My husband and I were married in Las Vegas fifteen years ago. This is a picture of us on that day. My husband does not know I am sharing it. He. He. It is hard to believe this was us fifteen years ago. My hair was so short. And my husband has a beard now with (cough) grey hairs poking through. It is nice to look back at where we were. It makes me excited about where we are going.
I thought it would be a good idea to head back there for our anniversary. My husband and I both do not like to gamble. We don’t smoke. And, honestly, I am not fond of malls. I’ve never been to a strip club. I was not interested in any of the Circus du Soleil shows. And we would never just hang around a pool without our children (unless it was our own pool). Because of this, Las Vegas is generally not on our list of destinations to go to on our yearly romantic getaways.
But I decided we had not been there in almost nine years and maybe we would try it again.
Spoiler: there were good times and there were bad.
‘Tis life:
I got a fabulous deal on Hotwire for the Wynn Hotel. When we checked in, I mentioned we were there for our fifteenth wedding anniversary. They kindly upgraded us to a higher floor.
The hotel is amazing. Gorgeous. Stunning. It boasts the prettiest lobby I have ever seen. The most amazing scenery. The clientele leans towards the classy side. I have never seen so many beautiful women in one place. And of course, I broke out with the biggest zit on my chin just before we arrived. Truly showing I did not belong there.
The room was beautiful.
The hotel also sent up a sweet gift of chocolate covered strawberries for our anniversary.
And all would have been well.
Better than well.
It would have, should have, could have been amazing.
There was just a slight problem of the air conditioning not working in our room. And not working in the room we were subsequently moved to.
I am a baby when it comes to heat. I cannot sleep in a warm room. This led to me having a meltdown and many sleepless nights.
Hence, I have made the determination I could only stay here in the wintertime, if we came to Las Vegas again. I have to have a working air conditioning system in my hotel room.
In. The. Desert.
.
The little cafe restaurant at this hotel is the best restaurant we ate at while in Las Vegas.
Oh my gosh! I am a nut for a tuna sandwich. And on a croissant? The biggest croissant I have ever seen?! Made by the chef there?! So good! I ate this three times during our stay (and gained FIVE pounds in four days! Back to reality).
They also had a seafood club that my husband said was excellent.
And lava cake?!
And unlimited mimosas for breakfast for $19!!!!!!!!
And strawberry waffles?! I also saw the most beautiful buttermilk biscuits on a tray on our last day and was bummed I had not tried them (I seriously cannot figure out why I gained five pounds).
I highly recommend this little cafe. We would stay at The Wynn again just for this restaurant.
We ate at Tom Culicchio’s Heritage Steakhouse, because my husband and I are huge fans of Top Chef. The meal here was the most I have ever spent on a dinner. We ordered the cheapest bottle of wine on the menu at $65. The filet mignon steaks were $59 each. Like most nice steakhouses, sides are not included. We did not have appetizers or soup or salad. The steaks were just okay.
However, our waiter was awesome. We loved him. He made the whole experience.
For the bottle of wine, two steaks, two sides, and two coffees our total was over $200 before tip.
Ouch.
But now we know.
We also ate, quite by accident, at Raos in Little Caesar’s. It was fine.
It was pretty. It was romantic. The food was decent. Again, we are really spoiled with the Italian restaurants in our town, so I have high standards. This restaurant is about a seven out of ten for me.
We had the lasagna and prime rib noodle special.
The creme brûlée was not good. That makes me sad. And the reason it got a lower rating.
And so this is why we ate all of our remainder of our meals at Terrace Pointe Cafe at The Wynn. That restaurant is a ten out of ten for me. It is really good. We tried a lot of things and everything was amazing. It was also reasonably priced for Las Vegas.
We went to three shows while we were there. I felt like Goldilocks. One was not good, the other leaning towards bad and one was just right.
My husband and I had never heard of Daniel Tosh before, but we love comedy shows. We like to see one comedy show on every trip we take together (our first date was to a comedy show). We went in to the show with open minds.
Daniel Tosh is? Not a nice guy. I did find a lot of his material offensive. However, some of it was funny. And I did find myself in hysterics at some points during the show. I would not see him again, but I honestly did not mind it. His bit is offending everyone and everything. He claims to get an absurd amount of death threats daily. I believe it. It is the shock factor. Honestly, after The Book of Mormon, this did not faze me.
We saw La Reve at The Wynn, because we were staying there and it was convenient.
