The modern adage of "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" rings true for this heavily edited blog post featuring mostly Mei's adventures exploring this desert city whilst Olie was "occupied" at his work conference. Any indication of the amount of 'work' vs 'play' has been carefully omitted from this post. As both of us had visited Las Vegas on separate occasions and independently of each other, this trip was not the place for any wild partying or innuendo - well that is the official line anyway.London to Las Vegas
Catching a direct Virgin Atlantic flight from London Gatwick Airport, we noticed that most of the plane was filled with Olie's colleagues on route to the conference. This demand had reduced the availability of Economy class seats and Mei found herself bumped up to Premium Economy and experiencing the benefits of silver cutlery and bucket-style seating. The in-flight entertainment system was heavily used to regulate our body clocks so that we could survive the rest of Sunday afternoon at the local timezone.
We're in Vegas
On arrival at McCarran International Airport, the dry desert heat smacked us in the face as we boarded the shuttle bus and headed for the MGM Grand hotel. Our room faced the infamous Hooters hotel and restaurant along Tropicana Avenue. This street was known to Mei, having spent two nights at the dodgy motel on the corner during a Contiki tour that included Las Vegas in 2005.
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| The view from our MGM hotel room |
May I see your ID?
As Olie was due to kick off his work duties the next day, we had a low-key beer, burger and nachos night at the Pub restaurant with Olie's colleagues where we were reminded that our fresh young faces would mean that we needed to carry ID everywhere in order to drink - though it was flattering to think that we could pass for younger than 21 years.
Outlet Shopping
There was a temptation to sleep in the next morning but our bodies were still on UK time and this was the city that never sleeps! Breakfast was a croissant and coffee at Starbucks that served as a reminder that some coffees are sold with sugar, flavoured syrup and cream for a reason. We caught a cab to the Premium Outlet North mall - a collection of retail stores in an open enclosure. This set up ensured that visitors would walk into different shops to find air-conditioning and escape the burning concrete pavement The favourable exchange rate allowed us to fill-up our suitcase with new purchases at a fraction of what the cost would be in London.
Going Solo, Eating Solo
Back at the hotel, Olie headed to the conference floor whilst Mei found her first restaurant to ask for a table for 'one' - arriving at Emeril's New Orleans Fish House in the MGM Grand. This restaurant had a circular bar where solo diners could comfortably eat whereas Mei found herself seated in a booth facing the main dining floor. Being a solo-dining novice, it was soon apparent that a book or some form of entertainment was required because it is rather dull just people watching whilst waiting for the large (and incredibly delicious) platter of clam, corn and sausage boil to arrive.
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| Corn and clam boil |
Catching the Monorail
Walking the Strip is a must-do experience, Walking the Strip in the middle of August when temperatures cross 40 degrees Celsius is perhaps a little mad. The casino gaming floors offered some respite from the heat but only if you can stand the constant bling of slot machine music. Alternative transport is the bus or monorail, Mei taking the latter to explore the Paris and the Venetian casinos.
More solo entertainment
Booking in a seat at one of the many Cirque du Soleil performances, is another way for solo travellers to keep themselves entertained. Casino websites have links to the ticket office or the resident concierge is always helpful. Signing up to a casino's loyalty card may also give you a discount on the full-price of show tickets. In the early evening, Mei found some entertainment playing roulette at the Mirage until her restaurant for dinner - Japonais, opened at 5pm. Dinner included a sashimi platter with chicken and shiitake robota skewers and a glass of German Riesling.
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| Sashimi platter |
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| Mushroom and chicken |
Love - The Beatles
Post-dinner entertainment was the show: Love, a Cirque du Soleil tribute to the Beatles. The allocated seat was less than ideal - high in the stands where a warm cosy atmosphere and lack of appreciation for the music (Mei wasn't up to date with the Beatle's extensive catalogue) soon resulted in some dozing off before being startled away by acrobats dressed in 60's clothing hanging from big elastic swings in time with the music.
Walking along the Strip at night is a more comfortable experience and there is always the erupting pyrotechnic volcano at the Mirage flashing for attention.
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| The Strip at night |
Day three for Mei involved breakfast at the Rainforest Cafe - a jungle themed restaurant with animal puppets, wildlife noises and a simulated thunderstorm. The meal of waffle with bacon was sufficiently filling and carb-loaded to power Mei on for another day of exploring.
A couple of hours later, another snack followed: lobster roll from Lobster ME at Planet Hollywood and free drinks courtesy of the roulette table at Ballys and Treasure Island. Playing with 25 cent to $1 machines, the objective was to make a small margin but not risk anything substantial as we still had another week of our holidays to go.
Last stop was the north-bound new flashy resorts of Wynn and Encore that were decorated in colourful flowers and artwork.
