The weekend before last, Beloved B and I went to Vegas for a long weekend as a late birthday present for her. I had never been there, and Beth had only been in short spurts with family members, so we thought we’d knock it off the bucket list of iconic American places. We certainly aren’t “Vegas people” as we went to bed by midnight every night and spent a total of $60 bucks on gambling (and B left with $77!). I probably won’t ever go back because it’s too expensive, too crowded, and too busy for my tastes in vacation spots. But I’m certainly glad we went, as I always have a blast exploring new spaces with Beloved B.
Here’s a list of my favorite things we did:
Mirage Volcano
Certainly enhanced by an edible, this show was one of the most surprising joys of the trip. I’m a big fan of free outside attractions. I was blown away by the use of fire. I could literally feel the heat. I was mesmerized!
X Burlesque
We’ve fallen in love with the Indy burlesque scene, admiring its inclusivity of all bodies and playful styles. We were stoked that our hotel, The Flamingo, had this storied show. Despite it being much different, as in less inclusive, as in “pornier” to use Beloved B’s word, it was a fun time, feeling very much in the sexy spirit of Vegas.
Monorail
We arrived in Vegas on a rainy Friday morning at 9 am, so we stashed our bags and headed off to explore the city till our room was ready. The Monorail, which runs from one end of the Strip to the other, was a perfect way to stay dry and take in the landscape layout of the Strip.
Duck Donuts
It took us a second and a little bickering to find this spot, but gracious was it worth it. Always weird to spend five bucks on a donut, sure, but when it’s churched up like this after a long travel day, it’s totally worth it. I wish I had been more adventurous, but these funnel-cake-like base donuts hit so hard, there really aren’t any bad options.
Bellagio Contemporary Art Gallery
I was not expecting to find cool and strange contemporary art on the Strip, but that’s exactly what we found here. It was a small exhibit, with a couple dozen pieces, but it was mostly empty of visitors and very well-curated. I love just slowly moving through a gallery, even taking a second loop to seal my favorites into my mind.
Bellagio Botanical Gardens
I love watching Beloved B light up with child-like wonder and awe. This season’s exhibit certainly did it for her, charming us with an Alice in Wonderland vibe of giant floating tea kettles and oversized hummingbirds. On a cold dreary weekend, it was so refreshing to be engulfed by such well-curated greenery.
Little Neon Chapel
I’ll bury this towards the end, haha, but Beloved B and I eloped on the Saturday of the trip. It was part insurance-logistics decision and part goofy whim, and we are still certainly having our small loved ones wedding in June. But it just felt right, jumping into that spirit of Vegas. My favorite part was B asking the photographer if anyone had high-fives in their photo. When she said no, you know what we did.
Eureka
After our elopement, we found what seemed like the only non-party place on Fremont Street for a nice meal. Eureka was absolutely the best meal I had all weekend—Brussels sprouts to start, with grilled chicken nachos. In other news, I’m becoming addicted to nachos.
Farrell Dillon
On Sunday, as kinda our last hurrah, we decided to check out the comedy-magician Farrell Dillon at Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club. It’s happened before and it’s happened again: my big goofy face was called onstage to assist with a couple close up magic. Here’s the deal: I freaking love close-up magic. Give me all the deception and glee! This guy is great!
Music everywhere
Like most public places you go these days, there was music constantly being pumped through the speakers. And I was surprised by how much it hit in Vegas—Matchbox Twenty, Counting Crows, Hootie. I just kept walking around going, “Oh man, I totally forgot about this jam.” A great soundtrack to a great weekend.