Weekend in Las Vegas!

We're home from one of the most fun weekends ever! I feel like we packed so much into just a few days, (and only slept for a few hours) but it was so worth it. I absolutely love the energy in Vegas. The lights, the music, and all of the over-the-top experiences. I'm going to give you a quick breakdown of what we did each day, and include my best tips for an awesome trip.

Friday

- Morning flight - arrived in Vegas around 2pm. 

- Took a limo to our resort. We stayed at the Mirage. My husband's family gets a deal on rooms there, so that's where we stay if we're traveling with them. :) 

- Unpacked and got ready for dinner. 

- We had dinner at OTORO in the Mirage. An upscale sushi restaurant that's right on the casino floor, but has a swanky lounge vibe. This was one of my favorite places. The food and drinks were great, and we loved the atmosphere. 

- Aerosmith concert at Park MGM. We had super close seats, and it was an awesome show. They had so much energy, and are amazing performers!! The special effects during the show were great too. 

- We rode the "High Roller" ferris wheel. It's the highest ferris wheel in the United States. You are in a pod with around 15-20 people, and it's unlimited drinks during the 30 minute ride. A cool experience with great views. It's located by the LINQ hotel.

- Sleep! I was beat by midnight, and couldn't stay out any longer. Lol!

Saturday

- We woke up early and got a breakfast sandwich and coffee in the Mirage. If you want a cheaper breakfast I would recommend just grabbing something like that and bringing it up to the room. 

- Planet 13. A massive marijuana dispensary! It's not legal in Indiana, so we wanted to go check it out. Neither of us are big on using it, but we wanted to see what the hype was about. It's a must-go if you're interested at all! So upscale (for a pot shop..Haha!), and the staff is extremely helpful showing you around. I've never seen anything like it! We went at 8:30am so it would be less crowded.  

- The Venetian. I love this resort because of how beautiful the indoor blue sky looks against the little buildings, shops, and water feature running throughout. The gelato here is amazing!! We both got some and loved it. 

- Gondola ride. This was kind of a waste of money. (In my opinion) I've always wanted to do it, and I was a little disappointed. It's basically $60 per couple if you share a gondola with 2 others, or $120 for your own personal one. It's maybe an 8-10 minute ride. 

- Naps. We went back to the hotel and rested for 3 hours. If you're planning on daytime activities and then going out at night, I highly recommend planning some down time in the room. 

- Dinner at Beauty and Essex. We loved this restaurant! Located in the Cosmopolitan. (which has a sexy, sophisticated vibe throughout the whole resort) You walk in and it just looks like a pawn shop. There's a back door which opens to a dark walkway with the hostess stand and all the vibes! The restaurant itself is super dim, crowded, and they play top hits music. It's definitely a mix between a restaurant and lounge. All the food is tapas style, or shareable. We ordered a couple drinks, onion rings, thai shrimp, and mini burgers. Everything we tried was amazing! Definitely add this place on your must-go list! The only drawbacks for me were they kind of rushed you since it's always super crowded, and then it's moderately expensive. At least $150+ for 2 people. 

- Drinks at the Chandelier Bar. Also located in the Cosmopolitan! Totally gorgeous! The perfect place to get a few drinks and then take some photos before going out. 

- Tao Nightclub. Located in the Venetian, this place has always been on my to-do list ever since Kim K hosted her birthday party there 10 years ago. Haha!! It was so much fun! The decor is all asian-inspired, and they played hip-hop music. We got a a drink and danced here for an hour before moving on. 

- 1OAK Nightclub. Located in the Mirage. We've always have a good time here! DMX performed and we were able to stand front row just a couple feet away from him. Hip hop music (which is our favorite) and tons of dancing! 

Sunday

- More breakfast sandwiches. We woke up too late, and all the breakfast restaurants had huge waits. 

- Naps. We went back to bed after our sandwiches. Haha!! 

- Super Bowl party! The Mirage had a super bowl party for their VIP guests (Cory's dad), so we got to tag along! So much food! Sliders, coney dogs, fries, tacos, chicken tenders, wings, churros, cookies, and ice cream. 

- Another nap! I was almost dead at this point! Haha. 

- Woke up at 10:30pm, and got ready to go back out. 

- Drai's Nightclub to see Gucci Mane. Located at the Cromwell, Drai's is a must-go! Especially if you're a hip hop fan. There are tons of A-list rap artists that are always performing there. The club itself is gorgeous and on a rooftop. It was so much fun!

Monday

- Breakfast at the Pantry. Located in the Mirage. They have amazing pancakes! 

- Went home! 

VEGAS TIPS

- Plan your itinerary before you go! Know what you want to do, and make reservations. It's overwhelming once you're there, so have a plan. 

- Take naps. We only survived by napping in the afternoon. You will not make it out at night if you don't plan on some rest time. 

- Don't pay $100 cover charges at the clubs! Go to "NoCoverNightclubs.com" and sign up for free guestlist entry at the hottest clubs. We do this for every time we go out to avoid paying at the door. 

- Dress to impress! They strictly enforce dress code at the clubs. Women need to wear cocktail dress (or something similar) and heels! Everyone else is looking their best going out, so do the most and be extra! Men need to have dress shoes, and nice shirt or blazer. 

- Find out what musicians are going to be performing at which clubs before you get there! There are always celebrities and artists making appearances every night, so find your favorites and sign up for free cover at wherever they are going to be. You can get so much closer to them in Vegas clubs for free than if your paid thousands of dollars to see them at an actual concert venue. 

- Expect to pay $20 a drink. If you arrive early enough (before 11 usually), they give out free drink tickets to women! 

- Bring cash! (1s/5s/10s/20s) There is so much tipping in Vegas, and you want to have the right amount on you. Also cover charges will usually be paid in cash. 

- Uber everywhere. Everything looks close, but it's not! The walking is brutal in Vegas. Especially at night. Even if we were just going across the street we had an Uber take us from entrance to entrance. It will also save your feet when you're wearing heels. Ubers are super easy to get and cheap too! I only paid $7 each ride. So worth it! 

- Go see as many resorts as possible. When planning our trip, I made sure the restaurants/clubs were in different places. There is just so much to see, and each resort is like a whole different world! 

- Share food. The portions at most places are huge, (and so expensive). I can't eat nearly as much as Cory, so we would get something (or a couple things) we both liked and just shared. You can't keep leftovers in your room (unless you have a suite with kitchenette or something), so don't order more than you can eat.