Livin' It Up... Las Vegas

I really don't mind flying. My patience does not exist with layovers, middle seats, being too cold, or the turbulence/take off/landing part of the flight... so maybe I prefer road trips.

Being that my time in Las Vegas is short I intend to arrive looking half decent so no yoga pants or hoodie for me. Instead, I went for jeggings, t-shirt, cardigan, and a well worn pair of flats. For a smoother pass through the security gates I avoid wearing jewelry and other accessories and the flats slip on and off easily.

Las Vegas is a locale that calls for multiple wardrobe changes: poolside, shopping/walking, dinners, and clubbing. The motto is "dress to impress". Being that none of those things were on the agenda I went for comfort instead.

(Car show outfit)

I get super overwhelmed by the thought of everything I need to pack and keeping it all organized. I also have a fear of losing my phone or debit card, especially when traveling alone. Anxiety. (Speaking of losing my debit card this really did happen, thankfully I lost it in my cousin's car and they were able to drop it off to me at the hotel. Panic mode!)

It's been over a year since I've gone to Las Vegas and the last time wasn't a pleasure trip. It was an emergency trip to make it out in time to say goodbye to my Grammy who was in hospice before she passed away. I flew in that morning and she passed away a couple hours after my arrival. Sad day.

My mom reached out to invite me to meet her out in La Vegas for the weekend to spend some quality family time, soak in the sun, shopping, and lots of fun! Las Vegas is an absolute sensory overload. Even though I grew up here the city is always evolving and there's always something new to see so we do all of the touristy things.

All of the rooms at my Aunt Debby's house were already "booked" and not wanting to sleep on the couch and craving privacy I booked a room at the Mandalay Bay with a view of The Strip. The Mandalay Bay has become my second home when I visit because I know it like the back of my hand and absolutely love the way that it smells like coconuts. Love it!

(Had to upgrade to a suite since they did not have a standard room available and I'm stubborn and did not want to stay in the Delano Tower since I booked a room in their main tower. Even though I had to pay for the added comfort it was worth it. The bed was incredibly comfortable and that tub! FYI... This Bay Suite will set you back about $700 for 3 nights.)

On Friday after work I got dropped off at the airport and picked up some trail mix and a coffee for the flight. The flight to Las Vegas was one of the best I've been on, no turbulence and it went by quickly. I arrived around 9 pm and was met at baggage claim by my Aunt Debby, mom, and her husband. They drove me to my hotel to get checked in and drop off bags before heading out to check out the High Roller at The LINQ Hotel & Casino. We rode with another family and shared the experience of being 550ft above the city, trapped in a pod for 30 minutes... but the panoramic view was worth it.

After riding we walked around the promenade there where I was finally able to grab some dinner. I opted for a slice of cheese pizza from Flour & Barley, it was hot, cheesy, and the crust was slightly burnt from their brick oven which I love! We also came across a cupcake ATM from Sprinkles. That was easy for me to pass up since I don't crave sweets.

Saturday morning was rough with falling asleep around 4am and having to get up at 8am to get ready for the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Car Show 2015. I'm not really a go and look at cars kinda girl but it was perfect weather, there were plenty of people to watch, and the company made it fun. We even got some sun and I left with a sunburn on my chest. The highlight of the car show was a vendor that sells hair pomade, see photos below of their marketing material. My kind of humor. 

(At the entrance of the The Orleans hotel where the car show was held.)

After the car show we headed to my Aunt's house where we were met with an Easter dinner feast that my Uncle Frank put together for us. It was so good and I over ate. I can still feel that stomach ache and remember the taste of Tums. 

Sunday morning I met up with my Cousin Lara for Easter Brunch and then turned around and was dropped off at my Aunt Debby's house for a family BBQ, and the food, oh the food!! My Aunt can cook and of course I had to try everything. My favorites were her BBQ grilled chicken, asian noodle salad, and strawberry shortcake. I literally gained 5 lbs this trip with all of the grub, Starbucks, and alcohol and too much sitting in front of the slot machines.

After the last guest left her house they dropped me off at my hotel. I had to head to the room for about an hour to charge my phone before heading to the casino floor for more penny slot fun. After blowing through $20 I headed back to my room and finally took advantage of the swimming pool size (slight exaggeration) bath tub and enjoyed the bath bombs I picked up at Lush from The Shoppes at Mandalay Place. This was the most relaxing bath ever and my skin was incredibly silky.

(Inside joke... my mom tried to tell everyone when we were kids she'd make us eat Cheetos in the bathtub to avoid getting the orange from our fingers all over the place. I don't recall ever eating Cheetos in the tub and no, I did not eat these in the tub and they were not worth the $3 at the convenience store located near to lobby.)

Monday morning I woke up at 5am and was thankful that I packed my bags the night before because it was hard getting out of bed. After getting ready I headed to the casino floor to drop $40 on Roulette. While at the Roulette table I decided to play one last round and put $5 each on 9, 25, red, and odd. I was in total disbelief when the ball bounced into the 25 slot and I won $200!!! That was a huge score and a high note to leave on.

My family picked me up at 7am and dropped me off at the airport. I tried Burke In The Box at the McCarran Airport and would not recommend this place unless you want a Bloody Mary, that was the best part of the meal. The egg tasted fake, the bacon was tough and didn't have a bacon-y taste, and the hash browns were those previously frozen triangle patties. So disappointing, especially for the price. This meal set me back $22 and that was before adding a tip. I was expecting more from a David Burke establishment and can't believe he put his name on this one. Ick!

Being known as "the city that never sleeps" I believe they pump oxygen into the air because I never got a full night's sleep until I made it home around 3pm.

My "Sinners Never Sleep in Vegas" Playlist:

* Dean Martin: Ain't That A Kick In The Head
* Giorgio Moroder: Tony's Theme
* Lana Del Rey: Money Power Glory
* Lana Del Rey: West Coast
* Hozier: Take Me To Church
* Flo Rida: GDFR
* Montel Jordan: How We Do It
* Neon Trees: Sleeping With A Friend
* Faith Hill: Let's Go To Vegas
* The 1975: Sex
* Taylor Swift: 22
* Elvis Presley: Viva Las Vegas
* Fall Out Boy: Death Valley
* Fall Out Boy: Young Volcanoes
* Panic! At The Disco: But It's Better If You Do
* Panic! At The Disco: Vegas Lights
* Frank Sinatra: Fly Me To The Moon
* Jack White: Freedom At 21
* Lady Gaga: Poker Face
* Wilco: Casino Queen
* Franz Ferdinand: No You Girls
* Audien: Leaving You
* Sammy Adams: All Night Longer
* Rolling Stones: (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
* Edwyn Collins: A Girl Like You
* Katy Perry: Waking Up In Vegas
* Maroon 5: Moves Like Jagger
* Carly Rae Jepsen: Call Me Maybe
* The Rat Pack: Luck Be A Lady
* The Eagles: Hotel California
* The Beach Boys: I Get Around
* Shontelle: Impossible
* LMFAO: Sorry For Party Rocking