Viva Las Vegas!

Ben and I REALLY wanted to take a long vacation before I had to become totally wrapped up in being a nerdy grad student for 28 months of our life.... but deciding where that vacation would be posed a challenge because I wanted a beach vacation and he wanted Vegas.  So after attempting to plan a Vegas vacation one weekend and a beach vacation another.. we decided to combine it.  We just got back from one of the most incredible vacations we have ever been on!  Here's some details of the trip...

Charles, our limo driver

We flew out on a friday to head to the always incredible Las Vegas.  When we arrived at the airport, we began following the endless arrows to the baggage claim area. As we came down the escalator there was a man standing there holding a sign that said "Ben Casmer" on it. Even though it said my hubby's name... I kinda felt like a movie star for a brief second considering the fact someone was waiting to pick us up and drive us away from this crowded airport.  Silly, I know, but he quickly directed us toward the overwhelming baggage claim area, stated the belt in which our bags would come out on, and lead us over to the area.  Our bags came out and we were on our way out the door following our LIMO driver for the evening. The driver took us to the Flamingo where we would be staying for the next four nights.. we checked in, freshened up and headed to Vdara, where some of our friends were staying. 

Battistas

Dinner at Battistas

We picked up Armando and Brianna who happened to be in Vegas celebrating their second anniversary, and headed to dinner.  When we were in Vegas for our Bachelor/Bachelorette party we were introduced to a pretty delicious italian food restaurant called Battistas and that is where we went to dinner.  I would highly recommend this place! After dinner, we went to a Cirque Du Soleil show called Le Reve at the Wynn. The show was FABULOUS!  This was an incredible night 1.  

Outside Vdara and Aria

The next day, we met up with another couple and just played the day away gambling and enjoying the company. We walked around admiring all of the new construction that has gone up since we had been there last.  After losing most of the money we took to gamble, we went to dinner at the Sugar Factory on the strip.  We walked around after dinner, but we were all pretty tired and wound up calling it an early night!

Fondue at Sugar Factory

We woke up pretty early since we didn't stay out the night before.  We ate breakfast and started walking the strip.  We totally fell for the "free show ticket" scam.. and were suckered into sitting through a Time Share presentation!  They told us they wanted people to walk through the new Cosmopolitan hotel and casino for advertisement, and you would get free show tickets just for taking a tour (that would only last an hour)!  Sounds simple enough, right!?! So, we agreed to the tour. It was a total lie, we didn't even walk through the Cosmopolitan just by it.  You know how you feel when you go to buy a car?  The sales people keep trying to make a deal with you... That's EXACTLY how this went. After telling them NO we don't want to 

Top of the World

purchase a time share multiple times and 3 hours later we left with Blue Man Group tickets!  This "tour" had devoured most of our day..  So FINALLY after all of this, we went back to our room and started getting ready for dinner.   Ben made reservations to eat on Top of the World.  Literally.. hehe, it's the restaurant at the top of the Stratosphere.  We met Ashley and Justin there and at dinner overlooking the strip, shortly before sunset.  It was just breathtaking! 

"free" ticket suckers

 We almost got to see the sunset.. but had to make it to the Blue Man show... because we were NOT going to miss it after the way we had obtained tickets! :)  We got to the show and we were sat on the very LAST row!  The show was awful, I wouldn't recommend it at all.. it was a very comical way to end the day! :) 

Day 4:  We got up at went and ate at this wonderful breakfast placed called Pampas in the Miracle Mile shops at Planet Hollywood.  They have steak and eggs for breakfast for pretty cheap! After we ate we walked alllllll the way down to Luxor where we went to the Bodies exhibit.  It is AMAZING, holy cow did God make our bodies intricate and INCREDIBLE! For those of you that don't know, it's preserved cadavers so you can see literally into the human body.  If seeing bones and muscles doesn't gross you out, GO see this!   For dinner we ate at the Rio buffet were I possibly at my body weight in crab legs :) delicious!! After dinner, we went to Penn & Teller there at the Rio.  It was hilarious and awesome!  Since it was our last night, we wanted to make the most of it.. but considering we had lost *most* of our gambling money.. we decided to go downtown to find the cheaper tables.  I like to watch Ben play poker because I think one day, I might find my poker face and play. I was half way paying attention at 2am and I see Ben putting quite a bit of chips in the middle.  I had no idea what he had.. there wasn't much showing on the flop.. I think the cards were 2, 6, 6.  I start feeling nervous and I have no idea what Ben even has haha :)  He keeps calling the bet that comes around to him.. and finally he says the the guy betting "I'm gonna put you all in"... The other guy folds.. Ben flips over pocket 6's.  Ben hit a FOUR OF A KIND!  He won the pot and a casino BONUS!  Soooo he won back all the money and a little more that we had lost the very first day!   So basically.. we won spending money to take to California.. where we were headed the next day! :)