Sydney - Las Vegas

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Monday February18 2008

After finally finishing packing, we both took a deep breath and sighed in relief…..The time had come for our long awaited trip! We ordered a taxi to the Airport, and our flight was scheduled to depart at 3.35pm.

Check in was quick very fast at the Priority desks, as was customs. We bypassed the duty-free shops and headed straight to the new Qantas Club, which had only reopened from its refurbishment today. The lounge itself has not changed much, just some cosmetic refurbishment, new furnishings and n improved food and beverage offering. After a glass of Katnook Sauvignon Blanc and some small sandwiches, our boarding called. As our flight is USA bound there was another security check, but once on board in seats 24A&B we were offered a glass of champagne by the mainly older and experienced crew, and we quickly took off, climbing out of Sydney to the north over Homebush and the Northern beaches.

Business Class was almost full, but a relaxed atmosphere prevailed and as we were settling down and relaxing we were offered the new Business Class Pyjamas designed by Morrissey, a grey set with a black Kangaroo on the front of the t-shirt. We ordered the obligatory G&T’s as we perused the menu. I chose the Roast Chicken Salad for entrée, and Beef Fillet in a Red Wine Jus with Glazed Carrots and Asparagus for main course. Jeff chose Green Spinach soup to start, and Seared Kingfish and Mediterranean Vegetables. We both decided on a Grossett Riesling and some sparkling mineral water. The reisling had an initial sweet fruit and finished dry, a superb drop! We ordered chesse next, then shared some Coconut ice cream with mango sauce. Then we settled down to watch some movies, but both feeling tired we did not watch much of any movie, and soon fell asleep.

USA February 18

We both woke after a 6 hour sleep, and relaxed and readied ourselves with immigration documents. Breakfast was nice, with scrambled eggs and sausages, toast, muffins and fruit with yoghurt. We landed at 10.15 am and after clearing customs we walked between terminals to check in for our flight to Las Vegas on US Airways.

We decided to upgrade our tickets to First Class for the bargain price of USD$50 each, and after checking in we made our way to the security area. TSA security in the USA is dreaded, not only because it’s always such a hassle, but the staff also have a reputation for being less than friendly. We were pleasantly surprised that having a special queue for First Class passengers sped us through, and we cleared the security in less than a minute. We could not believe our good fortune, and as we sat in the Departure lounge waiting for our flight we entertained ourselves by people watching, and for Jeff, aircraft spotting and photography. We were advised that our flight was delayed 90 minutes, we were in no hurry.

We boarded our flight, an Airbus A320 for the 90 minute flight, and after a couple of G&T’s, arrived in Las Vegas to overcast skies 4.30pm. We caught a taxi to Bellagio, and our lovely room is on the 25th floor overlooking the lake and fountain. We both were absolutely tired but realized if we had a nap it would wreck our sleep for the night, so just unpacked and showered, and went exploring.

We went to Caesars’ Palace across the road, and after a drink at Cleopatra’s Bar, decided to have dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. As usual all meals served were enormous. After walking through the Casino and shops we headed back to our room for a long awaited nights sleep in the luxurious bed.




Tuesday 19th

We woke about 7am and left our room by 8. We shared a divine Danish and Muffin at the Bellagio Patisserieand then caught a taxi to do what we excel at, Shopping!!. We had to make a stop along the way as Paul had left the cable for his PC at home. Frys is a electronic superstore twice as big as Bunnings, and has everything for the electronic enthusiast. It was amazing, and it makes Dick Smith stores look like a poor cousin.

There are 2 factory outlets at both ends of the strip, and the prices are well below the prices what we would pay in Sydney. All the well known brands were there. Paul immediately turned into Imelda Marcos, while Jeffrey wanted to be a man in black scouring for a black pair of jeans. Jim Burt would have gone crazy at the Nautica store it was extremely good value.

After pick up some bargains we dropped off bags at the hotel, and then plugged in the PC and left for the other end of the strip were the Stardust Casino used to be. Ross Stores is a good favourite, but it can be hit and miss, and this time we felt it was down on lots of stock and Paul felt not much cheaper than the factory outlets. All we could recommend if coming here, by all means go to the outlets but still go to Ross.

