Leslie and I were in Vegas this past weekend.  My boss gave me a gift certificate for two free nights at the Rio.  I then used some of my air miles to get us some plane tickets.  Now that our biggest costs were out of the way, the equation adds up to a good time in VEGAS BABY!

McCarren International Airport is like no other airport in the world.  As soon as we walked off the plane, we could have chosen to play the Wheel of Fortune slot machine with an over $6 million progressive jackpot.  We managed to resist the slots and made our way to our mid-size car we rented through hotwire at dollar.  The selection was interesting because of 15 cars in the mid-size lot, I swear ten were PT Cruisers.  Needless to say, we took the stripped down chrysler sebring so I wouldn’t have to drive around in the same car as my mom.  Please don’t take any offense mom

After we pulled away from the rental car facility, we decided to purchase show tickets.  Last time I was in Vegas I found the 1/2 price tickets kiosk and so we went to the same place.  They had an OK deal for the show Jersey Boys.  I’m not a fan of the rock shows because they are a lame way for rock stars to repackage and sell the same songs you could get on iTunes for a fraction of the price of a broadway ticket.  The book on these shows are notoriously bad which means they have no plot.  The best examples I can think of are Billy Joel’s Movin’ Out and the atrocious Abba’s Momma Mia.  Friends don’t let friends see Momma Mia.  My expectations were low for Jersey Boys, but I’ve heard very good things about it.  Leslie and I decided to take the plunge and see the show.  Jersey Boys is the history of The Four Seasons, from their beginnings to the start of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.  I loved this show from start to finish.  The plot was interesting, and they didn’t crowbar the songs by The Four Seasons into the show.  They fit nicely and advanced the plot.  There was good character development and the singing was impressive.  I know this show is touring right now.  It’s a good night of theater and the music is fantastic.  I’m not afraid to recommend the show to everyone.

Living Room at the Rio

When Leslie and I checked into the hotel, we decided to upgrade the room to a “majestic suite” on the 35th floor.  The Rio isn’t on the main strip.  It’s about a mile away on the other side of I-15.  Our suite was huge  and we had a total panoramic view of the strip.

Vegas Strip Panoramic at Sunset

I wasn’t impressed with the amenities at the Rio.  I’ve seen nicer rooms at places like the BWI Westin and Atlanta Marriott.  I was impressed with the bathroom which we swear was half the size of our current home.  Leslie and I estimated it was as big as our living room and kitchen combined.  The mini-bar was really cool.  It looked like any ordinary TV stand, but inside was a fridge stocked with drinks and snacks priced the same as the shops in the hotel.  Which should tell you how expensive it was to buy a soda in the hotel shops.

Vegas thinks of everything

Rio Mini-fridge

I love how Vegas thinks of everything by including an “Intimacy Kit” in the mini-bar.  I tried to look for one of these fridges in the SkyMall catalogue on the plane, but I couldn’t find it

I didn’t get very many photos of Vegas because everything just looked fake, especially during the day.  I didn’t want to take photos inside the casino because I didn’t want to worry about a run-in with security.  Really, I wasn’t in a picture mood.

Bally's Steakhouse Prom Photo

The night of Jersey Boys, we ate at Bally’s Steakhouse.  I had a very good KC Strip and Leslie had a nice fillet.  There was a lady walking around taking photos.  She did a good job taking quality prom pictures.  She placed our hands in exact positions, shooed me out of a photo she wanted to take of Leslie.  It was very prom.  I ended up paying way too much for one of her photos.  It’s an OK photo, but we don’t have very many photos of us together.

On the last day, our flight was to depart at 6:00pm and our check-out time was at 11:00.  We decided to head to the Hoover Dam.  I was pleased we headed out there on a Tuesday when traffic was light.  If you plan to go there and want to see anything beyond the top of the dam, be prepared to spend some money.  We got there walked across the dam into Arizona, then walked back across the dam.  It’s big and very 1930’s art deco.  Most of the Vegas photos on Flickr are from the Hoover Dam.

The photo of the Las Vegas strip is by Jayul.  I modified the size of his photo to fit the site.  All rights belong to Jayul on Flickr.

This post is tagged Vegas