Luv Bunnies
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2006
We just returned from a 48 hour whirlwind trip to Las Vegas. This is my report on what we did. It was just DH and me on the trip. We celebrated our 20th anniversary last week and decided to take some much-needed alone time (w/o kids!) and have some fun. We scheduled this trip about 4 months ago which allowed us to get some really great seats at the shows (more on those later). 
We flew out of San Jose on Friday afternoon and arrived in Vegas around 3:30. After claiming baggage, we headed directly for the cab line. This was my 4th trip to Vegas and DH's 3rd (I took a trip in '06 with my sister). If there's one thing I know, it's that the cab line at the airport can be scary on a Friday afternoon. They have it very well organized. In fact, it's a little like waiting for your Autopia car at Disneyland. When you get to the front of the line, they tell you to go stand on a number (1-20). The cabs pull all the way forward and line up at the numbered stations. Everyone gets into their cabs and all 20 pull away together. Then the guys whistles for the next group to come forward and fill in the spaces. We ended up waiting about 30 minutes to get into a cab.
By about 4:30, we were checking into the Las Vegas Hilton. We chose this hotel for a couple of reason. DH has a Hilton Honors card so he gets points whenever we stay there. Plus, that's where Barry Manilow is playing! Yes, we're total nerds and had tickets to his show. More on Barry later! We had a nice room on the 23rd floor with a king bed. The room was clean and had a huge window facing the pool and the strip. We only paid $100 per night which was pretty low compared to some of the others I checked. The Hilton is considered to be "off the strip" since it sits about 2 blocks off Las Vegas Blvd. But, we knew that the Monorail goes directly to the Hilton so you can catch it and go anywhere in a matter of minutes. And did I mention Barry was playing there?
We hopped the Monorail around 5:00 and headed to the Venetian where we planned to spend the evening. One thing about the Hilton Monorail station - you have to walk through "The Star Trek Experience" to get there. It's an impressive looking area with some freaky characters on display. We've never actually done "The Star Trek Experience" which costs an arm and a leg and includes some kind of simulator a la Star Tours. We do enjoy playing "spot the Trekkie" when we go there. It's not difficult (think older guys with black socks and plaid shorts). Sorry if I offended any Trekkies out there. I know you're not all that nerdy!
OK, back to the story. To get to the Venetian, you actually have to get off at the Flamingo Monorail station. The only problem with the stations is that they're behind the casinos. You have to walk a long way to get into the casino and then all the way through to the front door to get to the strip. But, we survived. There are some interesting things to look at as you're walking along the strip. I have a few pieces of advice for anyone who will be visiting: If someone approaches you and asks, "Are you going to be in town tonight?" Always say, "No" and keep walking. They invariably want to sell you some kind of show or dinner package that you won't want to buy anyway and will waste your time as you try to say, "No thanks." Just say you won't be in town and they'll leave you alone. Another tip, you'll see a bunch of guys standing in rows on either side of the sidewalk. They will be holding some little cards and sort of flicking them against their hands to make a snapping noise. They want to get your attention and have you look at what they're doing. As soon as you look, they'll thrust one of the cards into your hand. They're trying to sell you "strippers" who will come directly to your room. Only they're not strippers. Do you get it? Good you got it. You'll see plenty of these little cards on the ground after you pass the row of hawkers since that's where most people toss them.
So we arrived at the Venetian and went directly to find some dinner. Being a good DISer (read: planner), I had already looked up the restaurants and read the menus before leaving home. We had already settled on the Grande Lux Cafe. It's related to the Cheesecake Factory and had many of the same items on the menu. We walked around a little looking for it but finally found the signs that directed us there. Another thing about the casinos, always look up for signs if you're looking for a particular restaurant or showroom. Those places are huge!
Our dinner was wonderful! I ordered my favorite Miso Salmon. It was probably the best salmon I've had in long, long time. DH had veal parmesean and said it was excellent. We skipped dessert because we didn't want to be too full while sitting through our show. Which brings me to:
The Blue Man Group! Man, what a show those bald, blue dudes put on! I saw them in '06 with my sister. DH was jealous that I went without him so I promised to take him sometime. Last time I was in the back of the theater but this time we were in Row J, right in the middle. We were about 3 rows behind the poncho section. The first several rows are provided with ponchos because it can get rather messy up there. I don't want to give too much away but it involves paint and other substances. We decided that whoever designed that show had to be smoking something serious. It's extremely clever, hilariously funny and just amazing. The finale is like nothing you'll ever experience anywhere else. As you can tell, I highly recommend this show. It gets quite loud but they provide earplugs to anyone who wants them. We did without them to get the full effect!
