Las Vegas holds a special place in our hearts–it’s where John proposed to me! He set up a “date around the world” inviting me to breakfast at Paris, shopping in Rome (Caesar’s), and playing the World’s Largest Slot Machine in NY, NY. Each stop had a handwritten invitation. The day culminated with a viewing of the Phantom of the Opera at the Venetian and dinner at Zeffirino on the Grand Canal. After dinner, John handed me a map of Venice. When I unfolded it, I discovered another handwritten note: “I wanted to take you here, but thought I would save it for our honeymoon”. When I put down the map, John was on one knee with a beautiful ring and a final invitation: to our wedding.
We always knew we wanted to come back to Las Vegas, but our travels have taken us elsewhere. On the tenth anniversary of our engagement, my water broke. Conrad was born two days later. So we definitely didn’t visit then 😉
Almost seven months in to parenthood, my Mom and Daddy (Mumsie and Granddaddy) offered to watch our little guy for a few days while we took a holiday. Where did we choose to go baby free for a few days? LAS VEGAS!!!!
We made it!
Our first night, we headed straight for downtown. I had been to Vegas a couple of times before, but always stuck to the Strip (or a couple of blocks off). It was cool to see the “original Las Vegas.” We aren’t into gambling, but the people watching sure was fun!
Iconic Downtown Las Vegas
Our journey to downtown was capped by one of the best meals of our trip: Pizza Rock! It’s a nightclub meets pizzeria with four pizza ovens. The ovens use different temperatures and techniques to cook the pizza, resulting in the perfect finish for whatever you order. We got the Margherita Pizza (Winner of the World Pizza Cup in Naples–I mean, how authentic can you get?) and the New Yorker (Winner of the Best Traditional Pizza in the World at the Las Vegas Pizza Expo). The Margherita Pizza was one of the most delicious pizzas we’ve had since going to Naples itself. They only make 73 of these a day–so make sure to get your order in early! The New Yorker was hearty and filling. Just like you’d find in the Big Apple.
The New Yorker.
After an amazing full night of sleep sans baby monitor, we awoke to this amazing view.
Good morning, Las Vegas!
We stayed at the Encore, a Wynn property. And, enjoyed breakfast in our room each morning.
Breakfast with a view. Yes those croissants are huge!
Our first full day, all we wanted to do is sit, relax, and enjoy the sunshine! So we parked at the pool for the day.
Poolside.
Before heading in, we checked in with our little man who was having a GREAT time in Kentucky!
Having so much fun!
That evening we saw The Rat Pack is Back, a delightful intimate show with Rat Pack impersonators. John and I have long enjoyed the music–the show was great!
With Frankie, Dean, and Sammie.
The next morning, we hit The Strip!
Chihuly at the Bellagio. An old favorite 🙂
Start spreading the news…
Excalibur behind us–where we stayed when we got engaged!
We had lunch at a delicious Franco/Belgian restaurant: The Bardot Brasserie. Seriously one of the best pastry baskets ever. And, I may have put a baguette in my purse. 😉
Basket of pastries. AKA basket of deliciousness.
Duck. And Waffles. Amazing.
After a BIG brunch, we continued down the Strip.
Grand hotels call for grand Christmas decorations! At the MGM.
Sun setting over The Strip
That evening, we saw O–a show I’ve been wanting to see for a decade. It was as incredible as I imagined. Artistic with a few aqua acrobatics.
O at the Bellagio.
Then we took an evening stroll down the Strip to dinner.
Ah, Paris. With a palm tree.
The famous Bellagio fountain!
From Paris to Venice, all in one evening!
We had dinner at Bouchon–Thomas Keller’s Las Vegas restaurant. I’ve had Thomas Keller’s “French Laundry” cookbook sitting on my coffee table for years, so I was pretty excited.
Christmas came early!
The next morning, slept late, then opted for a lovely (light) breakfast at the Wynn Breakfast Buffet. It was whimsical and had a plethora of options.
Whimsical buffet breakfast at the Wynn.
For our last day, we chose to sit by the pool. It was so nice to be able to read and nap uninterrupted for hours.
Ironically, this little gem popped up on my Timehop that day. This picture was from our first trip (with three great friends) to Las Vegas. Our engagement trip happened the following spring!
Memories…
For dinner on our last night, we went to Zeffirino–the restaurant where John proposed in 2007. I’m so thankful we went when we did, as the restaurant closed in December. Not sure where we will go back to in ten more years!
10 years and 7 months ago to the day–John proposed to me here.
After the show we saw LE RÊVE at the Wynn. It is similar to O, but honestly, the stunts and acrobatics are on a whole other level. We held our breaths several times, especially during the high dives.
Inspiring
The next morning, we were up with the sun to head back to KY and our baby boy. We felt refreshed and re-energized after our few days away. We are so thankful to Mumsie and Granddaddy for taking such good care of our little man.
Las Vegas will always be a special place to us–can’t wait for our next visit!
Good morning and good bye, Las Vegas!
Gorgeous journey home.
John and CB's Most Excellent Adventure 