Unfortunately, still working on Atlantic Standard Time… woke at 1:00 AM… 😂! Did get back to sleep, but we were still on the move early in search of a good coffee, well before Vegas (the part that actually went to sleep) stirred! Sided with the Caffe Lavazza in Eataly (Park MGM Resort). Getting spoiled on the coffee front… but I guess if there was to be a vice this one isn’t the worst I could have.
So yesterday we toured the most adjacent casinos / resorts to our accommodation. This morning we headed south on the strip, with no real objective except walking and looking! We started with New York, New York, then rolled through to the Excalibur, Luxor and Mandalay Bay complexes! Holy themed resorts. Manhattan, Knights of the round table, Egyptian and tropical in decor, these resorts had full on casino, accommodation and shopping opportunity! Talk about glam.. Statue of Liberty, Sword in Stone and the Sphinx. Cultural appropriation on the ‘roids!
We came to rest, as things sometimes do for us, at an Irish Pub! Rí Rá Irish Pub in Mandalay Bay had the Liverpool vs Man City Premier League game on. Super fun with an LFC crowd. We’ve become rather invested in the Liverpool team of late, after watching a few offerings with Monica and Evan, so enjoyed the atmosphere, Walter’s tom-foolery, and action on the pitch! A 1-1 draw in Anfield… good fodder for a not so lazy Sunday in Vegas! 🤪 After the match we left only to see a Guinness Store adjacent to the pub, so enjoyed a browse of that store as well.
The writing was on the wall for a “siesta” Sunday afternoon, as an attempt to heal our time change woes. We charted a different course home, via tram and through the expansive MGM Grand complex. From casino to marching band, there was no shortage of energy. It felt like the largest resort space we’d visited to date. It emptied near TopGolf, with its vast “cracking” of balls leaving the “tee” into the greenery below. We didn’t opt in, but viewed the opera of golfers smacking balls into the field/nets! Over the top! Home was close, so we tucked in for a reprieve and recharge for Sunday night!
By late afternoon we were in the mood for nourishment and a potential Foodie Highlight for Day 2! This one caught my eye while browsing… and maybe a holdover/regret from a previous visit. I spotted a place, Giordano’s, that does Chicago style deep dish pizzas. It’s something I wanted to tackle back when we visited Chicago with the kids, but just didn’t happen. This time around we decided to “bring it on”! We chilled for about 40-45 mins and were served up one yummy “slab” of pizza. Gotta say the cheese was the hero! OMG… Three thumbs up for this treat (although it was a bit too much for us to manage)! Service wasn’t the sharpest… but hurtin’ good 😊.
And what’s Vegas without a show! Among the most popular are the series of Cirque du Soleil offerings around Vegas, and we opted to take in “O” at the Bellagio. Hosted in a spectacular theatre, “O” weaves a story incorporating acrobatics and synchronized swim that’s so very cool to watch. There were times when we really couldn’t keep track of all the things happening in front of us. It really was stellar entertainment 🎭. The sets, music and effects are all world class… as good as it gets. The physical feats of the savant-like performers left us awed! So worth it!
With little left in the tank, we sauntered home on a busy Sunday evening for a well deserved reprieve to enjoy the view from our room. With just two days in we’re still a bit starry-eyed at the shock to the senses that Las Vegas is. It has relentless energy… the lights, sounds and sheer hustle. Lot’s more to see and do… stay tuned! 😉
Sounds like a successful day… watching a Liverpool game in an Irish Pub followed by a Cirque du Soleil show !!
Thanks for the updates, love following along.
Oh Eileen… you would have enjoyed the Cirque show. We are still trying to get our heads around all the moving parts that have to work perfectly to make it happen! Really an excellent second day in Vegas!
The fun part of watching you folks travel… is checking in on the spots you’ve visited. We checked out Giordano’s while in Chicago and found it to be almost like a lasagna style pizza. So thick, meaty and cheesy. As for the different hotels/casinos…. I think you could do a week in Vegas just wandering inside and out. Amazing scenery and architecture. Well done.
The pizza was darn yummy! We’re trying to incorporate as much as we can… but the steps add up here big time. This place is “vast”. I want to dive in and look at the origins of this place… I usually do that before hand so some catch up is required! Keep the suggestions coming and thanks for chiming in Mike 🙏