Hmmmm. How can I say this?
Nicely?
It wasn’t my favorite?
The theater is gorgeous. The entertainers are so talented. It has all of the components of a good show. A really good show. Except for a story and good music. I think that was what was so upsetting. This could be a fantastic show, but they need to scrap the “plot” and start over with a new script, new choreography and new music.
La Reve means “The Dream” and I felt like it was definitely going to put me to sleep.
Finally, the “just right.” We went and saw Absinthe. This show was amazing. It is raunchy. I mean raunchy. I mean… Okay, you get it. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. Or taunt you? I guess it depends on what kind of a show you like. If you have a problem with nudity or cursing or profanity, then this show is not for you. I found it so funny. It was in the right context. The cast is wonderfully talented. It is a burlesque circus show in a very small tent. It is located at Caesar’s Palace. It was amazing. Ten out of ten from me.
There are acrobats, two women who do actual burlesque acts complete with a bubble splashing tank, a couple who perform the craziest act on roller skates, a comedian, and a tightrope.
Fun!
I love a show called, “Teatro ZinZanni” which is a circus-like dinner theater show hosted by a drag queen that performs in Seattle (and used to also perform in San Francisco) in an old beautiful 1920’s circus tent . We have seen that show (it changes seasonally) four times. I was happy to find something similar to our old favorite.
I was captivated from the moment we sat down.
I would come to Las Vegas just to see this show again!
While my husband played in a poker tournament, I went and did some reviews at some of my favorite stores. Part one of my Anthropologie reviews is going up on Sunday. This is the outfit I wore when I went out by myself.
I bought one thing in Las Vegas. It is this summery yellow floral slip that I allowed myself to buy by claiming it was Vegas “underwear.” Yes, I can absolutely justify anything. Yes, this makes my husband a saint.
I wore it out one night with a different slip underneath it and a mustard cardigan over the top. This is because my feet were so swollen and blistered, I could not wear any of the cute dresses I had brought with me on the last night, because none of my high heels would fit on my feet. Thank you guys for telling me to bring comfy shoes. I would never have thought to bring flats otherwise. They were a lifesaver.
Our hotel was at the end of the strip and there was a lot of construction surrounding it. This meant a lot of taxi rides. Which resulted in a lot of overheards. And was one of my favorite parts of the trip. The taxi drivers here were friendlier than any I have ridden with in any other city.
One night when we were coming back to our hotel, a group of men were holding the door for people coming into the hotel. From watching “The Soup” on t.v., I knew immediately who one of the men was. It was the older gentlemen who is on that show “Gigilos.” I cross my heart that this was the same day I had put up my story about being mistaken as an escort and this time I had a male escort holding the door for me. The whole cast was there. I did not speak to them, but I noticed they were very polite to everyone as they made their way through the hotel.
And that was pretty much our trip. We will not be back for a long, long while. It will take my body some time to recuperate from that cigarette smoke. Broken down into ten descriptions:
Hot room
Expensive wine
Tuna croissants
Lots of shows
No sleep
Love
Stuffy nose
Taxi drivers
The house wins
Blisters
Have you been to Las Vegas? What was I missing? What is your favorite part?
P.S. In yesterday’s comments, Gwen had mused that it would be fun if other bloggers posted their wedding pictures today, too.
And Liana from Frock and Hound sweetly did. And it is gorgeous! Her wedding photo looks like a beautiful scene from a fairy tale. You can see it here, on her post A Look Back.
If you would like to share your wedding photo, please let me know and I will link it up here. Thank you! : )
Thanks for this great post and awesome pictures! It depicts LV perfectly! I really felt for you not having an a/c that will cool a room enough to sleep. (I have this problem in hotels also.)
This is one of my favorite posts – relaxed sharing, so openly, about an adventure. 🙂
LY, AM
Thank you! I was worried it was too whiny, but I wanted to truly share the negatives, too. That air conditioning thing threw me for a loop. I honestly did not expect it at the Wynn. The casino was warmer than any of the other hotels also. The coolest casino was at Caesar’s Palace. Just some useless trivia for you. ; )
Thanks again! Hopefully I will get to see you soon. The kids loved seeing you and Uncle Don! They had a great time!
Jenni
Your wedding picture is lovely and you look pretty much exactly the same as you did 15 years ago!
Your food photos are amazing, I’m hungry just looking at them.
