It's 2020 and this year has been such a "hot mess express". We have had many cruises cancelled and trips rerouted and overall, for traveling, it has been not fun at all. The year overall has not been that bad and we have been lucky enough to not have been diagnosed with COVID in our small family four. I pray we can continue to have a bubble of protection around us.
During Christmas Break I decided to randomly look at Orbitz and see what the prices were for travel. I looked at a few places but keep in mind California and New York are crazy shut down now... I then looked at Las Vegas. I was BLOWN AWAY at how cheap it was going to be the week between Christmas and New Years. We're talking LESS THAN $100 PER PERSON for a flight and 2-3 nights ON THE STRIP. I investigated more and on a whim, we booked a trip to Las Vegas staying at THE BELLAGIO. I never dreamed I would be able to stay at a place like this... perhaps EVER! We then used some loyalty points on our MyVegas app to get a FREE ROOM at The Mirage.
It turned out to be a different kind of trip due to COVID but we did not let the constant mask wearing or dinner reservations needed bother us. We had a BLAST and are already planning another trip!
We loved this LAST MINUTE trip to LAS VEGAS! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
This was an AMAZING trip and we are so grateful to have been able to go and celebrate the ending to this crazy year. Shout out to my parents and sister who kept the kids for a few days after Christmas so we could enjoy this trip!
Thanks for following along! It's not our typical cruise blog but we LOVED getting to actually "travel" somewhere!
Our Baltic Cruise is still planned for June 2021 (Although we are not holding our breath). In the meantime, we will dream of past cruises and look for the good in the world of travel!
Thanks again... STAY SAFE AND HEALTHY!
GOD IS GOOD... ALL THE TIME!
Click on a previous trip to Las Vegas for more tips and tricks:
I woke up early to try and catch the sunrise from our window but the clouds made that difficult.
Good morning... 6:12AM!
We ordered Mobile To-Go from SNACKS in The Bellagio and got the breakfast pizza again and were satisfied. We changed quickly and went to The Bellagio Pool which opened at 9am. It is a heated pool but at 45* outside, it was a cold experience. The pool itself was magnificent and I can only imagine how awesome it would be in the Summer (or even spring). It was an “You Only Live Once” type of experience and I am glad we did it!
It was so cold!
Within an hour of being in the pool, the Cosmo started to cast a shadow over the whole pool. That pretty much did us in!
YOLO... I am glad we did this!
The Bellagio Pool area... It is so gorgeous!
We then got ready for the day and checked out at The Bellagio. The check out in the “Express Check Out” area near the elevators was flawless and quick.
One final view from our window! WE LOVED THIS SO MUCH!
This one is postcard worthy!
Thank you Bellagio so much for this upgrade!
While we were leaving we noticed the Bellagio Poker room was COMPLETELY FULL with many waiting in line at the entrance. We never figured out what was going on but it was only 11AM.
A Deep Dish Afternoon
We went over to the Bally’s mall area to eat pizza at Giordano’s. We did not have a reservation but were able to get right in at the outside bar area, but they did put our name in the reservation que as a “contact tracing” thing I guess. The deep dish pizza was UNBELIEVABLE! It took right at an hour to make but it was well worth the wait! It was delicious.
Cheers to the last day!
Once again, these drinks were fantastic!
The Classic Chicago Deep Dish... Worth every minute of wait and every penny!
This was a small (6 slices) and $29.95!
My mouth is watering just thinking about it! SO GOOD!
Then we made our way to The Mirage, with luggage in tow, and were pleasantly surprised to get checked in right away before 1PM. This was a comped room from the MyVegas app and it did not disappoint. We were able to get a Strip view room facing south. We were able to see the strip and the mountains to the northwest of the strip, covered in snow. The room itself was nothing to write home about, especially having just come from The Bellagio but I would stay there again. Having stayed at a lower/ bargain hotel on the Strip, Excalibur in 2018, and then The Bellagio, the Mirage was perfectly in the middle.
There were not many checking in it seemed.
The comped room was on the 23rd floor and fairly spacious!
