A Great Time in Las Vegas

Estalita and I returned from our trip to Las Vegas earlier this week. Our 4 days in the city seemed to fly by as we stayed busy from the time our feet hit the ground until we departed on our red eye flight Sunday evening. The trip was a nice chance for the two of us to get away on our own. We also enjoyed our time with my aunt and uncle from California as well as the opportunity to reconnect with our friends Brandon and Samantha.

The one thing that always strikes me when I visit this city is the WOW factor. This WOW factor struck again on this visit. I was mesmerized by the amount of changes that have taken place on the strip just since my last visit two years ago. An enormous amount of building has taken place, including the massive City Center project, which is reportedly somewhere up in the 10 billion dollar range. This is amazing considering the present state of the economy and the fact that Vegas is usually mentioned as the epicenter of the bursting U.S. housing bubble. Some stats indicate that home values in Vegas have lost 55% in valuations over the past 3-4 years. Ouch!
We did visit some of the newer casinos such as the Wynn and Palazzo, and they certainly don't disappoint. The amount of hotel rooms and extravagant restaurants, shops, and boutiques always seem to be on the rise in Vegas and I honestly don't understand how they all survive. One clue to their survival might be the rising costs for doing anything in this city. It used to be that you could get a good dinner buffet on the strip for 10-12 dollars. Now, that cost is in the 25-40 dollar range, and there are no more 99 cent shrimp cocktails or 2.99 steak and egg breakfasts. Even the tram, which used to be free, is now 5 dollars for a single ride ticket and 30 dollars to obtain a 3 day pass. Hotel rates and show prices have especially skyrocketed. It seems that Vegas has followed the lead of most pro sports teams and aimed their marketing at big business and corporate dollars. I guess that approach is fine when people are making money hand over fist as was the case in the 90's, but I question that marketing strategy when times are tight. The other WOW factor for me continues to be the shows and the amazing amount of talent that exists in this city. Estalita and I found some half-price tickets for Phantom of the Opera, so we went to the show on Thursday night. The show was absolutely fabulous. It didn't hurt that we had 4th row seats either. The stage sets, costumes, orchestra, and singers were all first rate. We both left the show just shaking our heads and all we could say was WOW!

Other highlights of the trip for us was the Brooks and Dunn concert on Saturday night. The concert lacked the same energy as the same one we saw two years ago. Both performers seemed a little off their game, but they still provided some great entertainment. My other personal favorites of the trip were the fountains at the Bellagio and the Paris buffet. These are mainstays for me on any trip to Vegas and as usual, neither experience was a disappointment.
Here are some pics from the trip.

Ronnie Dunn belting out some tunes

Time for some fiddle

Record setting country duo Brooks and Dunn

The curtain has finally fallen on this country act of nearly 20 years

Uncle David and Aunt Meg made the trip from Fresno

Reuniting with Brandon and Samantha was a lot of fun

The whole crew at the Venetian

More Christmas decorations

The beautiful St. Mark's square in the Venetian

Brandon and I discuss buffet strategy for the day

The gondola rides are something to see in the Venetian

The amazing fountains of Bellagio

At night, the Excalibur offers that magical feel

The Lion enclosure at the MGM Grand

Here kitty, kitty

Very unique cake at a chocolate shop in the Bellagio

These treats remind me of the cafes/dessert shops in Europe

An incredible chocolate fountain we stumbled upon in the Bellagio

Vegas shines at night

Night view from our hotel room at Bally's

Another great view looking out towards the Strip from our hotel room at Bally's

Lights out.