Monday, August 11, 2014

WAKING UP IN VEGAS

I won't lie, Vegas wasn't for me.

M has always wanted to see it and it made a great stop between New York & Hawaii, but I never wanted to go.  Vegas for me sounded like the place of the fake, the drunk and the loud.  I don't think I was far off.

We were there 3 nights and stayed at Aria (as far as cheesy hotels go, yep, perfect - clean, pretty good value, comfy bed.. like staying at Crown but not quite).  When we landed I couldn't believe how close the airport was to the main strip and thought the surrounding mountains looked so beautiful.  Plus, after the snow and freezing temperatures in New York, it was a beautiful, sunny 23 degrees. Score!





Once we checked into our room and had a shower (a must after a flight for us), we went for an explore.  So much fake.  Not just the buildings but the people (I'm sure they're lovely, but a lot look super plastic and the rest were just tourists).  

Then we tried to find something to eat and I went to a cafe and got a sandwich for $14 or something insane that was stale and revolting.  I was starving but I threw it out.  It was worse than the food on the plane (although Virgin America - highly recommend).

On the first night we saw the famous over-water Cirque Du Soleil show 'O'.  M went on and on about it before we went and we paid a small fortune for the tickets but it was amazing - I was totally enthralled and the show seemed to go for 20 minutes it just flew by!   Definitely worth a look.


M wanted to see more shows but I wasn't keen so we did the famous buffet at Caesar's Palace (I think it's called the Buchanel buffet?).  It was worth going to just to watch the amount of crab legs people could eat.  It was a freak show, but t
he food was pretty average, I didn't get the fuss at all.  Standard all you can eat fare but a huge selection.
If you ever go give them a tip when you arrive - we got changed to better seats overlooking the whole restaurant after throwing in a $20 tip and we got amazing service.
(In fact this was the case throughout America whenever we tipped).


The rest of our time in Vegas was spent walking around the shops, doing the outlets etc.  The strip is super long to walk so take comfy shoes.

Vegas is exactly what Vegas sounds like it'll be.  I'm glad I saw it, I guess, but as a woman who isn't into going out clubbing or getting drunk (club promoters 10 times a day would tell me how they could get me 'sooo drunk' for free.. no thanks?  Certified prude here!), and likes her food (the food here was mostly just plain bad), I won't be revisiting Vegas.

Boys week away?  Sure, they'd love it.

M was a fan, thought everything was 'impressive'.

...It didn't help that on the first night I was woken at 4am by our hotel neighbours being violently and loudly ill next door.  Really gross.  The hotel was booked out so we couldn't move rooms.  So not OK.

Also, as soon as we got into our hotel room in Vegas and I turned on the TV, reports of flight MH17 started... not good for a phobic flyer who just landed in the windy Vegas airport!  With M apologising to the passenger next to him saying I am a nervous flyer and him going, 'Well she ain't gonna like this landing!'.  Hah.  No, Mr. Suave American Business Man, I did not like the landing.

And so this is Vegas..





M thought the Bellagio fountain shows were amazing.
By that I mean M wanted to watch every single one ever.
It was 'impressive'.









Such long walkways they need to help you out.





Inside Aria.
HUGE.
So many empty upper-end stores (Chanel, Harry Winston etc) completely empty with bored-as staff waiting for someone to have a big win.






So excited to watch more fountains....





Our travel agent was really apologetic that she couldn't secure us a room with a view of the strip.

I was not disappointed at all.. we could see the mountains in the distance and the hundreds of helicopters a night flying by.

We were meant to do a helicopter trip to the Grand Canyon which we'd pre-booked, but when we got there M learned that the site led him to believe it would be just the two of us but we'd actually be in a group of 4 or 6 with strangers and some people would be in middle seats.
This only further escalated my extreme anxiety about getting in a helicopter and he called the company to see if we could get a refund.
It was a super busy weekend (I think it was Nascar weekend?) so they gave us a full refund (it was over a grand so we were relieved!) 




