Finishing up Las Vegas with food and Alcohol

There's a huge draw about Vegas that I haven't yet mentioned, the food buffet. Where do I start to talk about the food buffets? Almost all the hotels have one, but where is the best? There are a few front runners for Eric and myself. One hotel buffet that comes to mind is The Wynn Buffet. They have a great setting that gives one the feeling of dining within a garden conservatory. It's very impressive. The food is equally pleasing to look at and to eat. It will cost you between $25-$40, depending on holidays or the time of day. 

This time around we decided to stick with our hotel and eat at The Spice Market Buffet. I kept calling it "Spice World Buffet". We read that at some point in time, this buffet was once considered the best on the Las Vegas Strip. It helped that our hotel offered a 20% off coupon. Saving anywhere we can helps in the long run. 

When someone is as hungry as we were, the wait to be seated felt longer. It would have been smarter for us to maybe not eat at the ideal dinner time. Oh well. Luckily we were given a booth with an awesome server. The next decision is, "Where do I start?" There was a grand selection of food. 

I don't think Eric or I sampled all that was available. I had been craving sushi for a few weeks so I made a bee line for that and Mexican food. I thought it was an odd and fun combination. The one photo I did snap was of the dessert area. The workers behind the counter were even making Cotton Candy. I almost grabbed one because I've never seen that offered at a buffet, but I didn't. 

After enjoying our meal we wanted to grab a Piña Colada from a stand at Ceaser's Palace. The bar/stand is right near the Serendipity restaurant. As we stepped out it was great to feel that it wasn't a hot night, which we've experienced before. Once we made the long walk to the Bacardi stand we were told "Cash Only!" We became very disappointed because the drinks there are great. Eric and I don't carry cash usually and since we don't gamble that much, all we had were cards. 

Our plan was to grab that drink and watch a few of the Bellagio fountain shows. Eric had an idea to hit up the similar bar located outside of the Paris Hotel. When we got to the location we waited in line, but they also only took cash. As you read this you might wonder, "Why not visit an ATM?" Well the machines charge around six dollars to pull out your money. 

At this point we were a little annoyed but we crossed the street back to The Bellagio. There was a show in about 10 minutes and a crowd was starting to gather. The show began and the soundtrack used was Elton John's "Your Song". Lame! It was a lackluster water show. We do enjoy the song but not for something like this. We wanted a show that was a little more grand and exciting. 

After the show it was around 11 pm and from the long day we were getting tired. There wasn't a plan to go to sleep, but rather to hang out at the hotel. As we entered back into the hotel we came across a bar that carried a "Yard" of whatever you wanted. This location had Piña Colada yards!! We ordered up two drinks and set out for the casino. 

We were both feeling a little lucky and thought we'd play at least $20 on video poker. We broke one of our Las Vegas rules, we used an ATM. If you're reading this please know to ALWAYS use an ATM before arriving. We each paid about $6. At that point we just said to ourselves, "Oh well, we're in Vegas!" Now we know to NOT forget to visit the ATM prior to leaving for Las Vegas.

My $20 lasted about an hour. I think that's pretty good! I bounced around machines like normal slots, blackjack, and then went back to video poker. Eric's $20 lasted just slightly less than mine. Once I gained $3 from what I started with, I cashed out and said, "Ok bed time!"

So it was back to the room to relax and finish the wine! To be honest, we didn't have a lot of it left. But, it's also good to enjoy the money you spend on your room. 

The following day we stuck to our plans to be on the road before 11 AM. Our anniversary trip was full of variety and fun. I can't say I wouldn't stay at Planet Hollywood again because we were pleased with it. For the next Vegas trip I'd like to try The Cosmopolitan. It's tres chic! So off we went into the dry desert and left The Strip behind as we headed back to The Golden State. 

11th Anniversary in Las Vegas Continues Some More!

That first day was so long, two posts were needed. I wasn't even giving all the minor details. All that excitement meant that we didn't wake up until nearly 11 AM! Sure I woke up a few times starting at 8 AM, but those blackout window coverings keep one sleepy. Even when I finally rolled out of bed around 10:50 AM, it felt as though it was the middle of the night.

