Our Vegas Experience Part 2

June 1, 2015May 25, 2015 / azlotnik / Leave a comment

I had so much to say about our Vegas vacation that it was too much for one blog post. Here are more of our experiences in Sin City.

A Show:
The one show we saw in Vegas was the Blue Man Group. Going into it, I didn’t know what to expect. I guessed that it would be out of the box and musical. It was awesome! The Blue Man group really captures their audience and has the audience participate as much as possible. They used music, paint, technology and more to put on a spectacular show. They are, of course, covered in blue paint. I was surprised that The Blue Man Group did not talk the entire time. They communicate through gestures, facial expressions and props. It was certainly worth the money. We got tickets from the Tix4Tonight discount booth. We would have loved to go to the Circe de Soleil Beatles show called Love, but even the Tix4tonight booth wanted too much money for the tickets. Oh well, another reason to come back to Vegas and see it one day.

The Blue Man Group

Restaurants:
As I mentioned in my last post, it felt like all we did in Vegas was eat. The restaurants were SO expensive! We spent way more money than we thought we would in Vegas, because we spent so much on food. We didn’t realize the food would be that pricy. Drinks were especially expensive, $4 for a soda, $10.50 for a mixed drink and $7 for a mocha coffee.

We ate at a lot of places, but these were our favorites:

At the Wicked Spoon

Buffets:
Wicked Spoon: Cosmopolitan Hotel. This was the best buffet we have ever eaten at. The food was fabulous, the presentation was outstanding, and a wide variety was offered for brunch. My favorite things about the food presentation were the mini Chinese food containers for the fried rice and the mini fry baskets for the fried chicken. The pancakes, asparagus risotto, sushi, and the eggs Benedict were the best. I wish I could have eaten more food there, but I got full and had to leave a lot of food uneaten. The desserts were great too. I would love to go back to the Wicked Spoon one day.

Bellagio buffet: We went to the breakfast buffet at the Bellagio a few days before we went to Wicked Spoon. It was not as good as Wicked Spoon, but it sure was tasty and had a wide range of breakfast/brunch items. I really enjoyed the French toast, eggs, baked apples and the yogurt parfait. It was a ton a food and, once again, I was stuffed when I left.

Gordon Ramsay Burgr: Planet Hollywood. The first time we attempted to go here, the line was too long and we gave up. We then decided to go another day right when they opened for lunch to ensure we would get a seat right away. The food was a bit pricy for burgers and fries, but it was one of the best burgers I have ever eaten. I got the euro burger and loved it. The Truffle fries were very good as well. It was definitely worth it. Anything with Gordon Ramsay’s name has to be good!

Gordon Ramsay Burgr

Shopping:
Toward the end of our stay, we were running out of things to do. We decided to go shopping and found out there was a Garrett Popcorn shop at the Miracle Mile shops at Planet Hollywood. Since I love the Chicago popcorn, we went and bought a bag of the Chicago mix (which is cheddar and caramel popcorn mixed together). It was quite delicious! We also happened to see an art gallery of one of our favorite artists, Michael Godard, called Oh My Godard. We would love to own a painting of his one day. The next day, we caught the free shuttle bus from Bally’s to the Rio so that we could go to another Michael Godard art gallery. This one had a lot more paintings and the art dealer was super nice. One day, when we decide to buy a piece, we’ll call him up in Vegas and order from him. The art dealer at the Rio informed us that Michael Godard himself would be in town and at the gallery the day we flew home. To our dismay, we missed meeting him by only a few hours. It would have been so cool to meet him!

Oh My Godard

Gambling and the Old Strip:
One day, we took the bus and went all over the south portion of the strip. We also went to the Las Vegas sign and later that evening to downtown Las Vegas. Downtown is where the old strip is located. We gambled a bit at the El Cortez. My husband played blackjack and I played at the slot machines. The El Cortez is an old casino that takes you back to the good-old Vegas casino days. It still has actual coin-operated slots. The old strip is known for the Freemont Street Experience. Most of Freemont Street is blocked off for traffic and turned into a pedestrian walkway surrounded by casinos, stores and restaurants. In the evening, the whole canopy is transformed into a neat light show, which reminded me of a music video. It was pretty cool, but I was a bit disappointed because I had heard so much hype about the light show. I guess it didn’t live up to my expectations.

The Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas

Like I mentioned in my last post, we felt most comfortable gambling at the Bally’s. I lost a small sum of money at the slot machines. I preferred the penny slots to the 25 cent slots because you got to play longer and typically won more often. My husband played roulette at Bally’s and I watched him play. We had only played roulette once on a cruise ship and didn’t win a thing that time. Our luck changed tremendously in Vegas. My husband bet about 8 dollars’ worth of chips in between two of the sections of the roulette board. After the wheel was spun, the dealer was gathering a lot of chips that were our color. I thought she was organizing them. Much to our surprise, the dealer pushed a mountain of chips towards us. She said, “It only takes hitting once.” We couldn’t believe that we won! We thought we lost. We ended up winning about $150 in chips. We played a few more hands and then cashed out. Turns out, we came out ahead while gambling in Vegas. I’ll take it!

Overall, we enjoyed our stay, but we won’t be coming back to Vegas for a while. Maybe we’ll come back one day with friends. Next time we’ll stay for a shorter amount of time.

What was your trip to Las Vegas like? Leave me a comment.

Vegas Vic, Downtown Las Vegas

Our Vegas Experience

May 25, 2015 / azlotnik / 1 Comment

View of the strip from the top of the Eiffel Tower

Vegas definitely was a cool experience. What really stood out to me about our trip are three things: seeing each casino/hotel for the first time, the amazing views of the Grand Canyon, and how much walking we did.

While we did have a lot of fun on our trip, one thing we found out was: we’re not Vegas people. We don’t go out all night and drink a lot. Well, I was feeling sick during the beginning of our vacation, so I tried to stick to water. We’re not party people, so we mainly did touristy things and sightseeing. It was a cool experience but we did stay a bit too long. Five days would have been ideal to spend in Vegas, instead of the seven days we were there.

Le Cafe Ile St. Louis

Here are some highlights of our vacation:

Walking Through the Hotels:
My favorite hotels were the Paris, the Venetian, the Bellagio and New York, New York. Caesar’s Palace and the Wynn were pretty cool too. I remember walking thought the Paris for the first time and loving how it seemed like you were walking through the streets in Paris, France. Even the bathroom seemed fancy and French. We ate at a café one night called Le Café Ile St. Louis. The patio of the restaurant was overlooking the casino floor, but it was decorated to seem like you were in a Parisian café. Le Café Ile St. Louis had a really great ambiance. I am a big fan of the Paris. Even the bar stools in the casino are beautiful. The chairs are laced up to look like a corset.

Corset Barstools

One night, we rode up the elevator to go to the observation deck on the top of the Eiffel Tower. The tower is half the size of the one in Paris, France, but it was still very tall. We had a really great view! We took a lot of pictures and stayed up a while to see the Bellagio water show. We really didn’t dress for the experience. It was freezing cold on the observation deck and we were in shorts and T-Shirts! We wish we would have thought to bring a jacket. Another great thing about going to the top of the Eiffel Tower was that we got a two for one discount because we were staying at Bally’s. I highly recommend going to the top of the Eiffel Tower at the Paris Las Vegas.

Bellagio Water Show from the top of the Eiffel Tower

Other than Bally’s, we spent most of our time in the Paris than any other hotel. It was connected to Bally’s and had better restaurants. We did, however, prefer the Bally’s casino when we were gambling. It seemed so familiar, easily navigable, and comfortable for us. That’s probably because we were staying there. We noticed that the different slot machines had labeled signs for each section such as penny slots and 25 cent slots. We found that the other casinos did not have these handy signs.

The “streets” of the New York, New York

I also loved walking through the New York, New York Hotel because it is like you are walking through the streets of Manhattan. One day, we went to get a quick bite to eat at one of the restaurants and sat down at one of the nearby tables. We saw a street sign that said Greenwich and Broadway. It really felt as if we were eating in Manhattan surrounded by apartment buildings and restaurants. Some of the other hotels have the ceiling painted with blue sky and puffy white clouds to appear that you are outside. In New York, New York, it gave the illusion that it was evening and you could see the city skyline.

