Astrid and Marcus have been welcome contributers to my travel section. This week they give us all the details of a Tom Jones filled Vegas extravaganza:
We decided to go to Vegas on a whim when I saw that Ton Jones was performing at the MGM. We got a great discount (the thing about Vegas is they just want to get you there, so the flights and rooms are super cheap especially in the off seasons). We stayed at the MGM, in a sweet suite off a very The Shining type hallway– it was clean and fairly quiet, we had no problem finding our way around and even though the reviews are mixed I thought the staff could not be more helpful.
The Tom Jones show was on our first night, and he was amazing! Not as spry as I remember him being but the man can still move like no other human being and he sang as well as always.
After the show we quickly realized that our Vegas food options were limited to celebrity chef restaurants or McDonalds but for about the same price minus the cocktails – So we chose celebrity chefs. We had lunch at Wolfgang Pucks, and a lovely dinner at Nob Hill, they made us a polenta dish and some other veggie plates off their menu!
From our table we were able to spy the private high roller tables, which actually looked dingy and depressing- (our waiter claimed Gnarls Barkley had just been there the night before but it was hard to believe anyone would want to spend time or money there).
We spent the next day walking the Vegas strip, the weather was perfect
and it was a great way to get out and see a lot of the casinos and other
Vegas oddities! About halfway down the strip we took a cocktail break at the Wynn, definitely my favorite hotel/casino, I'd totally stay there the next time. They pump scented air into the casino!!! We had mezcal and margaritas at an outdoor garden waterfall..it was deelicious.
That evening at Bills Casino we saw Big Elvis, a performance we both agreed was the most genuine heart warming thing we witnessed in Vegas. Big Elvis sings for free nightly at the Bills Casino bar and he has a following of devoted locals that make sure to be at each show. When Big Elvis asked for volunteers Marcus was one of the gentleman picked to rock out on an inflatable guitar..all the guys were winners receiving a Big Elvis cd and certificate!
We did gamble a little, cards and slots and even won enough to make a profit. You also get to enjoy plenty of free drinks even if you're just playing the nickel machines, which is a treat.
From Vegas we drove through the desert to Santa Barbara which was the
opposite experience of smoky, sweat pant wearing Vegas. I personally
love Vegas for its crazy kitschy architecture and rat pack nostalgia but
it's not for everyone and I was definitely ready for some fresh air and
greener landscapes!
(Stay tuned for those adventures soon!)
But what do you think?