A TALE OF TWO TRIP REPORTS-GWEN'S TRIP-PART ONE OF TWO!

During my birthday party last July Teresa mentioned she wanted all of us to join her in Las Vegas in mid March to celebrate her niece Ashlea visiting Vegas after turning 21! This trip would be the first time after my birthday that Gwen, Teresa, Liz and I would be in Las Vegas again together!  Part one is Gwen's trip report and part two will be mine. Since I'm always the slacker part two will be posted a couple days after Gwen's. Enjoy!

Day 1 -
by Gwen (yourstarla)

VEGAS! I was up and at 'em early, and I took the crack of dawn Southwest flight to Vegas! Teresa was flying in from Ohio so I scheduled my flight to correspond with her arrival time. We both flew on Southwest, both landed early, and both into the B gates. Hugs and happiness! I booked Bell Limo to pick us up, and the driver who arrived was Ray, who had coincidentally driven me twice before. We picked up Teresa's baggage and we were off! We made a quick stop at the CVS on Paradise and then pulled up to the Encore, which would be our home for four nights. 

Neither of us wanted to mess with the front desk, since it was so early in the morning, so we took our happy selves to a video poker bar and inserted money to get the party started right. Neither of us hit anything during this first session, but I don't think either of us cared at that point! 

We ended up gambling around the Encore for a while, eventually both getting our rooms. My Encore room was very nice, perfectly clean, with a great view of Circus Circus and Ross Dress for Less. At my request. I was hoping to actually sleep this trip, something I'm not particularly known for, and I knew a room on the other side of the building would be filled with the ruckus of club noise.

View from my room.

Liz and John arrived later that afternoon, after a long drive from LA, and Teresa and I went up and checked out their room in the Encore Tower Suites. It was nice, but it is exactly like a regular room, with just a few more perks. 

We gambled most of the afternoon, with none of us really hitting anything, until it was time to jump in a cab and go to Aria to meet Diana! The Fabulous Four reunited (with John along as our photographer...)!

The original plan was to gamble for a while, but we were all starving so we asked if Javier's could seat us an hour and a half before our reservation. Not a problem! Yum! We shared chips and guacamole, had delicious drinks - mine being a pomegranate margarita, and fun conversation. Oh, and tacos. Yummy yummy tacos.

Feeling great, we all hopped in a cab to Encore, with me taking the very back seat, where there was no circulating air. This was a mistake. Our cab driver won't get any awards soon for his stealth, and by the time we got back to Encore I knew I was in trouble. Not someone who has been motion sick since she was a kid, I was pretty surprised at the feeling of death that had come over me, but I guess the combination of food, a margarita, and a death ride with no fresh air got the better of me. So I excused myself the moment we walked in the door at Encore.

And went upstairs and puked my guts out and went to bed. 

Don't worry, I was in Vegas for a week. It only goes up from the puke and the 8 pm bedtime. 

Day 2

Well that's what the crack of dawn looks like. Okay, dawn was nowhere around. It was more like the middle of the night. But I was wide awake so I got myself up and about and wandered downstairs to find a cocktail waitress with coffee on her tray. I played slots, found that lovely cocktail coffee lady, and watched a really young guy hit a handpay on Buffalo Grand. He was SO excited. He kept asking me if it was real. So funny.

Eventually Teresa and Liz and John got up and wanted breakfast so we all headed over to the new Jardin, where Botero used to be. It's a very bright, open room, and the perfect spot for a nice breakfast.

Liz had eggs benedict, John had pancakes and eggs, I had eggs and toast, and Teresa enjoyed a veggie frittata.

Watermelon juice.

It was a first time dining experience for everyone at this restaurant, and everyone enjoyed their food. In fact, the three of them actually went there again for lunch that day.

We also took a field trip to North Las Vegas so Teresa could go to the Navy Federal Credit Union. Want to do something fun? Have Liz and John drive you to North Las Vegas in their Porsche Macan Turbo. It's a great way to watch steam blow out of John's ears like a cartoon character.

I skipped lunch that day and gambled instead. That afternoon I hit a handpay for a little over $1200 on Ultimate X video poker, so that helped keep the bank roll flowing. I hadn't been doing poorly but I hadn't really been winning, so that was a nice jolt to the wallet. 

