Fabulous Forty Vegas- Day 2

Late Night Limos and Helicopters

Thursday, May 10, 2018

 

Morning

We woke up earlier than expected due to the light shining through our HUGE strip view window (This makes me miss the inside cruise ship cabins where it is dark 24 hours a day). We made our way to the food court in our hotel for a lovely breakfast of Krispy Kreme (HUGE disappointment because it was not a REAL KK... it didn't even have a HOT light!) and Popeye's... Hey, it's VEGAS! 

Westward view from our hotel!

GOOD MORNING LAS VEGAS! 

STRIP view from our hotel!

A typical "gas station" type Krispy Kreme!
I was really bummed!

Again... it was not near as "budget" as I originally thought! 

As we left Excalibur to make our way down the strip we were stopped by a company selling "discount show tickets". I had heard about these from friends so we stopped and got info. We paid the money ($50 for 2 tickets to LOVE) and about 30 minute later we realized it was a company trying to sell us a time share. As good as it sounded I threw a fit and we got our money back. Ha... we are idiots! We will not make that mistake again! 

This is a REAL sign within our hotel! 

Again... we are complete idiots!
This is the ONLY memory I ever want to have of this whole ordeal! 

FINALLY, around 10:30AM, we got our OFFICIAL day started. We knew we wanted to see as much of the strip as possible but wanted to start on the north side as we missed most of this in 2006. We started by taking the walkway over to the MGM Grand and the east side of the Strip! 

Let's get this party started! 

We love the MGM Grand!

The Las Vegas Strip northbound! 

We then made our way to the east side of the strip and got on the Deuce bus to take us to the Wynn. As mentioned in the previous post, this is a $20/ 3 day bus pass that goes to practically EVERY hotel on the strip. We got off and explored the Wynn and the Encore casinos. They were GORGEOUS and absolutely stunning. 

Outside the Encore hotel!

Popeye the Sailor Man near the Wynn Theater!

Inside the Wynn. 

This carousel is made completely out of flowers!
Hello Green Thumb!

Outside the Wynn. 

This area was absolutely GORGEOUS!

We took some pictures and then made our way up to Circus Circus since we had never seen it before. TIP- We had also heard that this north side of the strip had $5 BlackJack tables. The casino reminded me of the Oklahoma Indian casinos and were older and run down. Plus there was still only 1 $5 table. We attempted to walk to the Stratosphere on foot but after about a block Chris said his foot was just hurting too much. 

Well... Now I can say I have been here! 

Still have not made it to the Stratosphere!
TIP- There is a GREAT gift shop where I took this picture. Shirts, bags and all kinds of souvenirs for great prices and still good quality! Just north of Circus Circus on the WEST side of the strip! There is a DEUCE bus stop right there! 

Time lapse video of our Deuce ride from Circus Circus to Aria 

Afternoon

We rode the Deuce back southbound back to the Aria where we made our way to Bobby's Burger Palace. Chris and I have watched the Food Network and particularly Bobby Flay our entire marriage so we were thrilled to try this place. The burgers were some of the absolute BEST we have ever had (to that point... more on that later), full of flavor and textures and the shakes were so good and hard to describe. 

I LOVE BOBBY FLAY! 

So excited for our Burgers! 

SERIOUSLY, the best burger I had had to date... (STAY TUNED, this was topped by another Vegas venue. Check back for day 4)

We left #FatandHappy and then headed back towards the Excalibur to take a nap. We made a pit stop at NYNY and found $5 Blackjack tables. TIP- These tables are on the EAST side of the tables area and they offer about 3 tables for $5 blackjack. NYNY and Vegas in general (almost all of the casinos we went to) also still offer free cocktails while your'e playing, if that is your thing. This became a home for us over the course of the trip. 

Yep... YANKEES! We must be in New York New York!
Again... I LOVE THIS PLACE! 

This was for Luke's sake! But let's be honest, CHRIS loved it too! 

About 2 hours later we left about $300 richer as a couple. We finally made it back to our room and took a quick snooze before having to get ready for our evening of specialty dining and a HELICOPTER tour of the Las Vegas Strip, including a special surprise for Chris. 

Evening

We rode the bus back to the LINQ area for our dinner at Batista's Hole in the Wall. Little did we know how bad the STRIP traffic would be. We then got off at the wrong stop and could not find our way to the restaurant. We had to be at the NORTH Las Vegas airport (a 30 minute commute by taxi from the strip) by 8PM and it was already after 6PM so we decided to give up and find a different dining option. Personally, I was REALLY bummed! 

Las Vegas Strip Time lapse- 6PM Thursday, May 10, 2018
The traffic was THICK to say the least!
MGM to Bally's

We were already at the LINQ promenade so we opted for Gordon Ramsey's Fish and Chips. It was not the "fine dining" experience I wanted for this "birthday dinner" but it was EXCELLENT! TIP- For $30 TOTAL we were able to get some of the best "fish and chips" we have ever had, even better than the REAL fish and chips we had in London on our honeymoon back in 2006. I highly recommend this eatery when in Las Vegas. 

Traditional Fish and Chips!
TIP- The Truffle fries are worth the extra $3. 

The restaurant was not very large and we had to wait for a table. That would be more only complaint! 

I recommend this place for Fish and Chips lovers! 

