Las Vegas Trip Scrapbook

I'm back home after spending three fabulous days in Las Vegas. It was my first time in the world's entertainment capital, and I enjoyed every minute of the trip. I also had the incredible opportunity of meeting one of my dad's old friends, José Antonio, and his lovely wife Marta. They've been living in the city for almost 40 years. José Antonio has recently retired after working in the local hospitality industry for many decades. This adorable couple made my stay in Vegas completely unforgettable. Thank YOU from the bottom of my heart!



Some of the most recognizable Vegas landscape

Saturday, May 26

10.30h I landed in McCarran Airport. There's a pretty convenient shuttle service that takes travellers to the hotels in The Strip for just $7. I made it to the hotel -Imperial Palace- before noon. About the hotel, well, it's the perfect option if you look for exceptional location and want to spend the minimum amount of dollars. Don't expect much more than that!

15:00h My dad's friends picked me up at the hotel and took me to lunch at Carnegie, a lovely NYC style delicatessen located on The Mirage. I had the delicious Salmon Chanted salad, and we shared the classic Cheesecake for dessert.

After lunch, we headed next door to The Forum, an AMAZING shopping mall and entertainment center, that recreates the glory and aesthetics of the Ancient Roman Empire. It's part of the Caesars Palace. You can find there a wide range of retail stores, from Gucci to H&M and anything in between, as well as some fine dining spots.

19:00h LOVE I was SO looking forward to watching the Cirque du Soleil tribute to The Beatles and the show totally surpassed my high expectations. It was a 90-minute fantasy full of magic, beauty and great music. It was delightful to see those guys interpretating classic hits like Drive My Car, Hey Jude, She Loves You...It's definitely the best musical I have ever seen!

21.30h Dinner time at Le Range. I had the best Filet Mignon of my entire life while enjoying some of the best views in Vegas La Nuit.

23.30h Bed time!

Sunday, May 27

5:30h The day started pretty early, as I headed to Grand Canyon. This definitely was the #1 highlight of the trip. You don't get to see one of the world's seven wonders every weekend, do you? The tour was kind of tiring but definitely worth it. I couldn't help but remembering the 'Grand Canyon visualization trick' that my beloved power-blogger Joanna Goddard, from Cup of Jo, wrote about on her post called 'Do You Worry Too Much?' Next time I want to get rid of a bad thought, I'll imaginary throw it to the Grand Canyon to then see how small it becomes!



Hoover Dam

By Eagle's Point



The skywalk

20:00h I finally returned to the hotel, and my friends were waiting for me with tickets for the Human Nature show. Oh Joy! Legendary producer Smokey Robinson discovered those four incredibly talented Aussie guys, and took them from Australia to Vegas to put together one of the most acclaimed and vibrant shows in The Strip. During 90 minutes, the band performs some of the most popular Motown hits and certainly got us dancing and singing our heart out throughout the show...It was SO much fun!

23:00h Bed time!

Monday, May 28

9:30h After doing the check-out at the hotel, I headed to Serendipity 3, for a 'light breakfast'

11:30h José and Marta picked me up at the hotel to take me to visit one of their sons and his family -her lovely wife and two sons, a four-year-old incredibly gorgeous boy, who loves to put on some customs, and an adorable 3-week-old baby boy! What a gorgeous family!

14:00h We headed to the amazing Tour Eiffel Restaurant, at the Paris casino, where I could meet José and Marta's oldest son. He is VP of Marketing and Public Relations of one of the biggest Casino Corporations in town. It was a privilege for me to hear him talking about some of the insights of that multi-billion business. As much as I hate gambling, I'm fascinated about how the whole system works! The food was amazing: I had Half Avocado, Lump Crab Meat à la Française and The Ocean Seafood Salad. To top it off, we were overseeing the Bellagio's Fountains! Pretty unbeatable!

16:00h It was time to have a little dessert and for that matter, we hit Sugar Factory, in an attempt to keep up with the Kardashians (Kim is one of the owners).

16:30h It was time to say good bye to my friends. What a lovely and unforgettable time we had! At that point, I had ahead of me three more hours to explore the strip on my own, before heading back to the airport. I decided to focus on two of the hotels/casinos: Paris and Venetian. Lovely!

At 20.15h I was at the airport, ready to get my 21:55h flight back to Miami. What an amazing and intense time I had! And then, it sudendly hit me: I had the best Vegas experience without gambling or partying at night!

Have you ever been to Vegas? What did you like the most?