Christmas decorating is not big in Las Vegas.  Vegas is all about the gambling, you can’t get to a restaurant in a hotel without having to go through the Casino!  The Casinos are tacky, noisy and, at least to me, unpleasant. The Four Seasons Hotel where we stayed was the exception, no Casino!  However, when it comes to Christmas decorating the Four Seasons was not the place to go.  The Bellagio was the clear winner.  I visited the Bellagio Christmas display several times and each time it was mobbed with fans making it difficult to even move around.  This makes me think that there is a huge opportunity for more Christmas decorating in Las Vegas. Here are some photos I took of the Bellagio Christmas display:

I also found a lone 12ft Nutcracker designed by Christmas Night Inc. in the Mandalay Bay Shopping Mall:

You may have gathered gambling is not my thing.  There were plenty of other things to do in and around Las Vegas including the incredible Red Rock Canyon National reserve where there is spectacular scenery and an array of hikes to choose from. 

There are all sorts of shows in Vegas of which we did two, the Wizard of Oz in the Sphere which was great for its special effects (I came home with an apple which fell from the sky!) and Mystere Cirque du Soleil.  There are so many restaurants to choose from of every variety.  There is excellent shopping and some amazing malls which are designed to appear as if they are outside but are really indoors with a painted sky. 

 There are museums but it is hard to compete with New York City.  We went to the Mob Museum which gave us an understanding of how Las Vegas grew into the city it is today.  We found a Christmas service at the Guardian Angel Cathedral .  This Cathedral is architecturally modern with beautiful stained glass windows.  The Cathedral was packed for the Christmas Mass and we sang all the usual Christmas Carols.

If I go back to Las Vegas, I would like to visit the Valley of Fire State Park.  I overheard our concierge  telling another guest about its beauty.

Happy New Year to all.