I posted the pics on Facebook, which makes them much easier to manage. Here’s the link (you don’t need a Facebook account to see them): Vegas Pics on Facebook

The trip was a blast! We had no problems making our flights or getting around on the shuttles and busses there. The first night we stayed at THEhotel at Mandalay Bay, which is normally out of our price range but is offering great deals this summer. It’s a GORGEOUS all-suite hotel that made us feel very out of place, but in a good way. We had a living room, bedroom, huge master bath, and a half bath. The room had 3 TVs – a big plasma in the living room, a smaller CRT in the bedroom, and a small LCD in the bathroom so you could watch from the tub. The master bath offered a giant tub with separate shower. Our room overlooked the Luxor.

Much of the first day involved exploring our hotel and others on the Strip, including Luxor, Excalibur, MGM Grand, New York, New York, Planet Hollywood, and Bellagio. Along the way we stopped in the Coke store and tried 16 different Coke products from around the world, which was a lot of fun. After walking our feet to death, we took a few turns in Mandalay Bay’s lazy river before cleaning up and enjoying FANTASTIC burgers, fries, and shakes at Burger Bar, which is like Fuddrucker’s on steroids.

The next day we took the Deuce (local double-decker bus system) to Stratosphere, a hotel with the tallest tower on the Strip. I rode the vertical-launch ride at the very top, Big Shot, while Jenny hung out on the observation deck. It’s weird to be so high – you’re so high above everything that it’s eerily quiet when the rides aren’t operating. I loved the views as well. Then we rode up to the Golden Nugget and relaxed by and in the pool for a while before enjoying a tasty Asian dinner. Since we stayed there, the Nugget completed a $30 million renovation to their pool, adding a 200,000 gallon aquarium with 5 different kinds of sharks right in the middle of the pool. A clear water slide passes through the middle. You can swim right up to the tank and come within a few inches of the fish, almost making it feel like you’re swimming with them. AWESOME.

Saturday we took a shuttle back to the airport and relaxed a bit before flying home. We returned relaxed, refreshed, and missing our little boy!