At 3 pm that day Teresa, Liz and I wandered over to Canyon Ranch salon at Palazzo for pedicures. The spa pedicure there is a fabulous service, and one of my favorite splurges. A full hour of foot bliss in a comfy chair, it's the best $85 I spend in a trip. Plus you get to keep the bottle of polish for touch ups. I don't get pedicures anywhere else now. And I'm slowly getting all my friends hooked.

After the pedicures Teresa and I grabbed a cab and went to Cosmopolitan to meet Diana, who was excited to get the first crack on the new Austin Powers machine, as Cosmo had just opened it. Teresa and I were able to play as well, and it was a fun game, but I didn't win on it. Teresa cashed out quite a few hundred up though and her machine was on a roll! I'd try it again. It seemed to bonus in streaks though. Once mine stopped - it reeeeeeally stopped. Ha. 

We didn't have a lot of time to play though, since we had to go to Encore to meet Liz and John. We had a pick up scheduled. Casa di Amore was our dining spot for the evening, and they offer complimentary rides (please tip the driver!), so I had them pick us up and schlep us over to one of my favorite places. Plus it was Monday - half price wine night!

All bottles are half price. We have a long history with half price wine night, and that history involves many nights of Diana and Teresa drinking out of the bottle. I wanted to join them, but after my pomegranate puke the night before I decided to pass. Instead I happily shared antipasto salad and bruschetta with my friends, and listened to the band play Sinatra songs, and waited for my delicious bowl of fettucini alfredo.

What was left after I attacked my Fettuccine at Casa!

It was another fun night at Casa, and I got to enjoy something that doesn't get enough play here on Las Vegas Daze - Tipsy Diana. I love sober Diana. She's one of my best friends and one of the best people I know, but Tipsy Diana is a riot. We were chatting about pot and she mentioned that she knew someone who used to grow it and then said that it "grew like a weed." We lost it. She managed to somehow inadvertently say grass, weed and herbs within a five minute period and I was seriously in jeopardy of losing bladder control from laughing so hard. 

Eventually we rolled our well fed selves out of our booth and our ride took us back to Encore. We ended up gambling for a while, before we all rambled back to our respective places. I went to bed pretty early that night, since I had been up so early, but it didn't do me much good. My three hours of sleep the first night would only be topped with a short five the second night, but I was in Vegas. I can sleep when I'm dead.

Day 3 -

Another morning awake before the birds, and I'm again downstairs on a hunt for coffee. I hunker down at a spin poker machine and break pretty even during my morning gambling session. Hours later, John and Liz and Teresa make their way downstairs and we return to Jardin for basically the exact same breakfast we had the day before.

John's egg white scramble and bacon.

Scrambled Eggs

We were scheduled to go to Hooter's for lunch, something John had begged to do, but for some reason he backed out that morning. He claims it was because I had a big dinner planned for that night to celebrate Teresa's birthday, but I think he was afraid of what I'd do. The last time I had been in the Hooter's at the Palms, with my friends Gator and Doug, I had snapped a quick pic of the server's very fake and very large boobs when she slammed them down on our table. I think John feared he would end up with 800 inappropriate boob pictures sent to his phone if we went to lunch. 

So since we cancelled Hooter's I ate my eggs. I then contemplated going upstairs to rest and see if I could catch up after my multiple nights of minimal sleep. I couldn't. The lure of the video poker bar was too strong, so I followed Liz and Teresa over to the High Limit Bar in Encore, where I slipped in a hundred and hoped for the best. It messed with me for a while, giving me full houses to keep me going, but nothing was really happening either. I again contemplated going upstairs, but I was dealt four to the royal and caught the fifth card on the draw! Suddenly I was full of energy. Funny how that happens. 

I threw my hands up in the air, victorious, and Liz screamed out "Yes!" at the exact same time. Huh? How did she know I had gotten a royal? Oh she didn't. She had gotten four aces with a kicker at the exact same time!

So we waited for the slot attendants to pay us, both slightly in shock, and sort of pissed that the bar didn't throw one to Teresa too! (She'd have her turn...)

I decided to nap after all the excitement, but I couldn't really sleep. I went back downstairs and ended up hitting yet another hand pay by getting my own aces with a kicker. Thanks Mr. Wynn!

