On our spring 2017 Las Vegas trip for Dan's annual conference, I spent an afternoon at Bodies: The Exhibition, at Luxor.

I'm fascinated by plastination (replacing fat and water with plastic to preserve bodies. Yes, real bodies) and I've seen Dr. Gunther Von Hagen's Body World's exhibition three times. I've been working on a short story idea for the last decade that involves plastinaiton, but I can't quite get it in shape. My visit to Bodies: The Exhibition was both for general interest and to see if I could get inspired to return to my story idea.

Out of respect for the body donors, photograph inside the exhibition was strictly prohibited. If you just go to the website, you can see a majority of the images.

Bodies: The Exhibition was far less spectacular than Body Worlds. It was much smaller and less flashy. For example, in Body Worlds they had a full-size horse with rider. In Bodies: The Exhibition, there is a guy on a bicycle. Body Worlds has a guy with his own skin draped over his arm! You get the idea.

Grandeur aside, the basic teaching elements from both exhibitions were still there. It's the smaller organs that are fascinating: with exhibits often taking a healthy organ and showing it alongside a diseased organ. For example, showing a healthy brain, alongside a brain that has been affected by a stroke. Probably the most affecting exhibits, especially being in Sin City, are the diseased liver of an alcoholic and the blackened lungs of a smoker. They even provide an enormous plexi-glass case and a note asking smokers to drop their packets of cigarettes in the case, in efforts to kick the habit. I wonder if there are statistics regarding how impactful these types of exhibits are with regard to pushing visitors to make major lifestyle changes.

I always take an extra moment to look at the gallbladder, since it's amazing to me that stones getting trapped in this tiny organ caused me so much pain. The stones themselves are so small! I had emergency gallbladder surgery in 2006, having the organ removed.

Admittedly, the first time I visited Body Worlds, I felt queasy. The exhibit on the circulatory system really got to me. In the exhibit, they strip away everything to just leave the veins. Animals have so many veins. I felt faint looking at it. The guy holding his own skin also got to me, as did seeing certain identifying markers, like tattoos that are still visible. Or things like hair and nails. It no longer bothers me.

I toured Bodies: The Exhibition on a quiet, weekday afternoon. I was alone during much of the time. To start, there were a bunch of young frat guys and one of the guys vomited. He couldn't take it, so the whole group left. I'm not sure if he was queasy by the exhibits or it was from too much partying. Perhaps he should have stuck around to see the liver! If you're worried that the exhibits might bother you, know that the full bodies are not the first thing that you see. They start out with organs and less extreme exhibits, so that you can work your way up. It's really not greusome though.

This is a great education exhibition for kids. Many years ago, I took my former nephew (first husband's family) to see Body Worlds, when he had just turned thirteen. He was blown away by the experience and it was one of his favorite things that we did on his trip to California. He even got to hold a plastinated heart. It's exciting to see kids get excited about learning. Bodies: The Exhibition and Body Worlds, both provided a unique educational opportunity that's impactful.

I should also note that Bodies: The Exhibition is not without controversy. There are questions about how the cadavers become part of the exhibition and concerns that they might not have been legally or morally obtained. The bodies are from China and other than that, the origins are not verified. They are suspected to have been executed prisoners. Body Worlds has been part of a similar controversy, but creator Von Hagen, as gone to great lengths to assure that the cadavers he uses are obtained legally and with consent. They even tell you how to volunteer your body at the end of their exhibition.

Overall, Body Worlds is the far superior exhibition, however, if you're in Vegas and it's not likely that you'll have a Body Worlds visit your town, then by all means, go see Bodies: The Exhibition. It's an astonishing way of viewing the human body.

On the way to our Disney World vacation, we made a two-night stop in Las Vegas. It was so much fun, that we decided to add two more nights on the way back from Orlando. This was my first time staying at Luxor. I have to confess, that I've never been a fan of Luxor. I'm not a huge gambler, but what little I've played at Luxor, has been a straight losing streak. I also don't think much of their dining options. However, the price was right, and it seemed like a cool hotel to take the kids. I mean, who wouldn't want to sleep in a giant pyramid? The Sphinx at the entrance makes a huge impression.

The theming was a hit with the kids. They were wide-eyed as we arrived and awe-struck for the entire stay. I've stayed at a majority of the hotel in Vegas, and although Luxor isn't the fanciest, it's a hotel that I'd consider for future visits.

We had a standard room for the first visit, but on the way back we were upgraded to a room with a jacuzzi tub. Zoe and Felix loved the massive tub. It's like a private swimming pool, especially for small kids! Our room had a sitting area that was off to the side, not quite a separate room, but it was designed in a way that gave us plenty of extra space. Here are pictures of the second, larger room.

Since this was a vacation with the kids, we did zero gambling. It was fairly easy to navigate the family friendly areas of Luxor and avoid the casino. The food options were somewhat limited. We ate over-priced pizza in the food court and even more shockingly over-priced snacks at Starbucks. The prices at the Starbucks in the Vegas casinos is far higher than regular Starbucks. Every Vegas trip, we can't believe the Starbucks sticker-shock. The kids liked the buffet at Luxor, where we dined twice. This is probably my least favorite buffet in Vegas, but it had kid friendly items. It's always easiest when the whole family can pick exactly what they want to eat. No food drama.

Here are pictures of the hotel, including the lobby area. I should also mention that due to the shape of the hotel, the elevators move slightly sideways. It's a strange sensation, that was also a huge hit with the kids.

Above all, our primary reason for visiting Vegas was to have some pool time.

The pool at Luxor isn't the best in Vegas, but it's very good. It's missing a lazy river: which is the mark of a superior pool experience. What really made our pool time special, is we splurged on a cabana.

To make the most of our cabana time, we arrived when the pool opened and stayed until closing. We would never have been able to spend so much time outside in the summer heat without a cabana. We relied on having our private spot of shade with misters to keep us cool and sunburn free.

The Luxor cabanas come with four lounge chairs and a large sofa. They have storage lockers, a stocked refrigerator, and a television. We were given a small basket with snacks, like cookies and chips, but we definitely ordered plenty of food and drinks too.

The cabana rental came with a semi-private pool: a pool dedicated just to people renting cabanas. There were several other families renting cabana's and the experience on both days of our rental, were completely family friendly. We were even given access to pool toys and the grass area behind the cabanas had a giant Jenga and corn-hole set. Unlike the main pool, the cabana pool wasn't crowded at all.

Compare the cabana pool crowds to a walk-way to the main pool. The cabana certainly wasn't inexpensive, but it was a great experience.

Hands down, the best part of our cabana experience was our cabana attendant: Gina. Our family loved Gina. We loved her so much, that when we returned from Orlando, we switched to a less desirable cabana location, just to be in Gina's section. She was the best.

Definitely splurge on the cabana: it's worth every penny. Make sure to insist on Gina's section! Here are a few final pictures of Luxor as viewed from the pool complex. Luxor isn't the most luxurious hotel in Vegas, but it's certainly a solid mid-range hotel with a fun theme. It's perfect for a family trip.