Lost Wages, I mean Las Vegas

Today was the first day of our Vegas vacation! Took the 1:30 pm flight over from Sac and spent the afternoon and evening getting to know the south side of the strip. We're staying at New York, New York which by no means is fancy, but it's got a cute old New York them inside.

Just to the south of us is Excalibur and to the north is MGM Grand. By the time our free airport shuttle dropped us off and we got unpacked, it was already 4:30 pm so we immediately starting seeking out somewhere to eat. Luckily for us we'd already researched eateries online and new that there was an Irish Pub in our casino which we stopped at for dinner and it was phenomenal! The boy had bangers and mash and I had a salmon salad that was quite simply the best salad I've ever had. And the best part, besides the delicious booze, was that we had a $50 dining credit as part of our reservation package so dinner was practically free.

After dinner we headed south to Excalibur, Luxor, and Mandalay Bay.

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The worst part about casinos is that their interior signage sucks. They give you just enough directions to dump you onto the main casino floor and then you just end up wandering around aimlessly trying to escape their evil clutches. Excalibur and Luxor were pretty boring, but Mandalay Bay was really nice. If it wasn't so far south on the strip if would have been a great place to stay. We grabbed some drinks and listened to a live band doing cover songs and then caught the end of the Detroit/Yankees game while exploring the rest of the casino. Though we never shy away from a good walk, we did take advantage of the free tram that shuttles between the casinos on our way back to ours. Since it was still fairly early (8:00 pm) we decided to head north for awhile and see what struck our fancy. We passed the Monte Carlo, Aria (where they had ridiculously expensive shopping like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Dior), and then crossed Las Vegas Blvd to check out the Miracle Mile Mall at Planet Hollywood. I found an Ann Taylor Loft where I scored a black lace skirt and a dress, both on clearance, for less than $60 total. What was interesting is that when we first ventured out after dinner, around 6:00 pm, there was hardly anybody on the street. On our way back to our hotel at about 10:30 pm, it was crowded sea of humanity. Apparently everybody takes a late afternoon nap to gear up for their wild and crazy nightlife.We have to get to bed though because we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow including getting way up north to the old strip on Fremont Street. So many miles to walk, so little time.