Our lovely friends from work (Melissa, Natalie, and Fany) gave us an Earl of Sandwich gift card for our anniversary. The sandwich shop was in our hotel, so convenient. These sandwich locations are rare compared to Taco Bell. If you come across one, get in line and order Eric's favorite, The Full Montague or mine, the Hawaiian. While most people were gorging themselves at a buffet, we sat down to our tasty sandwiches. Right next to the eating area was a Sex in the City slot machine that I kept saying I would play, and never did.

We must have forgotten about ole Carrie Bradshaw and her fancy shoes because we were headed for Bellagio. Although I agreed with him, Eric wanted to not miss the flower display at Bellagio. For those not in the know, the conservatory that houses the spectacular display changes with the seasons. This hotel is also home to my favorite show in Las Vegas, "O" by Cirque du Soleil.

The display area was literally bombarded with tulips! There were tulips of every shade! The whole room was themed to what Eric called "Spring in Holland". At the back area there is a huge windmill that is a grand sight! The aroma of the flowers sweetly lingers in the air as it arrests your thoughts from ever wanting to leave that conservatory. I looked over at Eric and could tell he was in heaven, that made me happy. It is extremely rare when we have flowers in our home, but I may consider it more often. I hope the photos give at least a feeling of how impressive this is.

Before our Cirque du Soleil tour for Zarkana, at the Aria, we had just enough time to pass through The Cosmopolitan Hotel. We immediately knew we wanted to stay at this hotel because it's pretty fabulous! This hotel has elegance, great design all while staying hip for a younger crowd. Later in the day we discovered the casino area has a DJ that loudly plays excellent music. It really gave the place a lot of excitement. And something Eric pointed out were these cool, draped off areas that hold the slot machines, very intimate looking. The Cosmopolitan has the Chandelier Bar and it is covered by this massive crystal display. It is very overwhelming! Please take a look at these few shots from the hotel.

Left side shows the Chandelier Bar. Photo below will show what it looks like from above.

What an eye catcher!!

A good friend of ours worked on the Cirque show Iris and her friend would be giving us the tour. He oversees the Hair and Make-up for Zarkana. Right away we took the elevator into the backstage area and were in the wig room. There we found wigs in various states of production. Some wigs being set with rollers while others had been worn and needed to be brushed out. Although it was our second backstage tour of a Cirque show, it's always impressive to see the detail up close. And, some of the wigs read as a different color while onstage. There was a pink wig that appeared white under the stage lighting. It really is those little details that a viewer doesn't put to thought as we enjoy the show.

One of the female singer's costumes worn during the Spider Web/Trapeze act. She sings while upside down.

During the rest of our time backstage we visited a few training areas, quick change locations, and we went in the wings of the stage. While we were on the stage the trapeze act was rehearsing. Lean, muscle men were flying about! It was exciting to see what they can do with their strength. We witnessed one guy jump, with hardly any effort, from a platform to one above him. It happened so quickly that it was executed like a cat! And, on our way back to the Hair and Make-up office we quickly met the show's singer Paul Bisson. He is a friendly guy and I wasn't expecting that at all. Paul had also been the lead singer in another Cirque show we have seen, Corteo.

To show the amount of product they have back there, I wish I had asked to take a photo. The answer seemed to be an obvious "No", so I didn't ask. They had so many cremes, eye liners, blushes, and tons of eye lashes. I don't know anything about make-up, but seeing their stash all at once was crazy. Eric and I were also shown an overview of a make-up application. Although I know Eric secretly wanted to be "done up", we were shown via slides. Our guide said it could take up until 1.5 hours when done correctly.

Our time backstage won't ever be forgotten. We saw another group where they looked so underwhelmed. I can say Eric and I are very thankful for the time taken by our guide Mark. He certainly wasn't gaining anything by giving his time. Since our tour was done, we had an evening to get ready for. Food, drinks, water shows, and people watching were headed our way. If you will stick with us, we will see you here back soon for more of the trip.

Back to Planet Hollywood

11th Anniversary in Las Vegas continues....

