Viva Las Time-Away-From-Kids!

Yes, this is unusual, very unusual. And, I will take unusual because I'm sure it won't be back for awhile. Chad and I took a quick trip to Vegas with some friends from our neighborhood, April and Wade. I've been through Vegas and around Vegas, but I've never directly experienced the downtown "Strip" in its current form. We found a great deal (sit through a time share presentation) that offered 2 nights at a resort (an interesting place to sleep) and some tickets and coupons for local food and entertainment (buffets and shows that no one goes to and at times you wouldn't go). Before we arrived we found out we had actually been bumped from the the resort to a Hilton down the road (which I thought was actually more clean and quiet). April and Wade were still at the resort so we had access to all the amenities. Kind of funny they expect us to be interested in buying a property we don't even get to stay at, huh?! Since I already sound like I'm on a negative rant, let me quickly say that aside from the sales presentation we had a wonderful weekend.

Our first night there, we had reservations at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill at Caesar's Palace. We knew this would be a splurge and mmmm....was it worth it! We couldn't resist tasting each others dishes. I had a Mahi with mango, Chad had Salmon with a black bean sauce, April had a Halibut with a red chili sauce and Wade had Pork Tenderloin. Wow. They were all so tasty. I think April's was actually my favorite...the red sauce was such an unexpected yet delicious combination with the halibut. (sorry, I'm not a "foodie" so my descriptions are not great) After dinner we walked around "the strip" a bit. We watched the fountains at the Bellagio. Wow. That was an amazing site. They were all synchronized to music and shot so high into the air. The water pressure was so intense that is almost sounded like fireworks going off. Also, so beautiful at night with all the lights. Definitely one the trip highlights.

The next day began with sleeping in and relaxing by the pool with a book. Then it was off to the time share presentation. I will spare you the details. Lets just say I'm still undecided as to if 90 minutes of being very uncomfortable is worth the good deal on the accommodations. Luckily, the cringe moments with the salesmen quickly became a memory with a massage. Ahhh. We then headed to Isla at Treasure Island for dinner. I had the most delicious shrimp tacos. After dinner we walked "the Strip" some more. This time we headed over to the Wynn. This was another highlight of the trip. The way it was decorated was just amazing. The floral tiles and carpet were so colorful and vibrant. There were also these amazing Asian-type lanterns that moved up and down. It was a really fun place to walk around. We then went through the Palazzo. Another beautifully decorated casino. These both seemed to be a step up from Caesar's and Treasure Island.

Our last day began with sleeping in (I have to include that because it never happens at home!). After checking out, we headed to the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay. (These were the only worth while tickets given to us from the time share presentation) As if all the casinos weren't big enough, this place just seemed even bigger! As we walked through the game floor, we noticed they had a "House of Blues." What a trip this place was. The decor seemed like it was inspired by some one's acid trip in the 70's. Almost everything was done with bottle caps, license plates and other random bits of metal. So cool to look at. This was another trip highlight. We then headed to the M&M store to get some goodies for the kids.

Seriously, Vegas is crazy. Talk about sensory overload. I was astounded by the sheer size of everything and how they fit so much into one building. I was struck by each casino's ability to offer something unique and fabulous. It was also interesting to observe how deceitfully well everything is planned out. There was no straight shot from point A to B....you are hypnotically led where the casinos want you to go (you can't even cross a street with going up escalators, over bridges and through casinos). Everything is cleverly crafted to benefit the casino and satisfy the worldy appetites and passions of man. I was slightly surprised that we didn't see too much overt filth. I'm certainly not ready to call Vegas family friendly, but we didn't see or experience some of the shocking things you hear about (gone were the hoards of nasty fliers being passed out and all over the ground). I am so grateful that Chad and I had the opportunity to get away (again!) and we had a wonderful time with the Morden's.