las vegas: day one

we had such an amazing trip! i feel like it was not only a birthday present for dave, but a present for me too! it was so nice to escape reality for bit and just enjoy being together and reconnecting. it was also nice to sleep in (thank you black-out shades), relax and not have to share bites of my meal with a begging toddler! our first morning in the hotel we were awoken by a crying child in the hall. dave and i both sat up in bed, trying to figure out which kid it was, only to remember that they weren't there and it was someone else's child! we both promptly laid back down and went back to sleep! with that said, we missed the kids like crazy! but with that said, we were sure glad to be on vacation alone! of course i took a ton of pictures, so to make it more manageable (for you and me), i'll do a post about each day. 

one of my old co-workers, when he saw on facebook that i was in vegas commented, "what's a good mormon girl like you doing in vegas?!" i assured him no drinking or gambling, but there was still plenty to do! we arrived early wednesday morning and headed to the luxor hotel to see the titanic exhibit. it had been in denver a year or so ago and we missed it and were excited to get the chance to see it. it was incredible! i can't believe the things they have found still in tact, despite being in the water for so many years. as you walked through the different rooms of the exhibit, they made it look like you were in different parts of the ship (third class sleeping rooms, first class grand staircase etc). one part was even made to look like the promenade at night with stars and cool air. the whole exhibit was amazing! we were so grateful for dave's aunt kristi, who not only got us a discount at mgm grand (where she works), but also got us discounts on exhibits at some of the other hotels! 

all of the hotels had decorations up for chinese new year. the mgm grand had a show in the lobby with incredible kung fu performers and drummers. the way these guys bounced around and threw each other around was amazing! it was absolutely beautiful!

each of the dragons below is made up of 2 guys. at this point they were standing on pillars that were at least 7-8 feet high. they jumped around (and threw each other) from pillar to pillar, not only without wobbling, but while staying in tact as a dragon. i wish this picture showed better how amazing it was.

after checking into our room and taking a much needed rest (we had to wake up at 4am) we headed to the new york new york hotel to have dinner at greenberg & sons deli. our brother in law recommended it and it was really good. check out all that meat! 

i don't even know what to say about my hair in these pictures! oh well, it was an early morning and
i'm just lucky not to be wearing a hat, although maybe i should have. after dinner we cruised the strip. 

in the cosmopolitan hotel one of the stores had all these old sewing machines on display in their front window. i thought they were so cool.

the cosmopolitan hotel also had a 3 story chandelier. it was really pretty. they also had a red stiletto that i couldn't resist taking a picture in. 

 the forum shops at caesar's palace
can i just say it is amazing that so many high end stores can all survive within just a couple of miles of one another. i can't believe how many gucci, louis vuitton, prada, fendi etc. stores we saw. 

it had been a long time since i had been to vegas and i must say it wasn't quite as scummy as i remember. barely any trashy pictures on the ground and not as many people handing out trashy pamphlets. there were still some scandalous ads for some shows, but i was pleasantly surprised. and of course there was some fantastic people watching. wow, that's all i can say (like seeing some hookers and their pimp. and he looked like a pimp!). actually, walking along the strip was pretty spectacular. there is something about all those bright lights. 

 the bellagio fountain shows. by far my favorite thing about the strip. they were magical and i could have watched them all night. "time to say goodbye" was my favorite one we saw.

 and then we went back to the hotel and literally fell into bed!