As the big bird took flight last Friday morning, I landed in a city with big lights, all night action, Egyptian pyramids, the Eiffel tower and the Lady Liberty. I was ready for a long weekend in the Sin City of Las Vegas, Nevada.
My friend Brenda and I had used free tickets we had accumulated from Southwest and comps earned at Harrah’s Casino as a chance to get away for a “cheap” extended weekend. We both enjoy gambling and were looking forward to the 80 degree temperatures.
We arrived at Harrah’s by 9am on Friday, ready for a full day of gambling, a few cocktails and a lot of laughs. After check-in, I quickly flashed back to feelings I had a few weeks before during my trip with Tamara and Brett to Detroit, Michigan. The feelings of being directionally challenged, and once again uttering the words, “I’m lost in the hotel and can’t get out.” The Mardis Gras tower and Carnival towers were clearly different, but Brenda and I found ourselves directionally challenged several times during the weekend.
The afternoon flew by quickly and we ventured to Bally’s hotel where we had tickets for “The Price is Right Live.” It was kind of ironic, since neither of us are avid watchers of the show. As we waited for the host, Drew Lachey to take the stage, a little fear of embarrassment set in that we would be chosen to go up on stage and neither of us knew much about the game. The show’s producers drew audience members randomly to “Come on Down” to win prizes. We had each spent $49 on tickets and neither of us was chosen. Brenda would have been good at the game and I think she was a little disappointed that her name wasn’t called. On the other hand, I would have been terrible and prayed each time they announced the contestants that my name would not be called! It was a fun experience and a good way to spend an hour and a half.
After the show, we headed to Caesar’s Palace to explore. We decided to grab a little late night snack at a restaurant called, Hyakumi. It was the best sushi either one of us had consumed in a long time. It was definitely a place worth visiting, but my dogs were barking and I was ready for bed when we finally left the restaurant at 1am.
We spent Saturday morning wandering the strip and I ended up at Luxor for the Bodies Exhibit. For only $27, using a $5 coupon I had found in a magazine, the exhibit held my attention for nearly two hours. The exhibit displays several human bodies that have been preserved as a teaching tool for those who peruse the exhibit. The skin on each of the bodies had been removed to show the skeletal, circulatory, muscular and nervous systems. The exhibit also illustrated how the numerous organs in our system work together. I highly recommend a trip to a similar exhibit which will be at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago this summer.
Saturday night was an adventure for us in downtown Las Vegas, or known to many, Old Vegas. We had a great time wandering the streets and watching the Fremont Street Experience which spans several city blocks. The light show is an overhead tunnel of electronic images set to the music of the Doors. This way my fifth trip over the years to the light show, but I still enjoyed it. Again, I was really ready for bed, Vegas is a tiring city.
I have to admit, I was moving a little slowly on Sunday morning, but we set out after breakfast for a trip to the end of the strip on the monorail. We worked our way down the strip with the thought that when we doubled our money at each casino, we would move along. This idea worked a bit better for me than it did for Brenda, but I think we were both having fun. We saw the insides of beautiful hotels like the Wynn, Palazzo and Venetian. While Brenda decided to head back to the hotel and chill for awhile, I decided to visit the Fine Arts Gallery at Bellagio.
Signs in the hotel had boasted paintings including works of art by Monet and Hockney. Using my student discount, I paid a mere $10 to view the 33 paintings in the gallery. Although the price was right, I have to admit I was a bit disappointed in the exhibit. Riding on a high from the Bodies Exhibit, I was ready to be intrigued by creativity of some well known artists. Unfortunately, there weren’t that many well known artists and I wasn’t all that envious of the talent I was seeing. Instead, I was disappointed by the numerous works of abstract art.
We spent the evening casino hopping from Mandalay Bay to Excalibur. I feel like even though we were in Las Vegas from 9am on Friday until 9am on Monday, we saw and did a lot. I’ll give the atmosphere and the cultural experiences two thumbs up! And after a few nights of being home and some rest and relaxation, I’m ready to get back on the road again…
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