Sin City Reviewed

Wow... what a trip! First, Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate. Now... onto me. :)

My trip was awesome. We truly had a great time and to provide you with every detail from the trip would be impossible. So... below are some highlights, and perhaps a few lowlights too.

Shows:
All three of the shows we saw were incredible. First, we saw Ice, which is essentially Cirque du Soliel on ice. It was absolutely amazing, and what those people can do on skates is truly incredible. I highly recommend this show.

Next up we saw La Cage. It was awesome. Definitely the best drag show I had ever seen, and some of the impressions were so dead on it was astounding. They did people like Bette Midler, Cher, Celine Dion, Diana Ross, Madonna, Reba, and so many more. It really was great. We also met two guys there.... Art and his partner whose name I totally forgot. Both great guys!!

The last show we saw was Zumanity. Wow... talk about sexy. It was a Cirque du Soleil show, but what they call the "sensual and sexual side of Cirque." It was pretty hot and again, what those bodies can do is amazing!!!

I highly recommend you see all three of those shows.

Food:
It's Vegas.... for the most part, the food was excellent. A few that need mentioning...

The Steak House - That is actually the name of the restaurant. Oddly enough, it is located inside of Circus Circus, but has been named best steak house in Vegas for the last 25 years. Trust me... they are right. From the bread, to their homemade salad dressing, to the AMAZING garlic mashed potatoes (better than Buca, yes, I said it), to their beef.... this place is outstanding. Definitely go there.

Buffet - And perhaps the most interesting thing is that my worst meal was in the same hotel, Circus Circus. It was their buffet (the only one I ate while there) and it was awful. Worse than Old Country Buffet, if you can imagine. Just gross. Thankfully, because of an issue during check-in, the buffet for us was free.

Cafe Bellagio - It was good, though not the best restaurant in the whole world. Obviously located inside the Bellagio, it was a a good lunch. For those who cannot stop gambling, you can play Keno at your table.

Il Fornaio - Located inside New York, New York, this restaurant is a "must eat." Everyone knows I am picky, and I ordered their Paccheri Gratanati without the peas and mushrooms and substituting chicken instead of ham, but OMG... it was truly the best pasta I have ever had in my life.

Grand Lux Cafe - This delicious treat was located inside of the Venetian. I had a waffle... again, the best one ever. I am not sure what they put in that batter, but it was like a tiny drop of heaven.

Hotels:
Of course the hotels were amazing. My favorite would have to be the Luxor. First, it is just plain cool (shaped like a pyramid), but it is beautiful inside as well. Just a remarkable place. And if you are sneaky enough like we are, you can ride up in the side-ways elevator without actually being a guest there. Also to be noted are the Venetian and Bellagio. Very nice, very classy. I would say my other favorite would be New York, New York. So much fun. It is not "beautiful" like the others... it is just more fun. Tons to do, great places to eat, wonderful shows, etc. Definitely skip Circus Circus unless you have kids. If you do, take them there... they will love it.

Attractions:
There is so much to see and do in Vegas that even the 5 nights I was there was not nearly enough. Here are some things to do, and perhaps some to stay away from...

Gondola - Definitely take a gondola ride at the Venetian. It is just like in Italy with your own gondolier and all. They sing to you and it is just plain fun.

Hoover Dam - The tour was AWFUL, so skip that. Just go to the dam and look at it. That is pretty cool as is Lake Mead across the street. But truly, the best part was just looking at the dam, so save the $11 and skip the BORING tour.

Grand Canyon - That is one GRAND canyon. Wow is it big, but absolutely beautiful. If you have the time, (it will really take you all day to do this and the dam) go for it. I really had no idea how big it was. There was a helicopter that went in it while we were there... it looked like an ant. It was awesome.

Good Hands Massage - Off the strip, but a hell of a deal. For $99 you get an hour of reflexology and then an hour of Swedish massage. You cannot beat a two hour massage for $99!

Lake Las Vegas - About a half hour drive, this is a small village like area with a man made lake. Absolutely beautiful and surrounded by shops, a casino, etc. Nice to look at, but likely not worth the drive again.

The Strip - Get your walking shoes on, or better yet, rent a car for $30/day. The strip is awesome. You go into all of the different hotels and they are truly amazing. You cannot believe they are a building... they look more like a small city. Check out the fountain at the Bellagio, the lions at MGM, the waterfall bar in Mandalay Bay, the roller coaster in New York, New York, and about 10,000 other things I am not going to mention.

As sick of reading this as you are, I am bored with typing. I hope you enjoyed hearing about my trip.

Check back often for more Random Ramblings!