TR Alladin 10/23-10/27

Just back but now I have to try and remember everything! This was our first time for our 30th anniversary with 26 year old son and fiance and 23 year old daughter and boyfriend. We had a blast!!!

The Alladin was great. No signs of construction, everyone was sooo nice and the room was great - no view but that's okay. The location was wonderful and we walked a lot and took our fair share of cabs. At dinner at the Spice Market Buffet which was obscene with the amount of food and different varieties and everything was great but....let's not forget the desserts - they're a meal in themselves. The Dessert passage mall was huge and we didn't discover one half of the mall till the last day - we would have eaten on one of the restaurants there but we didn't know about it.

Paris - I think Paris was my favorite hotel cos it absolutely looks and feels like Paris. The breakfast buffet was as wonderful as everyone said and we went back on our last day and ate breakfast at Le Cafe which was just like eating "outside" in Paris. We also had ice cream there one evening.

Venetian was beautiful and we took a gondola ride which was a perfect experience. We ate lunch in a little cafe and then continued on to look at Wynn with which I was not that impressed. It was a little too much for me cos I like something a little more cozy and warm. We did go to Circus Circus to see the circus acts which were very entertaining and at least there were seats to rest!!!! The midway is great and all the kids there were having fun (getting the chicken in the bucket was a big game) but it was not a place I would stay in.

Bellagio was gorgeous also and my second favorite. The gardens were amazing and, being a chocoholic - I loved the chocolate fountain and the gellato was great. But the fountains - we saw them during the day and it was great and I didn't think I would get to see them at night. I was wrong - we went at night and that was something grand - if I had a chair and a drink I could have stayed there all night just watching the shows.

Freemont Street was one of my favorite evenings. I have never seen anything like this before and felt a sense of old Vegas. We had a little trouble arranging for all of us to meet and find a place to eat and walked down to MSS to 777 which was very smokey and crowded (World Series time) so we went to the California and I remembered the Pasta Pirate from the boards and we ate there. It was very good and I have no complaints. We just happened to be on Freemont when they were doing a survey study on the light shows so we ended up seeing all of them about 5 minutes apart - it was great!!!! People were dancing and singing and I understand why they call it the "Experience". The shops were great and the kids did well at the Golden Nugget.

Now, my kids said there was one thing they never thought they would be able to say in their lifetimes and that was: "I can't believe I'm at the top of a Vegas hotel clubbing with my parents!" We went to VooDoo Lounge and Ghost Bar both of which have fantastic views and the weather happened to be perfect. The drinks were expensive and there was dancing on the patio at VooDoo but none at Ghost Bar. The age group was completely varied so no one should feel intimidated to go. It was a lot of fun and The Palms is a really, really nice hotel but a little off the beaten path.

The kids all left to go home Wednesday but hubby and I went to the Grand Canyon. We went with Grand Canyon tours, the air/ground tour to the Western Rim/Indian reservation. This was beyond being able to express it! A shuttle picked us and other hotel people up at 7:50 am, took us to small airport where we boarded a 20 seat plane which went over the Hoover Dam, Mojave Desert and the Canyon. We arrived at another small airport where most of the people then got on helicopters (I'm not that brave - hey, at least I did the small plane) but we took a bus to the Indian reservation with an Indian chief guide and the most amazing GC views. Then we went to another scenic spot by bus and it was breathtaking. Then we went to Cowboy Town which is replica of a western town where the people who work there actually live. We had a western bar-b-q and a little wagon ride to see the mountains. We got back to the hotel around 2:30 fully exhausted but completely in awe!!!!

We also saw Mystere, Lance Burton and Jubilee. We're not gamblers but are definitely show people. Next trip (an I'm sure there will be one) I would like to see all the magic shows the town has to offer. It's a little hard going away with other people cos everyone wants to do different things and all but I think we found a good mix of being together as well as being on our own and DID get that one family picture I really wanted!!

My only regret is that nothing really happened in Vegas that needed to stay in Vegas, although, I'm only speaking for myself, not the kids!!!!!!!!

 

It sounds like you had a great trip. WOW...30 years, Congrats!

 

It sounds like you had a great trip. WOW...30 years, Congrats!