What happened in Vegas

Here's a quick rundown of our amazing Vegas trip (in no particular order):

1) Dinners:
Top of the World at the Stratosphere: food was OK, but the view was totally worth the price
Wing Lei at the Wynn: upscale Asian...very good and decor was so cool
Postrio and Canaletto at the Venetian: both had great food and were in St. Mark's square, where there is live entertainment, which made for a cool fake-outdoor feeling.

2) Shows:
Zumanity: pretty cool. Not quite our cup of tea, but it's hard to go wrong with cirque du soleil.
Le Reve: best show I have ever seen. If you ever have a chance to see this, do it. We still haven't figured out how to describe it except to say that it is the most amazing thing we have ever seen.
Penn & Teller: very entertaining. I still can't figure out how they did any of their magic.
Lake of Dreams (Wynn): Made me feel like a awe-filled kid again. definitely see this, too, if you can.
Sirens of TI: a little too pussycat-dollish for me.
Bellagio Fountains: must-see water/light show. This was the last thing we saw in Vegas, and it was a perfect way to end the trip.

3) Sat through a timeshare pitch on Thursday for $100 cash. 3 hours wasted, but the extra money was nice.

4) We stayed at the Venetian, which was definitely the nicest hotel I have ever been to. Our suite overlooked the pool garden, which was just beautiful at night. Though pricey, I am definitely glad that we stayed here.

5) The Grand Canal Shoppes were awesome. Shopping is one of my favorite things to do (though I rarely buy anything). Inside the Venetian, there are just tons of shops surrounding the indoor canal where you can ride in a gondola (which we did...pics hopefully will be posted later). I found a painting I desperately wanted to buy (see it here; looks much better in person). I told Minal that if I won the jackpot, I was going to buy it.

6) Our last night in Vegas, I won the jackpot. :o) It would be imprudent to disclose, but let's just say it was enough to pay for our whole trip, with some left over. It is always a good feeling to leave Vegas with more money than you showed up with.

7) No, I didn't buy the painting. It was just nice knowing that I could have.

8) Leaving was, of course, sad, but we timed it just right. Entering Vegas on Tuesday was perfect b/c the crowds were small. By Saturday morning when we left, the place was a madhouse. Since we aren't the madhouse type anymore, it was good to get out before things got even more crazy.

9) All in all, I can't imagine the trip being any better. The shows, the food, the casinos, the timing, the shopping...all great. The only lag time was the super-long timeshare pitch, but I like to think that it was their money that won me the jackpot. It makes the whole thing a little less annoying.

shanti,
mjh