BUT... The view was incredible!
I loved being able to look out the window and see SNOW on the mountains!
My only complaint was that there were not plug ins (of any kind) at the nightstand. We had to charge our phones in the bathroom.
We dropped our bags and went downstairs to play on the table games. The Mirage only had 2 blackjack tables open (at any minimum) so we did not have a spot since that meant only 6 people could play at a time. We used another BOGO from MyVegas for drinks at the Center Bar in The Mirage. We met a bartender who just got back to work THAT day. The Mirage had been closed since November 4 and lots were out of work and just returning. Unfortunately, The Mirage will also be closing on January 4th Monday- Thursday. I get it, I really do... but after having been to The Mirage and seen it, I am praying it can survive. The Original “Mega Resort” and now is so quiet you hardly notice you are in Las Vegas. We tipped the bartender VERY well!
Our Treasure is still at TI
We then went to Treasure Island as it has been our lucky spot the past few trips. They offered the Stadium Blackjack and even had machines IN THE SPORTSBOOK which was nice as we were watching the bowl games. These tables/ machines of Stadium Blackjack have become my favorite and the incredibly fast drink service made it hard to leave. We gambled there for 4 hours or so before leaving to go back to The Mirage. We will be back Treasure Island!
I love this view from near Treasure Island!
The Stadium Blackjack/ Roulette area in Treasure Island
This is at the far south area of TI and they even added Baccarat to these live dealer machines!
We went back to The Mirage for dinner and used another BOGO for sandwiches at the Snack Bar. These sandwiches were HUGE and we enjoyed them. By now it was 7-8PM and The Mirage was still dead with hardly anyone playing inside and only 1 bar and 2 restaurants open. We were so shocked as we expected it to be busier at night. It was very quiet and almost eerie.
The walk back at sunset was PICTURE PERFECT!
This has been a GREAT TRIP!
These sandwiches were $15 and $18 each but so good and filling!
I highly recommend the Meatball sandwich!
We watched the Volcano Show outside the Mirage for the 1st time ever and it was incredible. I cannot believe we have never seen it! Then we spent the rest of the night inside the Mirage at the sportsbook bar, center bar and roulette table. The tables were still not open and not a lot of people playing anywhere. We tried to make one large last bet to win some money back and that did not work! Unfortunately we never got back up and lost most of the money we brought with us but we still had an amazing time. I mean it is Las Vegas! You are going to win some… and lose some! We did not lose it all and for that I am proud of us!
Check out the Volcano show... This was SO AWESOME!
Be sure to check out this FREE show when you are in Vegas!
This show was so cool! We will watch it again someday!
I love you Chris Davis!
And hey look... Casino Royale is still there!
I remember my first trip to Vegas in 2008... I pulled that MASSIVE slot machine and lost $20 just like that! Awww... memories!
The Siegfried and Roy at The Mirage Center Bar... YES PLEASE !
We ended the night in the hotel room around midnight and I wanted to do something crazy and take Sprite and cookies from the mini bar. Chris had planned to do the same but then I tasted the cookies and told him to not open his and just eat mine. WOW… I am so glad I did that. It turns out the 12oz can of Sprite was $10 and the bag of cookies was $18. Are you kidding me! I grew up being told “Never take anything from the mini bar. That is how they get you.” Well AIN'T THAT THE TRUTH! I could not believe how expensive they were and no menu or price sheet to tell you how much until it was too late! Oh well… Just another “YOLO” moment!
$28... Never again! HAHA!
Another view from our 23rd floor room.
I love Las Vega so much!
The views of the strip are just priceless at night!
Getting Home
Our flight home was 9AM so we had to get up and wait for our UBER at 6AM. We scheduled the UBER and while I was worried about how it would work out, the driver arrived on time and we made it to the airport in plenty of time. The Uber from The Mirage to the Airport was $17 and we tipped our driver very well! However the airport was CRAZY even at 7AM when we arrived. SO MANY PEOPLE coming to Las Vegas, I guess for NYE. The inbound shuttles/ trains at the airport for literally neck to neck people. I feel we left just at the right time.
