by Audra H. Anders for The Aha! Connection
In the essence of keeping this article short, sweet, but informative I’m going to write it bullet style. However, I must say that many of you may think we were crazy to go to Vegas during a pandemic, but we needed a vacation together. Interestingly, neither of us “gamble”. We did put money on Auburn to win the National Championship and bet on our birthday son’s roulette numbers for him but that is it! We are in it for the entertainment and the food! Nevada has a mandatory mask law, so every single person was wearing a mask indoors…and many were also wearing them outside even though it was 110 degrees every day. Here’s the short scoop in case you want to go and know some fun stuff to do, see, eat!
Our Flight: Delta Airlines
We chose Delta because:
- They have the best variety of departure and arrival times
- The price was right
- Everyone is required to wear masks in flight the entire time
- My brother works for Delta!
Our Hotel: The Park MGM (newly renovated, formerly the Monte Carlo)
We chose the Park MGM because:
- The entire hotel including the casino is SMOKE FREE!
- They offered and we chose a “Stay Well Room”: “Stay Well brings health to your hotel stay with features that minimize the impact that travel has on your body; providing you with better rest, fresher air, personalized lighting, a nutritious menu and more.”
- It was closest to the two biggest shows we wanted to see.
Our Entertainment:
- George Strait: The KING of Country Music and my hubby’s absolute fave artist. We were on the second row, and he sang THIRTY songs!
- Bruno Mars: Absolutely the best, most fun, most entertaining show I’ve ever seen. He took our phones away so everyone was busy singing and dancing…not texting, posting, filming!
- Gregory Popovich’s Comedy Pet Theater: A fun, family friendly show. Hubby and I are huge pet lovers, and we thoroughly enjoyed this show. Who knew cats could do tricks?….and pigs, and birds, and dogs, and ponies and more!
- Gregory Popovich’s Comedy Pet Theater
- Brian Newman After Dark: This show was in the intimate setting of the The Nomad Library: within the Park MGM. It was jazz, rock, burlesque and we even got a surprise performance from one of Bruno Mars’ Hooligans (video shot from my seat!) Newman is/was Lada Gaga’s Jazz Director.
Our Best Meals:
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- Mon Ami Gabi: We never go to Vegas without eating here. It is our FAVE. This time we had the BEST view of the Fountains at Bellagio across the street.
Our view of the Bellagio from our outdoor seat - Dinner Theater at the Mayfair in the Bellagio: Great dinner, even better entertainment, fabulous setting…. a return to the glamorous eras of Las Vegas and old New York set against the Fountains of Bellagio! (Yes, we ate on the OTHER side of the Fountains at Bellagio the second night!
Dinner Theater at the Mayfair
Dinner Theater at the Mayfair - Herbs & Rye: A 20-minute taxi from the strip but well worth the drive. Best steak I’ve had in a long time. This is the spot for late night dinner and is mostly for locals. We sat at the end of the bar not even speaking to each other because we were eating and constantly mesmerized by our bartender’s speed, craftsmanship and organization. I was so intrigued, I made a time lapse video of Spotty, the bartender at work. Yes, his name was Spotty. Won’t forget it. Oh, and get this….they have *happy hour daily from 5-8 PM and again from Midnight to 3 AM! * 50% off steaks and starred food items along with drink specials. Our steaks definitely made us happy!
Herbs & Rye
Herbs & Rye
Spotty
- Mon Ami Gabi: We never go to Vegas without eating here. It is our FAVE. This time we had the BEST view of the Fountains at Bellagio across the street.
- The Nomad Library: Surrounded by books. I love books. The food was delicious, but my favorite part was the feeling of being hugged by the books throughout dinner.
The Coolest Bars We Popped in:
- Lucky Day Tequila and Mezcal House: The ceiling…. the ceiling…the ceiling…so cool. Plus, the old Mexican videos playing behind the bar were hilarious!
- The Chandelier in the Cosmopolitan: Multi levels, plenty of room to spread out, the casino all around you. Really cool and beautiful.
- Vanderpump Cocktail Garden at Caesars: Quaint yet funky little getaway spot if you find yourself in Caesars Palace.
- Off the record: It was in our hotel, but we weren’t on the “guest list”. I think that meant we looked too old (or weren’t cool enough) but somehow, I talked the dude into letting us in. It is described as a love letter to long-lost music hubs. We ended up in the hidden bar behind a secret wall of cassette tapes enjoying cocktails and going through record albums from the eighties.
Off the Record
Off the Record - Starlight on 66: Located atop Vegas’ newest hotel, Resorts World. The nighttime view from the 66th floor of the Vegas strip is beautiful! Be sure to make a reservation!
View from 66th Floor of Resort World
Starlight on 66 Bar
Liberace’s Piano on display in Resort World
More on Hotels:
My fave Vegas Hotel: The Wynn. It’s no contest. But alas it’s also fun to check out others.
Where we’ll stay next: The Cosmopolitan unless I can talk Kirk into The Wynn. The Cosmopolitan is a Marriott….for those of you with points!
or The Mirage because it is known for it’s amazing pools!
or perhaps the Bellagio because it reminds me of The Wynn and I love their conservatory…the flowers are AMAZING.
We had a blast, were as careful as possible about germs by wearing masks, washing hands, trying to stay as far apart as we could from other humans. It was sooooo nice to be away from normalcy for a few days enjoying time together while being entertained by some of the most talented people in the universe. I wish every entertainer would take our phones away!
Viva Las Vegas!
