Yesterday we filled our time with another trip to the strip, this time heading to the Mirage to see the dolphins and the Secret Garden with all the big kitties. It was a perfect day outside, sunny and warm with cool air, and the girls did great. Of course, I was glad that I didn't have to pay the outrageous children's prices to get them into the retreat, as they got bored about 1/3 of the way through it....But by great, I mean that they didn't try to climb into the dolphin pools (more than twice), and they didn't come home with any lasting marks.
I hadn't been to the Mirage in years. I love it! It is a great place to stay if you are bringing your kids, or if you just want a different sort of atmosphere besides slot machines and tables. The entrance is a sort of tropical oasis, with birds of paradise, running streams, waterfalls, and more humidity than you can find in most areas of Las Vegas at this time of year.
Then, back behind the pools (at which the crazy people were sunning themselves - I mean it was only 75! and windy! brrrr) there is this wildlife refuge that stands in striking contrast to the city in which it exists. There were three dolphin pools, and the secret garden had lions, white tigers, baby tigers, leopards, alpacas (meals for the kitties? I wasn't sure why they had alpacas in the midst of the large cat habitat), and regular orange tigers which I'm sure have a more technical name. The garden had all kinds of trees and shrubs, and it felt like we were in a completely different city than we actually were in.
Around lunch time, we decided to go to In 'N Out burger on Tropicana. Luckily, I had brought my babysitter, Kate, along with me, so that I could leave Claire with her without any concern for their well-being, while I raced to the front through the max-capacity 131 people to get our food. Oh, I know: mom of the year award for me again.
By the pool.
Looking for dolphins.
There's one!
2 comments:
Looks like a gorgeous day!! I love that you are getting out and appreciating all Vegas has to offer :0)
I didn't even know they had stuff like this in Vegas, though I haven't been there since I had kids and I used to avoid animal attractions like the plague.
Several things:
1. "But by great, I mean that they didn't try to climb into the dolphin pools (more than twice), and they didn't come home with any lasting marks." HAH! And true.
2. You know you lived in the southwest too long when you say things like: "at which the crazy people were sunning themselves - I mean it was only 75! and windy! brrrr"
3. I had to google "alpacas," but you throw it around as if it is common knowledge. I am very impressed. And kind of weirded out by the pictures that popped up on the google search (llama dogs?). And also stumped by their presence in the exhibit.
4. That top picture of Kate? Wow. She is so beautiful and looks SO MUCH like Tim in it, even though she probably really looks exactly like you as a kid.
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