Our 2026 snowbird adventure has begun, but it’s just Mark and I – we did not bring RoVer Too along on this trip. To mix things up a bit, we decided to fly the friendly skies instead of driving the open road, and we hopped a flight from Chicago to Las Vegas on Wednesday, January 28^th.

Flying seems so foreign to us now – it’s been over a year since we last flew anywhere! Our experience was made a bit nicer by having two United Club Passes (one of the perks of our United co-branded credit card) – I’ve never been in an airport club before, and I have to say, I like it! I felt like United royalty!

I also liked landing in Las Vegas to 60-degree temperatures and no snow – quite a change from what we left behind in Chicago. We picked up our rental car and again, it’s so foreign to us – it’s a sedan, when we are used to driving SUVs or our monster truck. I guess this trip is all about getting out of our comfort zone! Our hotel is about a block off the strip, adjacent to The Sphere…very convenient for the two shows we are seeing there!

I’ve been to Vegas more times than I can count, but pretty much always for work – so many trade shows, conferences, and meetings here over the years. I usually tried to fit in some fun during those trips (Cirque du Soleil shows, comedians, magicians, etc.), but it’s nice to visit Vegas and not have to spend any time working!

Thursday was quite the variety of activities. We started our morning at the Atomic Museum which is affiliated with the Smithsonian and covers 70 years of nuclear testing including the Manhattan Project and the nearby Nevada Test Site. They have some really interesting artifacts and photos to tell the story.

In the afternoon, we made our way to the MGM Grand and the “Friends Experience”. I have always been a huge fan of the sitcom from the ‘90s, both when it originally aired and in reruns since then, so it was lots of fun to walk through re-creations of the key parts of the set – from the couch and fountain used in the opening sequence to Joey & Chandler’s apartment to Monica & Rachel’s apartment and Central Perk. There were fantastic photo ops throughout, and so many references to memorable scenes from the show.

Our next stop was the Bellagio, probably our favorite hotel on the strip. The conservatory and botanical gardens were all decked out for the Lunar New Year (year of the horse), and of course the Chihuly glass ceiling in the lobby is always worth seeing! Our timing was perfect to catch the water show out front, too!

We headed back to our hotel, and then made the short walk to The Sphere to see Wizard of Oz. It’s absolutely incredible what they’ve been able to do with the original 1939 film. AI was used to enhance the original visuals and it’s unbelievable how sharp and clear they are on the 16K wraparound screen! The sound quality was impressive (the score was re-recorded with an 80-piece orchestra), and it’s a multi-sensory experience…the wind was blowing and our seats were moving throughout the tornado sequence, apples fell from the sky, monkeys flew around us…just amazing from start to finish. Apparently it was almost $100 million investment to produce this spectacle! Definitely an example of how AI can be used for GOOD!

After dinner, we hit one final stop for the day – the Neon Museum. It’s definitely a place to visit after dark, to see the old neon signs all lit up. I loved walking through Las Vegas history captured in signs – from casinos, hotels, shops, & restaurants around the area. So much fun on a beautiful, clear night.

Friday morning, I was awake early so I headed outside to the other side of our hotel grounds, and watched the 6am Sphere “Sunrise Show”. I’m really enamored of the way they use the Sphere as a canvas for all kinds of graphics, advertising, and more.  It was so fun to watch it “wake up”! A fun, free show in Vegas…but you do have to be an early riser!

The next few hours were a bit of a change of pace – we drove about an hour East to Valley of Fire State Park, and we are so glad we did! The natural beauty was just incredible at Nevada’s oldest state park, and it is such a stark contrast to the lights and glitz of Vegas. The vibrantly colored sandstone against the clear blue sky – couldn’t ask for a more photogenic place! We spent a few hours driving through, hiking, and oohing & awwing! Highly recommend this place if you’re ever in the area and want a break from the casinos!

And Friday night…well, Friday night is the genesis for this whole trip. Back in September, we decided to splurge and buy tickets to see The Eagles in concert at The Sphere. Between seeing one of my all-time favorite bands, and it being in such an incredible venue with the best audio and video, we just had to do it! And it did not disappoint! You can’t even call it a concert – it’s so much more than that – a full-production, once-in-a-lifetime experience. From the moment we walked in until the very last note was played, it was amazing. The band was on a simple stage on the floor (pretty far away from our seats in section 408), and the wraparound screen was filled with wonderful graphics, videos, and photos that paired with the lyrics of each song to tell a complete story. Many of the videos make you feel like you are moving…driving down the highway. And images of the band were interspersed throughout, so we could always see them!

As for the Eagles themselves, we were amazed at how great Don Henley sounds at age 78 – his voice doesn’t seem to have changed at all over the past 50 years and he still sounds wonderful. Joe Walsh was recovering from a really bad case of the flu which actually had caused him to miss the prior Saturday’s show, so he was only on stage for his songs and while his guitar playing wasn’t affected, his voice did seem a bit off (could also be caused by age and a rough life!). After the passing of Glenn Frey, country singer Vince Gill joined the group and he was fantastic! His voice and his personality seem like the perfect fit for this group. Glenn Frey’s son, Deacon, is also in the band now and is really talented! There are over 167,000 speakers in the Sphere, so you can definitely tell if the band sounds good. The group has been in residency at Sphere for about 18 months and the shows keep selling out…so I guess they’ll keep going!

Saturday brought the end to our two perfect days in Vegas…time to head to the airport for the next leg of our vacation and a short flight to San Diego. It’s such a treat to spend an hour in the air for what would have been a five-hour drive (even longer in RoVer!). Stay tuned for our adventures in “America’s Finest City”!