The Golden Nugget.....

Yes, you would never have guessed, but we headed back to Vegas today. We simply had to escape the heat, and we were drawn back to Vegas because firstly because it was only a four hour drive away. Secondly, I booked us a room at The Golden Nugget for only $47 a night plus tax, (Nic you will be pleased to know that no resort fees are charged)! Finally, the kids will have a chance to swim in the pool with the waterside that goes through the shark tank.

We arrived, completely drained from the heat to discover Vegas was 48 degrees. I do believe this is the hottest I have ever been. But we were straight up to our surprisingly great hotel room and air conditioning. Garry even suggested that we stay at least two nights, so we extended our stay! After a week camping, mostly in dirt, two nights in beds with fresh white sheets and air conditioning is luxury.

The Golden Nugget is apparently famous for being the first Casino in Vegas? When I was researching on the web, I discovered the following image of a really old postcard from the hotel.

This is a very different side of Vegas to that when we visited a month ago. I guess there is a reason the rooms are so affordable. The centerpiece of the newest tower in The Golden Nugget is beautiful, but also very different to that of the Venetian.

The kids were happy to lay on the bed and watch television - even with that amazing swimming pool downstairs. But once we did go for a swim it was very difficult to get them out of the pool. The following pictures explain why.

The swimming pool is called, "The Tank" and cost 30 million dollars and includes a shark tank and three story water slide. It was really cool to be swimming in the pool with only glass between you and sharks! The promo video from You Tube below gives you an idea.

On the darker side we did witness quite a show on our first afternoon in the swimming pool. It involved several women in a brawl, which at one time included a child attacking a security guards from behind to defend his mother. In the end three women were handcuffed and removed. This was a very different atmosphere to that at the Venetian!

We braved the heat to check out the local Vegas action. We witnessed some unusual sights including the Heart Attack Grill. If you weigh 300 pounds or more you can eat for free! To check your weight you have the ability to weigh yourself on giant scales, with the weight lit up for all to see! We watched a number of men weigh in only to miss out by a few pounds - much to their obvious disappointment.

It was lovely to have a nice shower and sleep in beds again. With our batteries recharged we are ready for a new day on the road...