Viva Las Vegas!

I have officially been to Las Vegas, Nevada five times now and I have never left that place disappointed.  There is something for everyone to do there and although most of the town thrives on gambling, you don't have to enjoy that to have a great time! 
Recently, I went to Vegas for work but I was also able to squeeze several fun things out of the trip!  Thankfully, my husband and some very close friends also work for the same company as I do so we get to hang and have a blast while we're still "at work." This will come as no surprise to anyone that knows me well but I had to visit the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens two times on this trip.  Once with my husband, Andrew and once with a friend who'd never seen "the gardens."  I love a good excuse to go there!  The best part about the gardens is that it changes at different times during the year, the display that's happening now (November 2016) is the Fall Harvest.  I learned that a team of over 120 horticulturists take care of the gardens; man, that's a lot of people! While at the Bellagio you can't miss the spectacular fountain show! Vegas is all about catching your attention and the fountains definitely do that with their water show, lights, and music! If you've never caught one of the shows before, it's a must see.  They go off every 15-30 minutes depending on the time of night.  I've never actually stayed at the Bellagio before but it's one of my favorite hotels to visit... oh, and they have an amazing buffet!  
For this particular trip, my group stayed at the MGM Grand hotel.  The rooms were decently sized, the staff was friendly, the casino was fairly clean (as clean as a casino can be), and the pool was excellent! The downfall to staying there was the location, nothing is really "close" in Vegas but this hotel is too far to the end of the strip.  I prefer to stay in the middle of the strip where I can be in the middle of all of the action!  The MGM Grand is home to one of the many famous Cirque Du Soleil shows called Kà. Andrew and I went and saw this our first night in Las Vegas, we didn't account for the fact we had traveled and worked all day so by the time we sat down for the show we had been up 18 hours.  We were exhausted but this show woke us up!  It's an epic production about an entire empire.  The stunts and sheer talent of the people that perform during Kà is amazing!  The MGM Grand also has several other perks: Top Golf, which is right behind the hotel and a really fun experience, Hakkasan, the night club inside the hotel, and the pool area has a lazy river.

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Andrew and Eric at Top Golf

​After all of our work events had come to a close for the week, it was time to play!  Andrew and I laid at the pool with our friends, Eric and Rachel, and enjoyed a sun shinny day in November!  It was even hot enough outside to make you want to get in the pool!  After our pool time we got ready for dinner and had an amazing meal at Gordon Ramsay's Pub and Grill in Caesar's Palace.  The food there was so good and it wasn't too terribly pricey. My friend Rachel and I shared the beer-braised short rib and it practically melted in our mouths. I'd highly recommend it!  Once we were finished eating we had a show to catch! We went and saw Absinthe which is a show right outside of Caesar's Palace.  It was one of the funnier and most awesome shows I've ever seen!  I do want to say this, if you are easily offended, even in the slightest then this show is not for you.  The show is an acro-cabaret variety show and there is truly not a bad seat in the house.  This show caught me off guard a bit as I wasn't sure what to expect, it was actually recommended to me by a couple of different friends.  The host pulls the audience in and is very entertaining.  You really can't take your eyes off of the world-class acrobats, singers, comedians, and dancers!

​On our last day in Las Vegas we decided to venture to Fremont Street which is a five-block entertainment district in historic downtown Las Vegas.  One of the first things you see when you get there is the Heart Attack Grill.  If you weigh over 300 lbs (they have a scale outside) you get to eat there for free.  We didn't eat there as we didn't want to have a heart attack so we went to The Smashed Pig Gastropub instead, which was amazing! I had lettuce wraps (which were the best I'd ever eaten) and hand cut French fries.  After we ate lunch we walked around to some of the main attractions on Fremont street which included the million dollars at Binion's, the shark tank and the golden nugget at Golden Nugget, Vegas Vic and Vegas Vickie, and several street performers.  Let's talk about the street performers for a second... Some were better than others and some weren't even performing but merely standing there in outrageous outfits. Unfortunately, I can't un-see some of the things I saw on Fremont Street.  It's worth the cab money to have this experience! 
We spent five days in Las Vegas some for play and some for work but in conclusion, it was a trip for the books! When you come home from Las Vegas, always remember to wash all of your clothes, soak your feet in warm water, and use your humidifier. If you don't know why you should do all of these things, then you've never been to Las Vegas! 

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