Vegas, baby!

I love Las Vegas! It’s one of my favorite places in the world to visit, and while I don’t think I would want to live there, I would vacation there anytime. There’s just something about Las Vegas that is perpetually exciting. Perhaps it’s the promise of hitting the jackpot, or the variety of shows always readily available on the strip, or even the world-class shopping available (especially true if you happen to hit said jackpot). Whatever the case may be, I think it’s the hustle and bustle of over a million tourists per month and the hundreds of fun, loud, exotic-themed hotels that come together in a melting pot of excitement and entertainment.

Many people say New York is the city the never sleeps and while I love New York with all my heart (it’s my favorite city in the world) I believe it’s actually Las Vegas that never sleeps. Even in the Big Apple on an off-Monday you’ll find the city surprisingly quiet, even on Times Square. In Las Vegas, the strip is always alive, any day, any hour. You’ll find people in casinos 24 hours a day – some not even sure what time or day it is anymore – and it’s always fun and chaotic.

During my recent US sojourn I finally made it back to Las Vegas for the first time in over 15 years. The last time I set foot on the Strip, Circus Circus was still the hottest place to be, so you can imagine my shock and awe at discovering how much had changed over the years. I hardly recognized anything anymore. Hotels as far as the eye could see covered every inch of the Strip and even as you are entering you can see hundreds of billboards advertising the latest hit shows. Believe me, there isn’t any show you won’t find in Vegas, from dance revues to big-name stars like Elton John and Celine Dion; from stand-up comedy to the famous Blue Man Group; from the never-ending offerings of Cirque du Soleil, to their own versions of Broadway favorites like The Venetian’s Phantom of the Opera. They have everything anyone could be looking for and shows are ongoing almost every single day of the week.

Suffice to say I was quite overwhelmed coming back to this jam-packed-gotta-do-everything town, which was nothing like the one I remembered from my youth. Not to mention I wasn’t allowed in the casinos when I was younger; but now I was a legal and willing participant of the many card tables on the Strip. Okay, actually that’s an exaggeration. Since it was my first time to gamble at the tables in the recognized gambling capitol of the world, I was a bit nervous. At the blackjack tables I was worried about messing up seasoned gamblers with my choices (I didn’t, thank goodness) and at the poker tables I was just worried about losing all my cash (again, I didn’t, thank goodness!) As a matter of fact, I think I did okay for my first time. I didn’t make a fortune, but I did win enough to cover all the expenses I incurred while in the city which, if you ask me, isn’t half bad.

Another thing I found fun in Vegas was hotel hopping. I know that sounds weird, but seriously, it’s awesome just walking from hotel to the next looking at all the fun and different things each on has to offer. Where I stayed alone, at The Luxor, was a visual feast and I really enjoyed their Egyptian theme. I was in the pyramid so I really felt like a part of Egypt was right outside my door. Then, my good friend Anna took me down the street and I checked out some of the other famous places on the Strip. I caught the water show at the Bellagio, marveled at the inside of Caesar’s Palace, saw the ships and pirates of Treasure Island, gazed at the beautiful art in the Wynn, and strolled down the canals of The Venetian (to name a few). It was as if my camera was permanently glued to my hand, with everything I saw worthy of immortalizing in digital memory. As I mentioned before, it was quite overwhelming.

And the food… oh, the food. Don’t even get me started. Famous for their world-class buffets, Vegas has food coming out of its ears. There isn’t anything you could want that you can’t find – Mexican, Italian, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Continental, Fusion – you name it, they have it somewhere. Not to mention the specialty restaurants of famous chefs that can be found in almost every hotel. I really enjoyed the wide array of choices like dressing up and dining at Sushi Roku in Caesar’s Palace or equally indulging in jeans and a T-shirt at Panda Express. Anything you want, and it’s all available almost 24 hours a day! I had to watch it to keep myself from gaining 20 pounds! (Which I didn’t, thank goodness!)

And, of course, one cannot go to Las Vegas and not catch at least one show. Since we only had the weekend there, one night of which I had already promised to spend club hopping with friends, I had to choose very carefully. Unfortunately Cirque du Soleil’s spectacular O was already sold out on the night I was available so I chose to catch the Venetian’s Phantom of the Opera, equally amazing, and earning wonderful reviews. The funny thing was I had planned on dressing up for my night at "the theater" but got so caught up in all the things I did that day that I didn’t have time to get back to my hotel and change so I was stuck with jeans and T-shirt. Luckily, many other tourists had the same problem and I was not alone in the denim group.

As for the show, it was wonderful. I’m already a huge fan of Phantom of the Opera but this was the first time I actually saw a full-scale production live. It was amazing! And I think I had one of the best seats in the house – right in the center of the orchestra close enough to truly see the expressions on the actors’ faces but far enough to be able to see the entire picture. The performance was spectacular. The company redesigned the entire Venetian Theater to resemble the famous opera house including adding box seats with lifelike wax statues to complete the visual experience. Additionally, the acting and singing were exceptional. The performances were moving and realistic and the lights and sounds design was fantastic and helped to truly transport the audience to the magical opera house where the opera ghost dictates how things are done. It was haunting and moving and magical and I couldn’t help but shed tears in the end when the Phantom let Christine go, realizing he could never really truly experience love with another human being. It was breathtaking.

As a matter of fact, breathtaking is actually a good way to sum up the entire weekend. And I’m happy to say that, while I fell in love with the Strip, I wasn’t only confined to that. My friend Anna and her family let me spend the night with them in their home near Green Valley Ranch and Casino and took me to see some of the other beautiful sites in Vegas such as the tourist attraction of Red Rock which is a lovely desert formation of various rocks and boulders, not unlike Garden of the Gods in my home state of Colorado. It was nice to see another side of Las Vegas.

I love this famous little gambling city. It’s truly got something for everyone and I can’t wait to go back. Maybe I’ll hit the jackpot next time (got my fingers crossed!).