I%26#39;m excited to do my first TR for Vegas!
Hubby and I went Wed. 3/25 - Sat 3/28 to experience Vegas for the first time. We are in our early 30%26#39;s and are not into gambling. As you will see, we found other vices in Sin City to keep us happy!
Read on!
TR: 4 days at MGM for NON-gamblers on 1st trip
Anxiously awaiting the TR!!!
TR: 4 days at MGM for NON-gamblers on 1st trip
Day #1
Ok, so we started in the Queen City and hopped aboard our US Airways flight to SIN CITY! The obsessive planner in me had lists and envelopes coordinated by day and COUPONS! This trip was MUCH anticipated so I was ready! I had researched everything to a T and had the coupons and discounts ready.
After an uneventful flight filled with HS Seniors on their class trip (oy), we arrived! The airport seems to be footsteps from the strip, so we could see the hotels clearly and we were EXCITED! We got off the plane and headed for the baggage claim. It was just 10am in Vegas, so we headed for one of the perks of staying at the MGM - airport check-in. We checked in with no problem and I decided to try a little Southern Charm on the desk clerk. I did NOT want an upgrade as I has chosen my room level carefully (West Wing), but I did want one that was convenient and preferrably with a view. He gave us THE BEST ROOM EVER! On the top floor, 2 doors from the elevator which was a blessing because the hallways in that hotel were IMMENSE! I loved where we stayed because we just hopped on the elevator, went to our little lobby and were outside in minutes instead of treking through the entire casino/hotel for hours to see daylight.
We hopped the shuttle to our room, settled in and then went outside to roam. We went inside NY NY, did some sightseeing, and got some lunch (he ate at Hot Chix and I ate at some burger joint - both were suprisingly good). Then we roamed over to Excalibur, hopped the monorail to Mandalay Bay then wound our way through there to the Luxor and back through Excalibur. After those first few hours, it was time to go back to our room and change for dinner. We got dressed and then walked out to the front lobby to grab a cab. By this point, hubby was getting the hang of the tipping ordeal so we hopped in a cab and sped off to the Venetian for dinner at Emeril%26#39;s Delmonico.
Let me pause to say to the ladies - WEAR OR TAKE COMFORTABLE SHOES! I had on stiletto%26#39;s and just going through our hotel to the cab and through the Venetian into the restaurant was murder! I wear heels every day, so I thought I%26#39;d be fine - BUT thank God I was smart enough to slip the Mary Jane Crocs (yes Crocs) into my evening bag!!! I made it to the restaurant and through dinner, but changed to get to our next destination. One more switchout let me walk into the show looking sexy and then walk out comfortably!
Delmonico%26#39;s - dinner was FABULOUS! We like Emeril, but weren%26#39;t prepared to LOVE the food. We started with the crabcake appetizer, drinks of course, wine, salad and gumbo, and then he had a steak (claims it was the best steak he%26#39;s ever had) and I had the jumbo shrimp pasta. We had the truffle potato chips because we%26#39;d watched him make them so many times on his show. Everything was great including our service. With tip, our total was $300 but we had WAY too much food. I heartedly recommend everything we had, although the couple next to us ordered a Caesar salad that looked TERRIBLE. They ended up sending it back - and that%26#39;s odd for salad. There%26#39;s not much you CAN mess up...
After dinner, we headed to NY NY by cab to catch Zumanity. We had great seats (there aren%26#39;t any bad ones honestly) and thought the show was great! There was quite a lot of customer interaction and we were both impressed with the traditional Cirque tricks. I felt like I had been to a ';topless'; show that was entertainng, stimulating, trashy, and classy all at the same time. PERFECT for a chick like me and my #1 guy! Anything with nekid people, devils, drag queens, and hot wet twins is right up our alley! LOL
After that we went back to our room - still on East Coast time, hubby took advantage of the comfy bed and passed out. I went down to the casino to sneak a peak at the action. We are definitely NON-gamblers and knew this going to Vegas. I played $20 in different slot machines and when it was gone I felt let-down, used, and a little dirty. Next time I%26#39;ll just give my cash to the bum on the bridge and at least feel good about it. I soon joined hubby in blissful sleep.
Day #2
We were up and at %26#39;em early (for us) and grabbed Starbucks right downstairs (conveniently placed there for my benefit I%26#39;m sure). We then headed to the monorail to get to the North side of the strip. I wanted to take Hubby to the Imperial Palace car show (cheesy I know, but he%26#39;s a car guy). We waited for the world%26#39;s longest elevator and finally boarded after about 9 agonizing minutes spent in a very stinky hallway. We ascend to the car shrine and do the tour with the geriatric crowd. Hubby loved it and I%26#39;m glad I could make him so happy for $8.50 (USED A COUPON DUH). We took the stairs back down (no dummies are we) and from there we strolled through Harrah%26#39;s and down to the Venetian.
We headed directly to Madame Toussaud%26#39;s (used a coupon) as I thoroughly expected this to be the highlight of my trip. I was not disappointed and we spent the better part of 2 hours acting completely ridiculous and holding up the line to see the statues. Some of our pics are HILARIOUS as we groped these wax statues and posed with people living and dead. We even cracked up the real guy sitting in the AI portion with our antics. They had to pry me away from the statue of Barack Obama and I got PLENTY of funny looks from the crowd as I attempted to kick the statue of W. in the derriere.