We had lunch at Dennys, as with America it can have lots of good bargains around just be careful. After a good days shopping we came back to our room for a well earned rest and a bottle of Californian Sauvignon Blanc. As dusk was fast approaching the lake has a water feature which starts at 3pm every 30-15 minutes it’s a great visual experience. Relaxing in our room was a great finish to the day.




Jeff had booked tickets for Cirque Du Soleil’s ‘Mystere’ at Treasure Island tonight, as we had seen “O” at Bellagio last time and loved it. (Every Cirque I have seen (Paul) has been magnificent!). We decided on a new Mexican restaurant called ‘Isla’ at Treasure Island for dinner, which had been getting rave revues. We ordered 4 ‘plates’ and as we have mentioned before, serving are large. As it turned out the 4 plates were more than enough for us in addition to the corn chips and salsas that were complimentary. The standout dishes were the Ceviche of Rock Shrimp and the Pork Tacos with a spicy Mole sauce.

The Line was long for Mystere, but was moving very quickly, although some ‘would be if they could be’s’ were complaining that they didn’t want to queue. The doormen politely told them they would be waiting a long time if not. Before the show started there was as usual pre show warm up, and it was very funny.

The show started with an acrobat balancing a cube made from metal rod about 2 cubic metre in dimensions. His athletic ability and showmanship were unbelievable. The audience was gasping, and as the show continued performers were climbed poles with their bodies extended at 90deg to the poles. Others climbed down a vertical walls, performed stunning trapeze, trampoline and vaulting off of a see saw. It was a blend of great music, athleticism and theatrical skill. Suffice to say, it was ninety minutes of sheer entertainment, and well worth the ticket price. After the show, we dabbled in the casino at Treasure Island, playing Roulette and slots. We managed to break even, so decided to call it a night and walked back to Bellagio and our comfy bed.


Wednesday 20th

Today we decided to walk the strip, and catch up on all that is new here since our last visit. Beforehand, Paul decided we should catch the ‘Deuce’ bus back to the outlet mall for a few last minute items. Jeff said that Public transport here was the pits, and usually not on time due to the traffic, but Paul insisted. It ended up being very crowded, and because it tends to appeal to a low budget traveller (not us!) a bit of laugh. Once we managed to spend a few more dollars, we taxied back to the ‘Strip’ where we walked through Caesars’ Palace and on to Mirage.

The Casino at the Mirage was busy, even at lunchtime, but we scurried to a favourite US haunt, the Californian Pizza Kitchen, where we ordered our usual Chinese chicken salad to share, and a Jamaican Pizza in honour of Laurie, and our upcoming visit to Ocho Rios. We walked across the street to the Fashion Show Mall, where all the leading stores were represented, but compared to the crowded Casino’s, the mall was very quiet.

Across the street was Wynn hotel, which was in the final stages of completion the last time we were here. It is very nice, with lots of shops, but not with any of the attraction value of some of the other properties. We walked on to the Palazzo hotel next, another new hotel attached to the Venetian hotel. We walked along the Grand Canal and gawked at the poor soles enjoying their romantic Gondola rides and accompanying serenading Gondoliers…most of them looking slightly embarrassed. By this stage we figured we had walked a very long way today, even just from one hotel to another along the Strip is a huge distance along the massive blocks of land.

Back to our sanctuary, we unpacked our goodies and looked at repacking our suitcases for our early start tomorrow. It was nice to relax and catch up on this Blog.

Bellagio has a restaurant called Le Cirque, and we had dined there on our last trip. It originated in New York and is a famous institution there. The choice was a Degustation or Prix fixe menu, and we chose the latter. Paul ordered Foie Gras Terrine, followed by Maine Lobster, and Jeff chose Diver Scallops and Langoustine, followed by Angus Beef with Foie Gras. To accompany our entrees we chose a Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, and for main course Jeff had a Cabernet Sauvignon from Oregon, and Paul Riesling from the Loire Valley in France. The food was amazing, and for our dessert we both chose a wonderful Valhronah Chocolate Soufflé with a most delicious Pedro Ximinez Sherry.

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Photos

Qantas VH-OEB
Our Plane to San Fransisco

Comments

[Jim]

Las Vegas
Glad to see you arrived safely and are having a great time already. I look forward to my many gifts from the Nautica store. Jim