After the Blue Dudes, we found a place to get gelato and did some people watching. We saw several brides and grooms walk by at various times during the weekend. How cute! I wonder if they'll make it to 20 years? We hopped the Monorail again and headed back to the Hilton. I failed to mention that we fell victim to the slots several times that night. We should really know better. I grew up going to Lake Tahoe since my parents built a cabin up there. I've been playing slots for years and have I ever won? Well, maybe a little here and there but I'm certainly at a major lifetime deficit! I do enjoy watching the little wheel spin around. What would Freud say about me?
On Saturday morning, we took our time and didn't leave our room until around 10:00 a.m. We decided to grab a quick breakfast and found a place near the Monorail station with bagels and coffee. That was plenty. We hopped the Monorail and went all the way down to the MGM at the other end of the strip. I love the MGM! I love style, the colors and the decor. OK, we even donated to the slot monster again. I know, I know! I even have a friend who works in Reno programming the things. She said the only way to win is not to play at all! And yet I keep doing it. I need an intervention!
We went to check out the Lion Habitat where the MGM lions live. This time, they had two little guys who looked like teenagers. The male is just starting to get his mane and he looks a little awkward. He was playing with the trainer on top of a plexiglass walkway. You could walk underneath and look up and see his little lion butt! The female was lazing around up there, too. They were cute and we even got some pictures. Our 9 year old loves all kinds of animals so we had to take the pictures for him.
We looked at the Rainforest Cafe but decided it was too early for lunch. So, we walked out onto the strip and straight to M&Ms World. We go there on every trip to get gifts for our boys. A few years ago, they had M&M Star Wars shirts which the boys loved. This time, it was all about Indiana Jones. We found them some really cute Indy/M&M shirts. We also got them each a pound of mix-your-own M&Ms. They have these huge hoppers along the back wall on the 2nd floor. You can get any combinations of colors you want. I made each boy a rainbow bag and DH got a bag of his favorite - dark chocolate M&Ms. He also found a shirt for himself. It has an M&M in a phantom mask and says The Candy of the Opera.
After M&Ms World, we walked over to New York, New York. I love this place, too. The buildings are amazing from the outside and the decor on the inside makes you feel like you're in New York. Our real reason for going this time is that DH wanted to ride the roller coaster that runs outside and in between the buildings. I decided to skip it. Something about getting dizzy and puking on my anniversary trip just didn't appeal to me. The ride is so wild that they make you put all of your loose articles in a locker before riding. He emptied his pockets into the M&Ms bag and took only a $20 bill for his ticket. This coaster is expensive! One ride is $14! Or, you can get an all-day pass for $25. The line wasn't very long and he soon appeared looking wind-blown but happy. He handed me back the $20 bill. I was wondering why because he obviously rode. He said a couple line in front of him had a bunch of passes. They said their family's hotel package came with coaster tickets but they didn't all want to ride. They were handing them out to anyone lucky enough to be nearby! Score! So he got a free coaster ride. But we put the $20 into a slot machine. OK! 20 lashes for us!
After the coaster, it was definitely time for lunch. NY, NY has a really good Mexican restaurant that we went to on our last trip. It's called Gonzales y Gonzales. Problem was, I also went there with my sister. With all the great restaurants in Vegas, I didn't want to go to the same one a 3rd time! So we found another place in NY called America. They had your basic sandwich, salad kind of food. We both had Cobb Salads which were great. They also have a huge map of America that was fun to look at during lunch.
After leaving NY, we decided to check out Planet Hollywood. It was the Alladin last time I was there and I wanted to see how they changed it. It was OK, but nothing that great. The shops are pretty much the same and we walked around by most of them. I had to pick up some dark chocolate for my co-workers. They expect some everytime I take a trip anywhere. I found some at the Rocky Mountain Candy Company. It was heading toward 3:30 by this time and our one-day Monorail tickets were expiring at 5:00 (the one-day tickets were $9 each). We were thirsty and decided to grab a drink and head toward the Monorail. In Vegas, they have these nifty little drink stands. We were thinking along the lines of sodas until we saw the "Slurpee" machines. You can walk up and get a frozen drink and they get it out of these machines on the wall. Kind of like 7-11 but with booze. I got a Pina Colada and DH got a Hurricane. The guy asked if we wanted extra shots but I told him I hadn't had a drink since New Year's Eve in the middle of the street with the neighbors. I just don't drink much at all. It's just not my thing. But sometimes, I enjoy a glass of wine or a frozen concoction. Besides, these drinks tasted strong enough without the extra shots. We decided to sit for a while to rest and enjoy our drinks. We found some really comfy seats....right in front of a bank of slot machines! OK, I confess! We did it again! About $40 later, we stumbled to the Monorail station at Bally's, via the Paris casino (nope, didn't touch any machines in there, promise!).