I am exactly the same as you, I can’t sleep if it’s hot. My condo is always cold.
Also, you look great in that maxidress!
Thank you Rachel! Weirdly, I feel like my face got longer. I have no idea why! : )
I love food photos! Even before I had a blog, I loved to take pictures of food on every vacation we went on. Food pictures are my favorite part if any vacation pictures of other people, too! I just love it! I love that you have yours in your end of the month instagram pictures! They make me so happy!
My house is always set at sixty five degrees every night and if it gets colder, that is even better! I cannot even sleep if it is sixty six. I wake up sweaty and have nightmares!
Thank you about the dress! I cannot wait to layer it! It is fun!
Have a relaxing weekend!
Jenni
I think this is how a lot of people feel about Vegas, myself included. I like it, but only in small doses. I have been there twice with my Mom. My hubby went out there for work and hated every minute of it so I know I’d never get him out there with me. Love your wedding picture! I pretty much agree with all of the things you enjoyed – pretty hotels, good food, a good show, and a little shopping. I love seeing the ruffle skirt! I’ll probably pretty much copy that look because it looks so great!
Ohhhh. Tosh. Yeah, I used to watch his show on Comedy Central, but then I just lost interest. I got my skirt in the mail today! Check on the inside of yours for the tie for the bustle….. mine has a train. Maybe yours is tied up? What a fun detail!
I actually would have liked the show, but then towards the end he had a bit about The Make A Wish Foundation and that was pretty much it for me. I can’t go there. He claims that there is a bit of funny in every situation, but I disagree with him on that one.
I will have to check my skirt! Mine definitely did not have a train. So, I wonder if it is indeed pinned up. I am so glad you got it! I cannot wait to see it on you!
Have a peaceful weekend!
Jenni
Thank you Heather. You are right. Small doses. Too much is too much! I ended up putting on a turquoise necklace with that skirt, as well. I just forgot to add it for the picture. I was nervous because I was heading out on my own.
Tonight I am sitting in a dark parking lot with my husband waiting for my daughter and her friends to get out of a concert. I feel so old! I want to make them leave early, but my husband is so sweet and is letting them stay as long as they want! Long night! But I did some Anthropologie reviews and, oh, man, there are some awesome things out right now. It is funny that I loved almost everything in California, but nothing in Nevada. I bought two full priced things and they will have to come out of April’s budget. Darn!
Have a better night than me! And a happy weekend!
Jenni
Aw. I love your wedding photo. You look beautiful and your dress is so classic and pretty.
Love your photos (especially of the food!) and I think that maxi dress was a great purchase. It looks so pretty.
Both times I went to Vegas, we ended up going to the Hoover Dam. It’s pretty amazing to see. Many of my food experiences were similar to yours… overpriced, average quality. I’m glad you found one place that you loved.
Thank you Liana! Yes, that was exactly it “overpriced and average quality.” That is a perfect description. I have never been to the Hoover Dam either (actually maybe when I was 1, but I do not remember it). I am sure we will go again. I just will research the air conditioning next time or just go in the wintertime!
Thank you for the sweet words. Have a beautiful weekend!
Jenni
Thank you for linking me!
: ). Ditto! Thanks for doing it! That was so sweet!
Jenni
Pretty wedding photo! I am glad you enjoyed your time, but were ready to be out of Vegas. I had the same feelings when I went. My favorite part of Vegas was hiking the red rocks…nothing about “normal” vegas shinanigans! The food looked amazing. Eating out on vacation is one of my favorite things. Any food I don’t have to cook or clean up after is my favorite 🙂 The dress is lovely on you and i can’t wait to see your reviews!
Thank you Alicia! I had not heard of the red rocks until both you and Liana mentioned them. I really need to get in shape! But I really want another tuna croissant! ; )
I just did more reviews tonight! So now I have five sets of reviews to go up and I have no idea how I am going to incorporate them into the blog smoothly without them taking over. I want to spread them out, but I do not want them to get dated. Oh, the problems! ; )
I hope you are doing great! Have a lovely weekend!
Jenni
Aww, you really do look exactly the same as in your wedding picture! It looks like a lovely trip despite the setbacks. Congratulations on 15 years!
Thank you Kristina! I really appreciate that. We still had a great time. It just was on the bottom of trips we have taken in terms of rating. But it was also one of the cheapest. Our room ended up being around 75% less than rack rate. We got an amazing deal on airfare and we ate out only two times a day and mostly it was relatively inexpensive at the cafe. So, I do feel it was a good value for the price we paid. Next year, we will try something new!
