Welcome to Viva Las Vegas!! This is a place that does not need any introduction. It is the Entertainment Capital of the World!! Famous for its mega casino-hotels, it is a top three destination in the United States for business conventions claiming more AAA Five Diamond hotels than any other city in the world.
Landing at the Las Vegas International Airport, you are immediately greeted by Slot Machines that line up most of the terminal building!! We took the Rental Car Shuttle Bus which is a 10 mins trip to the Car Rental Building to pickup our car. You can also take an Uber which would cost around $14-15 during normal hours. Peak Hours can cause the rate to go up.
The Las Vegas Strip is a short 10 mins drive from the Rental Car Center. The Drive through the strip is as mesmerizing as the Casinos!! All that Glitz and Glamor just makes you fixated!! We stayed at the Bellagio Casino and Resort Hotel. Now remember the Hotels here are ginormous!! The walk from the Parking Garage to the Hotel Lobby was around 10 to 15 mins. Don’t be surprised if you see long queues at the check-in counters. It’s typical of every Las Vegas Strip Hotel. Bellagio Hotel alone has around 3000 rooms. You can imagine the number of guests checking in daily.
The Room was perfect and lived up to our expectations. Once you are settled in, the real spirit of Las Vegas takes off as the sun sets!! All the Casino’s light up and the strip looks like one beautiful un-ending show of lights!! Thousands of tourists flock the boulevard , hopping from one casino to another!! The Bellagio Casino Water Fountain Show takes center stage!! It runs daily every 30s min before 7 PM thereafter ever 15 mins. The songs are usually mixed and also based on the season!! It is a spectacular show and I ended up seeing it at lest 3 times. For Dinner, we hopped into the “Hells Kitchen”!! Creation of the Famous chef and TV Celebrity Gordon Ramsey!! It is located in Caesars Palace. The Food is amazing!! What caught our attention was the cocktails especially the Smoke on the Boulevard and the delicious dessert Sticky Toffee Pudding!!
After the scrumptious dinner, it was time to put on the gambler hat and head to the slot machines!! Caesars Palace Casino is definitely the most interesting. We ended up trying our luck there. If you get bored or just not getting the lucky vibes, take a walk to the next casino. The Venetian which is a short walk has an attractive architecture!! The famous Gondola ride is the hallmark of this casino!! The Casino makes you feel like you are walking on the streets of Venice Italy!!
A quick look at our watch and we realized time flies. It was almost 2 AM and we had no idea!! The Casinos are open 24X7 and there is still a significant amount of people trying their luck well into the night!! We headed back to the room and called it a day or night!!
We woke up late the next day as it is in keeping with Vegas Culture. The Mornings are probably the most thin on the Strip with everyone catching a doozy in their hotel rooms!! We headed out to the south side of the strip to Catch glimpse of the famous “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign”!! This Iconic sign is right next to the airport field where the 1st casino “Mandalay Bay” begins. Take a Picture or selfie with this sign which is now part of the National Register of historic places in the State of Nevada!!
Next we headed to the Seven Magic Mountains. It is a 30 mins drive from the the Las Vegas Strip. Seven Magic Mountains is a large-scale public art installation giving a creative expression of human presence in the desert as it punctuates the Mojave with a poetic burst of form and color. It is a creation of Internationally renowned Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone. However, it is understood that this Art Work is soon going to be dismantled and 2022 is probably the last year to catch a glimpse of this amazing piece of creativity.
Heading back to the strip as evening calls in. We had some much needed food in one of the thousands of restaurant that line up the strip. You can get your hands on almost any kind of cuisine – American, Mexican, Thai, Indian, Chinese, Brazilian etc. We went for Cafe Americano!! A gorgeous cafe located in the Paris Casino and Resort!!
As the sun set and Vegas lights up to all its glory, we headed north to Fremont Street!! Another gem of Las Vegas, It is like a big wild block party with glitzy roof screens, people zip-lining across the entire street and the multitude of casinos and bars that line up the street. The Street Artists are amazing there, do check them out.
Back at the strip, we headed to one of the umpteen casino’s again to try our luck. The Cosmopolitan is a very attractive yet modern resort and hotel. There is an ice-skating ring on the top. It is a pleasant and different experience from the remaining casinos.
Lastly, Omnia Night club was our last stop. Dance and Jam to the tunes World Famous DJs. Located in Caesars Palace, the night club is probably one of the best on the strip. Make sure to buy tickets online as the prices at the gate can be expensive!!
Today, Las Vegas annually ranks as one of the world’s most visited tourist destinations.The city’s tolerance for numerous forms of adult entertainment earned it the title of “Sin City” and has made Las Vegas a popular setting for literature, films, television programs, and music videos.
After a splendid weekend in Las Vegas, it was time to bid adieu and head back to home!! As the popular saying goes “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!!”
Travel Fashion Gal 