Returning Home
So, we headed out for Vegas Sunday afternoon. This is our first experience flying with Virgin America. It was nice actually. The entertainment in the seats doesn't really matter for short-term flights, but for longer flights it's nice. The plane was only about half full, so we go to move and get our own row. We then took a cab to Mandalay Bay. It was OK. The room was nice and had a jacuzzi tub. Not much time to enjoy that however as we had to get ready and head down for dinner (again) at Mon Ami Gabi in the Paris (good), then to Caesar's to see Bette. Unfortunately being Vegas, the show was limited to ninety minutes. She's still got it though. We gambled for a little bit, then it was off to bed. Unfortunately sleeping on a TempurPedic at home with TempurPedic pillows, I have a difficult time sleeping in hotel beds. They just don't stack up.
We slept in a bit, then played some blackjack and such. The hotel spa wasn't able to accommodate us, so we went a ways away to another one where we all received skin treatments. It was nice and relaxing. We had an early reservation at Joël Robuchon. What an amazing dining experience. The sommelier paired the wines perfectly. I wound up getting the braised veal cheeks. I also sampled the soup, my first time having foie gras. I know it's cruel, but it tastes gooooood. Fortunately we had more than ample time to enjoy the food. Dessert was great, then they served chocolates on top of that. Needless to say, we weren't hungry anytime soon. We then set off to the Mirage to see Love. Thanks to leolz, we had great seats. It was a fun show, I'd forgotten just how many great songs the Beatles recorded. I will say that from a technical standpoint, Ka was more impressive, but artistically Love was better. So far I've enjoyed the Cirque shows we've seen. Perhaps we'll have to see Viva Elvis at some point. We hung out at the Mirage for a little while, then returned and put a bath bomb into the jacuzzi tub and relaxed for a bit.
Today we got up and hit the Bayside Buffet. It was um... well... not terribly good. To be honest, given the location, casino and food quality, the MGM Grand is way better than Mandalay Bay. We'll likely return there, or try someplace else, but I have no desire to stay at Mandalay again. We walked around the shops, huckie and dailybinx purchased some artwork and I lost more in the slots. Normally I do OK at blackjack, but my luck was horrible this time around. We caught a cab to the airport, choked down some bland food at Chili's Too here at the airport (for a while, any restaurant is going to seem crappy after dining at Robuchon, but Chili's isn't that great to begin with). The flight is delayed due to the weather back in the Bay Area. We were supposed to leave an hour ago and we're now supposed to leave an hour from now. We'll see if that actually happens. Unfortunately this means I will miss my first Python class.
Overall it was good to see Bette, see Love, go to the spa and dine at Robuchon. Everything else was kinda "meh". I think it's time to find a new and fun playground besides Vegas. It's starting to seem more stale than the air inside the casinos. Perhaps another trip to LA, or maybe DisneyWorld or something.