When you have a bougie bestie, you celebrate birthdays in style. So when Wynn’s 30th birthday rolled around we went to Vegas, and it didn’t disappoint! Recapping our favorite places & must see spots from our adventure. Somehow I didn’t capture a picture, but when we arrived in Vegas we had a limo take us to the hotel (which was actually cheaper than an Uber would have been with the deal we found) and y’all it matched my sparkling new rose gold luggage. And the driver was a tiny (and very old) Yankee that talked our ears off. It was the perfect welcome to Las Vegas.
WHERE WE STAYED
The Venetian was absolutely gorgeous and perfectly located to walk all around for our stay. Our room was a split level suite and was perfect for our group. For my birthday/Christmas, the husband gifted me a spa day at Canyon Ranch & y’all, is was AMAZING. They gave me a little baggie for my phone and I didn’t touch it for more hours than I can remember. And it was glorious. I had a full massage, manicure & pedicure – complete with mimosas. Plus the spa was available all day, which included saunas, hot tubs, steam rooms, and the most perfect heated rock lounge chairs. Plus, on a trip with 3 guys (Mallory had to stay home last minute with a sick kiddo), it was a dream to be able to get ready down in the spa showers with premium products, hairdryers and brushes sipping lemon cucumber water in my towel.
WHERE WE ATE
We planned our meals out as much as our activities so we had some awesome choices. Our favorite was TOA Asian Bistro (so much so that we went back for a second night). Plus they have a nightclub perfect for those late nights. The apps were spot on and the drinks were divine. Our pre show dinner was at Gordon Ramsey’s Pub & Grill and let me tell you, our waiter truly knew his stuff. Plus the decor was too fun! Definitely made me feel like we were back in London. One night we stopped by Bobby’s Flay’s MESA for late night churros and it’s certainly a must! They even had a section purely for desserts or appetizers only which made for quick seating and speedy service. On a full day of casino hopping, we opted for the Aria buffet (and had free unlimited drink passes). It was worth the experience, but since I don’t eat that much, it wasn’t my favorite, nor did we really get our money’s worth (well, from the food). But I did love having a bite of all sorts of options! We of course made a stop for In-N-Out Burger and they certainly know their stuff and had it down to a science.
In-N-Out 
Gordon Ramsey’s 
Aria 
MESA 
TOA 
TOA
WHERE WE WENT / WHAT WE SAW
As we were in Vegas, we obviously walked the strip and ventured into most every casino there was. Since we stayed at The Venetian, we ended most nights either there or at The Palazzo. Aria and The Cosmopolitan were some of the most beautiful casinos, and Caesars Palace is always a must. We ventured into Treasure Island, but honestly it was old, damp, and less than appealing. Now, I loved the Grand Canal Shoppes (though we didn’t make it on the gondola this time around). The outdoor feel with the painted ceiling was so fun! And it totally looks like the clouds are moving. Plus, there seemed to be a LV on just about every corner tempting me with a Neverfull. Next time Vegas, next time.
We decided to visit “Old Las Vegas” one morning and loved the nostalgic Fremont Street Experience. We also, of course, had to pop into the birthday boy’s namesake, Wynn Las Vegas, and it was quite fancy. But perhaps the most entertaining was the show we saw, Absinthe. We had second row seats so we were right in the action and had special VIP entrance to avoid lines. The venue is intimate, and the show was (albeit quite raunchy) quite hilarious! We saw the water show at the Bellagio, and while the daytime viewing was beautiful, the nighttime one was spectacular!
It was quite the experience, and I would definitely recommend taking a trip out there at some point! We planned this trip for over a year, so we set aside a bit each week for our gambling money each day so we had predetermined starting amounts for each day to use, that way it wasn’t a huge hit all at once, or we felt like we couldn’t play because we lost money the day before. And let me tell y’all this is the way to do it! We started this trend when we lived in Mobile and hopped over to Biloxi frequently. We’d get a free room and calculate what we’d spend on the room and drinks at dinner, plus entertainment for the night if we were to do a show or movie or something – then used that amount to gamble and no more. And when we got up from our starting point, we’d stash that and play with winnings (a trick a former boss taught me) so we’d at minimum break even. Then if we had to pull the original back out, we weren’t “loosing” money, but just spending it on entertainment. Because, after all, gambling is just that. A game!
