I just realize that I never gave a recap of the trip to Las Vegas that Kelly and I took over February 13-16. Back in January, Kelly and I were getting the winter blues and decided we need to go some place warm for a few days, and with the economy in the state that it is we figured we could probably find some killer deals. Sure enough, after some searching we found a great deal for a 3 night stay with non-stop flights from Chicago. The hotel was The Signature at MGM Grand. If you are not familiar, The Signature are the 3 towers behind the main MGM Grand Casino Hotel. These towers house only suites and are completely non-smoking and are separate from the casino. They are normally twice what we paid plus we got the 3rd night free! (You could really tell, Vegas was hurting for some business).
After a few flight delays we got to Vegas around 8:30 PM on Friday. We took a cab over to our hotel and decided to go find some dinner. We wandered over to the MGM Grand and grabbed a bite to eat at their main diner that stays open 24x7 and wandered around a bit. We decided to have a couple of drinks back at our hotel and call it an early night (3 AM) that first night so were were rested for the next couple of days.
On Saturday, we wandered over the MGM Grand again and picked up our tickets for the Cirque du Soliel show KA that were going to later that night and decided we better set a dinner reservation for that night since it was Valentines Day. We got a 10:45 PM reservation at MGM's 4 star Italian restaurant Fiamma which worked out great since we coul
d eat right after our show! The rest of that day we took the monorail down to check out the Paris, Bally's, Harrah's and Venetian casinos since I had never been in any of them before. We s
aw the craziest thing ever outside a Sushi restaurant at Bally's. It was one of those "Claw Games" where you put money in and maneuver a mechanical claw to grab a stuffed animal. Except, in this case you try to grab a live Lobster from a tank! If you catch one they cook it up for you for free!
While wandering around the various casinos we noticed that allot of the stores were running huge sales (another sign of the economy?) so we ducked in a few to see what we could find. I found a nice pair of cuff links at Kenneth Cole, which worked well because I needed some for the shirt I wanted to wear that night. Kelly found some clothes too. We also wandered into photographer's (can't remember his name) gallery. He specializes in landscape photography and had some beautiful pieces in his collection. While were there Kelly and I got singled out for quick private showing of a couple of pictures (apparently we looked like we had money), and when Kelly asked how much one of the pictures was we were told that it was $3200 for the smaller print, but that did include framing. We said we would think about it and continued along our merry way. ;) After lunch at the Paris and some gellato at the Venetian we decided to make our way back toward our hotel so we could start getting ready for our show. Along the way we stopped at a kiosk and bought a couple of bottle of beers, mainly because we could! It was weird being able to wander around outside, on the monorail and through the casinos with a beer and not have to worry about where we were at with it.
After we got back to the hotel we relaxed and got changed and then head back to the MGM Grand to catch KA! Since we were all gussied up, we got a couple of pictures taken by the photographers at the show which I plan to scan and add to our
Vegas gallery. Once at the show, we each grabbed a bucket sized cocktail (I asked for a smaller one, but the bartender shamed me into getting the larger one) and headed in. Fortunately, I had purchased the tickets in advance before we left for Vegas and we were able to get great seats in the second row! The show was amazing. I don't want to give too much away but it was done in an Asian style and the choreography was outstanding. If you ever get to Vegas you can't go wrong with a Cirque du Soliel show, especially KA! The tickets are pricey but after you see the show you feel like you got your money's worth! After the show we did some shopping in the gift shop and decided to have a few cocktails before dinner. We headed over to a fancy looking lounge called "Rouge", or as I kept mistakenly calling it, Rogue. After that we had a romantic and yummy dinner and wine at Fiamma.
On Sunday, we decided that we wanted to try out one of the famous breakfast buffets and based on a recommendation from our hotel's concierge we headed over to the Bellagio. I was super psyched because I was starving and couldn't wait to dig into that buffet! When we go there we saw a long line and my heart sunk, but Kelly gave me a pep talk and we got in line to wait it out. Turned out that they were cranking people through the line fairly quickly and we got in in no time! The food was awesome, if you are ever in Vegas and need a place for a big breakfast go here! It's $22 a person ($32 if you want Champagne) but worth it. The food was delicious and there was a ton to choose from.
After breakfast we decided to do some more exploring and wandered around the Bellagio and took some pictures at the Asian garden and wandered through the Art Museum. From there we made our way over to Ceasar's Palace where we grabbed a snack and did some more shopping in the Forum Shops (again more sales). After that we made our way down to the south end of the strip where we wandered through the Excalibur and Luxor and the stopped in the New York New York where we did some
shopping at the Harley Store and grabbed a New York Style pretzel.
