Man, I really like Vegas! -Elvis Presley

Over the years we have visited Las Vegas numerous times…mostly for shows, but also for the sun, a bit of gambling, hikes, and our favorite pastime, people watching. It is a wild and crazy city that never seems to sleep, full of glitz, glamour and lights.

So we have stayed at so many spots…Mandalay Bay…stayed here numerous times…love the water features they have, the lazy river, the wave pool, stayed here with Jamie when she was little and she loved the water and pools. Delano, right behind Mandalay Bay, used to be called THE HOTEL…We stayed here three times and enjoyed the quietness of the property, but the last time it just wasn’t clean. And we were disappointed with the Delano pool area where the lounges were practically right on top of the next one…hardly room to breathe. The Mirage, nice pool, fun casino, recently purchased by Hard Rock. Paris, stayed here with friends, lot of restaurant choices, Heidi will always remember the LARGE New York Ice Teas, Love eating at Bon Ami Gabi for breakfast. The Tropicana, first spot Heidi and I stayed together, we won so much in the casino. Heidi grabbed a $500.00 spin and we treated her mom and dad to Mamma Mia playing at Mandalay Bay. The property is a bit dated and is currently being considered as the futute site for a professional baseball stadium. Red Rock Hotel and Spa…a bit off the strip, but this property is still one of our favorites. There were many pools to choose from, never felt crowded. There is a 72 lane bowling alley, a 16 screen movie theatre complex and great food spots to eat. They used to have a free shuttle from the airport and would also transport to and from the strip….but COVID brought an end to that perk. And lastly, the Bellagio. While all the spots had a certain appeal, the Bellagio has been our favorite….Just seems to have an air of class, and we get a room with the view of the fountains. Love that it is situated near the center of the strip and the gaming area never seems smoky.

Valley of Fire

One trip we brought along our hiking shoes, rented a car, and made our way to The Valley of Fire State Park. It is a little over an hour drive northeast of the city, a small entry fee, and then you choose the trails you want to tackle. The vistas here are stunning, absolutely stunning. Rock walls and canyons of multiple hues. Large and small arches and even petroglyphs. We spent an entire day just exploring one trail after the other. It was late spring when we went, so the weather was not brutally hot, and we saw NO snakes.

Shows

Not sure if I can remember all the shows we have been to. We love a good show and there are plenty to choose from in Las Vegas.

I think we have been to every one of the Cirque du Soliel shows

“O” at Bellagio – World class acrobats, divers, synchonized swimmers, even comedy…and the costumes…WOW!!!! And the music!!!!!

The Beatles LOVE at The Mirage – Pays homage to the Beatles and their musical accomplishments….great music and dance revolving around the themes of the songs. Extreme sports, acrobatics, even bubbles. If you love the Beatles, you will love LOVE.

Ka at the MGM – Archers, spearmen, performers climbing all over the theatre, the show revolves around the story of a set of twins, a boy and a girl, and their perilous journey.

Mystére at Treasure Island – This was the first Cirque show in Las Vegas, opened in 1993 and still going strong. Probably the show with the most athleticism and acrobatics.

Zumanity was at New York, New York. This show, caberet style, adult themed, opened in 2003 and had a good 20 year run. It has closed and has been replaced with a new Cirque show, Mad Apple. Many people were put off by the adult themes in Zumanity, but we found this show to be good fun. Next trip we will take in Mad Apple

Michael Jackson ONE at Mandalay Bay – We loved this show, filled with dancing, guitar playing, singing, and all the great Michael Jackson songs…and yes, even a little moon-walking. The Michael Jackson avatar looked so dang real….it felt like Michael was actually there on stage!!!

Some other shows we enjoyed:

Absinthe at Caesars Palace – They describe this show as rowdy and raunchy, and we would agree, but I don’t think we have ever seen a show where we laughed so hard. And we were right up front and had to cover up with plastic during the bathtub presentation. Not for everyone, but so funny.

Le Reve was at The Wynn – A Cirque du Soleil type show, with seating all around the stage, or should I call it a million gallon pool stage. Great lighting and effects, and while we enjoyed it, it wasn’t nearly as good as “O”, in our humble opinion. It had a good run from 2005 til 2020. It has been replaced with a new show, Awakening, a dance-centric, cirque-type presentation.

Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club at The MGM – We have been to a number of comedy clubs, but we feel this one is the best in Vegas. They always seen to have three different comedians each time. The club is small and intimate and we always get some good chuckles at this venue.

Mamma Mia at Mandalay Bay – Las Vegas always seems to grab their share of top performers and broadway shows. We happened to be down in Vegas at the same time Heidi’s parents were staying in an RV Park. Heidi happened to win big, so we treated her mom and dad and the four of us took in Mamma Mia. LOVED, LOVED, LOVED that show and all the Abba music.

New York New York Roller Coaster at New York New York – My daughter is a roller coaster lover…so of course we had to do this coaster…like five times including once at night sitting in the very front car. The loop-de-loop really did me in.



Food

There is so much good food in Las Vegas. It used to be you could come to Vegas and eat real cheap, big steaks for only a few bucks, inexpensive buffets, free drinks while you gambled, but those days are pretty much gone. Today there are high end restaurants with celebrity chefs, exquisite buffets, and bars mixing up exotic cocktails and drinks. Oh, you can still find many a fast food places, and drinks are still served when you gamble (just not as many waitresses and they only seem to come around once an hour or so) When we come we always try to hit a couple of really nice restaurants, always trying something new and different, and we always take in a steakhouse…SW Steakhouse at the Wynn, the Steak House at CIrcus Circus, Tom Colicchio’s Craftsteak, the StripSteak at Mandalay Bay …all of them delicious with exceptional service. Our last visit we tried a new breakfast spot for us, Bon Ami Gabi at Paris. Really amazing Eggs Benedict and Bottomless Mimosas. We never go hungry (or thirsty) in Vegas!!!!!

More than anything, we just come to Vegas to have a fun time. We never stay too long, a few days, a few shows, some good food, veggiing by the pool and just walking about. We love the city in small doses and it is always on our list of spots to return.