March 2023 Visit to Las Vegas

by admin

March 2023, I made a trip to Las Vegas on some business errands. This would be a post of all the things that happened on the sidelines.

Las Vegas Boulevard

Flight to Las Vegas

Given that I was contractually bounded to purchase “the cheapest practical itinerary”, and for the flights to Las Vegas, only one itinerary by Frontier Airlines was priced around 100USD, while the rest started at 200USD, that’s essentially my only option if I didn’t want the travel report to look too bad. Adding the price of a checked bag and the ride to the airport, it’s still the cheapest option.

For the first leg of my flight that departed Reagan National Airport at 7am, I hailed a Lyft at 5am. The driver that Lyft matched me with was probably still in the process of waking up, because his icon was stuck in a nearby apartment for 10+ minutes before moving my way. 😪
Once at the airport, there was almost no line for clearing security at the not-too-modern Terminal A of Reagan National Airport. So despite the delay with Lyft, I was in no hurry at all.

Frontier Airlines 535
Washington Reagan National (DCA) – Denver, CO (DEN)
Airbus A320neo (N390FR)
Seat 23C
Scheduled Departure – 7:00am
Actual Departure – 7:27am
Scheduled Arrival – 9:21am
Actual Arrival – 9:31am
4 hours and 4 minutes

Sunrise Glow
My plane to Denver at the gate of Reagan National Airport.
Frontier Airlines A320neo (N390FR)
My plane from Washington DC.
Boarding Flight to Las Vegas
At Denver Airport.

Frontier Airlines 775
Denver, CO (DEN) – Las Vegas, NV (LAS)
Airbus A320neo (N318FR)
Seat 23B
Scheduled Departure – 11:38am
Actual Departure – 11:39am
Scheduled Arrival – 12:46pm
Actual Arrival – 12:33pm
1 hour and 54 minutes

The flight from Washington DC to Denver wasn’t that remarkable. I was having a mild stomach ache and was largely trying to get some rest. For the flight from Denver to Las Vegas, we had a few very intense vertical accelerations during our westbound departure into the Rocky Mountains, like a roller coaster ride that thankfully didn’t last. The likely culprit was the geology of the Rocky Mountains that brewed high winds.

For both of these legs, I flew on Frontier’s Airbus 320neo with two different types of seats: the flight from Washington DC on newer seats with proper tray tables, the flight from Denver on older seats with tiny ones. I was actually okay with Frontier’s legroom since my first flight with them two years ago, but both versions of seats lacked head support, which sucked. Among the two evils, I sort of like the older seats more since it had more built-in recline.

The flight arrived at Las Vegas’ Terminal 3, which I didn’t like. More than half of the exits to baggage claims were closed, leading me to a lengthy detour around the terminal.

Hotel

For this trip, I stayed at the Horseshoe Hotel, part of Caesar Entertainment. Including all taxes and fees, it’s 1230USD for a five-night stay, which at first glance didn’t look bad for a room with views of Las Vegas Strip.

It’s the worst hotel stay in my life.

To begin, it took me an hour waiting in line just for checkin (they knew they had 1000+ checkin’s for the day but still didn’t budge with early checkin when lines were shorter), while having to put up with smoke from the nearby casino floor (it shocked me that most casinos in Las Vegas allowed smoking). I’ve heard stories of people checking in later that night that had to wait for 2 hours.
After a very bad checkin experience, I just couldn’t help but be critical of the hotel room, which sure didn’t let me down. The tables were dusty, there was a chair missing from the online photos, there were stains on the bathroom floor, and later that night, we found out the fridge was set too cold (that it actually became a freezer).
Not to mention in the year 2023, their free WiFi was only for 2 devices per room (despite a phone call later they confirmed the devices could be swapped once every 24 hours).
And not completely their fault, but since I booked prepaid via third-party, they couldn’t provide me with a proper invoice for reimbursement (despite a phone call earlier with their billing department saying they could).
At the end of the day, the only thing remarkable about the room was probably the view, at the center of the Las Vegas Strip.

Hotel Room
View from Hotel Room
View from Hotel Room

After such a terrible experience with Horseshoe Hotel, I happily added Caesar Entertainment to my boycott list. On that matter, Horseshoe Hotel was conveniently located, just a walk bridge away to Bellagio Hotel, an MGM property.

