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Andra and Chris 1 : Las Vegas 0
That's how it goes when you spend 4 days in Vegas and you don't spend a cent gambling.
But don't worry....we didn't bring all our money home. We spent it on restaurants, shows, sightseeing and shopping!
We arrived in Vegas mid-afternoon, dropped our bags at the hotel and headed out into the 106 degree (F) heat to explore the strip. While that seems hot, there is no humidity in the air and even when it does get a little too warm you're only a few steps away from the hotels which have their thermometers set to 'ice box'. We made our way to the Venetien for dinner and then eventually made it back to the Bellagio for our first fountain show experience.
The fountain show turned out to be one of our favorite things to do in the evenings. Beginning at 8PM there is a free, choreographed fountain show set to music, every 15 minutes. These shows never get old. It's no wonder there is always a crowd surrounding this 'lake in the city' to watch them. Our favourites included, "Hey Big Spender" (see video), "Billy Jean" and "William
New York, New York, Hotel and Casino
This is where we stayed. It was a great hotel. Tell". It does seem a little weird standing in the middle of the desert watching a fountain show, but hey, I guess owning a Casino has it's privledges.
We were in Vegas for a little over 3 days and we opted to dedicate one morning to an organized tour to see Hoover Dam. This turned out to be a good decision. There were only 6 of us on our bus and our tour guide, Arnelio, talked
non-stop about the history, landscape, celebrity sitings, wildlife ... it seemed there was nothing he didn't tell us about Las Vegas, Hoover Dam and the surrounding areas. When we got to the dam we did the dam tour, took some dam pictures and looked at the dam museum. All which was dam interesting. Hoover dam is worth a visit.
There are so many shows to choose from in Vegas; Magic, Music, Cirque du Soleil, Cabaret, Burlesqe... so how can you choose just one? But if you had to choose just one, we'd recommend "O" , Cirque Du Soleil's water show at the Bellagio. The set and stage is worth the price of admission alone, and when you throw in humans doing inconceviable
The Venetian Hotel and Casino
You can be serenaded on a gondola ride on the canals inside this casino acrobatics you start to realize why this is the only show on the strip that is always sold out!
After a little shopping at the Outlets outside of town we eventually made our way to Freemont Street. This is the 'grittier' side to Vegas; they've tried to gussy it up with a video canopy that spans multiple blocks and free music performances, but the clientle is little more 'down on their luck' than most of the people we saw on the strip. That being said, we did get some Coronas for $4 which is a rare find in Vegas. We also landed a great spot overlooking Freemont Street at balcony seat at the 'Vue', which was a good place to people watch and enjoy the video canopy.
All in all it was a great vacation. A vacation in Las Vegas should be on your bucket list.
Things Worth Seeing: ♦ Hoover Dam
♦ "O" at the Bellagio
♦ Freemont Street
♦ The aquarium at Mandalay Bay
♦ The South End Outlets
Places worth eating: ♦ California Pizza Kitchen
♦ The Burger Bar between Mandalay Bay and The Luxor
♦ The Border Grill at Mandalay Bay
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Cari McSorley
non-member comment
Cari needs a new pair of shoes..... forget Bubbles.
Looks like a great trip. Any UFC sightings or events? Now that 40 is around the corner, are you getting any seniors discounts? lol. See you soon.