Liz and John decided not to join us for dinner that night, but our friend Terri did, so Diana and Teresa and I went over to Bellagio for another amazing meal at Michael Mina.

As always, I got the vegetarian tasting menu, which is one of the most well balanced, well thought out vegetarian options I have ever had. I'm not a total vegetarian, but I don't eat most kinds of meat, and the little bit of meat I do eat really doesn't make a fabulous meal for me. And most vegetarian options are afterthoughts in fine dining restaurants. It's usually some sort of pasta or some grilled vegetables. Fine, it's sustenance, but it's not a playful symphony of flavors. However, that is exactly what the vegetarian tasting menu is at Michael Mina. It changes by season, but it is always a treat. And this time was no exception.

Each course was carefully chosen with great attention to detail. The only disappointment with the evening was our server who was not on the ball even a little bit. I ordered my regular wine, to be told they didn't have that. What?!? But that's my favorite. He didn't bother to tell me they still had it by the bottle (which I would have ordered), so instead I ordered a glass of inferior wine. And he lost out on a bigger ticket because he didn't bother to share that information. I was only informed that they had it when I told the sommelier that I was disappointed they didn't have it anymore. Now I'll know they still have it available by the bottle, but it was too late for that meal. 

The highlight of my meal was definitely the two soups. There was one for an amuse bouche and another for one of my main courses. They were both so velvety and buttery and delicious. That restaurant truly knows how to make vegetables sing.

The other highlight of the meal was Diana ordering the wine pairing. LOL

Terri was kind enough to drive us back to Encore, especially since she hadn't gotten to see Liz, and I parked myself at an Ultimate X machine while Liz and Terri caught up. Diana and Teresa went off to check out Duck Dynasty, which they described as a terribly boring slot. Most people hate a slot because they lose on it. They both cashed out ahead and STILL hated it.

After Terri left I retired to my room. I was bound and determined to get a good night...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....

Day 4:

Finally. I finally got some sleep. I was hurting by that point! Unfortunately Liz and John were driving back to LA today, so Teresa and I saw them off, before sitting down to play some video poker to kill time before our day's adventures. We also spent some time planning the itinerary for the next day. Teresa's niece, Ashlea, had recently turned 21 and was flying in from Virginia the next day, along with friends Meghan and her mom Kathy, and Ashlea's boyfriend, Jamie. Jamie was Ashlea's surprise though. She had no idea he was coming! We needed to figure out all the logistics since they were all coming in on 3 different flights, Teresa and I would be moving to Bellagio the next day, and we needed to keep the surprise a secret!

After figuring everything out, we took a cab over to Mirage to eat breakfast at the Pantry. If you haven't been, this is a great spot for breakfast. They have the best pancakes (I prefer the blueberry), and the secret is that the batter is the chef's mom's recipe. Teresa and I enjoy this place a great deal!

So we both ordered pancakes but then decided we wanted to try something new so we also ordered scrambled eggs with biscuits and potatoes to split. We ordered too much food, but we were on vacation! And who's going to know? Okay, you know. But who's going to judge? LOL

My tea at the Pantry.

Full, we waddled to the cab line and made our way over to the Mandarin Oriental, where we had spa services scheduled. The Mandarin Oriental spa is a very serene space, with large windows overlooking that area of the strip. It is also usually very quiet and empty, so every time I've been there I've pretty much had the place to myself. It doesn't have the largest number of amenities, but the services are just amazing. I like that you can book a block of time (as they call it, a time ritual) and not decide until you're there what you're actually going to need. I had a horrible cramp in my back that really needed to be worked out, and the girl I had did an amazing job eradicating that annoyance. I used my entire two hours in massage mode, drifting in and out of consciousness. It was bliss. I believe Teresa split her time between a facial and massage. She told me that they turned her into a wet noodle, so whatever happened in there must have been good.

We went back to Encore and decided to play video poker again. Teresa and I always play double double bonus, but Teresa for some reason got a wild hair that day and decided to play triple double instead. And wouldn't you know it she hit four aces with a kicker for $4,000? I told you she would eventually get hers! 

