Vegas

The Wynn Resort Towers

Thursday evening: Fly from JFK to Las Vegas, in time to check into the Wynn Encore Tower Suites. Our beautiful Tower King Suite had a separate guarded elevator (which we rode in with Tony Robbins) floor to ceiling windows looking out over the city, a massive Jacuzzi tub, and a pink box of pastries that had been sent to our room by friends we would meet up with later. When the slight jet lag creeping up demands quick comfort food- A bowl of spicy noodles at Red 8 will fix you right up, along with a bubble bath and sleep- there’s lot’s to do over the next few days.

The pool at the Venetian

Friday Morning: If you’ve never been to Vegas before, spend the first day exploring the strip. I was having difficulty imagining enjoying Vegas in the daytime. Surprisingly, the various hotels’ extremism- Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay, Gondolas at the Venetian, Cosmopolitan’s over-scale Technicolor tricks dazzled…but there was business to attend to.

The lobby of the Cosmopolitan Hotel- LED library that morphs into jellyfish?

A family friend had instructed us to see “The Beatles’- Love”, the Cirque du Soleil show at the Mirage. While I enjoy Beatles music as much as the next gal, I would have chosen other Cirque shows over “Love”- especially since we had tickets to “O” the next evening. He said that the show was “Like being baptized- you come out a whole new person”, a tall order for a review of pop music.  Since he was so emphatic in his adoration, we bought half-price tickets at one of the tix4tonight booths- fourth row.

The Grand Tasting at Garden of the Gods, Caesar’s Palace

Friday evening: Vegas UnCork’d Grand Tasting poolside at Caesar’s Palace.  The tasting was intense- a munching marathon, requiring stamina, focus, and patience to even attempt to taste all the offerings. Jose Andres, Guy Savoy, Gordon Ramsay…where to first??

Charlie Palmer’s Aureole Booth

It ended up being a blessing that we had to leave early to make it to Love on time, as if I ate one more bite, I’m pretty sure you could have used my liver for Foie Gras.

Cirque du Soleil’s “Love” at the Mirage. Photo courtesy of cirquedusoleil.com

And O! The show (and not the one with water)…. The seating “in the round” allowed different story lines to wrap around the viewer, a gluttonous feast for the eyes though my belly was full. Beatles songs, once very familiar, took on a whole new meaning thanks through Cirque’s design. A pregnant woman steers her flock of children to “Eleanor Rigby”, her offspring a series of yellow galoshes marching with the help of spinning bicycle wheels. They walk unseen. An old woman pulls along her tinker train, with such intricate details in their cars, you see her whole life unfold. I cried consistently through the entire show, unable to comprehend the beauty in this one masterful work of art.

Lonely Hearts Club Band, Love by Cirque du Soleil

The show complete, we sat frozen in our seats, unable to move or speak. If I could watch “Love” every day for the rest of my life, it would never be the same, and I would never get tired. It was life distilled.

Our lunch spot somewhere in the middle of the Grand Canyon

Saturday Morning: A helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon and the strip. Our limo picked us up bright and early, whisking us to the tarmac, and depositing me in the helicopter next to the pilot. Not only did we pass over the Hoover Dam on the way, but we landed IN the canyon for lunch. After drinking in the Champagne and beautiful vistas, we returned over the strip yielded a once in a lifetime trip.

The view as we began our descent back into Vegas

Saturday evening: Cirque du Soleil’s much awaited “O” at the Bellagio. Since I had been waiting for years to see the show, we splurged on front row center seats, and awaited the magic. I majored in Set Design, so this show symbolized the epitome of how theatrical design can transport you. The show lived up to its reputation, especially immersive as sea creatures leaped from the lake at eye level. We felt like we were in the water with them. “O” was exciting, but the unadulterated “Love” will last longer.

Cirque du Soleil’s “O” at the Bellagio. Photo courtesy of Cirquedusoleil.com

After the show, we met up with friends for dinner at Twist, the restaurant by Pierre Gagnaire at the Mandarin Oriental. Dinner was full of surprising bites- some mind blowing, others mind boggling. The experimental combinations made me think, but not about returning.

An amuse from the chef at Twist

Sunday morning: lounging by the pool. Once we scored hard-to-come-by lounge chairs, we took full advantage of them. Some more champagne by the pool and some much sought-after sun prepared us for the flight back to NYC.

The pool at the Wynn