It was a GREAT trip and I am so glad we booked it and “gambled” on the whole ordeal. If you are thinking about taking a trip to Las Vegas, DO IT. They could really use our support. Yes you have to wear a mask all the time AND yes you have to have reservations pretty much EVERYWHERE but don’t let that ruin your trip. It is what it is… And we LOVED every minute of it. Thanks LV for having us! We will be back!
Did you miss a day? Click on Day 1 or 2 below to get caught up:
Thanks for following along! It's not our typical cruise blog but we LOVED getting to actually "travel" somewhere!
Our Baltic Cruise is still planned for June 2021 (Although we are not holding our breath). In the meantime, we will dream of past cruises and look for the good in the world of travel!
Thanks again... STAY SAFE AND HEALTHY!
GOD IS GOOD... ALL THE TIME!
Click on a previous trip to Las Vegas for more tips and tricks:
Fountain Views for Days
Las Vegas Christmas 2020 Day 2
Monday, December 28, 2020
We started the day off by opening the floor to ceiling window and just staring at the beauty that is the Las Vegas strip. I swear, I may never go back to any other room type. It is just phenomenal.
This was just perfect to wake up to!
I am in one of my happy places!
We grabbed breakfast at SNACKS inside the Bellagio. The breakfast pizza was very tasty and filling, especially for only $7. Now the coffee… It was good as well but $9.75 for an iced latte was a bit much for me. But it got the job done! I was a little shocked as our breakfast food total was $45 with tax, fees and tip (for fast food and coffee). I guess that is the life you lead when you stay at The Bellagio!
The breakfast (quick) options available at SNACKS! The pastries looked very good!
I didn't know what to expect but this breakfast pizza was REALLY good!
$9.75 iced latte... I was sticker shocked!
We spent a good rest of our morning gambling at the slot machines and playing blackjack. The tables were not as nice to us this morning. TIP- We learned that the bartenders at the Video Poker machines were FAST but required $2 BET each time to get free drinks. Sounded easy but they watched you like hawks to ensure you were betting $2 each time and not going back to $.25 bets in between drinks. I accidentally pushed max bet and lost $50 within 3 hands… That drink cost me $50. Haha, I should have just PAID FOR THE DRINKS!
This is what the table games looked like. Only 3 people playing at a time and no room for spectators. We saw a few pit bosses asking watchers to leave.
It was very claustrophobic and the whole "Vegas Vibe" was lost for me.
I hope and pray Vegas can eventually recover!
The slots and machines were consistently every other one open.
Lunch at Planet Hollywood
Our losses pushed us out of the casino area sooner than we would have liked but we decided to walk all around The Bellagio. We went to the pool to check out the area for tomorrow's "Polar Swim" as we are going to call it. This pool area is absolutely GORGEOUS! It is very well laid out and decorated with such class. They were doing maintenance on several spots but it was still such a sight to see.
The main pool area that was open to Bellagio guests.
See you tomorrow!
The other (what seemed like LARGER) pool being worked on.
The trees literally had lemons/ oranges growing on them! That is so cool!
Then we went over to Planet Hollywood for lunch. We opted for Earl of a Sandwich since Pin UpPizza was closed Monday- Wednesday (bummer). This was a GREAT bargain lunch on the strip and we were very satisfied with our choice. TIP- They did not offer seating at Earl of a Sandwich so we took our lunch to the PH sportsbook with no issues.
Located in Planet Hollywood in the Miracle Mile Shops. The line was short and no reservation was needed.
I was sticker shocked... The prices were actually REASONABLE! And the sandwiches were very TASTY!
We meandered our way back to The Bellagio via the Cosmo. This place NEVER disappoints and is such a gorgeous hotel and casino. It is on our list to stay at in the near future. We spent some time shopping around the Cosmo and Bellagio before going back to our room for an afternoon Fountain show. This was so incredible to see from our room. Again, we are so grateful to Bellagio for the undeserving upgrade!
On the pedestrian walkway over the Strip by PH and Cosmo. This was taken at 1PM.
