Photo of the Week - Las Vegas on New Years Eve.

OK, so this week's photo of the week isn't anything beautiful or spectacular, unless of course you love crowds and New Years Eve! This past holiday season, we chose to rent a house in San Diego, spend a few days in LA (Montana had never been to LA) and spend New Year's in Las Vegas.

Find the best deal, compare prices, and read what other travelers have to say about Las Vegas at TripAdvisor

We had ALWAYS sworn we wouldn't go to Las Vegas for New Years, but this year we thought "Why Not?" We had a blast!

We started with dinner at Craftsteak at the MGM (that is where we were staying), which was amazing and way better than any other time we had eaten there. We then took our hats, blowers and champagne out to the strip.

The Las Vegas strip closes on New Years Eve to traffic from 5 pm until 5 am. (This makes traffic a nightmare) There were DJ's blasting great music and music videos and people everywhere. We were told there were over 325,000 people on the strip! It didn't feel overly crowded though.

Just before midnight a girl in the crowd let her champagne cork loose, and the bottle was pointed at my butt :-). Before I knew it I was covered in Champagne, oh well, when you are with 325,000 people celebrating the new year, then you can't expect not to get a little wet!

For the countdown to midnight, the large screens on the hotels starting counting down, midnight came and there was an uproar from the crowd.  $500,000 of fireworks were launched off the roofs of the major hotels and everyone was excited and happy!

We are really glad we did this for New Years Eve. I don't think we need to do it again though. We like Las Vegas when it is nice and quiet.

How did you spend your New Year's Eve? Comment Below:

Las Vegas and City Center - As of October 23, 2009

We were in Vegas over the weekend to see the Black Eyed Peas and U2 at Sam Boyd Stadium. It was a fabulous weekend, although I think that I can't shake this Vegas throat! Must have been all the screaming and singing at the concert!

It was an excellent show and it was our first time taking Montana to Vegas. She absolutely loved it and there is no doubt that she is our daughter!

I will post pictures soon. But for now I wanted to share the video I took of the multi billion dollar project - City Center. The complex will include a huge casino hotel - Aria, multiple condo buildings, flagship high end shops, and a Manderin Oriental Hotel.

Warren and I have watched it grow since the beginning and are stunned that it is set to open December 16, 2009. It seems to have arrived really fast. There is also alot of work to finish before their opening. I hope they can get it all done!

Here is a video I took of it so you can get an idea of how big it is, and how amazing it looks.



We have a trip planned for the new year to go and experience it for ourselves. Apparently it is supposed to be like no where else in Vegas.

I think it may be too big in my opinion. But I guess we will see in the New Year.

What is your take on the City Center in Las Vegas?

Skylofts - Stepping into Wonderland...

After Saturday night we didn’t think the weekend could get any better. We were wrong. Hard to believe it but we were.

Andy and Michelle had a sleep in, while Warren and I had to get ourselves packed up as we were on our way to the Skylofts. We went for breakfast in the Augustus Café, and then finished checking out of the beautiful Caesars Palace.

The Skylofts Concierge had confirmed with us that our “ride” would be picking us up at 12:00 pm. Warren had said something to me about “The Maybach”. Apparently it was this super luxurious car that would be picking us up to take us to the Skylofts.

The front entrance and driveway of Caesars Palace were packed with people leaving as it was Sunday morning after a really busy weekend in Vegas.

I could see a silver car inching up the driveway with all of the other cars, taxis and limos. I asked the bellhop for our bags as our ride was here – it was the beautiful silver car. The bellhop was completely overwhelmed and said that it would be a few minutes.


Note to self: when you have a ride waiting for you – luxurious or not, take your own bags, or start the process earlier. It took at least 30 minutes to retrieve our bags.

The limo driver was of course gracious and asked us if we would like to wait in the car. He dealt with waiting for the bags. How can I describe what happened next?

We got in the car and my first impression was “boy it smells good in here” I could smell the leather, it was awesome. As I sat in the seat behind the driver, I couldn’t reach the dividing wall where the TVs were.

The seat surrounded my body like it was made for me. Warren started playing with buttons and the next thing we knew he was lying out flat in a recliner better than any I have ever seen. It was first Class plus. It was incredible and to honest a little overwhelming.

But I let that go and sat back and enjoyed the wait. The sun roof was incredible. In the touch of a button it would change from opaque to clear instantly. The driver finally found our bags, and we were on our way. We had a nice chat with the driver, he showed us the features of this $200,000 car – yes I said $200,000!!!! It was bullet proof (which is something I am always looking for in a ride) and was incredible to drive or drive in for that matter.

We drove past the In and Out Burger and thought that we should take it out for burgers one night! According to the driver this is a regular occurrence.

He called ahead to the concierge to tell them we were on our way, then called again as we approached the Skylofts entry and Lobby. We were greeted with a bell man and the Concierge. The Concierge opened the door and said “Welcome to the Sky Lofts Mr. and Mrs. Fine” She asked if she could escort us to the Skylofts and said that we would do in suite check in. Ah yes please!

