A Little Vegas Getaway

Elliott and I had the chance to get away – just the two of us – for an extended weekend trip to Las Vegas right before Christmas.  My mom gave us her timeshare points (before they expired the end of the month) AND offered to watch the kids for us – her Christmas present to us.  This is the first time EVER that Elliott and I have had a vacation with just the two of us, so needless to say we had a good time. 

(To any of my Las Vegas friends who read this, please don’t be mad I kept it a secret.  I wanted to make sure the trip was about Elliott and I being together, and not about buzzing around town trying to see everyone again.  I know you’ll understand.)

We got into town Thursday afternoon, had a chance to settle into the condo (which was right down the street from Planet Hollywood), then met up with Josh & Lizzie for dinner at Cheesecake Factory.  Almost three hours to relax and visit with them was bliss.  After dinner, Elliott and I went by the Palms to check out where we thinking about eating dinner on Saturday night.  One of the things I always wanted to do (and never did) was go to the Ghostbar at the Palms.  It has an amazing view of the Strip and a little glass window where you can look straight down many, many, MANY floors below.  Anyway, I started talking to the doorman and talked our way upstairs – with no cover charge.  Yeah!   Cross one thing off my to-do list.

After getting a drink at the Ghostbar we headed over the the Fireside Lounge at the Peppermill.  I usually hit up the Peppermill for the best breakfast in Vegas but had never been there after hours.  It was listed as one of the things every local should do in an article I read and it was featured in the movie Casino – two very good reasons I needed to visit.  I am glad we went, as I get to cross one more thing off the to-do list, but the old couple groping each other across from me I could have done without.  Welcome to Vegas!

Friday morning Elliott and I went our separate ways – he went golfing with Josh and I hung out at my friend’s house for some good girl time.In the afternoon we we headed over to the Bellagio, wandering a bit, taking in the Conservatory’s winter display before hitting the buffet for an early dinner.  My friend Camille had tipped me off that if you enter before 4pm you get the lunch price, but after 4pm they put out the dinner items.  On a Friday night that difference in cost is 50%.  Crazy!  Dinner buffet – YUMMO!  Elliott and I got to try foods we never have – Kobe beef, quail – and eat our fill of other expensive foods, like King Crab legs, which they already split for you (my number one reason to not eat crab legs – the work involved).  We were quite stuffed by the time we waddled out, crossing another thing off our to-do list.  After dinner we hit the mall to get a new outfit to wear out that night, headed back to the condo to get ready, then back to the Bellagio.  I had gotten on the VIP list for The Bank at the Bellagio (thank you Craigs List!) complete with free entrance and drink tickets. 

All I will say about Friday night – Elliott and I are NOT 21 anymore.  That’s all I will say.

Saturday morning (ok, all day) saw us recuperating – Elliott in front of the TV watching BYU football and me with a little light shopping.  We finally pulled ourselves together enough to go to dinner.  We had decided against a restaurant to Palms (I already went to the Ghostbar) so we decided to cross another thing off the to-do list.  Circus Circus’ The Steakhouse has been constantly ranked the Best Steakhouse in Las Vegas (a fact my friend Babette agrees with and has recommended highly to me).  So we headed over.  Free bottle of wine for locals.  Salad to start.  So far everything was just OK. 

Then they brought out our steaks.  Oh.  My.  Word.  These were the biggest hunks of meat I have ever seen.  EVER.  And cooked to perfection.  Elliott ordered the prime rib and he could have easily split it with someone – and taken home leftovers.  Which is what we did.  I don’t think either one of us made a dent in our main meal, but luckily for us we were headed home tomorrow, so we just wrapped it up to go and headed back to the condo.   After the night we had before, we decided to stay in and cuddled on the couch, watching a crappy movie on cable TV.  My type of vacation.

We headed home Sunday morning, after a breakfast at (naturally) the Peppermill.  The trip home was a little treacherous as we ran right into the beginning of crazy rainstorms which swept Southern Utah/Las Vegas the following week.  But we had some great time to brainstorm, plan for the new year and listen to Superfreakonomics on CD.  All in all, one of the best vacations ever.