Las Vegas 2010

I say "Las Vegas 2010" because I'm hoping to make it a routine trip every couple years. Lezlie and I were in a definite need to get away. So, since Lezlie got off for Truman Day (no, I'm not kidding), we opted to make a weekend trip to Las Vegas. She had been there a few years with friends, but this would be my first trip.

Things didn't start out too great. I don't know what it is, but airports just stress me out. It's not that I'm afraid of flying. It's the whole "am I forgetting something" thing. I told Lezlie while we waited for our delayed flight in St. Louis that I wouldn't relax until we're on the ground in Las Vegas with our luggage in hand. So, what happens? We get to Vegas and wait and wait for our luggage while the rest of the St. Louisans go off to their hotels. We go to the luggage counter where they were very apologetic but were not able to locate our luggage. So, they gave us a toiletry kit and said they would search around and call us each day. Long story short, the bag was tagged for a Ralph Heim going to Louisville, Kentucky. They quickly found a flight from Louisville to Las Vegas, but we still didn't get our luggage until the night before we left.

That being said, we both had a very good time. On night #1, we got a little crazy trying to forget about our lost luggage. We went a club called "Jet" at the Mirage. There was no line so we said, what the hell. There were lots of people, lots of good music, and lots of strong drinks. So you could easily guess that the next morning was slow-going for us. Because Lezlie had virtually no casual clothes, we slowing walked to the mall--bought some shorts, shoes that she didn't need, and we both bought a couple shirts. That night, we made our way to Margaritaville. I would definitely recommend this place. Good atmosphere, good food, and very reasonable prices. Nothing real fancy but just the way I like it. Below is the Volcano Nachos of which we could only eat half.
Friday night, we toured a few casinos. Going cheap that night, we got our entertainment from the Bellagio fountains--definitely worth seeing. It was a little packed but we found a pretty good spot to watch the show.To finish off the night, we headed back to the Venetian (where we stayed) and took a Gondola ride. Yes, they have a river flowing through the casino. An Italian man did the steering while he sang some Opera songs, most of which we understood nothing. But, it was quite romantic. He tried to do a little small talk, but he was what Seinfeld would call a "low talker" and in combination with the thick Italian accent, I just nodded my head and smiled. After that, we continued to tour the Venetian and discovered another half of the hotel we had not seen.
On Saturday, we did more touring of the casinos--Caesar's Palace, Treasure Island, Mirage, Bellagio. But, I believe that was the extent of it. Next time, we'll have to go to all the rest we missed. I've heard everyone say how big they are but I still didn't realize. We got lost in the Bellagio and finally stopped at a gift shop and asked them how to get out of the place. I'm sure that's how they're designed, though. They don't want you to leave.

Each casino had it's strengths. I felt the Venetian was the most ornate and romantic. Caesar's Palace was also very ornate and had the best shopping mall of them all. The Venetian shopping was way too upscale for us--most of the stores I wouldn't even step into. I felt the Bellagio was the classiest casino. I don't know how to describe it, but it was definitely packed. And, every casino had it's own smell. I don't know what it was, but it seemed like they all pumped pure perfume through the air system--so much that it became a little bothersome to me. But, maybe I just have a sensitive nose.

Saturday, night we went to a show. After a little debate between the two of us, Lezlie got what she wanted and we went to see "O", a Cirque du Soleil show. And, I believe it was probably the most expensive show we could have seen. Oh well. It's Vegas so you might as well blow your money, right? I didn't know what to expect, having never been to an acrobat show, but it was very impressive and I would recommend it. After the show was over, we headed to downtown Vegas on Freemont Street. I don't know what it was but we weren't real impressed. It was a neat atmosphere and the drinks were cheap, but it was a lot different from the strip. Maybe it's because we are too snobbish, maybe we were depressed that we had to leave in the morning, or maybe it was the fact that it looked like you would get held at gun-point if you walked around the corner. But, we didn't stay long since we had an 8am flight back to STL.

So, for all you interested, we'll probably go back in 2012 or 2013. There's so much more we have yet to see. And maybe next time, I'll sit at a table and play a little blackjack. And who knows, maybe our luggage will be on the same flight as us.