We walked through the lobby to the VIP lounge, through what felt like a secret door to the private Skylofts elevator into what felt like another world……

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Elton John's Last Saturday Night Show at Caesars!

After our afternoon in the Spa we were ready for a great Saturday night out in Las Vegas.

Warren and I have seen the incredible Elton John Show before, however Andy and Michelle wanted to see it. We loved it the first time so it was an easy decision to make. As we play at Caesars a lot we asked our host for tickets. The issue with getting tickets from the casino is that you don't always know what tickets you will get until you pick them up on the day of.

When we had seen the show before, we knew that the first few rows were special, so we crossed our fingers and hoped for the best.

We started with dinner at Rao's. They were incredibly accommodating as we didn't have a lot of time. Rao's is a New York style Italian restaurant and it was really good. I look forward to going back when we have some time to really sit and enjoy it.

We shared some appetizers and I had the most amazing (and huge) tiger shrimp. Others had the traditional Spaghetti and Meatballs or the Chicken Parmesan and they all enjoyed them!

After dinner we walked over to the Colosseum. There is a lot of secuirty and you have to check your cameras in. It really is an incredible theatre. Now home to Bette Midler and Cher (Elton John finished his final engagement in April).

We were escorted to our seats, we walked down to right in front of the stage, and stopped in the center. We had front row center seats! It was awesome! Michelle had no idea and was stunned! So much so she even shed a tear!

The show is incredible. We laughed and cried and danced. And during the song "Saturday Night" the first few rows were invited to DANCE on the stage! It was so cool! Michelle, Andy and Michael got right up to the Red Piano and watched Elton John play! Warren and I stayed back a bit and danced on stage to the song "Saturday Night" on Saturday night, on the last Saturday night Elton John played at the Colloseum.

Andy tried to get a picture with his iPhone- but it was hard while trying to dance!

Elton John was really funny and you could tell that he was really enjoying himself. It was an amazing show! I am sad to see it end - but in the words of Elton that night "All things come to an end."

I tried to get one of Andy and Michelle enjoying their time at the piano!

The guys then went off and gambled and drank for awhile, and Michelle and I went for a walk to the Bellagio and on the strip and had some girl time.

Another amazing night in Las Vegas!

And if you can believe it - It got even better on Sunday! Checking into the Skylofts....

Day 2 in Vegas - Brunch and the Qua Baths & Spa

After a late night, we slept in a little and met Michelle and Andy for brunch at Cafe Lago. Michelle had booked a massage at the relatively new Qua Baths & Spa at Caesars Palace.

I decided to go and check it out with her as I had heard great things about it. And what better way to spend an afternoon then pampering yourself in the spa especially after all that walking the day before?

The guys decided to play a little, and Warren had to meet our client who was flying in from LA to join us for the Elton John Show tonight.

I have to say that the Qua Baths and Spa have got to be one of the best spas I have been to in Las Vegas. The staff were attentive and helpful, and the baths were beautiful and luxurious.

You could start with a good workout in the full fitness center with weight training and aerobic equipment, (not that I worked out as I was too tired - I know silly huh?) and end with a soak in the Roman Baths.

From the time you walk in, you feel relaxed and taken care of. Luxury everywhere. From the smooth stone floor, to the dark woods and the water flowing. The Tea Sommelier that offers tea to match your needs. Their signature iced tea is fantastic!

We were escorted from the check in desk and taken on a tour through the baths to the change room. They have various temperatures and sizes of baths and saunas and recommended that you alternate between hot and cold seven times. The Arctic room (complete with snow falling from the ceiling - soap actually but it looked cool - pun intended) felt really good after the awesome herbal steam room.

The spa is set up to provide a social experience. You can experience the baths and sauna's with your girlfriends and then enjoy a chat and a cup of tea in the tea room - the only place with a clock and where you meet your "Artisan" (aka-therapist) for any treatments you have booked.

Michelle had never experienced a spa like this and was in heaven. I didn't think she would leave that day if we didn't have early dinner reservations!

Michelle couldn't get over how it was only $45 to go into the spa for the day. Note: if you are a Diamond Member you can use the baths for $20 less - so that is about $25.

I spent a couple of hours there, after I felt like a bowl of Jello, I left Michelle to her massage and her soaks and went to get ready for dinner at Rao's with our friends and client, then off to Elton John.....More on that in the next post!

What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas?

Not this time. Warren and I have been to Vegas so many times. We have dined in some of the best restaurants and seen most of the shows. But yesterday something magical happened. We actually had one of the best days ever in Las Vegas. Little did we know, it was going to get even better!

It's funny how when you don't plan to have a great day while traveling, sometimes it turns out quite amazing. Now we didn't do anything overly special. But we did spend part of the day with our friends Andy and Michelle, which always makes it more fun.


