Las Vegas

Days 72-74

Claire got in at about midnight and the party started immediately.  I had a bottle of champagne chilled and waiting so that we could have a few drinks before dinner.  It had been over three months since we had seen each other and although I had turned into somewhat of a mountain man, car-sleeping bum, we meshed all over again.  We had a snack in the mall-like food court in the foyer of the casino and then played a few slot games that amounted to winnings of 20%... which meant about $2.60. 

The Fountain Restaurant.

Cesaer Salad

View from the top of Mandalay Bay.

At PURE

The following morning we used a 2-for-1 buffet coupon and vegged like we used to.  Claire informed me that there was a shopping outlet mall, which ended up being great for me since I had no dress clothes.  We spent a few hours there until we went back to the hotel and made plans for the night.  Within the next eight hours, we purchased the Lion King theatre tickets, had dinner at The Fountain, which was immaculate and in Mandalay Bay, watched the show (which was stunning), checked into a few clubs that we got into for free, then went back to the hotel, changed into our clubbing attire, went back out to club Pure in Cesaer’s Palace (which was overrated), and finally we crashed around 5AM.  Las Vegas is essentially a grown man’s playground.  At first its kitschy nature was overwhelming and a bit much, but it is fun to have a vast array of party options every night of the week, especially since the shows are so impressive.    

Our last day in Vegas was also eventful.  We woke up in time for a massive and delicious brunch buffet.  Then I took my stab at Texas Hold’em Poker, which was good to me.  I won a few hands right away and ended up breaking even, but poker is a game that cannot be hurried, so next time I will spend more time. 

Bellagio Botanical Gardens

Trying to rehydrate... man thinks I'm crazy.

Flowers I got for Claire.

Fountain show. 

We then saw the fountain show at the Bellagio as well as their botanical garden and blown glass display.  The Bellagio was simply more snazzy that our spot, but given our budget we were still very pleased.  A few hours out we hit up the Hoover Dam and were immediately shocked by its grandeur.  I thought it was the perfect model for something that Howard Roark might have built in The Fountainhead.  Even the bridge overhead was impressive especially at sunset.  A few hours later we got to our next destination: the Grand Canyon.  It was a wonderful transition from one of man’s most incredible hand made wonders (Vegas) to one of God’s most surreal places on earth.   

Hoover Dam

Structural grandeur... makes you appreciate and respect engineers.