March Madne$$ in Las Vegas - Part 2

Instead of giving a recap the rest of our March Madness 2012 trip, for this post I decided to list a few of the things that, in my opinion, are worth checking out when in Vegas (these are in no particular order).  However, I just realized that we did most of what's on this list on our March Madne$$ 2012 trip, so in a way it actually IS a recap of our trip!

1.  The Fountains at Bellagio:  In my opinion, the water show at the Fountains of Bellagio is a must see at least once.  Seeing it at the end of the movie Oceans Eleven is not the same as seeing it up close and personal. Watching it during the day is nice, but I would hold out for a night show because the lights really make a difference. I remember one trip a bunch of us were staying at NYNY.  One night we were headed to Pure at Caesar's Palace and one of my friends (a guy) insisted that we walk instead of cab it.  It was fine for the first 5 minutes until the girls realized we were wearing heels and then the whining started and it was all downhill after that.  By chance, just as we reached the Bellagio Fountains, the music and the water show started, causing us to stop and enjoy the show.  At the risk of sounding corny, it was totally magical and improved our moods immensely (and for a few seconds, we forgot about the pain our feet were in).

2.  The Cosmopolitan Hotel:  Just when you think Vegas can't get any more "over the top" they do something to make you reconsider that thought.  In this case, that "something" happens to be The Cosmopolitan Hotel, which opened in December 2010.  Everything about this hotel is over the top, but I love it.  Seriously, how can you not love the outrageously extravagant chandelier in the center of the hotel (one of these days I'll get around to having a ridiculously expensive cocktail at one of those bars the chandelier surrounds).  Seriously though, even just walking through here, you feel like you should be wearing a suit and/or fancy dress.  When we were here last July (sort of as a joint bachelor/ette party), our friends took us to dinner at STK at The Cosmo.  It's definitely pricey (but what steakhouse isn't), but worth it - if you decide to try it, I highly recommend the skirt steak.

3.  The Banana Cream Pie at Emeril's at the MGM:  I'm going to start out by saying that the gumbo and the chowder at Emeril's, which Rich and I usually have as our first course, are very good.  However, the real reason that we keep going back to Emeril's is for the banana cream pie.  No matter how stuffed we are, we always have room for dessert at Emeril's - although how full we are dictates whether we share a piece or order our own.  What sets this version apart from other banana cream pies is that there's more banana and less cream (and the cream in this pie is thicker, which I like).  Trust me, it's a winner!

4.  The Michael Jackson Impersonator at New York New York:  When we were in Vegas in November last year, NYNY was promoting Michael Jackson the Immortal show, a Cirque du Soleil show that highlights the music, dance and message of Michael Jackson.  In order to promote the show, they had the Michael Jackson impersonator come out every few hours and perform a compilation of MJ hits.  In addition to the music, you could always tell when he was performing because all you can hear is screaming.  This past trip we found him still performing -if you're in the area, definitely check him out!

5.  Minus 5 Ice Bar at the Monte Carlo Hotel:  On our bachelor/ette trip, my friends took me to Minus 5 Ice Bar.  Everything in Minus 5 is made of ice, including the glass your drink is served in.  There are different packages, but we got the $50 which got us a deluxe parka, furry boots and one drink. After drinking from the ice glass, I swore I would never drink from a regular glass again (that didn't last long).  Despite the parka, it's still really cold so we only lasted about half an hour in there (I'm not sure how people stay in ice hotels).  If you're looking for something different but still fun, this is for you.

6.  Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill at Caesar's Palace:  Rich and I are avid Food Network viewers and we especially like Bobby Flay, so naturally we've added Mesa Grill to our list of Vegas dining spots.  In fact, it's become a tradition for us to have our last dinner here. This is a Bobby Flay restaurant, so if you don't like spice, it might not be for you. Tip 1: make a reservation.  Tip 2:  the bread basket is pheonomenal, but try not to fill up on it or you'll ruin your appetite.  Tip 3: Pork tenderloin - do it!  On this last trip, there were 7 of us and 5 out of the 7 diners ordered the pork tenderloin (because no one wanted to share theirs).

March Madne$$ in Las Vegas - Part 1

Since I'm from Hawaii, it's only fitting that I do my part and perpetuate the sterotype that everyone from Hawaii loves Las Vegas.  The first time I went to Vegas I was about 6 years old, although I don't remember much except for being locked in the hotel room with my cousins because there was a bad lightning storm; oh, and also because we were kids (this trip was way before Vegas launched their "family" marketing campaign). I started going to Vegas more frequently when I lived in the Bay Area, as it was so easy and relatively inexpensive to hop on a quick flight there for the weekend.

Over the years, there has definitely been a shift in the agenda/itinerary of my trips - in the past, it used to be more about clubbing and the pool; nowadays I'm all about eating good food, getting pampered at the spa and shopping.  Las Vegas will always hold a special place in my heart though, because so many good memories have been made here for me (including the lesser known fact that Rich and I got married here months before our big Hawaii wedding).  Anyway, Rich and I just got back from our 2nd annual March Madness trip to Las Vegas with some of our friends from Hawaii, and as usual, we had a blast.  

The first week/end of March Madness is a special time of year in Las Vegas - there's the start of the tournament, St. Patty's Day usually falls somewhere during this time, and for some colleges, it's spring break.  Needless to say, this particular week/end attracts a wide variety of people.  This year we arrived on Wedensday afternoon which we've decided is ideal because it gives us time to check in, pick up the basketball sheet from the Sports book and relax a little.  We always stay at the MGM Grand, which is currently undergoing renovations, and were interested to see what their highly publicized "new rooms" looked like.  From the moment we stepped off the elevators, the transformation was clear.  The decor in the common areas and the rooms was a lot more modern and sophisticated.  Personally, I really liked the color choices and I especially like the remote control blinds (and blackout shade, which is essential to getting any sleep in Vegas). 

Rich and I are totally creatures of habit and generally follow the same schedule while we're in Vegas (even down to what we order at restaurants).   Breakfast (or lunch, depending on what time we roll out of our room) is usually at Studio Cafe and is generally by ourselves because everyone wakes up at different times based on what time they end up going to sleep (if at all).   I always have orange juice, yogurt/granola with fresh berries and a bagel - I like to get in at least one healthy meal a day.  For our first dinner, we chose The Grand Wok at MGM, which serves Chinese food and sushi.  The calamari is definitely a must, as is the sweet and sour chicken, mongolian beef and honey walnut shrimp.  Despite the fact that I live in the sushi capital of the world, I also wanted some sushi, so I ordered the Red Dragon Roll which has spicy tuna, shrimp tempura, cucumber and unagi sauce - yum!  I also recommend getting a pot of jasmine tea to go with the meal.

The next day we were up early to hit the Sports Book and wait for our other friends to arrive.  After taking care of business and getting our friends checked in, we hit Fat Tuesdays for a few yard dogs (I refrained because it was only 11 in the morning, still a little too early for me).  Some other stuff happened during the day that I can't remember, but after a late dinner at Wolfgang Pucks, we met up with our friends at Tabu Ultra Lounge (don't ask me what an ultra lounge is, cause I don't know) where we had a table with bottle service waiting for us. I had only been to Tabu once before, but since Studio 54 was closed for renovations,  it was a lot more crowded than usual, which made me happy I had thought ahead and called to reserve a table.  Oh who am I kidding, these days I won't go to a club or "ultra lounge" without getting bottle service - seriously, why wait in line, pay a cover and then wait in line again for drinks?   After a fabulous time at Tabu, it was time to call it a night (or in this case early morning) and see what the next day had in store for us!