We needed a break from kid-watching and we had a credit with Southwest Airlines that was set to expire. So, one and one makes two as they say, and we booked a flight and found a good deal on a hotel. Vegas, baby!
So here’s what we did. Most of it anyway. Some of it stayed in Vegas.
Tuesday May 28th
We rode the blue van to the airport in the late afternoon. I made the mistake of trying to make conversation with the driver, asking if he ever had problem riders. So he talked all the way non-stop to the airport about those people, in detail, and he was absolutely NOT happy about them. My bad, I was just trying to be friendly. But in no time we were on the plane to Las Vegas. It was a quick flight and we caught a van to our hotel, The Signature at the MGM Grand. The Signature is one of the few non-smoking hotels around The Strip. It was late evening when we checked in but we were hungry so we took the monorail a few miles to the other end of the strip. Why? Well…
Our destination was The Wynn Hotel and Casino, because Steve Wynn (the owner) is vegan and has decreed that all of the restaurants in his two Vegas casino hotels (Wynn and Encore) will have vegan options, if not a totally separate vegan menu! Yeah! I remember last time we were in Vegas we had trouble finding vegetarian or vegan food. We fared much better this time. Anyway, this place in The Wynn was kind of upscale but sure enough had some vegan options. Now full, we walked back to the monorail, stopping at a 24-hr Walgreens to pick up some beverages for the room. We caught the monorail back and called it a day.
Wednesday May 29th
After a kind of late start, we had lunch as Hussong’s Cantina, home of the famous margarita, as they say. We had read about two nearby restaurants (not including the Wynn properties) that also now had vegan owners and this place was one of them. Sure enough, they had a full vegan menu with a dozen or so choices. We felt like we had gone to heaven. Vegan mexican food, and it was delicious! After lunch we gambled a little and took a tram to get back near the hotel. A bit later we went back, talking the tram again, to the Mandelay Bay Hotel and Casino. We had gotten tickets (just barely) for the just opened Michael Jackson “One” show by Cirque Du Soleil. I can’t recommend this show enough if you like his music at all. They used acrobatics, technology, dance, awesome sound, and impressive visuals to make a show that blew everyone in the audience away. Then, for a late dinner we went to the other restaurant mentioned above, called A Slice Of Vegas. It was pizza and Italian food, but also had a separate vegan menu! We had some tasty pizza and then went back to the hotel to drop off some leftovers. It’s practically a requirement to stay up late in Vegas, so we headed out again. We stopped at The Bellagio Hotel and Casino and watched the huge outdoor water fountain show, then went inside to see the the Chihuly art glass, hundreds of pieces, that hangs from the ceiling of the lobby. We gambled for a little bit in nearby Bally’s then caught the monorail back. And then gambled a bit more in the MGM Grand and then walked the enclosed hallway to The Signature and back to the room.
Thursday May 30th
We wanted brunch, but ended up with lunch. We had taken the monorail to The Wynn and ended up with a quick vegan burger, fries, and vegan chocolate shake. Cheapest meal we had in Vegas and not bad either. We wandered and gambled a little bit then took the monorail the opposite direction from our hotel, to the very end of the line. Just because we had an unlimited pass and just because we could! Then back just one stop, to the Las Vegas Hilton. Off the Strip and past it’s prime, but very sentimental since that is where we had stayed on our honeymoon some 26 and a half years ago! We gambled a little bit there too and then went back to the room. Not long after, we walked and trammed to Hussong’s again for more food off the vegan menu. I had an awesome chili relleno dinner there that I sure wish I could get here in Sacramento. Then we trammed and walked over to Hooters Hotel and Casino (yeah, I know, it’s a stupid concept). But it’s the location for Purple Reign, Las Vegas’ premiere Prince impersonator. We had already seen this guy a some years back on a Vegas trip and he was pretty good, so we decided to see him again. He was even better this time and really had Prince down. Speaking, mannerisms, and the music of course. After the show we gambled a little there, and we both ended up winning! Yay! So then it was late and we walked the short walk back to our hotel.
Friday May 31st
SInce this was a mini-trip, it was, sadly, the day to go back home. I hate when that happens! We packed up and checked out, but our flight didn’t leave until early evening. The Signature held our luggage for us and we monorailed it back to The Wynn. We were determined to have a buffet meal at least once, you have to do that in Vegas, right? And we knew The Wynn and The Encore were vegan friendly casinos. At The Wynn, we paid for the Wynn Buffet and then one of the chefs came out and personally walked us around the entire huge buffet, all the stations, and pointed out everything that was vegan, vegetarian, or could be modified to be so. Also, at some of the stations they would make you a vegan version (vegan pizza, vegan stir-fry, etc). So we did what you do in vegas, one of the things anyway, and we ate and ate and ate. Good times and a vegan feast. The we monorailed back to Hooters since we had both won there the night before and we gambled for a bit. Then it was time, alas, to leave so we picked up our luggage and took a cab to the airport. Overall, for gambling on the trip, we were a little ahead which is a wonderful thing in Vegas. Plus we had a great time seeing things and eating well besides the gambling. We had also walked around some and seen the Strip at various times of day and night. Anyway, after a wait at the airport we headed home. We had both had a lot of fun and for many reasons: the food options, much less smoke in the casinos than last trip, plenty to do, the shows, and even winning a little. We decided we would come back again. I’m already ready.
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