And back to the grind of the working life.
My girlfriend had some business to do in Las Vegas this weekend, and I tagged along for the trip. It was my first trip to Vegas, and definitely won't be my last; I had a great time, and even made it out with only a small gambling debt.
I flew out on Friday and met my girlfriend at the hotel, a small-ish but nice place only a half block off the strip, which proved to be a great location for refuge after a lot of walking in the desert sun. I was surprised to see the rows of slot machines inside the airport terminal - it seems one can gamble from the moment his or her plane arrives to the moment it leaves again.
That night we went out to take in some of the typical tourist stuff: the local hotels, casinos, and the sights around them. The Bellagio was probably the nicest spot, with the amazing fountain show out front (synchronized to the tune of Chicago's "All That Jazz"), the glass ceiling in the foyer, and the beautiful fall conservatory display (which was sadly under partial construction at the time).
Caesar's Palace was also pretty incredible. We wandered around the indoor casino sections, clubs, restaurants, shops, and other faux sky covered venues 'til our feet hurt.
The next day, my girlfriend had to a work event in the morning and afternoon, so I spent a good deal of time just walking around, looking at everything. After we grabbed an awesome breakfast at Paris, I hit the Miracle Mile Shops, and then the Vegas strip. I ducked into the odd casino here and there to cool off (it was hot outside), and before my walk was through, I'd finished off two sodas and a bottle of water. I got to see some more great stuff, like the Venetian gondolas and the pirate ship at Treasure Island, and of course, I did a little gambling on one of my breaks from the street. Throughout the trip, I only gambled about $40, and though I did have small winnings here and there, I lost it all in the end. I had a good time doing it though, so I have no regrets.
After getting some much-needed rest in the hotel, my girlfriend arrived and we went out again. We had a great dinner at Pampa's in Planet Hollywood, and then took an impromptu limo ride over to the MGM Grand to catch Kà, one of the handful of Cirque du Soleil shows in Vegas.
Kà is the second Cirque show I've seen, and though I imagine it's quite hard to be as blown away by the wonder of a Cirque show as the first one you see, it was an absolutely amazing show. Through a series of performances which expertly mix theater and acrobatics, the tale of two siblings and their travels to re-unite is told. This show's signature is a moving platform which serves as floor, wall, and everything in between as the performers run, climb, fight, bounce, and slide over it. It's hard to describe it in words without giving too much away, but I highly recommend seeing Kà if you're even in Vegas and have time to see a Cirque show. It was truly incredible.
My girlfriend and I finished off the night with a quick walk over to New York New York, and just barely made it onto the roller-coaster there. It was fitting to end the last night of a whirlwind trip on a whirlwind ride.
On Sunday, we got up early, had one final breakfast (a champagne breakfast!) at the Caesar's Palace buffet, gambled a few more dollars, and then headed to the airport. A fun weekend for sure. Hopefully we can visit Vegas again someday when we've got a little more time to play around.