We started out early our first morning walking the strip. Being from Toronto, it doesn't matter how late we get in to Vegas we still are awake by 6 am on the first morning. We spent the first 3 nights at Caesars Palace and power walked up to New York New York, back down to Treasure Island and back to Caesars Palace.

After getting ready we had breakfast with our friends at the Augustus Cafe. The food was excellent but the service was horrible. The manager made up for it by comping the bill. I always recommend the Augustus Cafe to people - I will warn them about the service from now on though.

After breakfast I got to play tour guide by showing Michelle and Andy around (Andy has been to Vegas numerous times, Michelle has not). We made it to the Shops at Forum, and just into the Mirage for long enough to use the facilities and then we returned to Caesars for Hyakumi Sushi - Our favorite!

Later that night Warren and I had a quick dinner at Mesa Grill - Bobby Flay's restaurant in Caesars - It was yummy!!!! We then went out the the Texas Station Casino to see the 70's and 80's band Foreigner - They were my FAVORITE band when I was a teenager so I was thrilled when Warren got us Front row tickets - We danced all night and then got to "rush" the stage and I really felt 16 again! - It was so much fun and I was shocked at how amazing they were.

Note to self - if going out to a Station Casino off strip - make sure you arrange for a taxi - it took us an hour to find a cab!

We then met up with Andy and Michelle (they went to see the Price is Right at Bally's and had a great time!) and Andy and Michelle played Baccarat with Warren while I went and played a hour or so of poker.

It really was a GREAT first day. Little did I know it was going to get even better!

Day 2 includes..... and afternoon in the Spa and Front Row Tickets to Elton John!

Las Vegas Trip - April 16 - 22, 2009

List of posts from our Las Vegas Trip April 16-22, with our friends Andy and Michelle.

We arrived late on Thursday night and went straight to bed.

City Center in Las Vegas

What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas?
A walk along the strip, great pictures and the Foreigner Concert at the Texas Station
Day 2 in Vegas - Brunch and the Qua Baths & Spa
Ahhh the spa....
Elton John's Last Saturday Night Show at Caesars Palace
Dinner at Rao's and Elton John
Skylofts - Stepping into Wonderland
The Maybach - what a nice ride and our check into the Skylofts at the MGM Grand

Photos:
Caesars Palace
Las Vegas Strip

Videos:
MGM Grand Lion Habitat
Skylofts at MGM Grand

City Center in Las Vegas

On Twitter and other social media sites I have had alot of questions about how City Center is doing in Las Vegas. This property is the most expensive project in US history that is entirely privately funded. The first phase will cost more that $11 billion and sits on 68 acres.

It is located between Monte Carlo and the Bellagio and will consist of the Aria Resort and casino (or course it's Vegas on the strip!), condo living, convention space, shopping and a theatre. It is very modern and has been unbelivable to watch it's construction.

While we were there this time, we walked the strip early on our first morning. We took some pictures and video and you can find them here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/excellent-vacation-ideas/sets/72157617170734411/

And on a side note, the construction workers were really friendly - not whistling friendly - just friendly!

Las Vegas - This is the time to go!

In February, Warren and I spent the weekend in Las Vegas. It was a last minute decision and a good one at that. We got to get away from the snow, and because things are slow in Vegas we had some great opportunities!

We stayed at the MGM Hotel and Casino for the first time this weekend. Warren likes to play there but we haven't stayed there before. We missed our connecting flight through San Francisco due to weather in Toronto and didn't arrive in Vegas until after midnight. Our ride wasn't there and we were worried that we wouldn't get the room we were promised.

When we arrived at the MGM, we checked in quickly and went to our suite. So you know when you watch movies that are set in Vegas and the characters are staying in suites - well we ended up in one. We were in a Terrace suite, overlooking New York Now York and the strip. It had a beautiful 700 square foot balcony with a jacuzzi and lounge chairs.
Here is the video I did to show you how great it was.



To be honest, it was amazing staying in this suite. However, it is time for them to be updated. You will see in the video some tiles coming off around the tub.

Regardless it was great!

We didn't have many troubles making reservations at any of our favorite restaurants. Saturday night was busy with bachelor and bachelorette parties. But that was is. Taxi lines weren't too bad (which is how we judge how busy vegas is).

I didn't have to wait long to get on a poker table. Oh and by the way, MGM is now my favorite poker room. They have daily 11 am tournaments for $65 and the dealers were great! Their room is comfortable and I spent alot of time there!

The lions of course are fun to watch - get there for 11 am to see them come into their area. You usually get to see them more active then.

We ate at 'wichcraft - one of my favorite sandwich places and Wolfgang Puck - who were awesome as we had less than an hour to eat - we had tickets for Craig Ferguson - who by the way, was the best stand up comic I have seen in years!

The hotel was easy to get around - the pools looked lovely - hard to see for sure as most were closed.

Overall we enjoyed the MGM Grand and will stay there again.

We are always looking for new restaurants to try in Vegas - please share your favorite here.