VEGAS SECOND TIME ROUND…

It was my second trip to Vegas and I know now I’m addicted! I have come to the conclusion that Vegas is for people with addictive personalities (What? never would have guessed lol). My addiction is FUN, and the more you play in Vegas, the more fun you have! It is one big merry-go-round. It really is a Disneyland for grown ups!

Vegas, for me, ticks all the holiday boxes:

• people watching
• comfort
• happy environment
• nice weather
• fashion in abundance
• shows

Second time round, we made some decisions, as one could lose the seats of their pants in Vegas. Oh yes, money could burn a hole in them — for sure! Instead of spending a lot of money eating out, we opted to stay in a luxury self-catering suite at Donald Trump’s Golden Palace. Best decision! Money saved on eating out all the time went on shows instead. Trump doesn’t own the hotel any more; many of the suites are privately owned.

The Trump Hotel was terrific value. It is the first 5-star hotel we have stayed at, and I’m sold! Having a comfortable base, air conditioning, a clean, cool marble bathroom, luxurious environment, and friendly attentive staff becomes more important as you get older. In addition, it had a kitchen. It is one of the few hotels in Vegas that does NOT have a casino and is smoke-free! That’s a bonus too. Some of the hotels are mighty smelly, as you will see when you come here.

TIP 1: BE FISCALLY SMART

On day 1, we got a taxi to a Trader Joe’s supermarket and stocked up on nice healthy food for our vacation: cheese, salads, cereal, fruit, etc. Just to think, our whole food bill for the week, including full fry ups for Kevin in the morning, would have only bought us 5 small poolside salads at Trump’s Hotel! Insane, I know. Eating out is expensive in Vegas. In addition, it is difficult to get good wholesome food.

As a Canadian visiting Vegas, our dollar pales in comparison to the US dollar, so it behoves us to be fiscally smart!

TIP 2: DRESS FOR THE WEATHER

Late May onwards, it gets hot here in the desert. Vegas is after all, set right in the heart of a desert!! Just like Dubai, it gets HOT!! Wear cool 100% cottons, or linen clothing, great for the heat. I brought the perfect clothing second time round. Also, three biggies: hat, fanny pack water bottle, and comfortable walking shoes. I met a lovely girl who told me she burnt her head!! If you colour your hair, another good reason to wear a hat!! I could not believe the amount of women who did not wear a hat in the heat — insane!! The wider the brim, the better! I brought 4 pairs of shoes, and wore the same pair every day!! Comfort is key. I should have known better!!

TIP 3: SHOP AROUND

I’m not into golfing, or more expensive pursuits…ok, I’m not a saint though! I like to shop!! Yes, Vegas is a shopper’s paradise. You can shop ’til your jaw drops from the cost of things! Remember…be fiscally prudent!! I didn’t do a lot of shopping in Vegas, as I find the selection in Canada is just as good — if not better — and a lot cheaper. The best shopping mall for regular Joes like me is the Fashion Show Mall, which is just across the street from Trump’s hotel. They have fabulous fashion shows on the hour each day. Each of the different stores puts on their own show. One day, they had a live band playing music from the Beach Boys. They were brilliant!

If you want the ultra-fashion-shops experience, wander into the high end stores you will find at Caesar’s Palace and the Venetian Hotel. Check out the Wynn and Bellagio as well! I enjoy wandering around the high end stores, especially Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel, Prada, Dior, etc. and getting great ideas on how to put outfits together. I get ‘the look’ without the price tag.

Colourful tassels are all the rage currently. They are on hats, bags, necklaces, etc. Chanel was selling a fabric necklace with a tassel for US $250 — that was the sale price! I found an equally nice one for less than $40 in a different shop. So, you can get ‘the look’ without the price tag. Just shop around. Vegas is great for this.

TIP 4: PICK YOUR SPOT

If you like to people-watch, there are several good vantage points. Remember though, just like in all top tourist zones, you pay double for your Starbucks if it is located in a popular people-watching spot. The Starbucks at Caesar’s Palace cost twice as much as the Starbucks at the Fashion Show Mall! If you want good entertainment for free, the seats around the entrance doors to the Venetian Hotel is a fabulous spot. Other great gazing spots are Caesar’s Palace, Belaggio, Cosmopolitan, and Wynn’s Hotel, which is one of the prettiest of the hotels.

