Las Vegas - The Entertainment Capital of the World (so true!)

Welcome to Las Vegas! <3

Location:  The Venetian
Date:  September 2009
Length: 5 days 4 nights
Booking:  Expedia.ca

WHY VEGAS?
Truth is, Vegas is one of the cities I've visited the most in my life.  I've been there twice before prior to this trip, once in elementary school and again in high school.  However, going as a child with your parents is way different than with your friends, so my friends and I coordinated our schedules and decided to go!

I'd heard from other people that early September was a good time to go to Vegas given it's back to school time, and down season which meant it would hopefully be cheaper. We actually ended up finding a very good deal, for stay at the Venetian a 5 star hotel relatively close to the middle of the strip, with an early first day departure (arrival before 10 am) so that we can make the most of the first day!

LAS VEGAS:

View of the Venetian from the outside.

Who has not heard of Sin City aka Las Vegas?  It's also pretty close to the city that never sleeps, at least on the strip as there's always something happening every night.  Maybe I watched too many movies, but the glitz and glamour can be felt by the luxury cars, the lights, and the beautiful displays at the resorts.  It's hard to believe that not that long ago, this was just another desert town.

A double decker bus frequently takes visitors up and down the strip for a minimal cost per ride, but if you have enough people, taking a cab may be cheaper.  I discovered that looking at the hotels on the strip via Google maps was not representative of the actual distance between hotels.  Each hotel is like a resort - HUGE.  Furthermore, it takes even longer to walk due to the sheer amount of people everywhere.  However, I am a true walker, so my friends and I actually walked from the Venetian (our hotel) all the way to Circus Circus (at the north end of the strip), and down all the way to Excalibur (on the south side) which was followed by a train to Mandalay Bay (on the end of the south of the strip).

I contemplated walking  from Mandalay Bay to the famous "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign located further south, but even for me, it was just too far!

Note that the weather in early September is still scorching, particularly in the daytime with no wind!

THE VENETIAN:

The view from the night.

The Venetian is located on the strip only 10 minutes away by taxi from the airport.  It was pretty exhilarating to see the strip and its key landmarks as you are landing.  Within the Venetian has multiple pools, multiple restaurants, the famous TAO club (which I regret not going to), a man-made canal where you can go for a gondola ride (just like in Venice), a theatre for shows (which at the time was the Blue Man Group), and of course, a very large casino area.

TAO's ad was so sexy.  Can I have a happy ending too?

It is also connected to its sister hotel, the Palazzo, the even higher end version of the Venetian. Given all these facilities, it is actually quite a walk from the entrance to the elevators toward the rooms.

I chose to stay in the Venetian due to the following reasons:
- 5 star hotel (while in Vegas, might as well be baller baller)
- It's rooms are larger than standard from other hotel chains.  We actually had an entire sitting area outside of the beds, and a very large bathroom with a separate door for the toilet.  The bathroom was also equipped with a TV!  I can watch MTV while brushing my teeth?  Super fab.
- Relatively central location

The room on one side

The sitting area portion of the room.

During my short stay, I found the time to hang out by the pool and that was pretty amazing.  Guests are given both a beach towel and one to put over the beach chairs.  There were multiple pools and a jacuzzi.  It's difficult to describe, but the environment was perfect and if I had more time, I definitely would've stayed longer.  Did I mention they also have a club beside the pool called TAO Beach?

How does it feel to be in Venice? Fucking amazing!

THE REST OF THE STRIP:
Given Vegas is a desert town, the hotels must have things to see and do to attract guests, and boy do they.

Bellagio's glass ceiling was breathtaking.  The garden exhibit was also super pretty.

At MGM Grande, we caught the lions during feeding time!  Eeks!

Wynn and Encore were a little quiet in my opinion, but the decor is fabulous.

Caesar's was HUGE!  Just like in Rome.

New York New York!

PARIS! And Planet Hollywood... featuring Holly Madison's Peepshow!

I think my favourite hotels were the Bellagio and of course the Venetian.  The Wynn and Encore comes a close third.  The views, decor, detailing were stunning.  I wasn't overly impressed with New York New York though that may be due to the fact that I'd gone to NYC just recently, and the copies aren't quite the same as the real ones.  The same reason applies to Caesar's.  I'd been to Italy, seen the Trevi fountain, the statue of David, the Colosseum, the Spanish steps... the real ones are so grande and amazing that the copies couldn't compare.  Sadly... I'd also gone to Paris, so this Eiffel Tour was still nice just a little small.  Apparently there is a restaurant outside the Paris hotel featuring a Parisian patio restaurant, just like in Paris!  I didn't have time to go though.

I went hunting for Flamingos at the Flamingo.  Unfortunately this was the best I could find.

MY ITINIERY:

Personally, when I am on vacation and traveling to far away places I like to be prepared, know what and where I am going to make the most of my time there, as I am assuming I won't come back for another while.  Given as such, I did a lot of research prior to getting to Vegas and booked activities where I could, and planned my route to maximize the sights.  My aggressive 5 day itinerary was follows:

Day 1: Land. Eat lunch at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville.  Walk to Circus Circus.  Walk back to the hotel.  Go to the pool to hang out.  Eat at Picasso's.  Watch the water fountain show at the Bellagio.  See the Treasure Island Sirens AND Mirage's volcano exploding.

Day 2: Grand Canyon and Houver's Dam day trip

Day 3: Shopping at Caesar's (The Forum Shops).  Shopping at Fashion Show Mall.  Buffet dinner at Bellagio.  Try the cokes around the world sample at the Coke store.  Watch O (Cirque de Soleil water show).  Go to Mandalay Bay to see the Shark Reef Aquarium. 

Day 4: Skydiving.  Shopping at Las Vegas Premium Outlets.  Head to Vegas downtown (i.e. the old Vegas) for dinner.  Walk through Fremont St.

Day 5: Departure

Not exactly your relaxing vacation, but you do see all the sights!  

More on the details later.  

I suppose given the above, it makes sense I did not have the energy to go clubbing! :(

FINAL THOUGHTS
Would I come to Vegas again?  Most definitely!  I was a little disappointed at the time of my visit, Aria (the new resort) had no yet opened.  There's so much to do, see, eat, shop!  Funny thing is, I didn't even really gamble.  Maybe next time...

I will also go to the Gun Store, where you can pay a minimal fee and test out firearms at a shooting range!  I always wanted to try an SMG, desert eagle or AK-47.

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas ;)