Showtime!

I am a day behind in posting. And what I REALLY want to post is about today. But I also like things in order, so I will just have to put that on hold and post about yesterday. Yesterday (Friday), Mark had to be on the other end of the Strip for a convention. I did not. I stayed in bed. I lounged. I blogged. I took my time getting up. I will not lie. It was just WONDERFUL!!!

When I finally did get up and around, I ate my little breakfast from home, then headed down the Strip. I am so glad we had walked it the night before, so I had an idea what I was doing, where I was going. I had on comfortable clothes, comfortable shoes, and was happy that the "flickers" for the most part were gone. I have noticed that a lot of people here aren't very interactive (not quite like back home where you wave to everyone). Mark and I think that is because you have to constantly look straight ahead to avoid eye contact with the "flickers", the show salesmen, etc. Anyway...

So I walked down the Strip, which looks very different in the daytime. This picture is for my mother. Mom, we wanted to get you a shirt too but didn't really see one that just screamed "Grams".I didn't get to see the water fountain show up close, but the hotel itself (the Bellagio) was absolutely gorgeous.

Another picture completely for my son...

I finally found Caeser's Palace. I had heard there were some nice "shops" there (called the Forum Shops) so I did a little window shopping. I was pretty sure I couldn't afford to even walk into most of the stores. I told Mark I am not a high class lady apparently...I felt a little like Julia Roberts (different occupation though) on Pretty Woman when she is trying to shop. :) Anyway, while I was there, I texted Mark to let him know where I was. I took a few minutes to rest (it was a bit of a hike from our hotel). Suddenly there was my hubby next to me. A nice treat!

First things first, we were hungry and needed to eat. So we went to a restaurant called "Joe's Seafood Steakhouse and Stone Crab" which should not at all be confused with "Joe's Crab Shack". :) It looked pretty classy and I worried because I was pretty casual, but thankfully in Vegas, just about anything goes. I don't do very many "reviews" but I will say that it was one of my favorite meals in a long time. I started with crab bisque which I LOVED and ate every last bit. Then I had crab stuffed sole with lobster sauce. Really, what is more seafood than that? (Mark had mahi mahi) A very nice diner near us advised us on buying sides to share due to the large size. She was very helpful, and I appreciate that! The whole meal was wonderful. Unfortunately, I was miserable for a long time afterward because I had eaten WAY too much. It sure was good though! (And a pretty good value, especially compared to our meal the night before).

After lunch, we strolled through the mall area a bit more. We enjoyed some of the statues...then we stopped by one of the bigger statues to watch the "show" where the statues come to "life". That was entertaining.

Afterward, I thought we should stop by the Mirage to see the tigers. So we walked right next door. Apparently they have dolphins there too (a dolphin habitat anyway). Tigers and dolphins are quite a combination if you ask me. :)

Sadly, it cost money to see the tigers (which apparently used to be free to view) and I didn't want to see them THAT much. So we hopped on the monorail to head down the strip (or up the strip, I have no idea which way) to MGM. There we were able to see lions...for free!

We also visited New York, New York. This was the first sight we spotted. I had to take a picture for my daughter and her very sweet tooth. The whole thing is made from candy. :)

We had talked about watching a show, but were undecided about what to watch. I have wanted to see Cirque du Soleil. I will admit, I was naive. I thought it was more like a circus on a higher level. I knew nothing. For one thing, there are SEVERAL shows under the Cirque name. We called their ticket box and nearly choked on the ticket prices. Friends at home had suggested visiting a ticket kiosk; they try to sell tickets not bought yet for a cheaper price. Well, usually. Apparently not Cirque tickets. Just that morning, Mark had talked to a friend about Ka which is one of the Cirque shows. He had told Mark that it was his favorite one. As we were walking back to our hotel, we passed by the Ka ticket booth in MGM (where the lions are). However, we thought we should check out the kiosk first. After that disappointment, we decided to go to the ticket office to see what our options were. On our way back into MGM, a lady handed us a coupon. Honestly, we usually wouldn't take ANYTHING from ANYONE passing things out on the Strip. But it just so happens that it was a coupon for "buy one, get one free" for Ka. So we headed inside, and sure enough, it was a true coupon. So later that night, we headed out for a show...

I really didn't know what to expect. Like I said, I was thinking "Circus". And in some ways it was. The acrobatics and "tricks" and dances were just incredible to watch. The show had a story, though it wasn't just a typical American play. I got parts of the story (very few words spoken, and none were a language I could identify), though I am sure I missed some parts. Looking back, I should have researched the story a bit so I knew what it was about. I spent the first half trying to figure that out. However, it was a very neat experience and quite a show! I am glad we went. And I am glad it wasn't that pricey after all. (Now I would like to see a different Cirque show to see how they compare)

After dinner, we decided to stroll down the Strip. We were a little hungry (finally after our large lunch), so we sought a "light late dinner". You never know who you might meet on the street, like WonderWoman, Freddy Kreuger, Darth Vader, or maybe...

We finally stopped at Paris and found a French sports grill. I am not sure how French it was...I do know that the servers (women) had on some very French kind of outfits. Anyway, we shared an appetizer combination plate for dinner. And I finally got a Mtn. Dew. It was a treat because I hadn't had any since getting here. Afterward, we walked through "Paris" and took a picture for our son who loves France.
We finally got back to our hotel and found this guy along the way. This is for all of my munchkins at home.

We are having a wonderful time but I will not lie. I miss my kiddos a little. :)

Okay, now I have this done, maybe tomorrow some time I can share today's experience, my favorite thus far!

Reba