After dinner we took the Deuce back to the northern most stop and then took an Uber to the North Las Vegas airport. The Uber cost approximately $20 with tip and we arrived at the airport just at 8PM. We got checked in and I was able to meet the kind lady I had spoke to so much in previous weeks. iFly Elite was the name of the company. The weight limit for this tour was 250# so we had to purchase an additional seat for Chris. Thanks to this kind lady, not only were we able to get all 3 seats at a HUGE discount from Groupon but we also were placed on a flight with the BEST views at the perfect time of darkness. The entire tour (with all 3 seats) including the tip for the pilot was only $130. If you include the Ubers to and from it was about $160 and WELL WORTH it. This was a steal compared to the $300 tour we paid for in Seattle. Be sure to check them out if you are interested in these type of tourist attractions. 

The North Strip area as seen from the upper deck of the Deuce Bus! 

The Mob Museum in Downtown Las Vegas! 

Main Street Station Casino in Downtown Las Vegas! 

The best sunset I could get on this trip! 

The flight was ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE and we loved every minute of it. We saw the entire STRIP from North to south and then back up again. Plus we were able to see the Fremont Street Experience from the air as well. The biggest surprise of all was the LIMO ride that was included in the tour which took us from the airport entrance to the actual helicopter departure point! It was Chris's 1st time in a LIMO! 

Chris's very 1st Limo Ride! I LOVE spoiling him! 

Our evening transportation has arrived! 

Helicopter Selfie!

Our 1st view of the strip from the helicopter!

Downtown Las Vegas. 

The Stratosphere Hotel and Casino. 

Circus Circus Hotel and Casino

Trump Tower Hotel (no casino) with the Las Vegas Strip in the background. 

Looking east to The Wynn and The Encore. 

A view of the central strip. 

The Mirage... where what we all know as the LV strip all began. 

The Las Vegas Strip (from Mirage to City Center South)

Mandalay Bay and Delano (this was a new addition since 2006)

The Excalibur Hotel and Casino.

The Southern parts of the LV Strip. 

The Las Vegas strip from Mandalay Bay looking North. 

The Las Vegas Strip from McCarran Airport looking North. 

MGM Grand Hotel and Casino.

The Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino. 

The Bellagio Hotel and Casino with the Rio and Palms in the background. 

Caesar's Palace Hotel and Casino (left of the Ferris wheel)

The LINQ High Roller Ferris Wheel. 
It is currently the world's tallest Ferris wheel. 
TIP- Check GROUPON for discount tickets. I wanted to do this but with a little over 48 hours in town, there was not enough time. 

The Venetian Hotel and Casino.

The Palazzo Hotel and Casino. 

The north Las Vegas Strip (from The Wynn area)
Mid-Left is the old site of the Stardust Casino. Soon to be the Resorts World Las Vegas. 

Circus Circus Hotel and Casino

Downtown and Fremont Street. 

Our last view of the Las Vegas Strip.

Happy 40th Birthday Chris! 

Our helicopter tour of Las Vegas (sorry the noise and the windows are kinda smudged)

TIP - This the tour and company we used through Groupon. It was a VERY cheap experience BUT it does take off from the NORTH Las Vegas airport and you do have to factor in the cost of the Uber and transportation to and from. However, even after purchasing an additional seat this was easily the best cost! If you have time and/or money to do so, I would HIGHLY recommend this tour. 

iFly Elite Groupon

We took an Uber back to downtown Las Vegas so we could experience Fremont Street. And WOW... what an experience it was. I have seen a lot of things in my adult life but this was something else. We saw all kinds of half naked (let's be honest, it was more like 90% naked) people, Superheros, amateur musicians and even a ROBBERY! We saw the Las Vegas police strip search a guy for stealing GATORADE and hats. Awe... the memories! 

I felt like I had FINALLY arrived at the old school Las Vegas. 

The Las Vegas Vic! 

The man robbing the "ABC" (Vegas Walgreens) store for hats and Gatorade.
It was a sight to see for sure. 

The Fremont Street Experience Light Show. 

I personally loved this area. 

We spent the evening enjoying the lights, music, drinks and atmosphere and then went into the Golden Nugget and played a few hands of blackjack. I even treated Chris to the world famous White Castle. That is a true experience no matter what, but experiencing it in Las Vegas after a night on Fremont street was so much fun! 

This remind me of the GN in Lake Charles...

Until I saw this pool. WOW... the shark and aquarium area was spectacular. 

This is OLD SCHOOL Kellie vacation meals. My family and I wondered upon these about 20 years ago and they are just PERFECT for small meals and traveling. 

They are also great for late night in Vegas. 

Peace Out Fremont! See you next time! 

At this point we were exhausted and really beginning to feel "Vegas" so we caught a Deuce back to our hotel and called it an evening. TIP- This bus ride was nearly 25 minutes since we were in downtown and riding almost the entire length of the strip, however, with the Deuce pass you get access to the "Downtown Express" (DTX) which makes fewer stops at hotels for a faster ride. Had we rode the actual Deuce it would have been at least 45 minutes. I would recommend catching a DTX when traveling up to downtown. 

40 years and pondering life on the Las Vegas Strip. It was too perfect of a moment not to take a picture! 

Our 1st full day is complete! IT WAS AMAZING! 

It was after 2AM and we were TIRED. We fell asleep within 5 minutes! 

Day 2 was an exceptional journey up and down the Las Vegas strip with memories that will last another 40 years. I am so glad I was able to SPOIL my husband with this day! 

Thank again to Allison for keeping the kids! She had a busy day herself with school for the kids, baseball for Luke (where he got ANOTHER game ball) and a full day of working from my house for herself. Welcome to Motherhood Auntie Allie! But seriously... THANK YOU SO MUCH! WE LITERALLY COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU! 

Stay tuned for Day 3! 

God is Good... ALL the time!