Thank you again! : ). Have a fabulous weekend!
Jenni
It seems like you (mostly) had a great time! I love all the food pictures – they look so yummy! The room looks insanely beautiful it’s unfortunate to hear that the AC wasn’t working ): I have never been to Vegas so I can’t really imagine how awful it must have been! Congrats on 15 years! I would have never guessed – to be completely honest I thought you were in your early 20s for a while!
Woot! Thanks Deniz! I feel so old, so I very much appreciate that! Especially as I wait for my kid at a concert to get over. We did have a good time. It was exciting and fun. Just a few snags, but I will still look back on the trip fondly.
Thank you again! : )
I hope your weekend is magical!
Jenni
Glad to see all your pics, & what a lovely wedding pic! I agree w/ another comment, you look the same, so that’s great! Love the dress! Mine was a full ball gown skirt as well, tulle! My also had a ribbon along the bottom, but smaller than yours. I LOVE the blk & wh striped, lace overlay dress so much! Is it from Anthro? I may have to check site out & make a wishlist to be notified of a pop back. Is that how it works? I saw people advertising Absinthe when we were they last yr, bc I love to walk around Caesar’s Forum Shops. It’s beautiful, you feel like you’re in Europe & the ceiling is painted w/ clouds like you’re outside! I think they were the first (in LV at least) to do this! It sounds like an interesting, fun show. Maybe next time we’re there we’ll see it. Thanks for reviews!
Have a fabulous weekend w/ your family!
🙂 Rebecca
Thank you Rebecca! I love that we had similar dresses! I never even noticed the ribbon at the bottom until you mentioned it! : ). That dress is from Anthropologie. It was last year’s. I added it to my wishlist I believe in June and it hit sale in September or October. It is now sold out. So, to add something to your wishlist, find it when it first comes out and add it. Then watch for it to hit sale and make deeper cuts. There are a lot of things right now I cannot wait for! Super excited for some of the new arrivals! I added a dress and a shirt to my wishlist today! I have that dress in my wishlist, if it pops back, I will email you!
I hope you like that show if you see it! : )
Thank you again! Have a fun weekend!
Jenni
Girl you are rocking that black and white dress with your bunny belt. You totally belong in that Las Vegas hotel lobby whether you think you do or not. You are smoking. I enjoyed reading about your trip. I am sorry you had some bad experiences but I am so glad you found some fun anyway. If I ever get to go there, your tips will be handy. You and your husband look amazing in your wedding photo. I enjoyed seeing his reflection in one of the pictures too. I had been trying to guess what he looked like. Happy Anniversary! Here’s to many more!
Thank you so much! If you ever go, write me, because I have some tips on getting things at a better discount! You made me blush with happiness with your sweet compliments. Thank you! : )
He was so embarrassed about his photo in the glass, but I have wanted to share him for awhile, so I added it anyway. : ). He’ll never know! Well, unless he reads the blog. This will be a real determination yo see if he does. Ha!
Thank you again! Have a lovely weekend!
Jenni
Love your wedding photo! You look like Cinderella at the ball. Your dress is a perfectly shaped bell. So pretty. I just went over to Liana’s blog to see her wedding photo and will try to get mine up soon. I’m in Texas again but will see if Freddy can send me one.
I love you in your new yellow floral Vegas underwear! I swear you should be in a Cover Girl commercial.
I have to say that I am not fond of Las Vegas. And just having you mention the cigarette smoke makes me queasy. I would like to see downtown Vegas since I have heard that it has changed a lot.
Glad you guys did have some fun.
xo,cynthia
Thank you so much Cynthia! I hope Freddy can get you one! That would be so cool! But I also hope you are having a good time in Texas. I hope you post while you are there. I love seeing the animals and what you are doing! I cannot wait! : )
Thank you again! I appreciate it!
Have a relaxing time in Texas. I am sure Marcy is loving being Queen of the House right now! : )
Jenni
Thanks for sharing your experience of Las Vegas. it sounds like you guys had a great time. I was their in 1993 and first kissed my now husband their. We also are not gamblers and spent our time mostly at the bar and before we knew it, it was morning and our tour was about to leave. I think we would be one of the only people to ever visit and not to even put money in a poker machine.
