Are We There Yet?

What happens in Vegas... Ends up on Blog.

What better way to celebrate a 21st birthday than in Las Vegas, Nevada? May 2009 was the meeting point that Andres, his cousin and I had all become legal of age. 

Trivia Question: When drinking, poker and relationships combine, which do you think survives?

The Vegas strip happened to have been running a special during that time period, which appeared at first in the form of an obnoxious pop-up on my computer. Shortly after booking our one-week stay at Circus Circus, our trip began to manifest and fall into place. At 20 dollars a night, we found ourselves in a sleep-deprived frenzy of gambling and loses.

Las Vegas Hotel Bargains

Did I mention Greyhound? My fear of heights has ultimately prohibited me to anymore than approximately three hours of airtime. After crucial study, I found this to be the longest amount of time one can suppress an anxiety attack without showing outer-body symptoms, which I find that for the sake of both myself and surrounding passengers, I should stick to ground transportation. For 200 dollars round-trip, 3 days of travel, and a cooler full of PB&J, Andres and I had safely set out toward the Western land.

Greyhound Transportations

This image describes everything from Texas--westward. Terra-cotta plains and mountains covered the grounds, and my stomach will never forget the upward and downward motion of the bus as it made its 3 day excursion from Florida. Throughout every state, we made food and bathroom breaks, and I will never forget passing through New Orleans and seeing the devastation from Katrina. My "Bourbon Street" plaque still hangs over my doorway from a random souvenir shop along the way. 

One drug bust, two ambulance calls and a catheter failure later, we dismounted the bus and made our way safely toward the beckoning slot machines.


Here are Andres, his cousin, and I standing in front of the infamous "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign, located at the very tip of the strip. This sign is the most photographed landmark of Vegas, and no one should ever leave without a photo opt in front of it.


Here are Andres and I in front of the New York Hotel, located on the strip. Inside and outside most of the hotels on the strip, there are many roller coasters, rides and attractions ranging anywhere from a 7 dollar single ride to a 25 all-day pass.


27 dollars brings you an all-day pass to Circus-Circus' Adventuredome, providing over 25 different rides and attractions within the hotel itself. From a 4-D Spongebob experience to a soaring sling-shot ride, Adventurdome has much to offer for people of all ages. 

Adventure Dome in Circus Circus

Here are Andres and I standing in front of the renowned Bellagio Hotel. The Bellagio is well-known for its appearance on the Ocean's Eleven sequels. The Bellagio Fountain provides a spectacular show, as audiences gather to watch the water dance and change colors. It runs Monday-Friday, 3pm- midnight and Saturday and Sunday, noon- midnight. They run every half-hour until 8pm and then every 15 minutes until midnight. I highly recommend taking the time to watch the fountain show. 

During the daytime, walking around the strip is an activity itself. Checking out the different hotels and casinos is an adventure, however, the strip's length may be deceiving. The Las Vegas strip is approximately 4.2 miles long and with its dry heat engulfing your body, it only seems more convenient to take a shuttle to some of the farther hotels. 

"The Deuce" is a double-decker shuttle bus that runs a 24 hour loop from the Downtown area to the south end of the strip and then back again, stopping along most of the major hotels along the way. A 24-hour pass can cost you 7 dollars, while a 3-day pass can cost you 15. On our first couple of nights, we were unaware of the bus, and our taxi driver took us on a whirlwind to find the nearest McDonalds, which in reality, it was located directly to the right of Circus Circus. 



Here is Andres goofing off in front of the Luxor Hotel on our way to see Chris Angel's "Believe." Not to speak poorly of Chris Angel, (I am a big fan of show) I felt as though he did not deliver in person. We ended up complaining to management and receiving an additional two free tickets to a Cirque de Soleil show. 

Our first Cirque de Soleil show was called "Mystere." It was the greatest show I have ever seen, and if you are into eccentric performances-- Mystere is the way to go. With our additional free tickets from Chris Angel's "Believe", we decided to see Cirque de Soleil's "Oh" which was a water performance. Hands-down, Mystere took the cake. 

(Fun-Fact: In the movie "Knocked Up", Ben and Pete drive into Las Vegas, take 'Shrooms and watch a show. The show was Treasure Island's very own "Mystere.")

Cirque de Soleil- Mystere


The Venetian is my absolute favorite hotel on the entire Las Vegas strip. It replicates an old Venetian town, even providing an actual gondola ride to treat passengers to an inside and outside tour of the hotel. At 16 dollars a person, the indoor gondola runs from Sunday-Thursday, 10am-11pm and Friday-Saturday, 10am-midnight. The outdoor gondola runs from 12pm-11pm. The last gondola leaves 15 minutes before closing night. 

If you are big into Texas-Hold-'Em, I suggest the Venetian poker room. It is spacious, the wait time is not exhausting and the people are professional, yet friendly.