What Happens in Vegas...

...Stays in Vegas... We've all heard it.

For as long as I can remember (prior to going of course) I had the biggest pre-conceived notions of the land known as Sin City, and I never really had the urge to go.  It just didn't appeal to me and simply put, I just wasn't into it.  Jesse shared this opinion too...so we always felt that we could "wait" to go to Vegas, as it certainly wasn't in our top priority list of places to go.  So how did I end up going? Well, it began as follows:

I took a giant leap of faith in this city.  I wanted to surprise Jesse for his birthday, and our 3 year anniversary was coming up that month. Why not kill two birds with one stone? Well three birds actually, as my "urge to get away" was starting to creep in as it so often does when I haven't gone on vacation in a while.  So I started to look into a weekend get-away.  Our vacation time wasn't much and I needed to find a destination within the confinements of the continental U.S of A... so the questions began and this is where the tough decision crept in.  Where can I go in the time span of a weekend, so that we're able to do and get as much in, within such a short time period? I had heard that Vegas was a perfect weekend get-away as there were nonstop flights from Milwaukee, the prices were enticing in July (summer is HOT in Las Vegas, and who wants to be in 110 degree weather in the middle of a desert!?) and quite frankly it just seemed the best option.  NYC came in as a close second, but Jesse has already been there... and I needed to go somewhere NEW (it's my philosophy!). So, my decision was made & with all these factors pointing to Vegas, I threw the dice and crossed my fingers... Jesse knew nothing of this and I already knew how Jesse felt about Vegas...so I was definitely gambling.

While this was SUPPOSED to be a surprise (I wanted to do the whole works - pack his bags, tell him to free up that weekend and have no plans made, and come 5 o'clock on Friday we'd be driving to the airport without his knowledge of it whatsoever)... but who are we kidding, Can I really keep that a secret? Well, not exactly.  I managed... for about 3 weeks. As the time grew nearer, I grew antsier and the surprise just went out the window :). (Hey, it's the thought that counts right?!)  But his reaction was favorable - now we were in business! :)

We arrived in Vegas late Friday night (after taking a nonstop flight from Milwaukee) and we immediately took a taxi to the infamous Strip. Our hotel was the great Caesars Palace.  We were upgraded to a room in the Forum Tower and wow were we pleasantly surprised (the surprise factor came from reading mostly negative reviews of Caesars - read my earlier Blog on "Reviews" for more on that).  But to be quite honest, we fell instantly in love with Vegas, it's "vibe."  In my opinion, what's so great about Vegas is the environment, this is what makes this city shine!  You can't wait to wear your best dress, your best heels (and your feet will be hurting badly afterwards, trust me!), and eat great food at the incredible array of world renowned restaurants. You almost can't help it, it's just THE thing to do! It's exactly that which drew us in, and every minute was an absolute surprise and marvel! We were so wrong, this whole time...

Something I'd like to take the time to note is location.  I had heard it from others, but it wasn't until I experienced it for myself, how important the hotel you choose really is! Location is key... We loved Caesars' location (next to the Bellagio, across from Paris and Planet Hollywood).  It just seems as though you've got the best of the best right there.  Further down the strip you'll find The Venetian, Treasure Island, The Mirage which wouldn't be a bad spot either.  What I DO consider as "further away" hotels would be The MGM, Excalibur, NY NY, Luxor, etc.  Furthermore, while the Palms is extremely popular, it's important to note that it is NOT on the strip - just further down, and not within walking distance to too much - so a cab is certainly needed.  There is a tram however, that does connect some of the hotels further down the strip, but again... Caesars was just CENTRAL so a great option.  But Hello?! If the movie "The Hangover" tells you anything worth noting is that it's THE place to be and Caesar most certainly did NOT live there, people! :) Oh Zach...

We walked the entire strip in the scolding hot weather, but what I did learn is that summer is NOT necessarily something that should stop you from going if you're fearing the heat (We went at the end of July!). Aside from purely walking up and down the strip and maybe laying poolside (Caesar's 5 pools are amazing! Go early, as they fill up FAST), you're really not outside much at all.  Many hotels do connect and the hotels themselves are so large that most of the time you are spending it exploring them INDOORS and in the air conditioning. 

One of the highlights of our Vegas strip was dinner at Mesa Grill.  This is Bobby Flay's restaurant, and Jesse and I absolutely LOVED the food.  It was amazing... and I highly recommend eating here if you're a foodie. Mesa Grill is inside Caesar's Palace and for a complete review of the restaurant check out my TripAdvisor review. (http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g45963-d515192-r35935238-Mesa_Grill_at_Caesars_Palace-Las_Vegas_Nevada.html)

Vegas = Casino haven, right? Ocean's Eleven surely taught us that.  Jesse and I hit the slots after dinner, and drinks are free (and plentiful) while you're at the casinos: The more you drink, the more you gamble. Great logic.

As far as the nightlife, that's WHAT Vegas is all about! Hot clubs, hot people, hot outfits a "wild" time, right!?!

Well, after losing our money (we're not big gamblers, it wasn't much!) :) we got a VIP table for just the two of us in the Red Room at PURE.  We figured we'd go all out... We were there to celebrate after all! What a night that turned out to be... it was such a cool experience, and one we will never forget. Another BIG highlight for us that night: DMX was performing and he and his "entourage" were partying right next to us all night! We had an entire bottle to ourselves with unlimited mixers, and well...we can just say that the flight back home at 6am the next morning wasn't too pleasant (it was miserable actually as we had an entire ginormous bottle of Grey Goose to ourselves and you can only imagine how we felt just a mere few hours later boarding our plane...). :)

So Vegas, I really had you all wrong! And we will be back shortly.  Our opinion was forever changed that weekend and most importantly, what that weekend taught me: Pre-conceived notions on a destination should be thrown out the door until you go and see it for yourself!