We gambled around Encore for the afternoon and eventually got ready to go over to Palazzo to meet Diana for dinner at DB Brasserie. I was really looking forward to their delicious coq au vin, but Diana called me as we were about to head over to report that she walked by and that they had a huge loud party in there and that the woman at the host stand told her that we didn't have a reservation. WTF?!? Of course we did. I had a confirmation e-mail from open table. She asked what I wanted to do and I said I'd call them.

DB: Hello?
Me: Hi, I have a reservation for tonight and I was just calling to confirm. My friend said she walked by and you have a private party there tonight and she was told that you don't have a reservation in my name.
DB: We don't have a party here.

(Ok let me break in here by saying this. Diana knows what a private party looks like. She also knows when someone tells her that we don't have a reservation. It's not like I was dealing with an incompetent informant here.)

Me: Well can you please confirm my reservation?
DB: Your name?
Me: (I spell my last name...)
DB: We have no reservation under that name.
ME: (Spelling slower...)
DB: Nope.
ME: Fine, I'll be there in five minutes to show you the confirmation email I have.
DB: Oh, Gwen party of 3? I have it right here.

Um, nope. I got on open table and canceled the reservation. We decided to make a change at the last minute and go to Table 10 instead. And no regrets. We had such a great meal there. I had a fabulous caesar salad and great chicken, some onion rings too.

And then we weren't going to order dessert, but Diana's tasting menu came with it, so we ordered the banana bread pudding, with Teresa and I insisting we were only going to take a bite. We were sooooooooooooooooo full.

Um. Nope.

The chef sent out the banana cream pie too, and that's my favorite dessert in Vegas. And suddenly all three of us had room to spare and we demolished those desserts like we had been on a deserted island living on coconuts and sea water for six months.

After dinner the three of us slotted around the Venetian and Palazzo and tried out a few slots I hadn't played before, including the new Jurrasic Park and the new Sherlock Holmes. Not a lot of luck to be had, but we had a fun time! 

Teresa and I left after a while and made a stop at Walgreens before heading back to Encore. We were both upstairs pretty early since we had a full day the next day, and we were excited to show the newbies around!

Day 5 - 

Moving day! I had escaped the Wynncore with Steve Wynn paying me to visit, so it was time to go. 

Meghan and Kathy's flight arrived from Ohio around 8 am, so we had them cab to Encore so we could take them to breakfast before the excitement of the day begins. 

Diana got up too and met us at Tableau in the Wynn for a beautiful breakfast. Iced teas all around, and Diana and I both had the Spanish omelet. I love Tableau. The room is so bright and it's just the perfect place to start a magical day in Vegas. 

Once we were fed, we piled into a party bus that Teresa had rented. We had a few stops we needed to make before Bellagio, the first of which was the airport. 

We met Jamie in the baggage claim, and then we had about an hour until Ashlea came in. Diana and I did a little airport gambling, and then we took Jamie down to the party bus to hide him. Teresa collected Ashlea and brought her down to the bus - where she was so excited to see that her boyfriend Jamie was waiting for her in the bus! Hugs and hellos all around, and I gave Ashlea a rhinestone 21 tiara that I had made just for her. 

I love new Vegas visitors. It was so exciting to pile them into the bus and drive them out to the Welcome To Las Vegas sign, where we took some pictures before driving all the way down the Strip, showing the kids all the sites.

The mugging at the Vegas sign!

We drove down to the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop, something Ashlea specifically asked to see, but, as we mentioned to her when she asked to go, it's really small and you won't see the cast. We took some pictures and left pretty quickly. 

We dropped Diana off at Palazzo and then it was off to Bellagio!

 I checked in pretty quick, but Teresa had problems getting all of her room requests. I don't know what was happening with her host! She had the bed types wrong, and view types wrong too. Meanwhile, I got a complimentary upgrade to a junior suite, even though I didn't ask for one. It was probably because I asked for a freeway view. Most people go to Bellagio and request to see those fountains - that's the last thing I want to see (or hear).

Speaking of requesting a freeway view, funny story. My friend Gator, who I actually met through Tripadvisor years ago, was texting me and asking me about my Bellagio room. I was doing voice-to-text and saying that I got an upgrade "probably because I requested a freeway view." That is NOT what Siri heard. Instead, that little pervert typed, "Probably because I requested a three-way with you." 

Siri has a dirty mind.