For the remainder of the day, I did a quick walking tour of the Las Vegas Strip during the day while stocking up supplies, knowing its true beauty was only at night.

Las Vegas Boulevard
Casinos of Las Vegas
Las Vegas Boulevard
Flamingo Hotel

Unfortunately, more bad news followed as I found out my laptop was damaged during the flights this morning. I could not repair the damage away from home (and for a moment I thought not at all), but a computer was on the other hand vital to my job. So I spent the evening frantically browsing through laptop pickup offers nearby, and the next morning on a trip to a nearby BestBuy picking up a new laptop.

For the afternoon, I thought I needed a change of luck; meanwhile, some of my friends decided to check out Red Rock Canyon just outside the city, so obviously I was in.

Red Rock Canyon

This was a “national conservation area” under the Bureau of Land Management. Just a short drive away from Las Vegas, it’s the perfect escape from the city’s decadence, for someone looking for nature.
Due to its popularity, Red Rock Canyon required timed reservations for entry. Before we left Las Vegas, we saw plenty of availabilities left, so we didn’t bother with it and got in just as fine.

Calico 1 Parking Lot

In the eastern part of the conservation area, “Calico Rock” was a series of hills with the distinctive red color that gave the area its name. The red colors were results from oxidation of iron deposits in the rock that were exposed due to seismic activities. We first stopped at this overlook to its south where a short trail led to the bottom of a valley.

Calico Rocks
Calico Rocks
Calico Rocks
Valley at Foot of Calico Rocks
Valley at Foot of Calico Rocks
Valley at Foot of Calico Rocks
Climber at Calico Rocks

Range of Mountains from Calico Parking Lot

Towards the west, the snow-decorated peaks in Rainbow Mountain Wilderness provided a constant backdrop of awe throughout the day. As far as I could see, “red rock canyon” was between these mountains to the west and Calico Rock to the east.

Calico Tanks Trail

The most popular trail of the conservation area, 3.7km out-and-back with views of distant Las Vegas on top of an overlook in Calico Rocks.

The area around Calico Rocks provided boundless rock-climbing activities. Immediately after leaving the trailhead, some of us (including me) decided to scramble up a small hill (p6-7 below) for vantage views of surrounding mountains. (It’s not that steep and I barely used my hands, so I would rate that as YDS class 2.) Some photos in the following slideshow were taken on top of the hill.

Mountains to the West
Mountains to the West
Bridge Mountain
Rainbow Mountain
Mount Wilson
Fields Below
Hill
The one that I just scrambled onto.
Turtlehead Peak
La Marde Mountains

Then there’s the actual trail, which started out flat and wide before it entered a valley, picking up both elevation gain and technical difficulty. In my opinion, the entire trail remained YDS class 1 before Calico Lake.

Trail
Trail
Trail
Trail in Valley
Rock Hill of Calico
Two distinctive colors of the hill.
Rock Hill of Calico
Excelsior Stone Quarry
Near trailhead.
Bird

Calico Lake
My friends scouting the way ahead.
Overlooking Calico Lake
Calico Lake and Surrounding Boulders
Calico Lake and Surrounding Boulders
Valley
Where the trail came from.

The actual overlook was just after Calico Tank, or “Calico Lake” on Google Maps. We didn’t find any official markings of the trail near the lake, so we just scouted our own ways past the lake. The exact end of the trail depended on how adventurous one felt. Some of my friends were high on that scale that they attempted scrambling onto the hill to the south of the lake. The path was steep, with not many good handholds / footholds and with decent exposure. Since I didn’t bring my scrambling gear, I stayed behind.
Below were the views from the end of the trail.

View of Las Vegas from Calico View
View of South Las Vegas from Calico View
Las Vegas from Calico View
Rocks and Distant City from Calico View

Rocks and Distant City from Calico View

Including our little adventures off the trail, it took us just over 2 hours before we returned to the parking lot.

High Point Overlook

This was the next major attraction along the loop road, also its highest point, offering views of extensive fields to the south, flanked by the red Calico Rocks on one side and the snow-crested mountains in Rainbow Mountain Wilderness on the other. It had a few benches, so we had a small picnic with snacks.