Looking north towards Bellagio and Paris. This was taken at 1PM.
I absolutely LOVE this chandelier.
A view of the Strip around 1-2PM on a Monday during the Pandemic!
The Bellagio Fountains in the afternoon:
A traditional picture in front of The Bellagio.
Vegas was very well laid out for social distancing. I appreciated these markers of space for viewing the fountains!
#VegasSmart is such a great initiative and we greatly appreciated this! And honestly, every time we were viewing the fountains from this spot, people were courteous and stayed on THEIR OWN MARKER! I was impressed actually!
We then decided to go to GELATO for a BOGO gelato offer from My Vegas app. This was a nice bonus as we were able to get an afternoon snack for both of us for less than $10. TIP- This is a FREE app and is so easy to use and earn "loyalty points" which can be used towards rewards like free food, BOGO offers, even free nights at hotels.
The spread of goodies available at Gelato!
The actual gelato offered.
I think there were over 40 flavors offered!
We got the Chocolate Chip and the Oreo.
WOW... They were delicious!
We went back up to our room to enjoy the first fountain show of the day at 3PM. It was such a beautiful sight and this show lasted nearly 6 minutes. Afterwards, the hubby took a nap and I meandered down the strip towards The Venetian. The strip was nowhere near as crowded as I would have thought but the weirdos were still out there. Haha, as it began to get dark (at 4:15PM, geez) I made my way back to The Bellagio. I did make a pit stop at the Forum shops... Because, why not!
This was SO AMAZING!
Dinner at Battista's... WOW!
We had dinner reservations at Battista’s Hole in the Wall but we wanted to see a show in front of The Bellagio at least once as that is a tradition for EVERY Vegas trip! We watched the fountains then got a few pre-dinner drinks at Giordano's near Bally's. We loved meeting the locals and bartenders. I pray for these industry workers in Vegas, it picks up soon!
These were GREAT drinks (good and strong) and very reasonably priced for
The Strip ($12.50/ each).
We heard about Battista’s Hole in the Wall a few trips ago but never found it on foot. We finally found it and I am SO GLAD WE DID! Dinner at Battista’s was AMAZING... Easily the best Italian food we have had in a very long time. The free wine (unlimited, actually) and cappuccino was really worth it! The service was exceptional and we enjoyed the entire vibe, atmosphere and experience. It felt like an old Mob restaurant! We will be back on future trips.
This is on Flamingo Ave just 2 streets east of the strip.
If you are on Flamingo... it is hard to miss!
The menu was not very extensive but had something for anyone!
The FREE house wine. The white was just OK but the red was exceptional for "house wine".
Oh... and they brought us another LARGE bottle when the main meal came!
The Garlic bread was EASILY the best we have ever had!
Chris had the Chicken parmigiana and it was delicious!
The side order of meatball could have been a meal in itself.
My lasagna was AMAZING! Probably the best I have ever had!
The cappuccino and extra dessert (given free BTW) was a perfect end to a very romantic and delicious meal!
We walked back and tried to end the day better than we started at Blackjack and Roulette. Well, that did not happen! We fell short real quick. We watched some College Football in The Bellagio Sportsbook and loved the atmosphere.
The historic Flamingo! They finally took Donny and Marie off the side of the hotel!
A view of the strip (looking north) around 9PM.
Us losing means we are spending lots of time in the Sportsbook! I am glad College Football Bowl Season was on!
We ended the night with a few more fountain shows from our room as well as a walk down the strip to see the late night sights, and of course another Fountain show since they happen every 15 minutes from 8PM to midnight! The strip was still not as lively as before but I am glad it was not completely dead.
Again, the view from our room was SPECTACULAR! Thank you Bellagio!
The view from the street is ALWAYS amazing!
Christmas time at The Bellagio! I love the Carol of the Bells!
I am in my happy place! I love Las Vegas!
We ended the day in the red and down but we did not let that ruin our fun! We have learned when to walk away and we did that today and still had a GREAT TIME! We had one more day and maybe we can win it back!
