Changes in Las Vegas

For those of you who are frequent travelers to Las Vegas; you must know by now how often this city changes and reinvents itself. Dave and I were married at the Desert Inn, July 2000. Since then, the Desert Inn is no more and now at that footprint sits the Wynn Las Vegas. (Needless to say we have yet to stay there but it's on our wish list of hotels). If you haven't stepped foot yet in the city; you must. There is so much more than gambling to do here and many things to see and do are still free!

This week we are in Las Vegas for business travel for Dave. It saddens us that one of our most favorite dining spots is no longer a dining spot. Previously; each time we traveled to Las Vegas we would dine at Drai's at the Barbary Coast hotel. Well...the Barbary Coast is no longer the Barbary Coast but now Bill's Gamblin Hall hotel and Drai's is no longer a fine dining restaurant; in fact they no longer serve food! Aaarrghhh the travesty of it all! Drai's is now a Nightclub; as if Las Vegas is lacking in that department.

We stay at Bally's quite often for this conference Dave is attending. This trip we happened to have been placed in Bally's South Tower. Let's just say the North Tower's renovations are quite impressive and the South Tower is not so impressive. If you stay here, be sure to ask for a room in the NORTH Tower. Our room; circa 1972 hasn't seen a renovation, new carpet or shower-head in quite some time. As disappointing of a room it is; we hold fast to the fact that we're in Las Vegas and who is ever really in their room that much anyhow? Our room sits on the corner of Flamingo and the Strip and we can overhear the music of the fountains at the Bellagio hotel.

Last night we had dinner at Wolfgang Puck's Postrio at the Venetian. The restaurant overlooks a plaza at the hotel. The ceiling is painted like the sky and for those San Antonians who dine at Alamo Cafe on US Hwy 281; you know exactly what it is I am describing and what it looks like. We left the restaurant after 10:00 pm yet the appearance of a well-lit blue-sky day was still in our sights; amazing. After dinner we walked over to the brand-new Palazzo; an all-suite sister-property to the Venetian. We were told to check out the 40/40 Club; a beautiful combo of a sports/hip-hop bar. Hip-hop mogul Jay-Z; Beyonce Knowles' man is the factor behind the club. It's named after baseball's most prestigious achievements; 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in one season. The problem was that it was a Tuesday evening and dead, dead, dead! The nightclubs are rockin during the weekends but rather dull during the week and the hotel had it's grand opening last week so it's still trying to make its debut. As soon as Paris or any other starlets frequent the club and the paparazzi snaps a photo of them; it'll be off the chart. We hope to try and stay there one day as well.

We had an incredible guest speaker the other evening; Mike Mullane. Mike was a NASA Astronaut and spoke on team work. He's also known for his book, "Riding Rockets". If you go on his website and purchase his book; he'll autograph it personally for you.

Dave and I return to Las Vegas in February the weekend before my birthday. We'll be staying at the recently opened Planet Hollywood.

Happy trails! Pin It Now!