Fields and Mountains
Calico Rocks
Calico Rocks and Distant South Las Vegas
Mountains
White Rock Hills
Mountain
Rainbow Mountain
Mount Wilson
Distant Mountains

Fields and Mountains from High Point Overlook

Lost Creek Trail

It’s getting late in the day (approaching 5pm), so we decided to only add another short hike to our excursion, and so we picked Lost Creek Trail. It’s a 1km out-and-back to a waterfall in a canyon.

Canyon
Within which was a waterfall as our destination.
Trail
In the shade so there’s snow left. It didn’t feel slippery though.
Waterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall

Frankly, I didn’t find the waterfall that impressive. But since it’s such a short commitment and allowed me some fun walking on snow, I’m okay with it.

Mountains

And since the day involved a lot of driving, below was a slideshow of photos I captured from various places around the conservation area.

Red Rocks before Snowy Mountains
Once off the expressway, the red rocks of Calico were visible.
Calico Rock
After leaving the visitor center, the Calico Rocks were front and center.
Ice Box Canyon
Ice Box Canyon
Bridge Mountain
Pine Creek Canyon
Scenic Drive

Pine Creek Trailhead

Our next stop was “Pine Creek Trailhead”, but since we were running late, we only stopped for photos, without venturing into Pine Creek Canyon.

Pine Creek Canyon
Mescalito Peak in Pine Creek Canyon
Mount Wilson
Rainbow Mountain
Bridge Mountain
Calico Rocks
Calico Rocks

Mountains from Pine Creek Parking Lot

Red Rock Canyon Overlook

This was our final stop of the day, located outside the fee-area, along NV Route 159. Given the time of day, it’s like a more colorful version of the “High Point Overlook”, watching the gorgeous orange colors of the sunset glow extending east into the impressive rock formations of Calico Rocks.

Red Rock Canyon at Sunset
Red Rock Canyon
Calico Rocks
White Rock Hills
Bridge Mountain
Rainbow Mountain

Red Rock Canyon at Sunset

Las Vegas City Proper

Despite its name, the most exciting part of Las Vegas Strip (the famous hotels and casinos, including the one that I stayed in) was not in the city proper of Las Vegas, but rather, an unincorporated town of Paradise, partly so that they could avoid municipal taxes (source). So one night, I decided to check out Las Vegas City Proper.
A giant gateway arch (p1 and p9 below) on the southern end of the city reminded people of its boundary. Upon entering Las Vegas City Proper, Fremont Street was likely its only attraction. It featured a giant overhead screen that ran throughout the length of the street~~, so that its visitors could be immersed in its decadence without realizing time’s passage~~.

The western end of Fremont Street featured a stage for concert, and even when there wasn’t one, various vendors along the street blasted their speakers in an attempt to incapacitate passers-by so as to squeeze money from them. Luckily, I brought my earplugs and after their attenuation, it’s the right amount of festivity entering my ears.

Las Vegas Boulevard Gateway Arches
Lights of Four Queens Hotel Walkway
Fremont Street
Fremont Street
Fremont Street
Fremont Street
California Hotel & Casino
Things were a lot quieter just one block away.
Fremont Street
Las Vegas Boulevard Gateway Arches

Las Vegas Strip

After returning from Fremont Street, I figured I should nonetheless give (parts of) Las Vegas Strip a tour.

Las Vegas Boulevard
Las Vegas Boulevard
Pool at Wynn Hotel
Fountain at Wynn Hotel

After my boycott of Caesar Entertainment, a major attraction along the strip was The Venetian hotel, featuring as many reproductions of Venetian landmarks as possible, such as Rialto Bridge, St Mark’s Campanile, St. Mark’s Square, and of course, the canals and the gondola rides.
It’s interesting that I found the hotel’s casino occupied its ground floor, while “Grand Canal Shoppes”, an indoor shopping district with the canals and gondolas, occupied its second floor. I didn’t know how the gamblers would feel if they knew they were “under water”.

