I had been to Las Vegas many times, however, Sylvia had only been once and during her previous visit, it was so cold that she got to do very little while she was there. We both felt that it was time to see the old city again. Above, we're pictured with our masks on during the flight. Once we deplaned, this was the last time we wore our masks during the trip. It appears that Las Vegas had no restrictions related to the recent pandemic.
We rented a car and drove to THE VENETIAN HOTEL. I hadn't realized it, but I registered us under the Prestige Reservation which allowed us some perks, including access to special lounges in the hotel. The hostess gave us a complementary glass of Prosecco wine on arrival and we were ushered to our suite.
The first night there, we had reservations to eat at the Eiffel Tower at the Paris Hotel. We arrived a little early and had drinks at the bar and enjoyed the wonderful view of the dancing water fountains at the Bellagio. We had an exquisite meal including a delicious pistachio souffle' dessert that we were really too full to eat.
The next day, we visited the shops and restaurants at the Venetian hotel.
We started with a Gondola ride, complete with a singing gondolier. It was short but fun. Our Gondolier was very animated and sang about 5 songs including happy birthday to a woman who was riding with us.
There were many restaurants. I was surprised that Sylvia didn't want to eat at and Italian place since she loves Italian food so much, but we ended up choosing a mexican restaurant, the Canonita, instead. Everything was a little hot (spicy) but delicious. The ambience was fantastic. Even though we were indoors, it felt like we were eating alfresco! Below, my plate is pictured with scrambled eggs, two cheese enchiladas with green chili, black beans and fried potatoes all covered with pico de gallo. (and that's from the breakfast menu...yikes!!!) Sitting across from me was Sylvia. Isn't she lovely with that beautiful backdrop.
One of the last things we bought as we headed back to our suite was some gelato. Sylvia couldn't resist the beautiful looking piles of Italian sherbert. She settled on the watermelon flavor.
Later that evening we went to Mandalay Bay to catch the Michael Jackson: ONE show. We did a little gambling and won about $100. At that point we felt lucky and stopped. Since we had a little time left before the show, we stopped at the HOUSE OF BLUES bar and had a drink and listened to some house music. And then it was on with the show. Here are some pictures outside the theater before the show. Sylvia and I visited the gift shop. My plan was to buy her a tee shirt. Her plan was for me to buy her a glittery Michael Jackson jacket and hat also.
Hat bought for Sylvia.
Hat bought for Sylvia.
On Sunday, we did a few things.
We drove to the old part of the strip to see the Fremont Street Experience. Along the way, we passed the Statosphere and stopped to eat at one of my favorite "off the Strip" places, BOSTON PIZZA, where we dined on chicken parmigiana, lasagna and cheesesteak subs. And then, out of the blue, Sylvia says to me, "You know what I'm in the mood for... weed brownies!" I turned slowly with a W-T-F look on my face and said, "Who is this woman sitting next to me?" Ultimately, with Las Vegas having legal dispensaries for such stuff, we googled a place and pictured is Sylvia with her bag of drugs outside the store. Yes, I am now her supplier!
We drove to the old part of the strip to see the Fremont Street Experience. Along the way, we passed the Statosphere and stopped to eat at one of my favorite "off the Strip" places, BOSTON PIZZA, where we dined on chicken parmigiana, lasagna and cheesesteak subs. And then, out of the blue, Sylvia says to me, "You know what I'm in the mood for... weed brownies!" I turned slowly with a W-T-F look on my face and said, "Who is this woman sitting next to me?" Ultimately, with Las Vegas having legal dispensaries for such stuff, we googled a place and pictured is Sylvia with her bag of drugs outside the store. Yes, I am now her supplier!
We also went to Caesar's Palace to do some shopping at the Forum. The shops were beautiful. We even found a small ceremic replica of Makkita, Sylvia's dog who just passed away. She actually started crying when she held it. How could I not buy that for her? We watched a great show and bought some souveniers. One of our last meals was at the CHEESECAKE FACTORY in Caesar's Palace. It was a great way to spend a Sunday.
And finally, we made it to Freemont Street in Downtown Las Vegas.
It doesn't seem to matter what day you go to Freemont street, it always feels like the biggest party in the world. Bright lights and loud music fill up your senses. There were multiple bands playing that night as well as plenty of street performers doing all sorts of things. Pictured is George with Wonder Woman and Sylvia getting a kiss from Michael Myers.
Let's just say two things. One, we didn't get to do all the things we wanted to do, but Vegas is always there if we need to go back, and two, we had a blast. To the left is a letter Sylvia wrote in our hotel room for me. I think she was a little high when she wrote it, because it doesn't make complete sense. To the right, Sylvia is standing next to the vintage "Welcome to Las Vegas" replica sign at the souvenier shop. One thing I'm sure of...she had a lot of fun!