We had reservations for dinner that night at TJs Steakhouse at the Hilton. We considered this night to be our anniversary dinner so we booked a really nice place. OMG, the food was wonderful! I had a seafood mixed grill that had scallops, shrimp, lobster and swordfish - all of my favorites. DH had a filet mignon that was so tender. We skipped the wine since we were still spinning from that Slurpee fiasco! And we were too full for dessert. The bill still came to $136 before the tip! Luckily, DH had an Am Ex gift card that his boss gave him for working extra hours during the holidays (he literally had his plate sitting on the table on Thanksgiving and he got a call and had to spend a 1/2 hour at his laptop in the other room - it was the least they could do!).
After dinner, we headed off to the showroom to see him! Yes folk, it was time for Barry Manilow. Only we were a little early and there were these nickel slots.....But DH did turn $20 into $60 that time so that made up for some of our other slot sessions.
When you enter the theater to see Barry, you get a little glow stick which adds to the atmosphere. The show started about 15 minutes late. But, all was forgiven when Barry appeared. This guy can really put on a show. His backup singers/dancers were great. He did some of his old standards and mixed in a few from his 40s/60s/70s albums. He's also pretty funny and had some good material between songs. We had great seats in Row L right in the center. At the end of the show, this contraption rises up. It's like a catwalk with stairs down to the stage. Barry and his crew go up the stairs and walk to the front. At that point, he was literally 10 feet in front of us. This was our 3rd time seeing Barry live. The first time I was still in high school (must have been '82 or '83). The second time was in the early 90s in Tahoe. He's in his 60s now but still in great shape physically and vocally. I just wish the show was a little longer. It was about an hour and 20 minutes long.
After Barry, we wandered around a little and decided to call it a night. On Sunday morning, we had an 11:30 flight back to San Jose. We got home just in time for a Mother's Day lunch with my mom, dad, brother, sister and, most importantly, our boys. All in all, we had a great trip! Hope you enjoyed my little report. Yes, I will be calling Slot-Players Anonymous first thing in the morning.
We flew out of San Jose on Friday afternoon and arrived in Vegas around 3:30. After claiming baggage, we headed directly for the cab line. This was my 4th trip to Vegas and DH's 3rd (I took a trip in '06 with my sister). If there's one thing I know, it's that the cab line at the airport can be scary on a Friday afternoon. They have it very well organized. In fact, it's a little like waiting for your Autopia car at Disneyland. When you get to the front of the line, they tell you to go stand on a number (1-20). The cabs pull all the way forward and line up at the numbered stations. Everyone gets into their cabs and all 20 pull away together. Then the guys whistles for the next group to come forward and fill in the spaces. We ended up waiting about 30 minutes to get into a cab.
By about 4:30, we were checking into the Las Vegas Hilton. We chose this hotel for a couple of reason. DH has a Hilton Honors card so he gets points whenever we stay there. Plus, that's where Barry Manilow is playing! Yes, we're total nerds and had tickets to his show. More on Barry later! We had a nice room on the 23rd floor with a king bed. The room was clean and had a huge window facing the pool and the strip. We only paid $100 per night which was pretty low compared to some of the others I checked. The Hilton is considered to be "off the strip" since it sits about 2 blocks off Las Vegas Blvd. But, we knew that the Monorail goes directly to the Hilton so you can catch it and go anywhere in a matter of minutes. And did I mention Barry was playing there?
We hopped the Monorail around 5:00 and headed to the Venetian where we planned to spend the evening. One thing about the Hilton Monorail station - you have to walk through "The Star Trek Experience" to get there. It's an impressive looking area with some freaky characters on display. We've never actually done "The Star Trek Experience" which costs an arm and a leg and includes some kind of simulator a la Star Tours. We do enjoy playing "spot the Trekkie" when we go there. It's not difficult (think older guys with black socks and plaid shorts). Sorry if I offended any Trekkies out there. I know you're not all that nerdy!
