#2 -- DONE!!!!!

I can't tell you how excited I was to cross this item off my 101 Things list!  I have always wanted to visit Las Vegas, but for some reason I've never been...when I found out there was a work conference out there that was perfect for my experience level and also very relevant to the type of work that I do, I jumped at the opportunity to head out there.  And because the conference didn't actually start until Monday, Patrick and I were able to have the whole weekend to enjoy the sights of Las Vegas.  And now...without further ado, here are the details of our fun-filled weekend.

Our flight didn't land on Friday night until 9:00 so after waiting in the LONGEST line ever to catch a cab and checking into our hotel, we decided that we would check out Fremont Street.  For those who have never been to Las Vegas, Fremont Street is the older section of the city and is located downtown.  We were staying on the strip, but we decided it was worth seeing at night because of the laser light show.  I have to say that even though it's not nearly as fancy as the Strip, and everything is just a little bit old school, I still loved Fremont Street.  I loved the laser light show, I loved all the lights, and I also loved the lower minimums at the Black Jack tables.  =)  Here are a couple of pics from the evening.

Patrick and me in front of the Golden Nugget



I am ready to gamble!!!!!





Some pics from the laser light show!  Very cool!



I even had my picture made with Michael Jackson!  =)

I also have to report that I accomplished quite an amazing feat on Friday night!  I stayed up until 3:00 (which was 5:00 Nashville time).  I haven't been up that late in YEARS!!!!!  It was a fun night!

On Saturday, after sleeping in pretty late in the morning, and after eating breakfast at a buffet (I mean, we HAD to once, right?  We were in Las Vegas afterall), we decided to head out and check out the strip.  We pretty much just walked around all afternoon, and checked out several casinos, gambled a little bit, and even did a little shopping. 

Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino (probably my favorite casino that we visited over the weekend)

Patrick and me posing in front of the Arc de Triomphe

Enjoying the views of the Strip!

Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino

Bellagio -- Oh, how I wish we could have stayed here...  =)



A view of the Fountains at the Bellagio

While we were at the Bellagio, we checked out the Botantical Gardens...they were so cool and we got some great pics:

After running around all over the Strip on Saturday, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for our big night on the town.  We had decided to go out Saturday night.  We were going to get dressed up, check out the Eiffel Tower, gamble, head to a nightclub and generally just paint the town!  Well, we made it through everything except the nightclub and "painting the town" part...by 11:30, we were so exhausted that all we wanted to do was go to bed...needless to say, we aren't as young as we used to be...2 nights in a row of staying up late was just too much!  However, we did get a great night's sleep that night.  =)  Here are a few pictures from the top of the Eiffel Tower...it was beautiful and a great place to see the strip.  Also, it was the perfect place to watch the Fountains at the Bellagio.

Me hanging out with Toby Keith  =)

Us being silly on our way to the Eiffel Tower



Patrick and me on top of the Eiffel Tower

After our wonderful night's sleep on Saturday night, we were ready to go on Sunday.  After having another buffet breakfast (I know...terrible), we decided to hit the Strip again.  We headed over to New York New York where I rode the roller coaster (which is very fun, BTW) and MGM Grande where we got to see the Lion Habitat.  Sunday afternoon was much of the same as Saturday; a great time with lots of walking around and gambling.  However, in true Melissa fashion, there were several pictures taken...


Having our picture made with a couple of Elvis's




Had to take a picture of a Sportsbook...looks a lot like the NY Stock Exchange to me  =)




New York New York Hotel and Casino



Oh, I almost forgot...one exciting thing that happened on Sunday is that I placed a bet on my very first sporting event and I won!!!!!  I bet on the Titans, and they came through for me!!!!!  Woohoo!  Yes, I realize that after reading this, it seems that all we did the entire trip was gamble, but honestly, I'm not a huge gambler.  I promised myself that I would lose no more than $100 gambling on this trip, and I managed to only lose $67...not too bad, considering we did spend quite a bit of time at the roulette tables.  Hence the reason that I like the lower minimums that you find off the strip...it makes my $100 go a lot farther.  =)

Sunday evening was (in my opinion) the most fun time of the entire trip...Patrick and I decided to go see a show and have a nice dinner to celebrate his last night there (I had to stay an extra 2 days because of my conference).  We went to see Zumanity (a Cirque de Soleil show), and it was AMAZING!!!!!  After the show we went to dinner at a steakhouse called Envy, and it was one of the best meals I've ever had.

All in all, it was an excellent trip, and I was so sad for Patrick to leave on Monday morning.  I wish he could have stayed and we could have spent the entire next day seeing more of the city...instead, I was hanging out in class all day...oh, well, you have to work sometime, right?  =)

Have all ever been to Las Vegas?  What are some of your favorites touristy things to do there?