Our Trip to Vegas

"Our Trip to Vegas"

Kevin and Kristel taking a gondola ride at the Venetian hotel

We decided to visit "Sin City" for our 1st anniversary. It's a 5 hour flight, but luckily we were upgraded to first class on the flight there. That was a pleasant experience and we enjoyed the extra leg and seat room as well as the other perks of first class.

As soon as you step into McCarran International Airport, you will notice two things - the very arid heat and the slot machines in the waiting areas. Gambling abounds in this town, so if you're a member of Gambler's Anonymous, then we suggest you find another vacation spot. But even if you're not a gambler, there are still plenty of things to do here. We did try our luck at some slot machines and at the blackjack tables. Let's just say Kevin was the more successful of the two of us.

We stayed at the Luxor Hotel which is an Egyptian themed, pyramid shaped hotel with a light beam emanating from the top of the pyramid (which can be seen from outer space). Inside, the Egyptian motif carried through the entire hotel decor including statues, fountains, sculptures, wall carvings and shopping areas that looked like a Nile River marketplace. During our stay we treated ourselves to massages, facials and sauna time in their luxurious spa. Although we didn't go swimming, the Luxor has a beautiful pool area as well.

Other attractions we visited during our stay were:

Mandalay Bay's shark reef
Paris Hotel's reproduction of the Eiffel tower
Blue Man Group at the Luxor
The Bellagio dancing fountains
Siegfried and Roy's magic show
Venetian Hotel's gondola ride
Madame Tussaud's wax museum
Rio topless showgirls revue
Star Trek Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton hotel
White tiger compound at the Mirage
Tut's Tomb at the Luxor
Ethel M's Chocolate Factory
Voodoo Lounge at the Rio hotel (which features breaktaking views of Las Vegas and really cool drinks with names like "Voodoo Priestess" and "Witch Doctor")

We also strolled through several of the hotel lobbies. They are spectacles in and of themselves. The Aladdin has an Arabian nights theme, the Venetian has a Renaissance Italy theme, Mirage has a tropical/jungle theme, Paris has a 19th century Parisian/French feel, and Rio has a Mardi Gras/Carnival theme.

There was so much to see, and so little time to see it. But of course we did manage to avail ourselves of some of the numerous buffets that Las Vegas has to offer. Of the ones we visited, Paris had the best lunch/dinner buffet. We will have to go back simply to sample some more. For our anniversary dinner though, we treated ourselves to a steak dinner at the Bellagio hotel's Prime Steakhouse. If you're on a budget, don't bother going here. But if you're willing to dig deep into your pockets and experience very finest steak with all the fixings (creamed spinach, garlic mashed potatoes, fine wine, etc.) then this is the place to go.

If you're interested in checking out any of these places we've mentioned, visit www.lasvegas.com for everything you'll want to know about this city.

Here are a few more photos of our Vegas vacation:

Visiting the Star Trek Experience
Visiting with our Ferengi waiter at the Star Trek Experience

Kevin with the dancing Bellagio fountains in the background

In the lobby of the Mirage hotel
In the lobby at the Mirage hotel

At the Paris hotel accompanied by an accordion player and cyclist

One of Siegfried and Roy's white tigers

Anniversary night at Prime Steakhouse

Captain Cobb at the helm of the Starship Enterprise