Las Vegas March 2011

We just got back from Vegas on Wednesday and I have a lot to share!  We had a fabulous time and did a ton of fun things like club hopped, ate great food, visited the Hoover Dam, and saw a Cirque du Soleil show.  We stayed at the Paris Hotel, which I would definitely recommend.  It's right in the middle of the strip so it's easy to get to the Bellagio, Caesar's Palace, Bally's, and the Monorail.  We didn't have a strip view from our rooms, but they were very big.  We had 2 queen beds and a huge bathroom with marble floors.  The walls were pretty thin, but I didn't have any trouble sleeping.  Overall, I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars for location and room size.

Saturday March 5
Unfortunately, our flight was delayed an hour leaving the airport, so we didn't arrive in Vegas until after 5pm.  We checked in quickly to the Paris Hotel and grabbed dinner at Le Burger Brasserie.  The food was pretty good and everyone enjoyed their burgers.  We then got ready to head out for a night on the town.  Our first stop was at Tabu at MGM Grand.  It has a lounge feel but the DJ was playing really good music.

We then headed over to the Luxor to LAX nightclub which was probably my favorite stop of the evening.  The music was good and everyone was having a great time.

The last stop of the evening was at Pure Caesars Palace.  We danced for a bit and then made our way up to the terrace that had amazing views of the strip.

Thanks to Club Viva Las Vegas who hosted a wonderful night! We had a great time, but we were exhausted by the end of the night.  After traveling and the time difference, we were up for about 24 hours, so we were ready to go to bed.  Lots more to see and do!



Sunday March 6

We slept in the next day and had breakfast at Sidewalk Cafe at Bally's next door to Paris.  The food was pretty good and cheap.  We then took the Monorail down to the north end of the strip.

We walked for awhile and also stopped to gamble at a couple places along the way.  We then took the monorail back to our hotel to rest up before dinner.  Before arriving in Vegas, I made reservations for us at LAVO at the Palazzo.

Here's a cool fountain outside the restaurant:

Inside of LAVO:

We had an amazing dinner.  LAVO is known for their kobe beef meatballs, so we had to try one.  They were huge so the four of us split one as an appetizer.  It was delicious!  Jill and I had pasta for dinner, my husband had beef ribs, and Ryan had lobster risotto.  Everyone enjoyed their food and the service was great.

At a waterfall at the Venetian:

Monday March 7

We decided to rent a car and drive to the Hoover Dam for the day.  It's about 30 miles south of Las Vegas, so it's a pretty quick drive.  They do offer tours, but there is quite a bit you can see on your own.  In 2010, a bridge above the dam was completed, giving awesome views.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also stopped to look at Lake Mead, which was formed by the dam

After we got back to the city, Jill and I had to get ready to see the Cirque du Soleil show Mystere at Treasure Island.  It was an amazing show!  Neither of us had seen Cirque du Soleil before and we were both glad we went.  While we were at the show, the guys went downtown for awhile.  Afterwards, Jill and I went to Kahunaville for a couple drinks until the guys picked us up.

 

 

 My big drink with dry ice :)

Tuesday March 8

For lunch, we decided to eat at the buffet at our hotel.  It was pretty good.  We came in at the end of breakfast and beginning of lunch, so we had a little of both.  I was pretty worn out from everything we had done the last few days, so I rested for awhile in the afternoon while the guys went and gambled.  We decided to head to downtown that evening to check out Fremont Street.   

 

 We had dinner at the Golden Nugget and checked out the awesome aquarium and pool. 

 

 

 

 

We left for the airport early Wednesday morning.  Overall, we had an amazing trip and can't wait to go back!

Spring Fever

Thanks to the uncharacteristically warm weather this week, I officially have spring fever.  We had temps in the 40s this week, which usually doesn't happen until mid-late March.  Thank goodness some of the snow has melted!  Unfortunately, we are expected to get 8-12 inches of snow tomorrow :(  I guess that's Minnesota for ya.

Usually around this time of year I dream of visiting the Caribbean or start planning a vacation to some warm destination.  Last winter we had the pleasure of visiting Aruba in January, when the temps here barely got above zero and we enjoyed 80 degree weather on the beach.  Hopefully we can expect temps around 70 in Vegas when we are there.  Next winter, we may go on a Caribbean cruise if we can find a good deal.  I would love to go on this one by Carnival that visits St. Maarten, St. Lucia, and St. Kitts. 

Here's to hoping spring is around the corner!

One Month...

Until Vegas!

We are getting super excited and we have some fun things planned so far.  My husband and I are traveling with my best friend Jill and her husband Ryan.  We arrive on a Saturday afternoon, so we plan to check into the hotel (the Paris).  We will probably unpack and get some dinner before heading out on the town.  We got VIP club passes through Club Viva Las Vegas.  We will have a host that will take us to several clubs: Tabu, LAX, and we decided to upgrade to go to Pure.  It should be a fun night of dancing!  We don't have anything planned for Sunday yet since it depends on when we get up (most of the clubs are open until 4 or 5 am).  We may have to check out the buffet at the Wynn since I hear it's fantastic.  It may also be good for a hangover :). 

Jill and I really want to see a Cirque du Soleil show, so we did a search and I found some great tickets for Mystere which is at Treasure Island.  We are going Monday evening, so the guys can go do something else, probably gamble, while we are at the show.  Otherwise, we will probably walk a lot of the strip since Jill and Ryan have never been there.  Some places that I haven't been to but would like to see are Shark Reef at Mandaly Bay, Stratosphere Tower, and Fremont Street in downtown.  There are several restaurants I would also like to try: Lavo at Pallazzo, Kahunaville at Treasure Island, Mon Ami Gabi at Paris, and Mesa Grill at Caesar's Palace. 

It should be a great trip!  Look for pics soon!

2011 Updates

Wow, what a start to the year already.  Unfortunately my dad has been in the hospital with some medical issues and he probably has cancer again (he had lymphoma back in 2008).  He is in good hands and we're hoping for a full recovery.  I've visited him several times and he is doing better everyday.  My job has also been quite stressful over the last few weeks as well with year-end.  I will be ready for some time off when we head to Vegas in March.  I haven't had to time write many updates here, but check back soon!

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2011!  My husband and I enjoyed ringing in the new year with some close friends.  We have a few things to look forward to this year: our trip to Las Vegas in March with my best friend and her husband, our 2nd wedding anniversary in July and hopefully we'll go to Milwaukee to see the Twins play, and we're thinking of going on a Caribbean cruise in November.  Hope you all had a happy and safe new year!

Dream Vacation

My husband and I were recently discussing where we would go on vacation if money was no object.  We found this Silversea Cruise which sounds amazing.  I've always wanted to visit Australia and the Cook Islands (known for the best beaches in the world).  It even crosses the international date line!  They even offer a 119 day cruise that literally goes around the world.  How awesome would that be?  Where would you want to visit on your dream vacation?

Blizzard 2010

On December 11, between 15-20 inches of snow fell over the Twin Cities, southern MN, and Wisconsin.  Driving became impossible and almost everyone was snowed-in for the weekend.  Sections of both I-90 and I-94 were closed for more than 24 hours due to poor driving conditions.  Even the Metrodome where the Vikings play collapsed under the pressure of the snow.  MSP Airport also shut down for several hours.

Here are some pictures from around the city:

 Neighbor shoveling out his car

 Huge snow drifts

Our development after the plows came through

Minneapolis and deflated Metrodome roof

Horrible road conditions

Car abandoned due to the storm