Vegas Vacation and other updates

So it may appear as though I have vanished. Normally I prefer updating this blog more but this summer has been a whirlwind of activity. Over the fourth of July I was in Kearney, Nebraska for family time. It was wonderful but 18 hours in a car will put you off sitting at a desk.

Softball is still going every Wednesday and our team is getting much better. We tend to win both games now as opposed to winning one and getting squished in the next one. Just yesterday I was in the Twin Cities for Tyler's family and this Friday I will help my friend Ainsley move into her apartment. She's lived 4 hours away for a long time so I am BEYOND thrilled that she'll be just a few blocks down.

But the biggest adventure was last week when I flew to Vegas to meet my friend Sarah (aka SPENCE). She and I met in college and quickly learned that we were much too awesome to let a little distance separate us (she lives in Oregon, I'm in North Dakota).


Our home for the first few days in Vegas

The Gold Coast Casino where we stayed, was really nice and we were in a newly remodeled room --as in JUST opened that morning. It was modern styling and very posh. The shower was one of those open air things (no door) and inside was a window so you could view the strip as you showered.

There are some downsides to new room. I like the smell of fresh paint and all but at one point, our water turned off and another time we heard a buzzsaw that sounded THISCLOSE to coming through our wall!

We checked in around 7 pm and ordered room service (too hungry to move!) and then took the shuttle from our hotel to the strip. We immediately went into Bill's Gambling Hall and purchased tasty and cheap margaritas which we carried out onto the strip- Vegas has NO RULES I swear! We walked inside Paris hotel and casino and eventually went up to the Eiffel tower restaurant where we watched the Bellagio Dancing Waters fountain show (videos courtesy of my Canon power shot camera)




That night we walked as far as the Mirage before I was too tired to go on. We headed home every night around 2:30 am and the taxi drivers were constantly giving us grief:

"What'a you mean you go to bed? It's 2 am! You are young! You should be on the town! Spending money! I take you to Chippendales!"

Ahhh… no sir… no thank you… my hotel will be fine.

While staying at the Gold Coast, we started every day in the pool, usually with a cold beverage - which is pretty much the height of AWESOME as far as I'm concerned.



Friday night we saw Bette Midler at Caesar's Palace. It was an amazing performance and we had great seats in the mezzanine. She sang all her big hits (From a Distance, When a man loves a woman, Hello in there, Do you wanna dance, The Rose, Wind Beneath my Wings, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy etc.) Also her "Caesar salad" showgirls danced their butts off. After the show, we ate dinner at the Forum Shops at a fancy place called "Joe's." It was so fancy I was actually uncomfortable. Sarah and I split an appetizer called "The second mortgage" which was a plate of seafood heaven and then each had a sandwich.

At the end of the meal, the maître d came over and squirted lemon juice on our hands and dried us with a hot towel. It was nice but kind of odd – plus I wanted to eat more french fries so that was a dilemma. That night we looked at more casinos including the world-famous Wynn.



It's insane. Inside the hotel you can sit OUTISDE on the man-made lake with man-made mountain along with the man-made GIANT waterfall and watch this incredible light show "Lake of Dreams" with music and huge animatronic dancing flowers (it sounds cheesy but it was beautiful). However, when a giant animatronic frog started singing Louis Armstrong's "What a wonderful world" I nearly died laughing. Sarah said no more mojitos for me.

For lunch the next day we went to the "Top of the World" restaurant in the Stratosphere (the tallest building west of the Mississippi River). It's a revolving restaurant and the view is spectacular.




For dessert we ordered a chocolate-shaped Stratosphere. I think the world would be a better place if we made more things out of chocolate... -- helpful travel hint -- If you go to the Top of the World for lunch, the prices are better, the food is still amazing and you ride to the top for free!



and just to compare....


We spent the afternoon in the Venetian where we looked in all the fancy shops (Sarah bought a Michael Kors bag and shoes) and then took a gondola ride down the canals, where our awesome FEMALE gondolier sang to us.




I took a video of one of the male gondoliers as well.