Later that night we went back to MGM Grand to finally do some gambling. This did not last long. Kelly and I quickly blew through money at the blackjack tables and slot machines. I tried my luck one last time at the roulette table and lost the rest of my gambling money betting on red! From here we decided to spend our money on drinks at another lounge called Centrifuge. It is a round lounge in the middle of the casino where every 10-15 minutes the bartenders and waitresses get up on the bar and dance. Kelly noticed at one point that every other song seemed to be a Madonna song, which didn't seem to make sense but we were in Vegas and went with it.
Monday morning we made our way back to the airport and got back into Chicago in time for Kelly to go to her class that night. I had been to Vegas one other time but this time seemed to be a lot more fun. I chalk it up to being there with some one I have fun with this last time. :) Can't wait to get back some day! If you want to see all the pics we took while we were there you can go to our smugmug gallery by clicking
here.
Labels: entertainment, Fun, vacation
Vegas, Here We Come!
These winter months tend to drag this time of year so Kelly and I were talking and it turns out she has a couple of company holidays over the next month or so. One on
MLK day and another on Presidents day. We thought this might be a great time to get a quick get away in to help fight that cabin fever. After kicking around a few ideas we settled on Vegas. Neither one of us have been there in a long time and it's the perfect destination if you only want to get away for a couple of days. Because if you have ever been to Vegas, its a great time but after about the 3rd day you start to get burned out on it. I know first hand because I spent a week there for work once and after awhile the glitz and glam wore me out!
Since Kelly has a school function the Saturday of
MLK weekend that ruled out that
time frame which brought us to President's Day weekend, which also falls over Valentines Day. Unfortunately, I don't have that Monday off but I have a number of vacation days stored away so I could afford to take the time off. So we started looking around and came across some decent deals on flights and hotel stays. After we determined we wanted to stay close to the action on the strip we finally settled on staying at
The Signature at MGM Grand. The nice thing about this place is that it has nice big suites for rooms with a ton of upgraded amenities and does not have a casino in it.
Plus, it is a non smoking facility which is hard to come by in Vegas! But if we do want to gamble a bit there are a ton of Casinos within walking distance. Here is a
picture of one the rooms that we will be staying in. Also, we lucked out and found direct flights to and from Vegas that
would allow us to leave after work on Friday and return by 3:30PM on Monday. Trust me, this is harder to find than you might think unless you are willing to pay a lot more. Now we have something to look forward to in February. We are both pretty excited. It should be fun!
Labels: entertainment, vacation
Back from Mexico!
Well, its been a while since I have put a post up here but for good reason. Prior to last Friday, I was frantically working to get my work caught up and home tasks completed so I could be ready for my trip to
Riviera Maya on the Yucatan
peninsula in Mexico. Kelly and I had been looking forward to this trip for weeks. We both needed the break from the everyday hum-drum and I definitely need to get away from my work pager! Our trip included an all inclusive stay at the beautiful
Barcelo Maya resort. The
Barcelo Maya is a massive resort situated along the gorgeous
beaches of the
Caribbean. It consists of 5 separate hotels (Maya Beach, Maya Colonial, Maya, Maya
Caribe, Maya Tropical and Maya Palace). The Maya Palace is currently under construction and should be done sometime next year. Kelly and I stayed at the Maya
Caribe but had access to the facilities at all the other hotels. What follows is a day by day account of our trip:
Day 1 (Friday, October 12, 2007)Kelly and I wake-up early to catch our 10:00 AM flight with US Airways (or so we thought). Once arriving at our terminal for US Airways we find a sign stating that United will now be handling our particular flight and we need to check in at their desk. Of course United is in a completely different terminal so we hoof it over to United to get checked in. Fortunately we had given ourselves some wiggle room
time wise and were only mildly annoyed at the inconvenience. Once arriving at the United counter we found out that we would not be able to do the automated
check in and need to stand in line to wait for a representative to help us. Well given our luck we get behind at least 3 people that have overloaded their check baggage and were trying to repack things into their carry-on. Finally, we get up to the counter only stand and watch as we get passed over multiple times for folks who are checking bags. We stood there for what seemed like 20 minutes or so being ignored until Kelly finally spoke up when they tried to pass us up again and we finally got someone to help us. Fortunately we were carrying on all of our luggage and didn't have to worry about it getting lost or making our connecting flight (more on that). Personally, I have never been a big fan of United but you take what you can get sometimes! :) After getting checked in we were finally on our way. We
boarded our flight, after asking them find us seats together (the travel agency booked us in separate rows), and took off for our first stop in Mexico City.
