It’s been two weeks since we visited the gaudy, glittering gem that is Las Vegas but I’m only now going through our photos and diary scribblings. This was such a happy weekend! The Strip is like a series of whacky cover songs with celebrity and city impersonators. Everything’s lit up like Christmas and the streets are paved with sex worker cards (they’re even covering the bottom of the Bellagio fountain). Even some of the rougher patches between our hotel and Fremont seem sort of beautiful since it’s all framed by mountains and desert. It’s tough to sum up what I found so charming about this place, but I was quite charmed.

a mish-mash of memories:
Kiss mini golf! Super friendly staff, giant platform boots and ax guitars, our glowing grins under the blacklight, the unlucky fella who had suspicious crotch stains and DID NOT know he’d be under blacklight, ending the game by hitting the ball into Gene Simmons craw. ♥ ♥ ♥ Staying at the Flamingo which is in just the right spot with the best sign on the Strip. Pink and gold all over the place. Pink-tinted windows, a view of Paris and the fountains from our room, namesake birds in the backyard. I love that their tagline is ‘Forever Fabulous’ ♥ ♥ ♥ The Bellagio Fountain shows. I got a little obsessed with catching these. The best was the middle of the day when a crazy Christian sign guy kept yelling over the music, ‘There isn’t gonna be any water works where you’re going!’ ♥ ♥ ♥ Porking out all weekend: veggies and pesto pasta at Slice of Vegas, urth burgers and beer at Holsteins, a Cuban sandwich at Red Velvet Cafe, late night take-out sushi, and four gluttonous plates at the Wynn Buffet. I was bowled over by all the vegan options- Slice of Vegas has a separate menu, Red Velvet can adapt anything on their vegetarian menu, and the Wynn Buffet- omigod. The Wynn Buffet was our big food splurge and it was totally worth it: pasta and mushroom alfredo, roasted corn and quinoa cakes, Asian slaw, a rainbow of salads and roasted veggies, passionfruit tapioca pudding… Drooool. ♥ ♥ ♥ Museums that really surpassed our expectations. ♥ ♥ ♥ Looking up at a ceiling full of Chihuly pieces and laughing because even when you leave Seattle that guy is INESCAPABLE ♥ ♥ ♥ Gold glitter bubble baths at the end of a perfect day. ♥ ♥ ♥ Walking a couple miles out of the way to see the remains of the recently closed Sahara and grab a few souvenirs at the Bonanza gift shop. We walked everywhere, every day, and never felt tired. ♥ ♥ ♥ Ending our trip with a few cocktails. Our first round at a Bond-themed bar under a multi-story chandelier and our second on a blood-splattered table at the Goretorium. ♥ ♥ ♥ Being too dorky to gamble but feeling like we should and throwing $1 into the penny slots.