Las Vegas, NV

Las Vegas 2008

Steffanie and I took a trip to Las Vegas as part of a work conference I attended. We had a great time and saw quite a bit. We even came out ahead on the slots. One thing we did learn is that 6 days is about 3 days too long to be in Vegas, unless you're a great gambler!
We had a great view from our 18th floor room at the Mirage.
Since our room was on the end, we had 2 windows.
Dolphin and White Tiger Habitat
We visited Siegfried and Roy's Dolphin and White Tiger Habitat which was right next to our hotel.
Notice the Lion to the right of Steffanie's head.
Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
Hard Rock Cafe
Treasure Island
We went over to Treasure Island to watch the show where the two pirate ships battle. It was a great show complete with partially dressed men and women, singing, dancing and a sinking ship.

We also tried our luck at the loose slots in the casino.
This was our lucky night as we both started with $20 and left about $400 richer!
The Stratosphere
The Stratosphere was a fun place to visit. I went to the top to ride the thrill rides, but Steffanie stayed behind at the bottom to observe the shops. This 1,149 ft high tower is the tallest free-standing observation tower in the United States.
The first ride was the Big Shot which shoots you 160 ft straight up in the air at 4 Gs, which is followed by a nice stomach-dropping free-fall. Then I rode the X-Scream, a single cart teeter-totter that sends you almost 30 ft over the edge of the tower at over 860 ft above the ground.
And the last and best ride was the Insanity ride. This egg beater extends 64 feet from the edge of the tower and spins at 3 Gs over 860 ft above the ground. This was by far the most thrilling of the thrill rides.
Freemont Street - Old Downtown
We visited old downtown for a bit of the flavor of the original Las Vegas. The cowboy was down there but no longer moved his arm. This was Las Vegas where the buffets were still cheap and the slots were supposedly looser (but not for us.) We watched some street performances and got to check out an amazing light show on a 90 ft high, 5 football fields long canopy.
Brush with Fame
Steffanie and I were walking through the Forum at Caesar's Palace and walked past a sports memorabilia store. Pete Rose was there signing autographs - but nobody was in line. I called a friend of mine who is a huge baseball fan and he asked me to get him an autographed baseball.
Steffanie got her brush with fame standing next to Marie Osmond's outfit she wore in Dancing with the Stars. This was on display at The Flamingo. She also got a chance to mingle with a star at M&M World.
The Strip
The cheapest and most entertaining attraction was just walking the strip. Las Vegas spares no expense in providing lots of glamor and glitz for the eye. One night we walked to the Bellagio to watch a water show.
Zumanity
On our last night in Vegas, we went to Cirque du Soleil's Zumanity - the sensual side to Cirque du Soleil. We got 2nd row seats to the show and had a great time. Before the show begins, some of the actors come out and warm up the crowd by getting them involved - check your modesty at the door. Steffanie even got her chance in the spotlight! Unfortunately, no cameras were allowed, so here are a couple of pictures of us dressed up for the show.