Last weekend I found myself in the city of lights for the second time. Two of my dearest friends were getting married and decided to do it in grand style. Because I was there for the wedding I didn't get to do as much as I would have liked but now I have some great ideas for when Sputnik and I wander that way in about a year.
Since my stay totaled less than 42 hours I mostly wandered along the strip. Again, one of those things that sounds uninteresting until you do it. Even though everyone I was with was from the city we all felt like country bumpkins because of the grandeur of the city. Every direction you look there's something eye catching. The new hotel, the Cosmopolitan, is the perfect example. They manage to combine the classic idea of glittery Vegas with modern flair as well as sophistication. The first thing you see when you enter is a three story chandelier which is large enough to have a bar inside. All I could do was stare up in wonder. My friends and I had dinner at Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar and Grill, which was excellent. One of the best things about this hotel was that everyone working there (including the waitstaff and bartender) we're both congenial and professional. This was refreshing considering the poor treatment we received at the Bellagio. While that hotel has a list of pros as long as your leg, the staff all acted like we were something stinky stuck on their shoes. New York New York was on the opposite end of the spectrum. Their workers were extremely friendly but failed on the end of professionalism. One of the bouncers at Coyote Ugly made a comment which was highly inappropriate and made me quite uncomfortable. I realize that this kind of informality is appealing to many but there is a line. Despite this, the club was one of the highlights of the trip.
The whole point of the visit was to participate in my loved ones stunning union. When they told me they were getting hitched in Vegas and not doing the tacky Elvis wedding, I was a little disappointed. Maybe it's just me but I think getting married at the world's littlest chapel with ushers wearing powder blue tuxedos ala Dumb and Dumber and brides maids with dresses straight out of a thrift shop has its own charm. This is not what my friends did and I cannot say the wedding was lacking. The ceremony at the Paris Hotel was absolutely beautiful and combined both their personalities. We had the reception at Augustus Cafe in Caesers Palace. There was only one problem with the meal: there was so much food I couldn't finish a single dish. This was only a problem because it was the best meal I've ever had. Their french onion soup can only be described as delectable and the prime rib was simply amazing (the most perfect medium rare I've ever had paired with huge asparagus and a stuffed baked potato). Unfortunately, the piece of meat I left on my plate could have been a meal unto itself. If I hadn't been getting on a plane in less than 7 hours I would have taken it with me.
After the meal we had cake at the condo where some of us we're staying before going out for drinks. Nothing of particular interest happened at this point; just a group of friends celebrating. I was only there for a few hours before I had to run off to catch my plane.
All in all Vegas is one of the few cities in the world that can get away with charging you an arm and a leg at every point but have you leave still feeling good.
-Jade
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