Once in Mexico City we found out that our connect flight had also been changed as far as which carrier would be taking us the rest of the way, so we spent most of the 2 hour lay over getting through immigration and then trying to figure out which carrier and gate we need to get to. After figuring this out we were starved and had about 30 minutes to grab lunch and catch our flight. We boarded
AeroMexicana and were on our way to Cancun!
About 1.5 hours later we found ourselves on the ground at the Cancun airport trying to figure out where to catch our transfer ride down to the resort. After accidentally getting sucked in by a tourist salesman for about 10 minutes we wandered out into a see of taxi drivers all seeking to take us to our destination. This would have been great but we had prepaid for our transfer and need to find a specific one. Our lame travel agency didn't bother to tell us who would be handling the transfer so we were kind of lost. Thanks to a friendly taxi driver he was able to put us in touch with our transfer folks and we were able to catch our van ride south to the resort.
The drive south was a fairly uneventful 1.5 hour trip. It was getting later and darker and Kelly and I were tired and just taking in the view as we traveled past beautiful resort entrances mixed in with local "mom & pop" convenience stores and local dwellings. As it was getting darker we passed by a nice looking entrance to a resort and just as we passed it Kelly speaks up and says, "Wasn't that our resort back there?" I was pretty clueless and said I didn't know and she said she was almost 99% sure it was and stopped the driver and asked him to turn around to take us back. After some
disagreement he takes us back and while checking in with his dispatcher. The note he had been given was that we were going to a completely different resort that
happened to be another 45 minutes down the road! Well after getting through the security gate we pull up to the lobby and I talk to the bell boy who checks his list of names and can't find Kelly's. I then tell him my name and look through the list with him and sure enough we were on it! The driver bids us farewell and we walk up to the counter to check in.
While we were checking in, a waitress brings a couple of fruity tropical drinks to welcome us and start thinking, "this is going to a good time." We find our room and get our things settled in and decide to head down to the buffet before it closes for a much needed dinner. The great thing about the resort is that everything is open air including the buffet. The only exception being the nice restaurants that you need reservations for. We
grabbed a bite to eat and decided to wander around see what there was around. It was dark so we walked by the beach and saw the pools and came across one of the 2 open air theatres where a live show of Mexican dancers was going on. We grab another fruity drink at the bar and watch the show for a while. By now it has gotten late and we are beat from our travel and decide to hit the sack.
Day 2 (Saturday, October 13, 2007)We wake up to a beautiful
Caribbean day. We head down to the buffet from some breakfast and then I head to the gym for a quick jog and then meet Kelly by the pool. From there we decided to go the beach instead and make our way over there. We spend some time catching some rays and then decide to go for a swim. The water was relatively calm and as we are wading around we look down to see
dozens of bluegill size fish schooling around us. They especially seem to like Kelly and follow her anywhere she goes (animal
magnetism I guess). After the invading fish freak her out thoroughly we decide to head back into shore. On my way back in I almost step on a horseshoe crab but see him just in time!
Once on the shore we decide to head in and set up by one of the main pools. So we find a sunny spot and relax for a bit. Then we decided to go for a dip and order some drinks at the swim up bar. After that we head over to the snack hut to hit the buffet for lunch and then go back to the pool for awhile. That night we decided to use our one complimentary reservation at one of the nice sit down restaurants and get cleaned up to go to
Agava, a lovely Mexican restaurant. The meal was
exquisite and the strawberry margaritas were flowing freely. At the end of the meal we ordered some desert and the
waiter talked us into some tequila shots that went down smooth. Not too long after we decide to hit the hay so we are rested for our
excursion to
Xel-Ha the next morning.
Day 3 (Sunday, October 14, 2007)The next day we wake up to some overcast skies. We head down to catch our bus to
Xel-Ha. Our admission to
Xel-Ha included food throughout the day, snorkel gear, drinks from the bar and
eco friendly sunblock.
Xel-Ha is an
eco park which means that is dedicated to
preserving the
eco system and educating visitors on its natural wonders. It is located around a spring fed river that flows into the
Caribbean where fresh water and
saltwater mixes to create a unique environment.
