Go Big or Go Home, Vegas Style

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When Mason saw there was a breakfast restaurant with bacon waffles on the menu, he voiced a strong opinion that we go.  So back to The Linq Hotel we went to dine at Hash House a Go Go.

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These waffles were something else.  Whole strips of bacon were baked right in the waffle.

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Walker opted for The Tractor Driver Combo—two eggs with mashed potatoes and a specialty brown sugar banana pancake.  It was quite the meal.  Neither boy could finish his breakfast even though they loved them.

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I took advantage of the brunch menu to order a grilled portabella sandwich with roasted red peppers, basil pesto and griddled goat cheese on a whole wheat bun.  I was pleased as punch with my choice.

On our way to the restaurant we spotted this zebra and the boys asked me to take a picture of them. 

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As I took the picture, a gentleman nearby put down his coffee and offered to a picture of the three of us.  Since we were traveling alone, I thought, “Hey, it will be nice all three be in a photo other than a selfie.”

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When I looked at my photo stream later, I could only laugh.  This was what he took.  It is one of my favorite pictures from the trip.

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The Ferris wheel is at The Linq.  Had it not been for the high price of my ticket ($27 for daytime, $37 for nighttime; kids under 12 free), I might have considered it. 

With breakfast under our belts, we drove out to take the dam tour, the Hoover Dam tour.  We arrived a little before 10 am and discovered the actual dam tour was sold out until 2 pm.  The immediacy of the power plant tour was perfect.  There was a lot to learn about how the dam was constructed and the history of the surrounding area which they addressed in both a video and a walking tour of the plant.  The tour ended in the visitor center and we looked at more dam exhibits. 

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Mason and Walker both looked over the edge of the dam and called out to hear the echo back.  There was a spot where the wind rushed back up in their faces and provided a nice respite from the high temperatures.

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Walker is here on Nevada time

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and Mason is on Arizona time. 

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The view was amazing.  We headed back after the tour and made a stop at a grocery store to grab a few items for a light lunch and breakfast in the morning. 

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Bill and I had made a long list of places to see and things to do while we were in Vegas but the boys expressed a desire to reign it in and stick around the hotel.  We went to the pool and they swam for about half an hour until a kiddo got sick and they shut the pool down for maintenance.  From there we headed up to ride the rollercoaster that sits on the rooftop of the New York, New York Hotel.  The coaster had some upside down loops but Walker not only coaxed Mason on, he convinced him to sit in the front car.  I was worried he wouldn’t like it but when we all got back—yes, I rode too!—he had a big smile on his face.  Hurray!

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I let the boys play in the arcade while I went to the business center to print boarding passes and check in for our flight.  When I got back, I found them in a dual at the air hockey table. 

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From there we went window shopping.  They insisted flasks were appropriate souvenirs for kids their age. 

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I indulged in a photo which was perfect to send to my nephew who turned 21 today.  He should have been in Vegas with us!

The Hershey store was right in our hotel so we wandered in. 

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You can pretty much buy a super-size serving of any Hershey product and or take a dramatic picture with it.  You can also take a picture with Lady Liberty carved out of chocolate, wrapped up in red vines or studded with jelly beans.

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Pardon all the selfies but I was glad Mason poked his head in one. 

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Walking chocolate?  Who knew?

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This is the view of the coaster from our room.

The rest of the afternoon quickly faded into dinner time and despite our big plans to get out to another restaurant, Mason and Walker both opted for simple meals from Nathan’s at the hotel.  While they ate in the room, I packed our suitcases and eventually I made my way down and grabbed dinner for myself.

The last hurrah of the night was another exhilarating spin for the boys on the roller coaster.  Seeing them come back with the windblown hair made my night!  It was a great way to wrap up our Vegas visit.

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