This was my big Christmas present and also the longest we have ever stayed in Vegas. My husband managed to get a few stories out of it so it morphed into a business trip too. This was my 4th visit and every time keeps getting better.
Day One:
Flew in on Southwest at 11am and I surprised my husband with a stretch limo from Presidential. We went to the sign and had our picture taken then sipped champagne on the way to the Mirage. Yes, you get better treatment when you pull up in a limo! Check in was quick and with smiles and patience we were able to get a strip view room - not bad for $88/nt. Despite having a suite when we stayed in Paris last time, I really liked the Mirage room better, especially since you could open the window and the beds were super comfortable. We ate lunch at Carnegie Deli then meandered around for several hours taking in the strip. While sipping Side Cars in Petrossian Paris, a piano lounge in the Bellagio , we saw Muhammad Ali checking out. I was so happy everyone left him alone and treated him with respect by not flashing photos or trying to get his attention. That night we went to Parasol Down in the Wynn for drinks and watched the amazing shows at the Lake of Dreams. If you have never been here - Go, Go, Go! The cocktails and atmosphere are amazing. They are also potent which is why I cannot remember the name of the French restaurant next door where we had dinner, only that I had the best Side Car of my life in their bar.
Day Two:
We slept in than headed over to an Bellagio for a quick pastry breakfast and an interview. We dropped off the gear then took the monorail down to the MGM Grand for lunch at my husband's favorite sandwich spot 'witchcraft. The lions were out both times we passed by and I enjoyed watching them play with the trainers. Got tickets for the Titanic Exhibit at the Coke Bottle and both of us managed to live despite being 3rd class immigrants. Grabbed a snack and a side car at T&T in the Luxor, then headed over to Bally's for the 7:30 Jubilee! show. I wanted to get one of the obnoxious ceramic showgirl cups but they were out. We played some slots then called it a night.
Day Three:
Got up really early and walked the strip for a couple of hours. The weather was beautiful with clear skies and a light breeze. We unintentionally ate breakfast/lunch at Mesa in Caesar's which was arguably the best meal of the trip. Went to Paris for another interview then went to Billy's to check out Big Elvis. Unfortunately, he was out sick, but the sub they got in made it to one of the final eliminations of America's Got Talent, so I may see him soon! We went back to Mirage in the sports book to watch the OSU game than had a very disappointing and overpriced dinner at Japonis. Went to Cleopatra's Barge in Caesar's for an average side car than to what is now our favorite lounge in the Bellagio for some champagne, snacks, and yes, another side car. Somehow we made it back to the Mirage, but I can't tell you how.
Day Four:
We had our obligatory trip to Nathan's hotdog for breakfast then hopped the monorail to the restaurant and bar show at the convention center. We got completely whacked out with a combination of energy drinks and relaxation drinks that made my husband and I hold out guts for a few hours. I think we counted 540,337 brands of vodka or some equally ridiculous number. We walked over to the Hilton to pay a momentary homage to the death of Star Trek: The Experience (may she come back to Neonopolis soon!) than to the Wynn and Palazzo for a couple more interviews. Unfortunately, this kept us from meeting up with some to the TA crew at Margaritaville - maybe there will be a next time! We walked to Encore for dinner at Botero - I can't even put the experience into words it was so delicious and whimsical. And yes, the side car was fantastic.
Day Five:
Had breakfast at Caribe Cafe - eahh. Went to the Wynn for an interview and lunch at Red 8, then to the Dolphin Habitat and Secret Garden in the Mirage. I thought it was phenomenal to get that close up the the animals and have that much access to researchers to ask questions. We went back to our favorite cocktail lounge for a bottle of champagne and a cheese plate. We had purchased tickets for the 9:30 performance of Love since they were half off (we wanted to see Ka) and decided to unwind with room service. We went to the Revolution Lounge for 2 for 1 drinks (do you even need to ask what we had?) then saw the show. My husband had to shush half of the row behind us since they kept talking. We enjoyed Love, but preferred Mystere. We decided to go to Venetian to play some Star Trek slots then back to the room to pack.
Day Six:
Cashed in our winnings at Venetian and had breakfast at St. Lucia. We used the TV checkout and the Limo came to take us away to the airport. We managed to get a lot of things done and add some new favorites to our list. We missed out on Mac King, Bodies, the O2 bar at Stratosphere, and Big Elvis but there is always next time. We also added Terry Fator, Carrot Top, and Le Reve to the new list of things to do. We alo really want to see Believe to see how bad it truly is - I bet it turns into the Rocky Horror Picture Show of CDS!
