Last week, my husband had a work conference in Las Vegas, so I decided at the last-minute to tag along. My parents graciously volunteered to babysit (I can't thank them enough!). I had never been to Las Vegas before, and to be completely candid, my expectations weren't very high. I am not a gambler and could not care less about clubs or nightlife. A good friend gave me some good advice. He said, "It's tacky, but it's fabulous. Check your attitude at the door and just embrace Las Vegas for what it is." So that is what I did, and I have to admit I had a fantastic time.
Everything in Las Vegas is done on the grandest, most over-the-top scale. Take, for instance, the
Chihuly installation on the ceiling of the Bellagio. It took my breath away. I felt like I was the only person there appreciating its beauty, just marveling at its color and scale while everyone else rushed through the hotel lobby.
Las Vegas Boulevard, known as "The Strip," was truly dazzling as it lit up the desert night sky.
I went exploring during the day, walking almost the entire length of The Strip in 100-degree (dry) weather.
The Fashion Show Mall, located on the north end of The Strip, has everything you would want in a mall, from Neimans to Nordstrom to Zara to everything in between. Most of the resorts had all the fancy designer boutiques, too. The window displays were beautiful.
The windows at Prada had gorgeous dresses with a definite Grace-Kelly-vacationing-in-the-South-of-France vibe.
Louis Vuitton adds a twist to the classic monogram trunk by doing it in lucite.
A rainbow of Epi leather bags at Louis Vuitton.
Like everything else in Las Vegas, the architecture was over-the-top.
The Monte Carlo
The Wynn and its mirror image The Encore.
The Bellagio
The interiors were remarkable as well. If I had to pick a favorite hotel interior of the ones I saw, it would be
The Cosmopolitan.
Millions of crystals were draped and hanging throughout the hotel.
A massive, magnificent quartz display lit up the lobby.
The front desk was upholstered in red velvet with nailhead trim, placed over a mirror for a trompe l'oeil effect.
You can have a seat on a giant log, complete with chair backs that had actually been installed into the log.
People-watching was so much fun, especially at the hotel pool. Las Vegas is not the place to wear a
Calypso tunic. It is definitely an edgier scene, so I felt very cool in my Webster cover-up from Target.
We also went to a Cirque du Soleil show, which was part of the quintessential Las Vegas experience. The acrobatics and sets were amazing.
We were only in Las Vegas for about 36 hours, but I feel like I got to do everything I wanted to do, from shopping to eating at amazing restaurants to sitting at the pool to seeing a show. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed Las Vegas. I *may* have come back with a souvenir or two.
Have you been to Las Vegas?
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