Sunday, January 27, 2013

Displays at Bellagio

One of the attractions I always visit while in Vegas is the Bellagio Conservatory. I am always amazed at the themed displays and what they create out of flora and fauna. I really can't pick one theme as a favorite, because they are all so amazing!

Here are some snapshots from past visits:

Chinese New Year:







Fall:






















Spring:





Late Winter/Spring:



Christmas:





Friday, January 25, 2013

Getting it Animal Style

Since Hawaii doesn't have an In-N-Out Burger, we always make it a point to have lunch there when we're in Vegas. We almost always end up at the one off of West Tropicana. It's always crowded; but we never have to wait too long, and we always get a table. Best of all, there's a gift shop where you can buy souvenirs.

This past visit, I decided to get the fries "animal style," which means the fries were topped with grilled onions, sauce and who know what else "animal style" means. What it meant to me was "soooo good!"

The Hubz and I ordered "opposite" lunches. He had a animal style burger and regular fries while I had a regular burger with animal style fries.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Rocking on in Vegas

Seeing Rock of Ages in Vegas wasn't on the agenda on my recent trip. I actually wanted to see Jabbawokeez, but they were dark.

While trying to find our way out of the Venetian one night, we passed by the theater where Rock of Ages was showing, and impulsively, I bought tickets.

The only thing I knew was that it was a Broadway musical that was recently turned into a movie starring Tom Cruise.

I knew that most Vegas productions are top notched, and this play consisted of pop rock songs from the 80s. Being that I graduated high school in 1987, this sealed the deal for me.

The musical tells the story of a "small town girl" who lands in Los Angeles to follow her dreams. She befriends a boy who works on a Sunset Strip bar that is facing financial difficulties and the threat of closure from the mayor. The bar owner brings back a popular band, whose lead singer first started out in the bar, for one last show before breaking up.

The production was excellent. While the storyline didn't break new ground, the dialog was funny; the acting was great and the singing even greater.

We had a fantastic time, laughing, singing our hearts out and waxing nostalgia that the music brought.

Poster. Note the partial song list. How can this not be good?



Stage. The live band played on the stage of the fictitious bar, front and center, vs being hidden in a right below the stage.



They passed out battery operated "lighters." You had the squeeze it to turn it on, and we were prompted to hold it up, lit, during several parts of the play. (Sorry for the blurry picture.)

Monday, January 21, 2013

Nice to See You Again, Vegas

After a three-plus year absence, the Hubz and I boarded a plane and headed to Vegas.

Having a couple of kids limited our travel for a few years. We did take the kids to Maui in 2011 and Disneyland in 2012, but this was our first adults-only trip in a while. And boy, were we excited!

After looking over the prices for the December (sticker shock! $700+ for airfare alone!), we decided to go the Vacations Hawaii route. For about the same price, we were not only going to get airfare, but hotel and meal coupons as well.

We hadn't flown Vacations Hawaii in a while, and we were curious to experience the new Omni planes. I remember the first time I flew on an Omni plane, circa 2002. I looked down and saw ash trays screwed shut in the arm rests. Gulp!

Since I don't like to fly, I can't really rave about the flight. I did like the digital screens behind each seat and that meals came with the flight.

On the flight over, we were offered a hamburger or cheeseburger for our lunch meal (it came with a bag of chips, a cookie and a beverage). When we received it, the Hubz and I looked at each other and started cracking up. It was the same burgers you could buy from the frozen section at Costco!

Our agenda for the trip was to see friends and see all the changes that occurred in Vegas for the past few years. The trip didn't disappoint, and we're eager to go back!

Here are some miscellaneous pics:

Watching the sun set as we land. I was surprised at how dark it was at 5 p.m.



We requested low floor, near elevators. We got high floor, down the hall.



Christmas decorations at the Golden Nugget.



Fire pit to keep warm.



Formerly Fitzgerald's, it's now The D Las Vegas. Other Downtown casinos that got a facelift include The Plaza, Golden Gate and El Cortez.



Christmas tree on Fremont Street.



The game that started my slots addiction: Clue. But it looked nothing like this! New, super fun slots I played: Hangover, Sex & The City and the Wizard of Oz.



The Tropicana cleaned up nicely! The casino is bright and airy with the scent of coconut wafting through the casino. They kept the stained glass over the table games.