The Colmans did Las Vegas !

So the Colmans did Las Vegas and lived to tell the tale as well. But it did snow – yes snow !! That was a shock and it made it very cold and miserable as well…. It was not lovely powdery snow – it was sleety and messy and pretty miserable – but as I always say – we were not there for the weather.

I mean - just look at it !!
I mean – just look at it !!

We flew out of Fort Lauderdale on Jet Blue after a leisurely lunch at the Ritz Carlton – very good fish and chips by the way. Arriving at night to Las Vegas was pretty spectacular – suddenly seeing all those lights appear in the desert was an incredible sight that just makes you laugh out loud at the improbability of it all…..

Early morning view from our hotel - the moon is still hanging in there.....
Early morning view from our hotel – the moon is still hanging in there…..

The hotel where we stayed was not on the Strip – but it was only one block back and was very convenient.

Oh look - the Chrysler building - but with the mountains in the background - this was the last time we saw the sun ....
Oh look – the Chrysler building – but with the mountains in the background – this was the last time we saw the sun ….

The Building Show – the reason of course that we were there was vast. Anyone who has ever been to a trade show knows how tiring these things are – we saw some very useful stuff – good contacts for new suppliers and some exciting new products. Two days traipsing around is enough – the brain can only take in so much – well mine anyway !

The outside of the Bellagio
The outside of the Bellagio

Now the important after show stuff ! Like eating and gambling ….

Not a great shot of the water fountain show - but it shows we were there at least.
Not a great shot of the water fountain show – but it shows we were there at least.

The first night after the show we ate at Spago in the Bellagio. It was a really great meal ….. and we got to watch the dancing light show which the restaurant looks out on to. The light show was not as good as it usually is as it was snowing during our time there….. The meal was fabulous. The three of us – we took Percy our Bahamian architect with us – shared a house speciality as an appetizer. Smoked salmon and dill cream pizza with caviar – so very good ! Of course it was pretty much gone before I realized that I had forgotten to take a picture …..

Herb risotto with Maine lobster , parsnip chips and a foam - but I can't remember what flavor ! Delicious....
Herb risotto with Maine lobster , parsnip chips and a foam – but I can’t remember what flavor ! Delicious….
Bob's black cod - very good as well....
Bob’s black cod – very good as well….

The service was great and the food was worth every penny – I heartily recommend this place. After dinner we strolled around the hotel and I had already decided that I couldn’t say I had really been to Las Vegas if I didn’t have a little flutter in the casino. Roulette is totally a game of chance – no skill or real understanding needed – so right up my street. I hate card games and cannot understand the machines that used to be called one armed bandits – so roulette it was ! Bob and Percy were game for it so off we went.

Having fun at the roulette table in the Bellagio
Having fun at the roulette table in the Bellagio

I had read when googling tips for beginners at roulette, that a European roulette wheel gives better odds than the traditional US ones as it only has one zero instead of 2. So we were directed into a room that honestly was just like Casino Royale – all red and gilt and glitz ! The staff could not have been more helpful or friendly – they told me that despite our meagre $200 stake money at a table where the minimum bet was $100 it didn’t mean we could only have 2 bets. With $25 chips the game went on for about 10 minutes or so – the first 5 minutes were fun – spreading the bets meant that we were not wiped out at all and when the boredom set in I said let’s go while we are still ahead – stake money back plus $200 winnings – not bad for my first ever time gambling eh ?

Me with my ill gotten gains before cashing them in !
Me with my ill gotten gains before cashing them in !

The next night we ate at Mizumi at the Wynn. Thank you Kay Addiss for the recommendation – so good and a lovely spot. The decor at the Wynn is something else – over the top or what ? And the range of shops is astonishing – Gucci, Chanel and Prada everywhere ! I suppose if you come out of the casino having won big then it is easy to go in one of these stores and go crazy…….

I mean - how often do you come across a carousel of flower covered horses walking through a hotel - well quite often if you are at the Wynn.
I mean – how often do you come across a carousel of flower covered horses walking through a hotel – well quite often if you are at the Wynn.

Then later that night back on the red-eye to Fort Lauderdale arriving on Friday morning at some godforsaken time feeling like a total zombie. A long weekend was spent trying to recover from it all.

Vegas16

It was a great trip – utterly exhausting but such a lot to see. All the time we were in Las Vegas I was so painfully aware of how it is a city built on the money and the misery of people who get gripped in the addiction of gambling and throw so much away. It was a real experience and we did have some fun – but I won’t be rushing back to do it again…….

This was the fish and chips at the Ritz Carlton - very good indeedy !
This was the fish and chips at the Ritz Carlton – very good indeedy !
The Eiffel Tower in the snow.....
The Eiffel Tower in the snow…..
Cheers ......
Cheers ……

 

 

6 thoughts on “The Colmans did Las Vegas !”

  1. My! What a whirlwind trip. Marvelous food! Loved your photos particularly the carousel. You are a wise woman to keep the winnings. Glad you got to the Bellagio and Spago. Now that you’ve had a taste of slush…just imagine what it looked like in Hartford when we flew in last week after sleeping in the Charlotte airport “Minute Suites” due to canceled flights! Only two runways barely cleared of ice. Lord? Give us warmth and sun any day. And that moon? We saw the same through the plane’s window as the moon reflected on the clouds. Home sweet home Eleuthera…thinking of you…
    Donna & Stuart

    1. Bob and Kathy Colman

      I honestly do not know how you can bear the winters up there ! Yes please to warmth and sun !

  2. Dear Kathy and Bob,

    It must be so wonderful to get back to Eleuthera after such a trip! You truly get to appreciate what you have. Thanks for sharing!

    Camilla

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Kathy Colman

Writer, Interior Designer, Foodie, and Wife to Bob. Living in Eleuthera, Bahamas

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