Speaking of my Bellagio room, it was quite nice, with a big jetted tub, several windows, and a nice sitting area. It had a great view of the freeway too. LOL 

The one thing about Bellagio that bothered me was that the hallway was not very well kept. There was a lot of trash on the floor, and there was a bunch of dirt, food, etc outside of my room when I checked in that was still there days later when I checked out. They need to be more on top of vacuuming. The common areas really need to be a priority, as much as the guest rooms. That didn't leave a very good impression on me.

I gambled around Bellagio that afternoon, and finally met up with the gang again to meet Diana over at Paris for dinner at Gordon Ramsay Steak.

This was a new restaurant for me, and there was good and bad to our dining experience. The good was my delicious mojito and my very excellent shrimp cocktail that had a wonderfully spicy horseradish cocktail sauce. The bad was my chicken (I don't eat red meat) and our server who really just didn't seem to care once he took our order. He kind of disappeared, and it took a lot to get the check out of him. Ashlea really loved her fish though, so that's all that mattered to me.

Honestly, I doubt I'd go back. There are too many steakhouses in Vegas to waste time going back to one where the entire experience wasn't flawless. 

After dinner we had to say goodbye to Diana, who was going to a high limit pull, and then she'd be leaving the next morning. We walked back over to Bellagio, and the kids got to see the fountains going off in the background while we walked. I gambled some that night but went upstairs pretty early. The Bellagio bed was pretty comfortable and I'm happy to say I actually got some sleep that night.

Day 6

Hello old friend, 4 am. Glad to see you again. Sort of. I love Vegas mornings, don't get me wrong. I love when things are quiet and a lot of the crazies are tucked in their beds, but 4 am seems early even for me. But since I'm up, I might as well get coffee. Snacks is now open 24 hours and I was getting morning coffee while a drunk couple was trying to inhale late night pizza and each others' tongues simultaneously. How romantic.  ‪#‎gross‬

I played some slots and VP and waited for the sun to come up and my friends to rise from their beds. Eventually the day dawned and we had breakfast at the Bellagio buffet, a consistently good meal. Good, not great, but it's a buffet so I'm not hoping for greatness!

I was again thinking about a nap but I knew it wasn't going to happen so I wandered back onto the slot floor. Teresa wanted to try the new Christmas Story slot (it sucks, don't bother), so I plopped down at Buffalo Grand. I ended up hitting a great bonus that resulted in my fourth hand pay for the trip!

Happy, full and wallet-heavy, I think I did end up taking a nap for a little bit, but eventually rolled back downstairs to gamble more until it was time to go to dinner.

Dinner that night was at Top of the World in the Stratosphere. I really like this place. Yes, the revolving restaurant has been done before in other cities, but Las Vegas is such a beautiful one that it doesn't at all seem cheesy. Plus the food is consistently quite good.

We were seated at a table by the window and we were treated to great bread (try the pesto butter - it's crack) and we ordered drinks.

Basket of assorted rolls and cracker bread.

Top left regular butter, orange butter to the right and on the bottom the amazing pesto butter!

Teresa and Ashlea ordered a mango drink that they really liked and Meghan and I ordered the sangria, which I have had before and is really good.

 My shrimp cocktail, really pretty flavorless, especially compared to the night before at Gordon Ramsay's Paris Steakhouse.

Meghan's starters salad.

Teresa's Lobster Bisque.

We took pictures, but between the low lighting in the restaurant and the changing light outside, the pictures were hit and miss!

The food was great though. Everyone had a steak except for Meghan, who had sea bass, and I had a vegetable pasta that had great flavor.

Tagliatelle Primavera,seasonal vegetables, garlic, olive oil and fresh herbs. 

Steak

Steak

New York Strip Steak.

Potato Puree', fontina cheese, parmesan bread crumbs.

 Meghan's Chilean Sea Bass with baby bok choy, honey miso glaze.

The twice baked potatoes with bacon, cheddar and green onion were a hit at the table.

We were all full, but a bunch of us succumbed to the really pretty creme brulee that we kept seeing on the dessert cart. Yum.

What Ashlea didn't know was that when Jamie got up to go to the bathroom the rest of us at the table got butterflies and our cameras out. When he returned, instead of sitting down in his chair, he got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend. He was so sweet and she was so overwhelmed. It was beautiful to witness young love and a couple that are starting out so strong. It was an honor to be there for their wonderful moment, and I wish them the best of luck going forward!