Mid-Strip Casinos
Thursday was Mei's last day of exploring the Strip. First stop was New York New York for a deli-style chewy salt beef bagel and burnt tasting coffee. Then it was straight to the Monte Carlo and its neighbour - Aria for beef salad and chicken curry at the South-East Asian restaurant: Lemongrass. It soon became too hot to be walking around all day, so it was back to the MGM Grand for some rest and relaxation time by the pool. Dinner was at the Rainforest Cafe catching up with Olie's family friends who live locally in Las Vegas.
Fly out and Fly back in
We flew out of Las Vegas on Friday morning for a short side adventure in Vancouver, Canada (a separate blog post). Five days later we were back at McCarran International for a one-night layover before our flight home to London. This time we managed to make a rookie mistake when it came to the taxi ride to our hotel. In many Las Vegas online forums, there is always a debate about whether you should or should not take the 'tunnel' route if asked by the taxi driver. The correct answer is that it depends where your hotel is located. We were staying at the Bellagio (mid-Strip) so on first instance it seemed like it didn't matter. A mistake. We ended up over-paying by $20 in comparison to the cost of the taxi ride the next day back to the airport.
Bellagio and its Fountains
We booked our last night in Las Vegas at the Bellagio as we had seen it on the '1000 things to see' travel list and the mid-week, post-Labor Day weekend room prices were quite reasonable in comparison to the rates we had paid for hotels around Europe.
Our hotel room faced the famous fountains - a choreographed water feature that draws in crowds along the Strip to watch the multiple shows every hour.
After watching the show and tuning into the music broadcast through the in-house TV channel for the surround-sound experience, we ate a snack at the Jean Philippe Patisserie at the Aria and then played more roulette at the Cosmopolitan.
Caesar's Palace
Our next stop was Caesar's Palace - a large casino, hotel and shopping complex built in the style of Ancient Rome. We did some window-shopping and stood in the crowd to watch the free 'Fall of Atlantis' show - an indoor pyrotechnic show based on the ancient Greek legend.
After walking around the Forum shops, we ate a seafood dinner at Joe's Stone Crab restaurant, famous for serving tasty cold stone crab claws shipped over from Miami.
Fremont Street Experience
As Olie had never been to Downtown Las Vegas, we caught a cab to Fremont Street where the 1500 ft barrel canopy (or one long television screen) was the star attraction and showed a brief performance by the band Bon Jovi. Mei had spent 4th July celebrations under this canopy in 2005 and we bought a frozen peach slushy drink in the shape of an American football to re-live the experience.
Pool and Buffet
Our last morning in Las Vegas was spent at the Bellagio pool - a relaxed and quieter experience in comparison to the party-style pool at the MGM Grand.
We ate lunch at the Buffet where we stuffed ourselves silly with all types of food and desserts. The indulgence and excess seen at Buffet floor was symbolic of the image and reputation of the city.
This travel adventure was the complete opposite to our usual cultural city breaks around Europe. We traded baroque churches, farmer's markets and cobblestone laneways for slot machines, party tourism and gaudy resorts. Reflecting back, we found our natural limit in the amount of flashing neon lights and consumerism that we could take - it was a relief to be on the plane. Thank you Las Vegas for a great time, we had fun but for now it is time to say good-bye.
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| Rainforest Cafe and friends |
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| A waffle with a smile |
Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat
Las Vegas has many alternative forms of entertainment other than shopping, gaming or lazy days by the pool. As our previous trips had involved sightseeing tours at the Grand Canyon and the flight in passed over the Hoover Dam, we didn't make plans for day-trips outside the city. Mei bought tickets to another attraction at the Mirage - Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat. Named after the magician duo that used tigers in their performances, the gardens were famous for white lions (including cute cubs) and tigers; as well as a small collection of performing dolphins.
Las Vegas has many alternative forms of entertainment other than shopping, gaming or lazy days by the pool. As our previous trips had involved sightseeing tours at the Grand Canyon and the flight in passed over the Hoover Dam, we didn't make plans for day-trips outside the city. Mei bought tickets to another attraction at the Mirage - Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat. Named after the magician duo that used tigers in their performances, the gardens were famous for white lions (including cute cubs) and tigers; as well as a small collection of performing dolphins.
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| White Tigers |
South Strip Casinos
The rest of the afternoon was spent exploring the casinos along the south-end of the Strip - Excalibur, Luxor and the Mandalay Bay - connected together by monorail. The roulette machines and complementary drinks provided the entertainment before dinner. Mei had another 'table for one' at Tender Steak and Seafood restaurant, seated at in a booth facing the main dining room that was decorated with a lighting sculpture made of bull horns. The meal was decent, although pricey - a soup tasting menu of lobster bisque, chili and mushroom varieties and a 10oz (280g) steak that was filling without the need for side dishes.
Criss Angel Believe
Magic and illusion shows are a big part of the Las Vegas cultural scene. Mei's first illusionist show was Criss Angel 'Believe' at the Luxor. The host - Criss Angel has won awards for Magician of the Year / Decade / Century. A no-camera policy was enforced and one audience member was kicked out for secretly filming the show. Overall, the performance was entertaining with moments of comedy and mystery - including a trick where he disappeared from stage only to re-appear in the audience moments later.
