The Land of the Integrated Resort

It was super cold at Zion Canyon when we woke up this morning, so we spent a long time debating whether or not to go hiking a little - we were mainly concerned if it would be too cold for the kids. Eventually we compromised by taking the shuttle bus within Zion Canyon, and we walked a bit later when the sun was higher, so it was warmer.

The Lodge where we spent the night.

In Zion Canyon, if not for the kids, we could have:

• gone on a much longer hike to explore the canyon. There are some really beautiful spots where the cliffs hang over the river. As it was, we could only look at photos of these hard-to-reach spots at the Lodge.

Because of the kids, we:

• got to go on the shuttle bus, where we got to listen to J engaging two old ladies from Wales in conversation. ("My name is Joshua, I'm three. This is my Mei-mei. She's one. You know what, we're from Singapore! But we live in L.A. now. In Claremont! This my Diego jacket.")
• walked along the Virgin River for a little bit, where both kids dipped them hands into the icy cold water, and where J took great delight in hurling rocks into the water.
• got to show the kids what a star-lit sky and what a grazing wild deer look like.
  
• stood behind and under a waterfall, where they also saw a small rainbow up close.
  

Then from nature, onward to the man-made wonder that is Las Vegas.

Without the kids, we would have:

• caught at least one of the FOUR Cirque du Soleil shows here
• watched Celine Dion in concert
• watched Monty Python's Spamalot (and possibly have died from laughter)
• seen the Blue Man Group
• caught The Producers, starring Tony Danza
  

Instead, with the kids, we:

• endured a buffet dinner at the Bellagio with a cranky, overtired J and a whiny, jealous E (when she saw J sitting on my lap). Both of them were fighting to sit on my lap. For what it was worth, the food was superb.
• caught the (free) water show at the Bellagio, which J proclaimed to be "good".
• saw a replica of the Eiffel Tower, the New York skyline, an Arthurian castle, and a pyramid (which was covered with an advert for Absolut Vodka)