Inside the Venetian

The Venetian and the Bellagio were also unforgettable. I loved the indoor and outdoor canals in the Venetian. Although we didn’t ride in a gondola, it was a neat sight to see. The ceilings were painted like the Sistine Chapel, and the architecture inside the hotel was beautiful. Two things struck me while visiting the Bellagio: the Conservatory and Botanical Garden and the lobby. They are both beautiful, and when you go into the lobby, be sure to look up at the ceiling to see the glass sculpture made by Dale Chihuly. The glass is made by the same artist as a museum in Seattle called Chihuly Garden and Glass.

Grand Canyon:
It was as amazing as I dreamed it would be. The steep cliffs and majestic beauty were truly unforgettable. We went on Pink Jeep Tour’s Grand Canyon West Rim experience. Our very knowledgeable tour guide, John, picked us up at our hotel early in the morning. We drove to the Hoover Dam and took pictures while learning about the history of it from our tour guide. Next, we drove two and a half hours to the Grand Canyon. The West Rim portion is located in a Native American Reservation, which they have dedicated to tourism. It is the home of the Hualapai Nation. We got off the Jeep and went on a bus to the different locations within the tribal land to see the views of the canyon, go on the skywalk and have lunch. There is no guard rail, so you have to be very careful. We took pictures and then went on the Skywalk, which was really neat. It is clear glass and you can see all the way down. Some people were scared to death on it. It wasn’t bad for me once I got over the initial shock of it. I noticed that the Colorado River, which runs through the canyon, looked really small. Then my husband reminded me that it is actually a pretty wide river. It just looks so small because you are 4,000 feet above ground level! When we had lunch, we sat down with another couple who were very glad to see fellow Americans. There were a lot of foreign tourists at the Grand Canyon and really all over Vegas. While in Las Vegas, we also saw a lot of people in scooters, and they traveled in twos or threes.

The Majestic Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon and Colorado River

Lots of Walking Around:
While driving, everything on the strip seems so close. When you walk, it’s really a lot farther away than you think. We didn’t rent a car, so when we didn’t use public transportation, we were walking. You will learn very quickly that comfortable shoes are key for walking around in Vegas.

If you choose not to ride the bus or take a taxi, take advantage of the free trams that go between two or three hotels. They could cut down your walking time from faraway places on the strip tremendously. Sometimes it felt like all we did in Vegas was eat, eat, eat, but at least we walked a lot to make up for it.

Read more about our Vegas vacation in the next installment coming soon.

On a bridge overlooking the Paris.

Viva Las Vegas: Pre-Trip Post

March 21, 2015March 21, 2015 / azlotnik / 1 Comment

It’s time for our next vacation! I always get inspired to write posts about vacations, but hey, going to new places is what makes life interesting! After much contemplation, we decided to go to Las Vegas this spring for our next big vacation. I’ll get to cross another destination on my Travel Bucket List. See that blog post here. My husband and I like to go on a big trip at least once a year. We had originally planned on going to London. We have always wanted to go to Europe and had wanted to do the London trip for years. But, we found out how much it was going to cost, which was a lot higher than our budget. A London trip may not be in our near future, especially since we may plan to have kids in the next several years, but we WILL go one day! My husband accrued thousands of American Airline miles for our London trip to pay for the flight, but we will keep on saving them for our next great adventure.

A few months ago, my husband and I were talking about what vacation we would like to do next, since London was out of the question. New York and Chicago came to mind. We talked about it for about an hour in the car (not sure where we were going but it was somewhere pretty far away) and it took us that long to think of going to Las Vegas. We said, “How did it take that long for us to think of a Vegas vacation!?” Some time went by, and then a few weeks ago, we seriously considered going to Vegas in June. We looked up flights and hotels and priced things out. Then, we realized Vegas in June can be over 100 degrees. So, a sooner date was picked. We looked at hotel prices for the last week in April and they were a bit high. Then we looked at the week before and the hotel prices dropped dramatically. So, we booked our trip for mid-April. We used Delta miles for our flights and somehow were able to purchase them with fewer miles than anticipated and no surcharges. The flight was totally free! We decided to stay at Bally’s because they are a nice, centrally located hotel with good prices.