You’ll see expensively clad business people from all around the world heading into conferences, leather briefcases in hand; wedding parties; tourists with cameras; hen parties with crowns and feathers; stag parties… the list is endless. My neck was sore from turning in every direction! One wedding party I saw had all the fellows wearing swish navy blazers with gold buttons on top, and bermuda shorts and hairy legs below! Fashion is fabulous to observe…

If you want to converse, talk to people in the line-up for tickets or food. When Americans are excited, and in a state of anticipation, they tell you their whole life stories. Waiting for our J.Lo tickets, a woman in front of us told us she was from Chicago, and her husband didn’t like to travel — only to Puerto Rico! So she travels on her own or with a friend. She is not afraid of being raped, she told us!! Fellows would run a mile!! She had 5 brothers and learnt how to fight at an early age… So much information in only two minutes! Entertaining and enlightening for sure!

TIP 5: SHOWS

Some people plan their trips to Las Vegas around shows, others around gambling. Let’s talk shows as they are better value for money!! One of the best things we learnt was NOT to book your show in advance. Wait until the day and go to any of the discount tickets vendors. You get your tickets almost half price if you wait until the day of the show. Obviously, tickets for hot performers like J.Lo sell out very quickly. The Cirque de Soleil shows are hugely popular and have been playing for a while now, so you get good bargains on those tickets. Currently, they have 8 totally different shows running at the moment. All are brilliant! Long-running shows are best value.

With the money saved on eating out all the time, we splurged and went to three fantastic and totally different shows. We went to see Cirque de Soleil’s Mystere, which was the show that first grabbed the world’s attention and gave the Cirque de Soleil their stellar reputation. Stunning is all I can say to describe our experience. The colour, acrobatics, costumes and music were breathtaking and so unique in expression.

Our second show, Donny and Marie, was a trip down the Osmond memory lane. Set in the Flamingo’s Hotel, the auditorium was small and intimate, reminiscent of the old days when Elvis or Frank Sinatra performed. We had tables in front of us, unlike the other huge, anonymous auditoriums, and could have drinks served to our table. So quaint! We were so close to Donny and Marie, I could see the perspiration on their faces. “Is it just me, or is it hot here tonight?” Marie asked. “I’m going over to talk to my fan over here,” she said, leading us to believe it was somebody in the audience. Next thing, she drops to the floor in front of a spinning fan, and starts cooling herself! “Ooh, that’s better!” she says with a laugh.

She was incredibly natural and charming beyond belief. In between performing, they had a huge slideshow with snippets from the Andy Williams days and other famous people they have performed with. I loved the show, for very different reasons, especially nostalgia, and the fact Donny and I are the same age! Throughout the show, there was a wonderful banter and rapport between Donny and Marie. They complement each other very well. Loved this show 100%.

All I can say about the third show is WOW WOW WOW!! There is no way a near 48-year-old woman can move her body like that! It was J.Lo. She looks even better in real life, and yes, I am convinced she had high-powered batteries in her buttocks to be able to do a booty dance like the one she did for her screaming, and at times hysterical, spectators. The show and the audience could not have been more different from Donny and Marie!

Set in Planet Hollywood, the largest auditorium in Vegas, the crowd was huge (4,600). Security was worse than at the airport. Pre-concert fashion was something else. Just watching the way ladies dressed up for the show was hugely entertaining in itself. Lots of glitter, figure-hugging frocks and expensive heels.

Passions ran high once J.Lo began. When a girl 3 rows down from us stood up and refused to sit down, obstructing the view for others, a guy behind us shouted, “If you don’t sit down, I’ll f**king kill you!” He meant it too! Later, he started throwing water at her! Funny to watch. SO different from the more genteel Donny & Marie show! The special effects, pyrotechnics, costumes, songs, etc. made this show a Vegas Spectacular! And, of course, it was J.Lo!

We loved Vegas so much, I’m thinking of calling my home Vegasville!

Hugs,
Patricia xxx