Las Vegas: a destination to return to again and again

The first time we went to Las Vegas was not born from an advertisement, a movie or a tourist recommendation, but rather it was born from our children’s stories.

Some time before, Madelyn and Tomás had traveled to the United States to participate in a student exchange in Santa Barbara.

Although they were still very young – Madelyn was just 16 years old and Tomás was 12 – they had the opportunity to take an excursion to Las Vegas.

When they returned, they told us about that city with an enthusiasm that is difficult to describe.

They told us about gigantic hotels, incredible shows, fountains that seemed to dance to the rhythm of music, streets full of lights and buildings that seemed taken from different places in the world.

Pablo and I listened fascinated and were surprised that our children had been so impressed with a place so different from anything we knew.

They transmitted their enthusiasm to us so much that the following year we decided to see for ourselves if Las Vegas was really as extraordinary as they described it, and that is how the four of us undertook our trip together.

I still remember the feeling of arriving for the first time, everything seemed enormous.

The hotels were not simply hotels; They were true worlds built within a city and each one had its own theme, its architecture, its shows and its personality.

I still have the memory of our arrival intact.

The flight had been long and when we finally arrived at the hotel it was already close to midnight. We were tired, but also full of anticipation after listening for so long to the stories that Madelyn and Tomás had told us about Las Vegas.

When we entered the hotel and went up to our room on one of the highest floors – I think it was the 34th floor – something happened that I will never forget. We approached the windows and there was Las Vegas completely illuminated.

Thousands of lights stretching as far as the eye could see, gigantic hotels shining in the middle of the desert and an energy that seemed impossible to describe.

We stayed for several minutes observing in silence and this spectacle was much more impressive than we had imagined.

The fatigue of the trip was beginning to set in, but as I contemplated that view I told Madelyn that we couldn’t afford to waste a single night in a city like that.

Pablo and Tomás were exhausted and decided to stay resting in the Planet Hollywood hotel room, instead, Madelyn and I decided to go for a walk.

And that was how I had my first encounter with the famous Strip, which at that time of night was still as alive as if the day had just begun.

The Strip is the great avenue of Las Vegas, an almost endless succession of themed hotels, casinos, shows, restaurants, shops and lights of every color imaginable. Walking there is like feeling like you’re in a movie.

Each hotel seemed to compete with the next to surprise the visitor even more. Egyptian pyramids, canals inspired by Venice, castles, monumental fountains and buildings that seemed to defy all architectural logic followed one after another.

People walked everywhere, street performances appeared unexpectedly, and the city conveyed a permanent feeling of movement and excitement.

Madelyn and I walked several blocks completely fascinated and I remember saying over and over again “I can’t believe it”.

Upon returning to the hotel in the early hours of the morning, we realized that Las Vegas was exactly what our children had promised us and perhaps even more.

The next morning, while we were having breakfast, Pablo and Tomás listened to the story of our nocturnal adventure, laughing. We tried to describe to them everything we had seen, although in reality we knew that it was impossible to convey it completely in words.

But that same morning the four of us went out to explore it in a different way, during the day.

One of the most vivid memories I have are those interior spaces where the sky was artificially recreated. The clouds, the light and the colors were so real that at times it was difficult to believe that one was still inside a building.

It was like walking through a city within another city.

We were also amazed by the shopping arcades, the street performances and the ability of Las Vegas to turn any walk into an experience.

During the following days we continued exploring the city and discovering attractions that until then we had only seen in movies or magazines.

One of the places we enjoyed the most was the famous Wax Museum. Seeing the figures of artists, actors, athletes and historical figures up close was surprising due to the level of detail and realism. The kids had fun posing for photographs with their favorite celebrities, while we also got carried away with the game of trying to distinguish where the figure ended and where reality began.

Another place that impressed us was the famous covered street of Fremont Street, in the heart of old Las Vegas.

Unlike the modern Strip, Fremont preserves some of the city’s history. What caught our attention the most was its gigantic illuminated vault that covers several blocks. Shows of lights, music and images unfolded above our heads, transforming the ceiling into a huge digital screen.

Walking there was a completely different experience, shared with tourists from all over the world in a permanent festive atmosphere that made every corner have something to discover.

I remember that we stopped several times simply to observe the light shows that ran across the entire ceiling. At that time it seemed futuristic to us and difficult to imagine in any other city.

And of course there were the famous Bellagio fountains and seeing them for the first time was unforgettable because the water seemed to dance to the rhythm of the music with perfect precision.

We stayed looking at them for a long time, sharing that amazement that only some very special places generate.

But beyond the lights and the spectacle, what I enjoyed most was living that experience with Pablo, Madelyn and Tomás.

They had become, in some way, our guides.

Now we were the ones who discovered in person everything that they had told us with so much emotion months before, and they were right.

Las Vegas was even more impressive than we had imagined.

Over the years we were lucky enough to return several times and each visit allowed us to discover new shows, new hotels and new experiences.

However, none compares to that first time because it was the city we got to know through the eyes of our children.

Las Vegas is usually associated with casinos, luxury and great shows, but the reality is that for me it is not only that and it has become one of those destinations that always makes me want to return.

If you go

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.

Not to be missed:
• The Bellagio fountains.
• Explore the Strip day and night.
• Theme hotels and their attractions.
• Fremont Street Experience.
• The great musical and magic shows.
• Commercial galleries and spaces recreated as interior cities.

Recommendation: walk without rushing. In Las Vegas, many of the surprises appear simply by visiting the hotels and letting yourself be surprised by the details.

Because Las Vegas is not just a city. It is a permanent spectacle that demonstrates that the human imagination can build truly incredible places.