Viva Las Vegas!!

Many years ago, probably back in the day when my sister thought I’d never settle down and marry, she promised to take me to Vegas before I said “I Do,” for a girl’s getaway.

As the wedding date got closer, Rhea realized the wedding was really going to happen and the promise she made all those years ago needed to be fulfilled. She set a date, bought plane tickets, and booked a room at the Bellagio. Mom, Rhea and I started making plans of fun things to do in “Sin City.”

We excitedly packed our bags the night before. Sparkly shirts, high heels, and party dresses filled our suitcase. Funny how getting up at 4:30am to fly to Vegas is easier than getting up at 7am to go to work. With iced coffee in hand, we boarded our plane. Dad later admitted to mom that he wished he would have been invited. While I love traveling with my poppa and he’s usually invited to every event I attend, sometimes a girl just needs some “girl time.” This was one of those time!!

The flight over the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, and Lake Mead was beautiful!!! It’s amazing how the rock can vary in areas from blood red, to pale yellow, to dirt brown. The water was blue as could be and after sitting in a stuffy plane for a few hours, I daydreamed about parachuting out of the plane into the sparkling waters below.

Seeing my luggage on the conveyor belt at the destination airport always brings happiness to me like nothing else. As we stepped out of the airport, we were greeted by the warm, dry climate of Vegas. It was welcomed after the muggy weather we’d had in So. Indiana. I love that there is a line of taxi’s just waiting to whisk passengers away to the nearby strip. I also like making conversation with the drivers. They always have interesting stories and good advice on things to see and do.

The strip had changed a lot in the 5 years it had been since my last visit. Buildings were taller, lights were brighter, and everything seemed a bit more crowded. Walking into the Bellagio was truly walking into an oasis in the middle of the desert. The ceiling of glass flowers in the lobby were as colorful as the real flowers in the botanical gardens located off of the lobby. The front desk clerk was more than helpful, welcoming us and directing us to the concierge for tickets to events and other helpful information.

Ceiling in the lobby of Bellagio

The view from our room was of the multitude of pools we could cool off in. We could also see the mountains in the distance. These mountains are so different then the mountains in the Teton, but they are defiantly beautiful in their own way. We quickly cleaned up, changed clothes, and headed out to explore. Before we headed out that night, my sweet girls surprised me with a few bachelorette goodies! Naturally I donned the veil and sash so everyone would know the life altering leap I was about to take.

We secured tickets to the Cirque du Soleil show “O,” located right in our hotel. I was surprised that on this random Thursday night, the show was sold out. To think about all the shows that are offered on the strip and all the people that come through Vegas, for this show to be sold out tonight and throughout the weekend, that’s a ton of people seeing shows. Maybe the recession really is disappearing into the horizon?

The shows stage is a grate-like platform that drops to create a pool effect on the stage, or rises to make the water completely disappear. The acrobats, synchronized swimmers, and all the other performers create quite an impressive show. It’s almost dream like as horses soar through the air and divers tumble thru the sky. We were happy we chose this show.

That night we were whisked into The Bank, one of the newer clubs on the strip, by men dressed in suits. I imagine it is an ideal job for younger guys; dress up in a suit, and pull as many attractive females into this club you possible can. The club is located in the Bellagio which was quite convenient for us. If you are looking for a way to gain a lot of attention from the male population, put a veil on your head. It amazed me that guys would come over and strike up a conversation (flirt) with a girl that is clearly about to get married. Naturally I was nice to them, but also made it quite clear that I was “happily” about to get married. I didn’t mind that they wanted to supply us with beverages.

My feet could only handle my heels until about 2am-ish. As we made our way back into our room, we were greeted with a box of chocolate truffles. A card from the Bellagio read, “Thank you for spending your special time with us!” Nothing like a few truffles as a late night/early morning snack.

Momma and I visiting the flamingos

The next day, we explored the strip, popping into the Flamingo to see the birds and walk through their gardens. After a quick stop for breakfast sandwiches and some of the best iced coffee ever, we boarded the local bus and headed to the outlet malls. The shopping was nothing short of phenomenal. The rest of the evening Rhea and I grabbed a couple lounge chairs by the pool and soaked in the Vegas sun.

That evening, I was greeted with another bag of wedding-related goodies. Pinning my veil into my hair, we headed to Plant Hollywood to watch Tony & Tina’s wedding. No, it wasn’t really a wedding, but a show that is very interactive with the crowd. The entire show is the wedding and reception that we were a guest at. We were able to meet the wedding party and the ex-boyfriend of the “bride” was at our table. The cast was quite humorous and the food was decent. We even got wedding cake as dessert! There were toasts and dancing and all the rest of the drama that usually happens at wedding receptions.

Tony & Tina's wedding

We walked the strip after the show, stopping to watch the pirate show at Treasure Island, the volcano at the Mirage, and the water show outside our hotel. That night as we entered our hotel room, we were greeted by a plate of chocolate covered strawberries. They were the largest, best tasting chocolate covered strawberries I have EVER eaten. They were from that hot future husband of mine. It was such a sweet and thoughtful gesture. Those strawberries were gone within minutes.

Saturday morning brought a trip to the spa. Nothing says relaxing like a trip to the spa. I was greeted with a plush white robe and slippers. I grabbed an apple and curled up on one of the plush couches. It’s the kind of plush that you basically disappear into a pile of pillows once you sit down. I sipped my bottled water and flipped through a magazine while I waited for my massage therapist to come find me.

The massage was excellent. It was a fusion massage which combined using heated stones and heated oils. I fought sleep and she rubbed away any stress that may have been hiding out in my body. I didn’t want to sleep and miss a minute of what she was doing!

After the massage I took a dip in the hot tub than immersed myself into the cool pool. It felt amazing and my body welcomed the hot and cold mixture. A friend that lives in Vegas, Stephanie, then met me by the pool for some poolside girl talk. It was so nice to catch up with her and hear about the exciting things going on in her life. It had been about a year since I last saw her, so we had a lot to talk about! Laying poolside always makes girl talk even better!

That evening, Stephanie joined us for dinner at Tao. It was kind of nice having her car there so she drove us down the strip to Tao. The food was AMAZING and the place was packed!!! As we walked in, we walked past these rows of large white tubs filled with water and rose petals. I wanted to hop in one and splash around, but didn’t feel it would be appropriate.

After dinner, we ventured to Pure located in Ceasars Palace for a little nightlife fun. There was a very long line that we didn’t feel like waiting in. Rhea convinced me that I could get the bouncer to let us in without waiting in the line of 200+ people. Maybe it was the devil horns we were wearing or the red feather boas draped around our neck, or maybe I’m a good sweet talker? Either way, he lifted the velvet rope and let us in. Thank goodness because I would have hated being shot down in front of a crowd.

The morning came too quickly and before I knew it, we were back on a plane flying home. I boarded my plane, wearing my white tank that says “Bride” in sparkly little diamonds, with fun memories in my brain and sleepiness in my eyes. It was an absolutely fun-packed weekend. We couldn’t have squeezed in 1 more event or activity if we had tried.

A few moments that will live forever in our minds;

-$14 Gellato & very yummy hotdogs

-Very friendly/congratulatory people

-Multiple conversations with fellow Brides-To-Be

-Guys with thick accents talking about his previous Vegas conquests (ick)

-Forgotten purses

-Mentioning your about to get married will get you into any club you want

-The “situation”

-Nick and his texts

-Chocolate truffles, chocolate strawberries, and more chocolate truffles!

-Shopping shopping and more shopping!!

Thank you Rhea for a fabulous time in Vegas!!! It was a great