Saturday night we saw Wayne Brady (from "Whose Line is it Anyway") perform a hilarious improv show. I am amazed at how people can be so funny on the spot like that. I would be terrified. After that show we ate at 'Social House,' a fancy sushi bar/grill in Treasure Island (apparently all the stars go there --which is nice and all, but I was there for the food!) I ordered a Kobe burger and onion rings for $24!!! The taste was unbelievable though. I've never been a huge onion ring fan but they fry it in grape-seed oil and it's all light and not greasy. I know I keep talking about food, but Vegas has some of the best dining EVER.

Our last day was supposed to be our Mandalay Bay/cabana day but wouldn't you know that was the one day that was gray and windy. We cancelled the cabana (HUGE $$$ saver) and sat by the pool anyway. It wasn't too much of a sacrifice because it was still 90 degrees out but definitely not ideal pool weather.




After we gave up sunbathing and dove into the wave pool, things got better. This isn't my video but it's a perfect description of the wave pool action.

We also ate at House of Blues and saw the shark reef at Mandalay Bay -- the komodo dragon scared me! Our last night we took in a Thunder from Down Under show at the Excalibur hotel/casino. It was a spectacle to be sure. I spent most of the show with my hands on my face half covering my eyes and half making sure I wasn't bursting into flames. But I laughed a lot and I would definitely recommend the show.

After the Australian thunder, we went to New York New York Casino and the Nine Fine Irishmen pub-- a MUST visit. They had all kinds of good beer, and we didn't eat there but it smelled AMAZING. The house band, Ri Ra was awesome as well and even had clogging.





Overall here are my top 10 tips for a great Vegas vacation

1. SHOES. I tried to buy bjorn sandals at the last minute because I figured they'd be good for walking. They were horrible! So make sure you have good walking sandals (you could do sneakers but it's really hot and your feet would probably rather breathe) that you've tested already.

2. Pack more outfits than you need. The outfit that you walk the strip in all day may NOT be the outfit you want to wear after you go back to the hotel and freshen up for nighttime. It's hot, you sweat, pack lots of options

3. CASH. It may be dangerous to carry it on you but it's nice to have for quick drinks or cab rides. In Vegas, you can use a card almost anywhere but you will be asked for photo ID. Makes sense, if you stole credit cards, wouldn't your first stop be Vegas?

4. Pace yourself -- the heat and the walking alone are extreme. Even being inside a Casino-- these places are huge. Walking all the way through Caesar's can take hours.

5. Make sure to catch a show. We say Bette, Wayne Brady, and Thunder from Down Under and all 3 were fabulous. Vegas has great acts from comedians to Cirque de Soleil (if that's your bag). I would have loved to see Le Reve at Wynn but not enough time/$$. Make time for shows!

6. Look up some dining places you want to hit up and make reservations -- you can always cancel if you can't make it. Make SURE to cancel because they will often charge you if you no show. Social House, Top of the World, House of Blues and Eiffel tower were all wonderful and there are so many more.

7. Nightlife -- remember there are options. When I planned my trip, I thought for sure I'd want to hit up a trendy nightclub like Pure or Tao... however, I didn't count on HUGE cover charges and lines. It wasn't really my scene. So, if you're more like me, I recommend the Nine Fine Irishmen pub in NYNY. It's a walk in type of place and you can sing and dance and raise a pint.

8. Baby powder-- it's not pretty to admit, but if you wear summer dresses/skirts and are like the majority of women out there, your thighs do touch. The heat and constant movement can create some friction. A little powder applied every few hours can save you the dreaded chaffing.

9. Sit in the pool. Vegas is so hot that sitting in the pool is sometimes the best spa treatment. Dunk yourself in sunscreen, grab a cocktail and get in. You'll feel amazing.

10. Don't bet on gambling (*ba doom ching*) -- Unless you really are into gambling, I wouldn't make that a focal point of the trip. Every casino has something to offer. The "Lake of dreams" water show at the Wynn, the beautiful floral conservatory at Bellagio, the view from Stratosphere or Eiffel Tower, the lion habitat at MGM.... there's TONS more to see than slot machines!!!

Be safe, have fun and remember you are on VACATION. So sleep in, stay out late and buy an expensive souvenir. For example a $20 polaroid picture that is TOTALLY worth it :)


Worth every penny