Bally’s

This is my pre-trip post and I will be posting a trip after our Vegas vacation too of course. Despite what others told us, we decided to go to Vegas for a week. We already had the time off work, and we don’t think we’ll get bored since we are not big partyers.

We will also be going on a few day trips during our time in Vegas. We plan to go on the Pink Jeep Tours trip to the Grand Canyon. It is an all day tour that will pick us up at our hotel at 6 a.m. The Grand Canyon is a few hours away from Vegas. That is something we have always wanted to see. They have a skywalk where you can see great views of the canyon. If we decide we are tired of the strip, we may rent a car for a day and go on the Hoover Dam tour as well as explore the areas surrounding Las Vegas.

I plan on relaxing on a lawn chair by the pool while in Vegas. April is the start of pool season and I heard Bally’s has a really nice pool. I purchased a new bathing suit and cover ups for the trip. I really need to get my body in shape so that I am swim suit ready. My husband and I are doing a weight loss program together with the My Fitness Pal app. So far, we’ve been sticking to it and it’s going very well. So far, I lost about a pound and he lost 5 ½ pounds! Men always loose more. So unfair!

While in Vegas, we of course have to go to a show. We definitely plan to go see the Blue Man Group and have heard very good things about that show. I have also heard good things about the Beatles tribute Circe de Soleil show called Love. We may go see that show as well if we can get discounted tickets the day of at the Tix4Tonight booth. I’ve heard there are a lot of free shows in Vegas such as the fountain show at the Bellagio and the volcano show at the Mirage. We plan on doing all the free shows while we are there. You can’t beat free!

Here are some other things we are going to try to do while in Vegas:

Eat well: Straying from a diet for vacation makes it all worth it. Besides, if you’re on vacation it doesn’t count, right? We’re not sure where we will go out to eat yet. I know I want to do a breakfast or brunch buffet. I’ve been dying to go to In–N-Out Burger since we were in California last September. I saw there was one in Vegas, so we’re going! We also got a few restaurant recommendations from family and friends. We are going to Gordon Ramsay Burgr because we’ve always wanted to eat at one of his restaurants. I plan to read up in my Fodor’s Las Vegas 2015 Guide Book about good places to eat in Sin City.
Walk thorough all the hotels: From the Eiffel Tower in Paris to the canals at the Venetian, we’re excited to see it all. I’ve heard each hotel is incredibly unique and different from the rest.
Downtown: We were told to go downtown and see the strip in old Las Vegas where the original casinos are and where it all started. We plan to gamble a bit at the Golden Nugget or the 4 Queens. The gambling is cheaper at the old strip. So are the hotels. We also plan to see the Freemont Street Experience, which is a cool show under an arched canopy with tons of lights, cool music, and dancers.
Shopping: My guide book told me to check these places out- Grand Canal Shoppes (stores near St. Mark’s Square at the Venetian). The Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood and The Shoppes at Mandalay Place, which is, of course, located at Mandalay Bay.
Bally’s Gym and Spa: It will be good to have a nice gym in our hotel, especially a Bally’s gym. Use of the fitness center is included in the resort fee of the hotel (which we were required to pay).
Ride the tram/bus/monorail to get around: We will have to use public transportation since we don’t plan on renting a car for the majority of the trip. We may take a few taxis, like to and from the airport, but I’ve heard the bus/tram/monorail is the way to go. And the trams are free!
Paris

New York New York

There’s less than a month to go before we leave! I’m ready for a vacation where there’s no schedule. No more road trips! (See my post called Pacific Northwest Road Trip about our first wedding anniversary vacation). We are going to see all the sights in Vegas but not make a schedule. As I have explained, we have a few things planned out, but we plan to just enjoy ourselves and not be burdened by the clock.

The lights, the sights, the casinos, the people — it can all be overwhelming and over stimulating, but that is what makes Vegas unique. I’ve even heard that walking down the strip makes you feel like you’re on acid. I wouldn’t know about that!

I am so excited for the Vegas trip! What’s your favorite thing to do in Vegas? If you don’t want to tell me, I understand. After all, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

The Venetian

Luxor

pieces of april blog

Keep Reading

Vegas Vacation

Our Vegas Experience Part 2

Our Vegas Experience

Viva Las Vegas: Pre-Trip Post

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