Viva, Las Vegas!

Jason had Monday off as a paid holiday (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day), so we decided to take a trip to Las Vegas Saturday - Monday. We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, which I enjoyed because it reminded me of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. Throughout the hotel are display cases containing clothing worn by famous musicians such as Elton John and Steven Tyler, autographed guitars, framed gold and platinum records, etc.

After we arrived late Saturday afternoon, we went to the Rio hotel and casino to check out their "world famous" Carnival World dinner buffet, as recommended by Frommers (my review - four stars for the variety of food available, two stars for the deceptively long wait and 2.5 stars for the food itself). After dinner we went to Harrah's and played a couple of slot machines and video poker, then went to a late comedy show at their improv club. We walked around the strip for a little while, popping into the casinos at The Bellagio and Planet Hollywood. The conservatory area of The Bellagio was quite impressive - it was decorated in an asian theme to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Sunday we started our day with lunch at Olives, an italian restaurant in The Bellagio (I had chestnut and mascarpone ravioli with wilted spinach, and Jason had the butternut squash tortelli). Then we checked out the shopping at Caesar's Palace, The Venetian, and the brand new Pallazo hotel and casino.

Sunday night we had dinner at Okada, a Japanese restaurant inside the Wynn hotel. We had excellent sushi, followed by a traditional Japanese dessert that I'd never tried before - mochi ice cream. Basically they are ice cream balls about the size of golf balls, wrapped in a sort of rice paste. The flavors were unique - green tea, mango, vanilla, and red bean - and very good. The best part about dinner, aside from the great food, was our view. Our table was near the glass wall that looked out on a waterfall, pond, and trees (see photo, even though it's a little dark).

After dinner, we went to Treasure Island and saw the Cirque du Soleil show called Mystere. It's hard to describe - I'd call it bizarre but beautiful - but it was phenomenal. The show's vision and costumes prompted Jason to decide that the creators must have taken some serious acid - but the acrobatics and the strength and agility of the performers were jaw-dropping.

Unfortunately we had to turn around and drive home on Monday. But the good news is, Las Vegas is only about a five-hour drive, so we can go back anytime!