Las Vegas

Last weekend Mike and I went to Las Vegas. We had planned on going somewhere in September, because we haven't had a real vacation in a while.
Some friends of Mike's were going to Vegas and it sounded like a good time. We also decided that we would probably finally tie the knot when we got there. We've been engaged for almost 3 years and both of us just wanted to finally go ahead and do it. I'm going to do a separate blog for our wedding in Vegas though.

We stayed at the Luxor casino. It is shaped like a huge pyramid and has a big spynx in front of it that is actually the car port and entrance to the tram station which goes by a number of the other casinos.
This was my first time inside a big casino like this. It is surreal. The whole place is filled with beeping, flashing slot machines. There are cars and motorcycles rotating above circles of slots, waitresses serving free drinks, everyone is smoking and the whole place is a maze.

There are restaurants, a pool, a spa, gift shops, beauty salons, you name it.

I wouldn't recommend the Luxor however. Due to the fact that it is a pyramid, all the elevators are in corners. This means you have to walk forever to get to one from your room and they are always out of service and having mechanical problems due to the fact that they have to go on an incline rather than straight up. Also rather than the normal drop downwards you feel in an elevator, at the Luxor, you are jolted to the side.
The pool at the Casino was really nice. There are several pools, hot tubs, plenty of reclining lawn chairs and towels.

You can order drinks and food and they have music playing the whole time.

However, it is extremely hot in Las Vegas. You can definitely tell it is the middle of the desert. Wear tons of sunscreen and even still, I wouldn't stay out for too long.

When you step out of the air conditioning, you are hit by the heat as if you stepped into a furnace. It's kind of a weird dry heat though so you don't sweat or really notice it's effect on you.

Someone said to me before leaving that Las Vegas is like Disney Land for adults. It is true!
Each casino has a different theme and look to it.

This is the Excalibor that the Luxor is linked to by pedway and tram. The theme is medieval. The place is decorated by stained glass, suits of armor and the waitresses are dressed like bar maidens.
This one is New York New York. It has a roller coaster going through it (which is in the picture) and inside there are taxi cabs, pretzel stands and everything New York.

Here is Mike in front of the MGM grand. It was really nice and side and I would recommend it. It is also the home of a few of the Cirque de Soleil shows.

Each casino has some running acts. Ours had Carrot Top that awful redheaded comedian and Fantasy which is a burlesque show that is quite good which Mike and I went to see.

The MGM Grand actually has a couple of lions in captivity right in the middle of the casino and you can go in and watch them.

There are a surprising number of people who bring small children into casinos. I personally don't think it is a place for kids. I just don't think month-old lungs and heavy cigarette smoke really mix, but that's my opinion.

Here is Mike picking up his winnings. Las Vegas is definitely more fun when you win!

So here, he had just won $450 at a craps table and we were standing there enjoying free drinks as he played.

He also had a big win at a roulette table and we both played poker. Over all we won $650, but it would have been more if we had of stayed away from the stupid slot machines. Stay away from the slot machines. Their siren call is attractive, but you'll never win!

Here I am enjoying a yard of margarita. No I'm not exaggerating, it is actually a yard long. I couldn't finish the thing, but I could not resist buying one of these massive drinks.

You see people walking around with drinks the size of half a basketball.

The funniest thing is that, you can purchase a drink, walk out of the casino, down the strip and into another casino and no one bothers you.

I remember a guy asking a security guard if he could bring his drink into a restaurant and the guard responded. "Yes, this is Vegas, you can drink anything you want, any time, any place and no one will stop you".
Very liberating! Anyway, that is good for this post, the next one will be our actual wedding.