Thank you for sharing Melinda! I think that is the sweetest story! I loved reading it! You guys were smart with the machines. I normally never put any money in, but this time I did. Surprise! I lost! ; )
I hope you are having a great weekend!
Jenni
What a gorgeous couple! You look like you should be sitting on top of a wedding cake : )
I loved the photos and the story.
Your room looked fantastic!
That food is making me hungry, but like everything in Vegas it is so overpriced.
I’m not surprised by your review of the shows. Once, we went and saw 3 Cirque shows in one trip and were over them after the first show but had already bought tickets. Now we don’t bother. Once was enough. I do think that like you, I’d love the Burlesque show though. They are always so much fun, plus now after your review I really want to see it.
So true about the walking thing there. Everything is bigger than in real life and that means walking forever.
bisous
Suzanne
Thank you Suzanne! I think you would love that show. You have a good sense of humor.
And thank you for the sweet words. We were so young. I just remember it was a whirlwind of a day and that I hated my flowers, but the photographer insisted they be in every photo. But it was as perfect of a day as I could imagine. Vegas was such a low stress wedding!
Thank you again! I appreciate it!
Have a wonderful Sunday! : )
Jenni
How cool that you stayed at the Wynn – I actually thought that hotel would suit you the most, I mean the decor is like what would happen if you combined Anthropologie displays and fantasy novels. I remember going in there and desperately wanting to roll up one of the floor rugs and make off with it.
What a shame you guys did not like Le Reve, we enjoyed it, but then we’re used to Cirque du Soleil and their “who needs a plot” style of stories. I sort of think of that show as a series of tableus that moved, and were pretty. 😉
Lastly, your wedding photo – you look beautiful! You both do! We gotta get on the email and organise some mass blogger wedding photo day, girl, and then you have to repeat this baby. 😉
Thank you Gwen! Yes, I loved the carpet! It was also really cool! It would have been my dream fantasy hotel had it not been for the cigarette smoke and the darn air conditioning!
La Reve. Yes, I need a plot. If there wasn’t going to be one, I felt it needed to about an hour shorter. But I am so glad someone enjoyed it. I figured a lot of people must like it for it to be at The Wynn and get such good reviews online! : )
Awwww. Thank you for the sweet comment on my wedding photo. I appreciate it.
Have a great day!
Jenni
Thank you so much for sharing this. It was so nice to get a glimpse into your trip. That flower carousel is, of course, my most favorite part. How dreamy! I also loved seeing all of your food snapshots. Yum! I think my favorite shot is of you in the yellow on the couch. It feels like such a sincere, honest portrait. And you look so romantic and pretty. I also love the one where I can see your husband in the reflection taking your picture. That’s love, isn’t it? “Please enable my vanity, love.” And he does. And I appreciate that about Kyle, as well.
I loved this honest portrait of your experience in Vegas, from the fashion, to the shows, to the food. I’m a sucker for nostalgia, too. Kyle and I are talking about our upcoming wedding anniversary and maybe travelling to Savannah and Charleston where we honeymooned. We’ve of course been back to Savannah since (obviously, we lived there! And vacationed there every year for our anniversary), but we haven’t been back to Charleston.
And each anniversary of course brings out the wedding photos. Thanks for sharing yours. Like you said, it’s so nice to look back on where you’ve been and get excited about where you’re headed.
<3 Liz
http://www.withwonderandwhimsy.com
Thank you Liz. I think it is SO important to celebrate anniversaries. Really celebrate them. Go somewhere. Be together. After having kids, this gets harder and harder. I have always made sure that each year is special. Marriage can have its rough times and having something to look forward to as well as good times to remember helps me so much.
My husband is so sweet about the pictures. It doesn’t even really phase him anymore, although, I will admit it is not his most favorite thing I ask him to do.
I hope you do go back to Charleston. That would be so much fun. Or anywhere, really. I love that traveling makes you rely on each other and grow closer! Have fun wherever you choose to go!
I hope you Tuesday is grand!
Jenni
wow how totally fun! love that you guys had so much fun and ate awesome food, saw shows, etc….my favorite pic is the one of your hubby taking your pix in the reflection- so sweet- and I am sure he loves all of your outfits!haha!
Thanks Melody! It was a fun time. My husband is a good sport. Much better than I would be. I love him. He hates that picture with his reflection. He thinks it looks creepy, but I think it looks sweet. : )
Have a happy week!
Jenni
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