OK, back to the story. To get to the Venetian, you actually have to get off at the Flamingo Monorail station. The only problem with the stations is that they're behind the casinos. You have to walk a long way to get into the casino and then all the way through to the front door to get to the strip. But, we survived. There are some interesting things to look at as you're walking along the strip. I have a few pieces of advice for anyone who will be visiting: If someone approaches you and asks, "Are you going to be in town tonight?" Always say, "No" and keep walking. They invariably want to sell you some kind of show or dinner package that you won't want to buy anyway and will waste your time as you try to say, "No thanks." Just say you won't be in town and they'll leave you alone. Another tip, you'll see a bunch of guys standing in rows on either side of the sidewalk. They will be holding some little cards and sort of flicking them against their hands to make a snapping noise. They want to get your attention and have you look at what they're doing. As soon as you look, they'll thrust one of the cards into your hand. They're trying to sell you "strippers" who will come directly to your room. Only they're not strippers. Do you get it? Good you got it. You'll see plenty of these little cards on the ground after you pass the row of hawkers since that's where most people toss them.
So we arrived at the Venetian and went directly to find some dinner. Being a good DISer (read: planner), I had already looked up the restaurants and read the menus before leaving home. We had already settled on the Grande Lux Cafe. It's related to the Cheesecake Factory and had many of the same items on the menu. We walked around a little looking for it but finally found the signs that directed us there. Another thing about the casinos, always look up for signs if you're looking for a particular restaurant or showroom. Those places are huge!
Our dinner was wonderful! I ordered my favorite Miso Salmon. It was probably the best salmon I've had in long, long time. DH had veal parmesean and said it was excellent. We skipped dessert because we didn't want to be too full while sitting through our show. Which brings me to:
The Blue Man Group! Man, what a show those bald, blue dudes put on! I saw them in '06 with my sister. DH was jealous that I went without him so I promised to take him sometime. Last time I was in the back of the theater but this time we were in Row J, right in the middle. We were about 3 rows behind the poncho section. The first several rows are provided with ponchos because it can get rather messy up there. I don't want to give too much away but it involves paint and other substances. We decided that whoever designed that show had to be smoking something serious. It's extremely clever, hilariously funny and just amazing. The finale is like nothing you'll ever experience anywhere else. As you can tell, I highly recommend this show. It gets quite loud but they provide earplugs to anyone who wants them. We did without them to get the full effect!
After the Blue Dudes, we found a place to get gelato and did some people watching. We saw several brides and grooms walk by at various times during the weekend. How cute! I wonder if they'll make it to 20 years? We hopped the Monorail again and headed back to the Hilton. I failed to mention that we fell victim to the slots several times that night. We should really know better. I grew up going to Lake Tahoe since my parents built a cabin up there. I've been playing slots for years and have I ever won? Well, maybe a little here and there but I'm certainly at a major lifetime deficit! I do enjoy watching the little wheel spin around. What would Freud say about me?
On Saturday morning, we took our time and didn't leave our room until around 10:00 a.m. We decided to grab a quick breakfast and found a place near the Monorail station with bagels and coffee. That was plenty. We hopped the Monorail and went all the way down to the MGM at the other end of the strip. I love the MGM! I love style, the colors and the decor. OK, we even donated to the slot monster again. I know, I know! I even have a friend who works in Reno programming the things. She said the only way to win is not to play at all! And yet I keep doing it. I need an intervention!
We went to check out the Lion Habitat where the MGM lions live. This time, they had two little guys who looked like teenagers. The male is just starting to get his mane and he looks a little awkward. He was playing with the trainer on top of a plexiglass walkway. You could walk underneath and look up and see his little lion butt! The female was lazing around up there, too. They were cute and we even got some pictures. Our 9 year old loves all kinds of animals so we had to take the pictures for him.
We looked at the Rainforest Cafe but decided it was too early for lunch. So, we walked out onto the strip and straight to M&Ms World. We go there on every trip to get gifts for our boys. A few years ago, they had M&M Star Wars shirts which the boys loved. This time, it was all about Indiana Jones. We found them some really cute Indy/M&M shirts. We also got them each a pound of mix-your-own M&Ms. They have these huge hoppers along the back wall on the 2nd floor. You can get any combinations of colors you want. I made each boy a rainbow bag and DH got a bag of his favorite - dark chocolate M&Ms. He also found a shirt for himself. It has an M&M in a phantom mask and says The Candy of the Opera.