Strangely I bought more in Vegas than anywhere else.
I put it down to shopping being the most entertaining thing in Vegas for me.  The last thing I wanted to do in New York or San Fran was sit in shops when there was so many awesome places to explore.
I can shop any time.
 (M likes to take photos of me either pulling up my undies or grabbing my love handles - can't quite tell?)






This was trippy I have to say.





This duck was so perfect on it's fake grass (yeah, there is fake grass and trees and rocks in the streets.. not to mention the chirping birds in the trees that are actually speakers..), that I thought perhaps he was a fake duck.
He waddled like a real duck so if he was fake I will say that's impressive.





I look exhausted and gross in all the Vegas photos as I was so hot from being in the sun all day and had usually been walking for hours.  This was after walking for 6 or so hours and I was totally done for and just wanted sleep.  This is my super impressed face at yet another one of these billboards...






Trying to enjoy it!




Leaving you with M, overlooking his beloved fountain.
He hates being on the bloggy so don't tell him...


So Vegas, I doubt we'll meet again, but it was nice knowing you for a super short while (3 nights was definitely enough).

Have you been to Vegas?  Did you love it?
Do you think I am a giant prude now?  I don't care!

When I headed out at night in Vegas I really felt like I needed at least an inch more make up, way more hairspray and a boob job (seriously, could not stop staring at some of that super-on-show perkiness).  Oh and some insane platform shoes.  I didn't even begin to fit in in my jeans, nice top and pointy flats (practical holiday shoes).

If you want a perve, Vegas is definitely the place to be.

Next up, Hawaii!
x


4 comments:

  1. We've had very similar experiences! I didn't think much of Vegas either. I'm not a gambler or a clubber. We went in summer and it was 47 C there!! But actually not so bad because it was dry heat, and the casinos have made it almost impossible to walk outside when they'd rather funnel you through the casino walkways.

    We saw a couple of shows - David Copperfield for the cheese factor and some dancing shows. Our one touristy thing outside of Vegas was going to see the Hoover Dam which was impressive, and walking across the border to Arizona. If we had more time we would have gone to the Grand Canyon too.

    All those guys on the street flicking their cards for strip clubs and prostitutes were annoying! And it felt like everyone was out to rip you off with hidden costs. We even got offered cheap tickets to shows if we'd come listen to a time share presentation.

    And in the end, we were stung by Vegas because we left our passports back in the hotel room on our way out, and didn't realise until we got to the airport. With all the phone calls and running around trying to find our passports, we ended up losing our camera and having to book new flights to LA and rebook our flights to Australia.

    But it wasn't all bad. The most fun I had was going in the hotel pools (we stayed at the Mandalay Bay). I felt like a little kid again playing in the wave pool and the lazy river pool. And the Big Apple Coaster at New York New York.

    I think if you treat it like a resort holiday and try not to leave your hotel it would probably be better. They have so much packed into those casinos there's not really a need to leave!

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    1. Nice to know I am not alone Amelia - everyone seems to love it?? I'm not a gambler or clubber either! I put $2 in a pokie machine and that was it. 47c is insane! I do have to say the weather was super amazing when we were there..

      M wanted to see David Copperfield but he'd already seen the exact same show in Melbourne so I wasn't going to humour him when I wasn't interested..

      We would lay the cards out on the bed at the end of the night and rank them hottest to ugliest haha!

      Definitely not leaving the resort if I ever go back! I didn't even go to a pool because we were exploring.. just saw them.

      xx

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  2. I read this post the other day, but then realised I wasn't logged into blogger on my phone so I couldn't comment! *face palm*
    I've always wanted to go to Vegas and I would expect it to be so fake but I loved your retake on it.
    Bellagio fountains look amazing and nice scores on the shopping! x

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    1. See I never wanted to go to Vegas.. I expected it to be fake and I hate hate hate fake, but I guess if you were expecting it and going to just accept it for what it was (and maybe went with a group?) it would be better?

      Roxy @ roxyiam (.blogspot.com) loves it and makes me think I totally took the wrong approach or something?

      xx

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