Vegas is always such a fun time, and doesn’t have to be as wild as the movies lol. (Although it definitely can be if you so choose haha!)
We were just there for about a week for Summer League. My family came out along with some of Naz’s friends from home and we had such a blast!
The games kept us pretty busy, which was so nice because a week is a long time to be in Vegas if you don’t have something like that to do.
You can drain your money reeeally quickly! Between gambling, seeing shows, buying food and drinks…it all adds up SO quickly. Even if you’re only there for a few days, everything is so expensive.
I mean seriously don’t expect to buy a drink for less than $15 on the strip haha. (Most are even more than that!)
Anyways, regardless of the cost, it is such a fun place with TONS of things to do. This was my third time there, so I’m not an expert but I can tell you the things I’ve enjoyed most!
Places To Stay
The first two times I stayed at Caesars Palace. I highly recommend that if you’re planning some time in the sun because their pool is incredible!
It’s also pretty centrally located on the strip which makes it nice to walk around and see lots of other things.
This time we stayed at Encore, which was also really nice! Its much farther south on the strip, which makes it closer to the Stratosphere and Downtown if you’re looking to spend some time on Fremont Street (not walking distance.) The pool at Encore was also super nice and a little less crowded than Caesars when we were there.
Both Caesars and Encore have great casinos and lots of restaurant and bar options inside the hotel – although they are a little more pricey.
Things To Do
The Fountains of Bellagio – This is one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen in my life. It amazes me every single time. More than 1,000 fountains dance to music with lights to enhance the show. The water soars up to 460 feet high and the display spans 1,000 feet wide. You can check out their schedule and more details on the show here.
Cirque Du Soleil – My mom and I saw “O” last summer (so amazing it’s all in water) and my sister saw Michael Jackson ONE which she raved about too!
Fashion Show Mall – Of course I can’t go anywhere without shopping lol. I had to leave my shampoo and conditioner and quite a few other things in Vegas this time to make room (weight wise) in my suitcase for my purchases haha. Oops! Needless to say they have lots of great stores in there!
Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Garden – A 14,000-square-foot floral display that changes with each season and will amaze you every single time. It’s so beautiful and so cool to read all about each part of the showcase. The pictures really don’t do it justice!
Fat Tuesday’s – Since Vegas doesn’t have an open container law, we got daiquiris and walked the strip. It does feel a little weird to walk around town drinking but so much fun – just don’t have too many lol.
Restaurants & Bars
The Chandelier Bar – This bar in the Cosmopolitan is literally a bar inside a giant chandelier…its amazingly glamorous lol. It’s two stories of jewels and cocktails. What more could a girl ask for?!
Senor Frogs – Okay who doesn’t love Senor frogs seriously. This is an awesome place to go for food and drinks if you have minors with you! We had my 14 year old cousin with us and had such a blast here because my mom and I could have a couple drinks and it was still a fun experience for him too!
Jardin – This was one of the restaurants inside Encore that we went to a couple times during this trip! They have some yummy endless pasta and I LOVED their chicken meatballs!
The Chocolate Bar – I’ve been a huge chocolate lover for my entire life…my grandmas have some hilarious stories haha. Anyways, my mom and I each had a chocolate martini here that was to die for! (Also could’ve knocked me off my chair lol) It’s right next to Hershey’s Chocolate World, so another plus if you’ve got some younger ones with you!
Tacos and Beer – This place isn’t right on the strip, which will save you some money! They have a la carte tacos and lots of beer options (cocktails too for the non beer lovers.) One of my best friends lives in Vegas and showed us this little yummy spot!
On My To Do List
Fremont Street – My grandma loves downtown Vegas but I haven’t gotten a chance to check it out yet! I’ve heard all about the zip line and all kinds of fun stuff to do there, so it’s on my list for next time!
Stratosphere Tower Observation Deck – I think this would be so cool to do at night to check out the whole town lit up! There are rides and bungee jumping at the top that would be really fun for some people…not my thing lol.
Eiffel Tower – I’ve seen the Eiffel Tower in passing on the strip but would Love to go inside and check out the view!
Vegas High Roller – You guys a ginormous ferris wheel with a view of the entire city can’t possibly be bad! Plus I just found out you can reserve a cabin with an open bar!!
New York-New York & The Big Apple Rollercoaster – Not sure how well I would do on a rollercoaster anymore haha but I think this would be so cool to check out and you all know how much I Love NY, so I can’t imagine not liking the Vegas version.
Gondola Ride in the Venetian – We were going to do this last week during our stay but its $29 per person for a 10-13 minute ride and I just think that’s a little much lol. Especially when we had 5 people…maybe another time I suppose haha.
Nightlife
Omnia – We saw Calvin Harris at Omnia in Caesars Palace and it was incredible. They have a ginormous chandelier that moves with the music and very expensive drinks lol.
Dria’s – Last summer we went to Dria’s and saw Nelly and had such a blast!
We tried to go to XS but when we got there the fire marshal had just arrived and wouldn’t let any more people in because they had reached max capacity.
Other than that, I’ve heard that Encore Beach Club is really fun during the day and I’m sure there are plenty of other great nightclubs that I haven’t been to.
Above all, we had so much fun this past week watching Naz play and enjoying some time together. And I got to see one of my best friends a few times!! Love you Kris (:
Cheers!
-AP
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