Holy Hell! Slot Machines in the Airport?! by Elusive Orchid

This is Orchid's impression on her first ever adventure in Las Vegas. Hope you enjoy. ~ASilky

This was literally my first thought as I deplaned and crossed over into my arrival terminal on Thursday morning. Welcome to Vegas, Sin City, the Place Where No One Sleeps. Needless to say I was astounded by the sight of myriads of people sitting at the slot machines while waiting for their departures.

Obviously this was my first trip into the hedonistic world that is Vegas. I always swore I would visit Vegas at least once in my lifetime, so here I was getting ready to meet Lils and go on an adventure or two or three.

Luckily, Lils frequents Vegas quite a bit. She and Lenny both have family that like to convene there a few times a year. So I wasn’t going to be totally lost, at least I had a knowledgeable tour guide I could tag along with. And boy does she know her way around!

We picked up the rental car and headed on our way. Our first stop…Caesar’s Palace, to the Forum Shops. Now shopping isn’t generally my thing unless I’m shopping for someone else, but I went with the flow. Vegas is filled with unique little boutiques, tucked amidst the designer and typical retail outlets.

We wandered there for awhile and then made our way to The Venetian for lunch at Delmonico’s. More on that restaurant in a future post. The Venetian is a beautiful hotel (albeit a little cheesy) with an obviously Venetian theme, complete with a mini canal system on which one can take a gondola ride, singing gondoliers included.

The rest of the day was spent site seeing and shopping. We decided to have dinner at Michael Mina in the Bellagio. Now that is a gorgeous hotel. The ceiling to the entryway of the hotel was crafted by Dale Chihuly, a world renowned glass blower. He is an artisan in his own right and the ceiling is stunning. Meticulously hand blown flowers, over 2000 of them, bloom in every color. That sight alone was worth the trip for me.

Lils and I, of course, got all dolled up in little black dresses, had a spectacular meal and then went clubbing at the Tao nightclub back at the Venetian. I love clubbing, but for Lils, this was a new experience, one she will tell you all about in a future post. Trust me it will be worth the read.

We finally finished our first day in Vegas at around 2:30am and got to bed around 3 or 3:30am. The next afternoon Lils and I parted ways until Sunday. She had a family gathering to attend which left me to wander around Vegas for about a day and a half after I checked into the Luxor hotel.

For the most part I did more of the same. Checked out hotels and little boutiques, gambled a bit (I lost, but I knew I would, I suck at gambling), hung by the pool and saw a show. What really amazed me about Vegas is the nightlife. People really don’t sleep! I absolutely love that. I’m a night owl and so I was completely in my element.

The bars and lounges are open extremely late, there’s always something to do and people to talk to. I met someone from my hometown within 45 minutes of checking into my hotel. I also walked the strip at night just to see all the neon, damn the city is blazing with lights. I’d always heard it was extremely bright, but hearing and actually seeing are two completely different things.

It was quite an adventure to be able to wander at will and explore Vegas on foot. My day and a half on my own was replete with drinking, dancing, gambling and good conversation. I can’t complain. In total I think I got about 4 hours of sleep between the two nights. But it was well worth it.

Vegas is an amazing city for the adventurous, the party goers and anyone that likes a good nightlife. I’m not much of a gambler but I can really see the draw of it. I think if I had someone to guide me along on the rules of the games I would have definitely tried more of them. But that’s for next time.

I bid adieu to Vegas on Sunday evening, but I definitely plan on going back again. I love the atmosphere and the energy of the place. But as my various friends who have gone to Vegas have all warned “Do Vegas in short trips.”

I completely agree…I do have to sleep sometime.