After the meal and the proposal we headed back to Bellagio and gambled for a bit, but I was really tired so I headed up early and enjoyed the very soothing jetted tub before crawling into bed for a good night sleep.

Day 7:

Our last full day! It's amazing how fast a week can fly by. I was up early again, but not so early that I was hurting fortunately, so I went down for coffee and slots. I had to laugh, because even though I slept my body decided it wanted more. So at 7 am I went upstairs and went BACK to sleep! We had a reservation at Veranda in the Four Seasons, so I had plenty of time to take a little nap.

Rested, I met the troops and we were off to one of my favorite brunches. The weather was perfect. Blue skies, light wind, low 80's, and we sat outside. Teresa and Meghan ordered a bloody mary and it came with a ginormous prawn in it!

 I had iced tea, as I usually do, and we all dove into the delicious buffet they offer there. If you haven't been, it's a must do. And don't forget the bread pudding. It's my favorite thing they have there!

Donuts freshly made at the buffet.

Afterwards we took a cab back to Bellagio and I took yet ANOTHER nap. I guess all those early mornings were catching up with me! Or maybe I was hitting the Vegas wall. 

Unfortunately Ashlea's tummy was bothering her so we scrapped our plan to have drinks at Foundation Room, and instead skipped straight to the show. We took a cab to MGM and went to see Ka. This was a show I had never seen before, and I was excited to see something new, but I'm not really a "Cirque person" so I didn't really expect I would love it. 

But I LOVED it. LOVED. It was so good! I think the addition of a story really made it possible for me to be engaged in it, instead of just appreciating the beauty of it. I highly recommend. By far it was my favorite of the Cirque shows I've seen. 

Inside Ka Theatre.

After dinner we went over to Caesars for dinner at Il Mulino in the Forum Shops.

As soon as you sit down they bring food to the table - hunks of cheese, bruschetta, mussels, some sort of sliced pork.

All before you've even seen a menu. And the menu itself has lots of yummy things on it. 

Although tonight the highlight for me was the special beet salad that the waiter described for us. Oh my. It was so delicious, with such fresh burrata on top. Mmmm!

Teresa's Shrimp starter.

Mussels and Bruschetta.

Everyone had pasta except me. I had a pounded chicken breast, a bunch of people had the fettucini alfredo, Kathy had penne marinara and Jamie had manicotti. I will speak up for that manicotti - that's what I usually get there and it is delightful. It's somehow both heavy and light at the same time. Ha! 

Pounded Chicken!

Penne

Manicotti

                                                    Fettuccine Alfredo above.

It was a late dinner and there was just no room or time for dessert, so we shoved off and walked back to Bellagio. It was our last night so we all got our last minute gambling in, but most of us were full and tired and needed to pack, so we called it a night. 

Annnnnnnnd the Last Morning:

Bellagio was kind enough to pick up my tab, just as Wynn did, and I had a little laugh because Wynn refunded my deposit so my bill there was a refund of $55. At Bellagio I had some tips and stuff to pay so my bill there was $57. One week in Vegas - total hotel bills were $2. I guess I can handle that! 

Ashlea and Jamie had early flights so I had said goodbye to them the night before, but Meghan and Kathy were on the same flight as Teresa, so the four of us shared the Bell limo back to the airport. We had a little Burger King in the airport and then I saw their flight off before catching mine. I slept all the way back to Los Angeles. How could I not? A week in Vegas? Sightseeing, good times, great food, amazing friends and even a proposal? Who could ask for a better week? 

I need to make a special note that I finally got to meet my Facebook friend Brian K in the Encore during this trip. I was sad I didn't get to meet his wife as well, but it was wonderful to finally meet Brian in person. 

Thanks Diana for letting me write for Las Vegas Daze again! It was so fun reliving the trip we took and I can't wait to do it again.

 I've met some really nice people through the blog and a lot of you have visited my shop and I'm really grateful for your orders. I'd be thrilled for other Vegas fans to come check out my shop too - www.etsy.com/shop/gwenoffuttdesigns Cheers!

Part two of this trip report is Diana's and it's at this link:
http://www.lasvegasdaze.com/2016/04/a-tale-of-two-trip-reports-dianas-trip.html