficult for me. I can't just grab a sandwich or a sausage roll on the go. A cake in a coffee shop. Yes, I'm aware supermarkets sell Gluten Free sandwiches, but the stock is low and sold out early on. Want something after 10am and good luck finding it. I end up eating a lot of cold food away from the home. Salads, home made sandwiches, fruit as snacks, sushi, or chocolate, chips, crisps etc. Which I did a lot of in Las Vegas.

Do you have dietary needs that make it difficult to eat out, especially when you're on holiday?