The seed was planted over a dinner with our friends Dan and Susan right after Thanksgiving. "We're thinking about going for a long weekend in Las Vegas right after Christmas. Whaddaya think?", said Susan, and before we knew it, CLICK/BOOM, we had booked a long weekend trip to Las Vegas, and thank you Southwest Airlines and the Paris Las Vegas Resort for making such great deal to fly out and stay in the Town That Moe Greene Built, and so it was that last Friday night, we were welcomed accordingly:
For Marilyn and I, it had been ten years since we last visited this uniquely American playground, and if anything, it has gotten bigger, brassier, and more over the top than ever. Las Vegas truly defines the term "sensory overload", and we had a ball every step of the way.
In all we visited and won/lost money in eight different casinos: Paris, Bellagio, Mirage, Caesar's Palace, Venetian, Encore, Aria, and MGM. We saw two different shows:
Marilyn and I had actually seen "Love" in 2009 when we last visited Vegas. We said at the time that it was so good that we'd like to see it again someday, and so we did. The show has actually changed some since then. Some different Beatles songs are featured now, but still the same great Beatles music (need I say more?) and still those marvelous acrobatics and dancing moves of the Cirque Du Soleil performers.
As for David Copperfield....well, it was simply an amazing show of magic and illusion. It seemed to me that I have seen Copperfield do his thing on television forever, so it surprised me that he is only 62 years old. To see his act live on a stage was really a fantastic thing to see. And he does this twice a night, three times on weekends, throughout the year. As the concierge at our hotel said, "He's a machine."
When we decided that we were going to the Copperfield show, it triggered a memory for me. Many years ago, David Copperfield was going to do a show in Pittsburgh, and I remember at the time that my mother said that that was something that she wouldn't mind seeing. I don't think she ever got to that show back then, so I dedicated my visit to that show two nights ago to my Mom, which was kind of nice.
We had some great meals at some cool places.
This restaurant, Mon Ami Gabi, is in the Paris Resort and includes an outdoor seating area that simulates and outdoor Parisian cafe. It is directly across the street from the Bellagio, so when you are there for dinner in the evening, you get a great view of the famed dancing fountains of the Bellagio.
And when you breakfast there, which we did twice, you get this view.
The other fancy meal we had was here.
Carbone's is located in the Aria Hotel and Casino, and it is an "Authentic New York Italian Restaurant". More than being a great meal, which it was, dinner there was a real experience. The atmosphere made it a dining event as much as a meal. Many thanks to my Highmark friend and fellow retiree Sandy Tomlinson for recommending the place to us.
Another very cool thing that we did was ride The High Roller.
It is a huge ferris wheel that takes a half hour to make a complete circle. At its peak, you are 540 feet above the ground, and it really is spectacular to see all of Las Vegas and the surrounding desert and mountains.
A really fun thing to do.
Of course, the question that everyone asks you when you return from Las Vegas is "How'd you do at the tables?" Testing the laws of probability, of course, is an integral part of the Vegas Experience, and we did do that, but that part of the trip deserves a separate write up, which will be forthcoming in the days ahead. Watch for it.
In closing, no matter where you go, even Las Vegas, there is always a Pittsburgh connection...
Here's looking at you, kids....
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