North Strip Casinos
The day started with bacon, eggs and a corn tortilla (with champagne with orange juice for hydration) at La Salsa Cantina, a Mexican restaurant on Las Vegas Boulevard.A couple of hours later, another snack followed: lobster roll from Lobster ME at Planet Hollywood and free drinks courtesy of the roulette table at Ballys and Treasure Island. Playing with 25 cent to $1 machines, the objective was to make a small margin but not risk anything substantial as we still had another week of our holidays to go.
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| Lobster roll |
Last stop was the north-bound new flashy resorts of Wynn and Encore that were decorated in colourful flowers and artwork.
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| View from Treasure Island to Wynn |
No longer solo
After a couple of days of solo exploration, Olie had a 'free night' and we had dinner at Pampas, a Brazilian churrascaria (BBQ) restaurant in Planet Hollywood. Outside, we saw a busker dressed as Bumblebee the Transformer - a costume so authentic that he could 'transform' into a car and drive around - definitely a crowd favourite.
Mid-Strip Casinos
Thursday was Mei's last day of exploring the Strip. First stop was New York New York for a deli-style chewy salt beef bagel and burnt tasting coffee. Then it was straight to the Monte Carlo and its neighbour - Aria for beef salad and chicken curry at the South-East Asian restaurant: Lemongrass. It soon became too hot to be walking around all day, so it was back to the MGM Grand for some rest and relaxation time by the pool. Dinner was at the Rainforest Cafe catching up with Olie's family friends who live locally in Las Vegas.
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| Thai beef salad |
Fly out and Fly back in
We flew out of Las Vegas on Friday morning for a short side adventure in Vancouver, Canada (a separate blog post). Five days later we were back at McCarran International for a one-night layover before our flight home to London. This time we managed to make a rookie mistake when it came to the taxi ride to our hotel. In many Las Vegas online forums, there is always a debate about whether you should or should not take the 'tunnel' route if asked by the taxi driver. The correct answer is that it depends where your hotel is located. We were staying at the Bellagio (mid-Strip) so on first instance it seemed like it didn't matter. A mistake. We ended up over-paying by $20 in comparison to the cost of the taxi ride the next day back to the airport.
Bellagio and its Fountains
We booked our last night in Las Vegas at the Bellagio as we had seen it on the '1000 things to see' travel list and the mid-week, post-Labor Day weekend room prices were quite reasonable in comparison to the rates we had paid for hotels around Europe.
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| The hotel reception and the famous floral ceiling |
Our hotel room faced the famous fountains - a choreographed water feature that draws in crowds along the Strip to watch the multiple shows every hour.
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| View from our hotel room |
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| Fountains in action |
After watching the show and tuning into the music broadcast through the in-house TV channel for the surround-sound experience, we ate a snack at the Jean Philippe Patisserie at the Aria and then played more roulette at the Cosmopolitan.
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| Pretty central atrium at the Cosmopolitan |
Caesar's Palace
Our next stop was Caesar's Palace - a large casino, hotel and shopping complex built in the style of Ancient Rome. We did some window-shopping and stood in the crowd to watch the free 'Fall of Atlantis' show - an indoor pyrotechnic show based on the ancient Greek legend.
After walking around the Forum shops, we ate a seafood dinner at Joe's Stone Crab restaurant, famous for serving tasty cold stone crab claws shipped over from Miami.
Fremont Street Experience
As Olie had never been to Downtown Las Vegas, we caught a cab to Fremont Street where the 1500 ft barrel canopy (or one long television screen) was the star attraction and showed a brief performance by the band Bon Jovi. Mei had spent 4th July celebrations under this canopy in 2005 and we bought a frozen peach slushy drink in the shape of an American football to re-live the experience.
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| Golden Nugget, famous for the water slide through the fish tank |
The Stratosphere
The observation deck from the Stratosphere provides a 365 degree panorama of Las Vegas. We headed there to get a view of the city's lights and watch visitors scream out of enjoyment or fear as they sat on the two rides that hang over the edge of the deck.
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| Las Vegas by night |
Pool and Buffet
Our last morning in Las Vegas was spent at the Bellagio pool - a relaxed and quieter experience in comparison to the party-style pool at the MGM Grand.
We ate lunch at the Buffet where we stuffed ourselves silly with all types of food and desserts. The indulgence and excess seen at Buffet floor was symbolic of the image and reputation of the city.
This travel adventure was the complete opposite to our usual cultural city breaks around Europe. We traded baroque churches, farmer's markets and cobblestone laneways for slot machines, party tourism and gaudy resorts. Reflecting back, we found our natural limit in the amount of flashing neon lights and consumerism that we could take - it was a relief to be on the plane. Thank you Las Vegas for a great time, we had fun but for now it is time to say good-bye.
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