Canal outside The Venetian Hotel
Bridge outside The Venetian Hotel
Bridge outside The Venetian Hotel
Plaza outside The Venetian Hotel
Ceiling Painting at The Venetian
Canal inside the Venetian
Canal inside the Venetian
Canal inside the Venetian
Plaza inside the Venetian
Grand Canal Shoppes Eastern Entrance

While I happily toured the “Grand Canal Shoppes” (since it’s one of the few non-smoking areas around Las Vegas Strip), I couldn’t help but notice the gondolas were actually motor-powered, with a small propeller installed in the most inconspicuous location underneath the boat. Nonetheless, the gondola operators made every possible effort as if it’s their oar doing the job, just like the rest of the city, keeping their gullible guests content.

Propellers underneath Gondola Rides at The Venetian

After leaving The Venetian, I checked out some other attractions nearby since all the hotels along the strip were battling for the most awesome spectacle to attract attention. Among them were the volcano display at Mirage, which was a combination of flame and water that I could feel its heat from across the street; or the giant music fountain outside Bellagio, for someone with more refined taste.

Volcano Display at Mirage
Volcano Display at Mirage
Bellagio Fountain
Bellagio Fountain
Cosmopolitan and Bellagio Hotels

And I would conclude this part with some more photos from the southern part of the Las Vegas Strip.

Las Vegas Boulevard
Las Vegas Boulevard
Las Vegas Boulevard
Las Vegas Boulevard

Flight from Las Vegas

Given the famous nightlife in Las Vegas, it’s no wonder the city had its fair share of redeye flights to the east coast. Since I didn’t want my expense report to look too bad, for my flight back, I chose to fly Delta Airlines with a connection in Cincinnati, leaving late at night and saving one night’s hotel expense.
The fair amount of redeye flights meant there was still a short wait (10 min) for security checkpoint at 9:30pm, while I dealt with the fallout of Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse.

Delta Airlines Checkin Counter

Delta forecast a full flight, so it offered me to check my carryon bag for free. However, when I found out about the line, I decided against that.
Baggage Claim Area

Apart from the excessively neon colors of the LED screens (pretty in line with the rest of the city), it’s actually pretty nice.
Concourse D Interior
It looked spacious at first sight, but there were no power outlets near my boarding gate.
Delta Airlines A321 (N121DZ)
My plane to Cincinnati.
Delta Airlines A321 Cabin

We had a slight boarding delay due to, strangely, one flight attendant arriving from another flight that’s late. I wasn’t too fond of the trend in the industry of separating crew and aircraft in scheduling.
Apart from that, the flight to Cincinnati went without a hitch. It’s a full flight, but Delta aggressively persuaded people to check carryon bags and I think in the end they didn’t have to force anyone to do it.

Delta Airlines 844
Las Vegas, NV (LAS) – Hebron, KY (CVG)
Airbus A321 (N121DZ)
Seat 20D
Scheduled Departure – 11:15pm
Actual Departure – 11:28pm
Scheduled Arrival – 5:48am + 1
Actual Arrival – 5:33am + 1
3 hour and 5 minutes

Probably because it’s still early in the morning (6am), the terminal of Cincinnati Airport felt very quiet and empty to me. Perhaps it’s still suffering from Delta’s dehub more than a decade ago.
The flight to Washington DC had a few empty seats so people could switch around. Cincinnati was a hub for DHL, before takeoff, we were given a tour of its massive cargo facilities during taxiing.

Fossil Display
Cincinnati Airport Terminal Interior
Delta Connect CRJ900 (N490PX)
My plane to Washington DC.
Kalitta Charters B727
A 40-year-old aircraft.
Flying over Ohio River

Delta Airlines 4685 Operated by Endeavor Air
Hebron, KY (CVG) – Washington Reagan National (DCA)
Bombardier CRJ900 (N490PX)
Seat 15D
Scheduled Departure – 7:05am
Actual Departure – 7:17am
Scheduled Arrival – 8:37am
Actual Arrival – 8:18am
1 hour and 1 minute

It was mostly cloudy for the flight to Washington DC, so I didn’t capture much along the way. I did capture a video of the landing, this time with my phone’s telephoto lens so the perspective looked a bit different:

Since we landed 19 minutes early, it’s perhaps not that surprising that our gate wasn’t ready. So we were held for 9 minutes on the ramp.
After that, I was lucky to catch a metro train downtown that’s about to leave. This concluded my trip to Las Vegas.
END

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Category: Travel Tags: Delta Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area

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