We left there and strolled through the Venetian, soaking in the sights. We then moseyed over to the Mirage and ended up eating there. I had planned to eat at the Bellagio%26#39;s buffet, but we were nearer to the Mirage so we ate there. The buffet wasn%26#39;t half bad, and was only half good, but for only $20 a person, we thought it was worth it. Hubby had requested we do a Vegas buffet and it didn%26#39;t live up to expectations.
After lunch, we did the Secret Garden - saw the dolphins, tigers, and that adorable baby leopard. I could have watched him play all day! We left there while my husband tried to sneak a peak into the topless pool (didn%26#39;t work - they%26#39;ve cleverly designed it to be adolescent boy and husband proof).
After the Mirage we walked over to Ballys and Paris. We weren%26#39;t too excited about either, so made our way to the Bellagio. Now THIS was more like it. We loved it there and spent a good deal of time wandering. We made our way back outside (it was close to 7pm) and watched the fountains, posed for pictures and then wandered down the street. We caught the volcano and the Siren show (HORRIBLE - I was hoping that a high gust of wind would blow someone into the water just for entertainment). After that we went into the Forum shops for a nice stroll, then made our way to dinner.
9:15 dinner at Mesa. We wanted to try Mesa because, like Emeril, we like Bobby Flay. We arrived on time and were seated. Our waiter was hot and our drinks cold (try the Black Widow Mojito YUM). My biggest complaint is that it was so LOUD! We had high expectations for the food but we weren%26#39;t COMPLETELY wowed. Hubby loved the Salmon and I liked the chicken, but it just wasn%26#39;t all that. Total with tax and tip, $220. Around 11 we made our way back to our hotel, had a few drinks at the bar and turned in.
Moxie - Great TR! please ignore Korbel....
lookin%26#39; FWD to more....
I like your trip reports so far -- where did you get all of your coupons? i%26#39;m a first timer going in may so im trying to figure things out before i go
';Let me pause to say to the ladies - WEAR OR TAKE COMFORTABLE SHOES!';
Guess you didn%26#39;t read our suggestions before you went since all of the regulars advise NOT to wear high heels if at all possible! LOL
Glad to see you enjoyed your trip :)
Nice trip. Wow korbel+coke get a life. Having a bad day? Come on. lol
Great report so far, I am such a lowm roller that if I put my player card # on my reservation they charge me double. I would love to see Zumanity but dont want to go by myself.
Please ignore anybody who post nasty remarks- esp ones that are fairly new with next to nothing posts.
Day #3
I have to agree with ol%26#39; Korbel - we woke up feeling like Vegas wasn%26#39;t for us. We were bored and didn%26#39;t understand what the hype was about. I think we felt like for non-gamblers, it just wasn%26#39;t that exciting. So we prepared for another ho-hum day and decided to make the most of our first AND LAST trip to NV by seeing the Hoover Dam. Neither of us was that interested, but we decided to make a go of it. We went out, met the tacky bus service and started the trip. Fortunately for us, we had the WORST tour guide ever. If not for that we would have slept the whole way there and back - it was that boring. But at least we laughed at his expense and got a few great inside jokes out of his useless information.
Got to the dam and found out that our babysitter 2,000 miles away was in the hospital. Short freak-out while I secure a back-up plan and we can continue on our trip. We saw the dam, went in the tunnels, and were not impressed. At least we can say we%26#39;ve been there and done that. Got back to the hotel and felt like our trip was sucking a little (ok a lot). We debated just going to dinner and going to bed - READY to come back home the next day. But I was determined that I was not leaving without doing what I came for - going to a strip club.
I literally had to convince hubby to go and give Vegas one more shot. He%26#39;s not big on strip clubs here, mainly because the girls are ugly and the places trashy. I promised him that I had done my research and that I%26#39;d picked one that I was confident we%26#39;d like. So we go eat at some place downstairs - surprisingly good meal and come back upstairs to change.
We set out for the club and arrived via the most harrowing cab ride EVER around 11:30. Went in and the place wasn%26#39;t as full as I%26#39;d expected. We chat up a very sexy bouncer and he takes us to a GREAT table.
Now, let me give you some background. I%26#39;m not a prude. I enjoy beautiful women as much as any guy and I do think that a strip club is a great place to people watch. It%26#39;s FUN to go with your man - if you can handle it and if he is respectful to you. My hubby is great about it and he loves to see me have a good time! He swears he%26#39;ll never go to a strip club alone because you get 10 times more attention when you%26#39;re with a woman!
So we sit down, get a few drinks and dances and we are REALLY enjoying it. Then along comes a few girls who are ready to have fun. One of the girls gave me SO MUCH attention. She literally stayed with us for over an hour although her friend was pouting and mad about it. We did shots, danced, etc. etc. and ended up surrounded by dancers, all having a ball. The guys all around us were grateful for the extra attention the ladies were throwing around and we ended up not paying for anything at that point. My favorite girl was a doll and truly helped make our experience 10 times better. She gave us great tips for our next visit as we assured her that we would be back! She gave us her name and number (oops - I know that%26#39;s a no-no for her) and we are still in touch. We left the club around 4:30 and felt so glad to have FINALLY enjoyed our Vegas trip!
Next time we know not to waste our time or money in the casinos and head straight for what floats our boat!
Next morning we got up, checked out, did some souvenier shopping, and headed to the airport! Not much for day 4, but hangovers, layovers, and home again!!! We are already planning trip #2!