Our first order of business once reaching the park was to grab some breakfast at the buffet, then we decide to catch the tram to the head of the river to float down to the mouth. We grab some tubes and begin the float trip under a canopy of mangroves. This spits us out into a river lined with rock formations, mangroves, palm plants and loads of
exotic animals. Unfortunately the tubing took longer than expected but we eventually made it to the end. From there we decide to do some
snorkeling, so we pick up our gear and head into the waters. We
snorkel across the bay seeing all sorts beautiful fish around rock formations and open sandy bottoms. We come to an inlet where dozens and dozens of small bluegill size fish with black strips and yellow bodies began to swirl around us! At this point Kelly had decided to swim away to take a
picture of me with the fish. I
hadn't realized this and just as I went look for her I felt a big bump
against my side. Thinking it was her I look under my arm just in time to see a 3 foot long grouper swimming into my side. This, naturally caught me off guard and freaked me out a little. Kelly said she is pretty sure she got a picture of it. From there we
snorkeled along the shore and came across a cave that you could
snorkel into. We went inside and got our picture taken and then decided to go get some lunch. After lunch we grabbed our snorkel gear and decided to hike through the jungle to the head of the river again so we could
snorkel down it this time. Along the hike we came across
iguanas,
Mexican badgers, brightly colored crabs, and beautiful
fauna. After a long hike we came to a bridge that crossed the river. On the other side was a 12 foot cliff. Kelly heads over and after working up some nerve she jumps off! Not to be out done I make my way over to the cliff. I make the mistake of looking down and then begin to wonder if I can do it. After some encouragement from some other patrons and Kelly making fun of me I finally work up the nerve to jump. I am glad I did. From there we proceed to snorkel down the river and enjoy the
peacefulness. At the other end we decided to call it a day for the snorkeling because the water had begun to get cloudy from the tides changing. We get out and had in our gear and decide to do some shopping in the shops on site. We find some nice
souvenirs and then decide to find a couple of tropical drinks and a quiet place to sit and watch a thunderstorm roll in off the gulf. It was beautiful site to see! From there we catch our bus back to the resort
That night's show was a
karaoke night so we decide to skip it and head back to the room. As I am flipping through the channels I find out that the New Orleans Saints game is on TV in
Spanish. Kelly and I are both tuckered out and Kelly suggests that I settle in and we can watch the game (what an awesome girlfriend!). At half time we head to buffet for dinner and get back in time to catch the Saints finishing off their first victory of the season. After that we go to bed.
Day 4 (Monday, October 15, 2007)On our last full day at the resort we decide to take it easy. We start the day down by the beach. Because of a storm the night before there were some pretty good waves so we decide to grab a couple of boogie boards and hit the waves. Unfortunately, they weren't quite big enough so we ended up just floating around on the boards for a while. After that Kelly decided to head over to the activities hut to try her hand at pottery painting but then found out that they
wouldn't have it fired for her until after we were
going to be gone the next day. From there we decided to grab a couple hammocks by the pool and relax. After some reading we get into to the pool for a while and then head into the snack hut for some lunch. From there we hit our hammocks again and then decide to hit the pool and swim up bar again. A few drinks and some swimming around later we meet an older couple from St. Louis. Kelly strikes up a conversation and before you know we have another newly wed couple from St. Louis joining our little party. Kelly was quite the social butterfly all weekend. A couple of days earlier she had made friends with Canadian couple who were there with there baby and a Mexican couple that were there with there baby as well. Back to the St. Louis couples, we end up hanging with them by the swim-up bar until they close it down for the evening. From there everyone decides we should probably get something to eat so we make some unofficial plans to meet up at the show after dinner. Unfortunately, Kelly and I got really tired right after dinner and decided to just walk around a bit more. We head over to the shopping center to look around and find something nice for Kelly. After that we head back to the room and get packed up for our trip home the next day.
Day 5 (Tuesday, October 16, 2007)Kelly and I wake up early because we had gotten conflicting information from the travel group on what time our transfer to the airport was going to be. They told us in two separate messages that we would be picked up at 7:10 AM and 7:45 AM. Since we didn't get a call back number we had to head down early to make sure we didn't miss the ride. The people at the resort were super helpful and sensing that were stressed out by this went out of there way to make sure they tracked down our ride for us. This gave us some time to relax, grab some breakfast, and get checked out.
At about 7:45 our ride shows up and we are on our way to the airport. We get to the airport a few hours before our flight and grab some food and do a little more shopping. From there we were on our way home and arrived at
Casa de ChamPort around 7 PM, only after stopping at
Portillos for dinner!
Even though we had some travel hiccups, I had an excellent time and got to spend some valuable quality time with Kelly. We both felt that the resort we stayed at was beautiful and the staff was awesome and friendly. If you are ever heading to Riviera Maya we would recommend it to anyone!
I am in the process of getting the pictures developed from our trip and once I do I will put them on Picasa and include a link on this blog. Adios!
Labels: mexico, vacation
