VIVA Las Vegas!

Okay, so I mean it this time when I say that our mini-vacations have come to close (for the time being). I am ready to nest at home for a while! But just coming back from Las Vegas with our friends Liz and Michael, I can say we ended with a bang. This is always one of those trips that you need a vacation after the vacation to recover and relax..because who wants to sleep when you are in sin city? I always enjoy going to Vegas because you see something new and different each time, and its grandiosity never ceases to amaze me. I mean, each hotel has its own mall that is designed around its theme. Everything is over the top!

WOOT WOOT

We were greeted with PINTS of champagne at our hotel. Only in Vegas.

The view from our room! 33rd floor of Treasure Island!
It never, never got old- we kept our curtains open at all times

Ready for our first night out!

I love all of the free night shows outside of each hotel!

Bellagio Gardens- they always have them decorated to a theme of the season. We have been their for spring, one other fall, and Christmas/winter- and it is always amazing. This year it had a very whimsical, earthy feel.

It's hard to see, but the tree was actually a water fountain- water was coming out of each little brass leaf.

The venus fly trap even open and closed, how fun!

They had jumping water fountains all over the place. This is their signature piece no matter what season. Liz was curious and touched one- notice the huge puddles of water on the bridge ;)

Heaven! This started all the way at the ceiling and came down. I can still smell it.

At The Bank, Bellagio

It's hard to see, but the dance floor was two levels down and they had what looked like bank teller cages with dancers inside :)

GOOD morning, Las Vegas!

The next day we did some shopping and when Liz and I go to try on our first outfits, we both open up our doors to find......

that we tried on the exact same outfit!

we are dorks and took a picture.

Poor Liz.

She injured her knee a few weeks before we left, and was scheduled for surgery after our trip, so we had to take major precautions while we were there. We rented this wheelchair and her brace was on her at all times, plus she stopped to elevate and ice it when she needed to. She was such a trooper and good sport about it! She didn't let this slow her down.
And of course I had to add some flair to her wheels ;) They glowed in the dark!

2nd night after dinner, Paris

...and so the addiction begins. I think Liz is peeing her pants.

The faces of FOCUS

On the 2nd night after dinner we went to a show at the Flamingo, then we went to one of my favorite clubs-the VooDoo Lounge on top of the Rio. I love it because it is outdoors with an amazing view!

This doesn't pic doesn't give it justice.
That lower pink/purple level is the dance floor and DJ.
It was so much fun to be dancing while rooftop!

3rd day, outside of the Venetian. This is one of my favorite malls because the canal continues inside it with the gaundala rides. It totally makes you feel like you are walking up and down streets of Venice.

This is the new City Center that just opened. It reportedly cost $1 BILLION dollars to construct. It has both condos and hotel rooms, a mall (each store has a security guard and a limited number of people can enter each store, if that gives you an idea of the stores), and a tram within it. It looks like something from outer space in the middle of the strip!

Sleeping lions in the MGM lobby

And this brings us to our last night- and what would Halloween be if you didn't dress up, especially in Vegas?
Let's just say that compared to everyone else, our costumes were quite conservative. Halloween in Vegas was pretty much exactly how you'd imagine it- lots and lots (and lots) of skin. Super heroes and sexy nurses/pirates were the most popular and over-done. I think we got an A++ for originality :) Keep it classy people!

I think we pulled it off pretty well, don't you?

Yabba-Dabba-DOOO

I hope everyone else had a fun Halloween! Now let the craziness that is November and December begin....we have already completely booked up the weeks around Thanksgiving and Christmas. How is that possible?