Vegas Adventures

Sin City was a blast! I loved my Otto Family Vacation to Las Vegas! Four days and we still weren't ready to come home (at least my brother and I weren't) but if we would have stayed any longer our bank accounts would be in excruciating pain!            

Day One was filled with ups and downs like all traveling is! Wednesday was a busy day with finishing the last touches packing and preparing for the trip! We arrived in Vegas in the early afternoon, and our first mandatory stop was IN N OUT!!! And like always Double Double Meals are our only choice!

                                                                                                                                

After our delicious meal, we continued to the MGM Grand hotel to check in and get settled. The MGM was marvelous, full of wonderful contemporary art work and if you want a marvelous view get a room overlooking the Strip. After settling in, a stop to the bank and Walmart were needed and then a few games of Skip Bo at my great uncle's apartment before heading back to the hotel to get ready for a show at Mandalay Bay.

Michael Jackson's One Cirque du Soleil Show was nothing like I have ever seen before. The tickets were quite pricey but it was worth every penny! We were toward the back of the theater but it was perfect to see the wonderful acts happening above the audience along with the performances simultaneously occurring on stage. The show incorporated a vast number of Michael Jackson hits while telling a story through four teens search in finding the wonderful things in them by relating to specific mementos of Michael Jackson. All while dancers performing fantastic dance numbers, acrobatics and stunts. This show made my trip to Vegas completely worth it in an amazing hour and a half.

Day Two began with Street Performers :) 

And street performers led too trying Coca-Cola's Around the World Tray. Some of them were pretty good  and others quite interesting and not tasty at all! This was a fantastic experience for 7 bucks and well worth it!

This then led to touring M&M World!! A whole wall of M&M's has a way of bringing the little kid inside out and about. Even my mother who is not a big fan of chocolate had to get her own bag of M&M's.

 Thursday evening ended with visiting Fremont street and eating at my great uncle's favorite place.. The Heart Attack Grill! The food was fabulous along with the entire experience. Once you arrive at the Heart Attack Grill you are greeted by a "nurse" who puts a hospital gown and wrist band on you. You then order your burger of choice, mine was the single bypass, and it was one of the best burgers I have ever had. There was even entertainment, if you didn't finish your burger you would get 3 whacks from a paddle given by the nurses/doctors.

A stop to view the Bellagio Fountains on our walk home was a perfect ending!

Friday began with brunch at the MGM Grand Buffet. I mainly had eggs and sausage but I can never resist the dessert section. My dad picked lots of fruity and chocolaty options on the left and I had an array of cheesecakes on the right, my favorite was a caramel cheesecake with a hard butterscotch topping with chocolate shavings on top (back right one). One of the best things about Vegas is their buffets, you can't go wrong at a single one of them!

Later that day, my Aunt Stacey and her family met up with us! It was so wonderful but I have no idea why every time we are together I don't take nearly enough pictures (this time none). I think I just have such a fantastic time with them it skips my mind.

That evening we all had dinner at the Rainforest Cafe in the MGM Grand. I had chicken tenders and they were the best chicken tenders I have ever had in my life!

  

After the Rainforest Cafe, my aunt, mom and I booked it down to the Monte Carlo hotel for the Boys II Men Concert! Their harmonies and passion for music give me chills and I could see their show over and over again and my amazement and admiration for them will never disappear.

Saturday, our final day began with gambling! We had gambled a little bit here and there but pat and I wanted to gamble a bit more before we left. And luckily I believe I walked away with at least 40 extra bucks in my pocket!

 After gambling for a couple hours and lunch by the pool with everyone, my brother and I headed on over to the New York New York Casino and Hotel to ride the New York New York Roller Coaster. It costs $14 to ride the roller coaster once but both of us (being the roller coaster fans we are) thought it was completely worth it!

After, we went back to the MGM for the David Copperfield show. I had seen magic in person before, but wow what a show!! He amazed me from beginning to end, and what a FINALE!! If you are ever in Vegas and David Copperfield is performing GO SEE HIM! You won't regret it!

The night ended with our last meal...IN N OUT! And some Skip Bo at my uncle's apartment where I saw a couple of painting done by my grandmother! What a perfect ending to an amazing vacation, seeing the beautiful talent of an amazing woman. I hope one day I can paint as beautifully as her.

Flights in the middle of the night provide the most beautiful view!

Best vacation I have had in a while, but I couldn't be happier to be home with my Princess Lily (and Mr. Cuddles of course!)

Vegas was incredible but like all vacations sometimes it is just impossible to fit everything on your list in. A few things I already have on a list for my next Vegas vacation:

-Zip Line: both ziplines (old one in fremont, and new one at the Rio) were still under construction

-Madame Tussauds: Unfortunately no one wanted to experience this wonderful wax museum with me so it will have to wait till next time

- Gondola ride at the Venetian: also under maintenance

-Hakkasan Club at the MGM: the hottest spot in Vegas right now!

If you have any suggestions for amazing things to do in Vegas, let me know so I can add them to my list!

And if you are headed to Vegas anytime soon and experience any of these shows or restaurants as well I would love to hear your reviews!