I'm pretty much a paranoid theater "goer" as in I like to arrive at least 45 minutes early. I start to get anxious if we haven't found our seats at 25 minutes before showtime. But, because our hotel was so close and not having to deal with parking......we still arrived about 45 minutes early. Yea, I'm crazy like that. We did take that time to browse the Zarkana gift shop. There were quite a few items I wanted to buy, but I would later edit that list down to a few items.

Finale costume for the main character. the magician.

Eric and I found it interesting that this Cirque theater opened up right into Casino. As soon as you walked in with your ticket, you are in the theater. Usually you enter their doors and find a small lobby with concession stands. The venue is massive! It gives an immediate impression that this show wants to make a name for itself. And, almost everything is bathed in red lighting down to the wall coverings. We saw red drapery, a red stage curtain, and even red chairs. All this red made it a little hard to photograph with my phone.

The sides of the theater are amazing!

I'm not going to give a scene by scene synopsis because this is only a review. Have you ever read a review and the writer lays out the whole plot/show without really giving an opinion? Annoying (IMO). Going into this experience I had no clue what the show was about. Usually we have at least heard the soundtrack, but still had not. Afterwards, I wish I had known a little information because apparently the plot was lost on me. There's a musician looking for his lost love and magic. Does he find them? You all will have to watch the show.

Zarkana is filled with great acrobatics, eye candy, haunting music, and originality. After seeing the show I learned the creative team wanted to honor the American Circus aesthetic from the 1930s. They have achieved that through the acting, sets and costumes. Cirque really conveyed the "spooky/freakshow" feeling from old photos I have seen. Zarkana has really separated itself from other Vegas shows like O, Mystere, and Love. Rather than take the audience to a fictitious world, the show takes place in an actual time period that has whimsical characters.

The following day Eric and I were taken on a backstage tour of the show. I'll get into that at a later time because on this same night we had another new experience. We were about to finally eat at Serendipity. It's located along the strip, in the Caesers Palace complex. The place isn't really known for its grand meals, but instead for dessert. Serendipity has what is called The Frozen Hot Chocolate. Up until we actually ate it, Eric and I had no clue what it was. Obviously we knew there would be ice cream, but we weren't sure how it was used. As it turns out there was a bottom layer of hot chocolate with a slushy ice cream (like a malt)over it. On top of that is a huge mound of whipped cream and chocolate chips.

Ceiling decor of Serendipity

After a long wait, with a reservation, we were seated. The service was slow, but we weren't about to go searching for another place to eat. We finally had our meals of grilled cheese/cheeseburger respectively, then had a go at the Frozen Hot Chocolate. It was an interesting texture that we both enjoyed. I'm not a food critic so I don't have a marvelous review of it other than "it was good and we would have it again". As it turns out there are many flavors to choose from. The word is out about the dessert, so it's best to arrive with a patient disposition. Maybe get there with a cocktail in hand?

What the fuss was about.

That same night, it was already nearing 11 pm, we headed to The Mirage hotel for the Revolution Lounge. A friend had us on a list for the Gay club that takes place on Sundays. We only had one other experience at a Vegas Gay club called Krave. The time had come to try another colorful night out, Vegas style! It was exciting to head to Revolution Lounge because the venue was started by Cirque du Soleil, based on their Beatles show called Love.

As I had mentioned it was getting near midnight. We thought that by then the place would be hopping with the local Gay community and vacationers. We were wrong! We obviously were there as a couple, celebrating a milestone, but we too like to dance! There were maybe 10 people in the venue and we made 12. At the door we also received a free drink each so we used that coupon right away. We weren't in a rush to leave because the music was fun and it was nice to just hang. The place slowly filled up, but it didn't reach any sort of a "crammed" capacity. We lasted until about 1:30 AM when we decided to head back to the hotel.

Although the lounge never became hugely popular that night, we still had a good time. The street as we headed back to Planet Hollywood was so empty. There were still the people out that try to sell you on the escorts and strip clubs. Eric and I joked they didn't have anything to sell that we wanted. But, it wouldn't be Vegas if those advertisers weren't out there trying to get your attention, as the smack their pamphlets against their hands. Ah Vegas....dont' you just love it? We do!! That's why we stayed a whole other day/night............(to be continued)