After M&Ms World, we walked over to New York, New York. I love this place, too. The buildings are amazing from the outside and the decor on the inside makes you feel like you're in New York. Our real reason for going this time is that DH wanted to ride the roller coaster that runs outside and in between the buildings. I decided to skip it. Something about getting dizzy and puking on my anniversary trip just didn't appeal to me. The ride is so wild that they make you put all of your loose articles in a locker before riding. He emptied his pockets into the M&Ms bag and took only a $20 bill for his ticket. This coaster is expensive! One ride is $14! Or, you can get an all-day pass for $25. The line wasn't very long and he soon appeared looking wind-blown but happy. He handed me back the $20 bill. I was wondering why because he obviously rode. He said a couple line in front of him had a bunch of passes. They said their family's hotel package came with coaster tickets but they didn't all want to ride. They were handing them out to anyone lucky enough to be nearby! Score! So he got a free coaster ride. But we put the $20 into a slot machine. OK! 20 lashes for us!
After the coaster, it was definitely time for lunch. NY, NY has a really good Mexican restaurant that we went to on our last trip. It's called Gonzales y Gonzales. Problem was, I also went there with my sister. With all the great restaurants in Vegas, I didn't want to go to the same one a 3rd time! So we found another place in NY called America. They had your basic sandwich, salad kind of food. We both had Cobb Salads which were great. They also have a huge map of America that was fun to look at during lunch.
After leaving NY, we decided to check out Planet Hollywood. It was the Alladin last time I was there and I wanted to see how they changed it. It was OK, but nothing that great. The shops are pretty much the same and we walked around by most of them. I had to pick up some dark chocolate for my co-workers. They expect some everytime I take a trip anywhere. I found some at the Rocky Mountain Candy Company. It was heading toward 3:30 by this time and our one-day Monorail tickets were expiring at 5:00 (the one-day tickets were $9 each). We were thirsty and decided to grab a drink and head toward the Monorail. In Vegas, they have these nifty little drink stands. We were thinking along the lines of sodas until we saw the "Slurpee" machines. You can walk up and get a frozen drink and they get it out of these machines on the wall. Kind of like 7-11 but with booze. I got a Pina Colada and DH got a Hurricane. The guy asked if we wanted extra shots but I told him I hadn't had a drink since New Year's Eve in the middle of the street with the neighbors. I just don't drink much at all. It's just not my thing. But sometimes, I enjoy a glass of wine or a frozen concoction. Besides, these drinks tasted strong enough without the extra shots. We decided to sit for a while to rest and enjoy our drinks. We found some really comfy seats....right in front of a bank of slot machines! OK, I confess! We did it again! About $40 later, we stumbled to the Monorail station at Bally's, via the Paris casino (nope, didn't touch any machines in there, promise!).
We had reservations for dinner that night at TJs Steakhouse at the Hilton. We considered this night to be our anniversary dinner so we booked a really nice place. OMG, the food was wonderful! I had a seafood mixed grill that had scallops, shrimp, lobster and swordfish - all of my favorites. DH had a filet mignon that was so tender. We skipped the wine since we were still spinning from that Slurpee fiasco! And we were too full for dessert. The bill still came to $136 before the tip! Luckily, DH had an Am Ex gift card that his boss gave him for working extra hours during the holidays (he literally had his plate sitting on the table on Thanksgiving and he got a call and had to spend a 1/2 hour at his laptop in the other room - it was the least they could do!).
After dinner, we headed off to the showroom to see him! Yes folk, it was time for Barry Manilow. Only we were a little early and there were these nickel slots.....But DH did turn $20 into $60 that time so that made up for some of our other slot sessions.
When you enter the theater to see Barry, you get a little glow stick which adds to the atmosphere. The show started about 15 minutes late. But, all was forgiven when Barry appeared. This guy can really put on a show. His backup singers/dancers were great. He did some of his old standards and mixed in a few from his 40s/60s/70s albums. He's also pretty funny and had some good material between songs. We had great seats in Row L right in the center. At the end of the show, this contraption rises up. It's like a catwalk with stairs down to the stage. Barry and his crew go up the stairs and walk to the front. At that point, he was literally 10 feet in front of us. This was our 3rd time seeing Barry live. The first time I was still in high school (must have been '82 or '83). The second time was in the early 90s in Tahoe. He's in his 60s now but still in great shape physically and vocally. I just wish the show was a little longer. It was about an hour and 20 minutes long.
After Barry, we wandered around a little and decided to call it a night. On Sunday morning, we had an 11:30 flight back to San Jose. We got home just in time for a Mother's Day lunch with my mom, dad, brother, sister and, most importantly, our boys. All in all, we had a great trip! Hope you enjoyed my little report. Yes, I will be calling Slot-Players Anonymous first thing in the morning.
107 outside now. 109 tomorrow. Need to head back home home to FL to cool off.
