I hadn't been to Las Vegas in over 20 years. I heard that it got pretty gross, that it was way overpriced now, and that you would explode on contact because of how much sin was in Sin City. Well, I'm happy to report that my experience was different from that. Kira and I had a great time celebrating our 2nd anniversary there. Here are the highlights.

The Best Things on our Trip to Vegas

1. The Shower in Our Room (West Wing/MGM Grand)

I wish I had taken a picture of this. Not sure why I didn't. Because, let me tell you. I never thought a shower would keep me in a room, but it did. We were told upon arriving that we had been "upgraded" to the West Wing. I had read about it online. The reviews said it was small but hip. Having already walked about 20 mins from our car to the hotel check-in, we decided to not wait for the room we reserved. When we got in the room, I felt a little closed in. One guy in the hallway even said, "This feels like a cruise ship." But let me tell you. That shower. It had dual heads with one of the heads sort of being a water pik that you could move pretty much anywhere you wanted. And, not to get too gross. But I did. Oh, the joy of a good cleanse. It led me to ask Kira how much it would be do build a bidet in our home. Ok, tmi. Let's move on.

2. The Buffet at Planet Hollywood
You would think (at least I did) that anything to do with PH would be a cheese factor of 11. But I was very much surprised by the hotel itself. Really cooly designed, not a ton of people, and voted the best buffet in town. I hadn't gone to a buffet in years either. And this was no joke. For about 22 bucks (we had the Sunday Champagne Brunch), it was by far the best I've ever been to. They had different stations broken up by different food genres..Italian, Salads, Seafood, American, Middle Eastern, Desserts, etc. My fave was the Middle Eastern section. Tandoori chicken pulled off a skewer, baklava, chutneys, gyros, you name it. I think we spent a good three hours just hanging out, eating slowly, calling family. Oh, I guess it didn't hurt that the Miss America pageant contestants were eating there, too. Not that I noticed. Kira said she heard them ordering, like, a "piece of cheese" while she gorged at her plate. Actually, Kira did like it, but she didn't do much gorging. :)



3. Our meal at Fammia
I guess you can tell I like food. Yeah, I really have to watch it. But this was a great meal. We had a $25 credit at the hotel and $30 from Grandma K (thanks, Gma!!!) to go towards a meal. So, we splurged a little. Fammia is located in the MGM Grand. Another coolly designed atmosphere. Kira got Spaghetti and Meatballs (the meatballs were made of Kobe meat. yum.) and I had a chicken dish. For dessert, they brought out homemade donut holes with three different kinds of dipping sauces. And then, to top it off, they brought some sort of raspberry liquer to cleanse the palate at the end. I was stuffed. And now I must exercise.

4. Visiting Sportsbooks
Like I said, it had been a while since I'd been to Vegas. And one of the things I (and every guy) loved to do was visit the Sportsbooks at each hotel (kind of like a big sports bar). I have to say, though. A lot of them weren't that up to date. Even the bigger hotels had screens with pics whose color was faded. But again, and you wouldn't think it, but Planet Hollywood, I thought, had the best Sportsbook in Vegas. It felt more like a living room than a stadium. And it had all new TV's. Very nice.



5. Watching Kira Climb Stairs
I married a hiker. And I'm glad I did. No matter where we go, Kira hates to use the elevator or escalator. She loves to "feel the burn". And Vegas was no exception. I took a pic (from the escalator) whenever she went hiking.



6. Shopping
I had heard a little about shopping in Vegas, but I thought it was probably a chick thing. But it was pretty cool. I think b/c I just like good design, I liked parts of Vegas. The malls were a little Disney-esque in the way they had themes and ceiling painted as skies. Stuff like that. Here are a few shots.







7. The Strip
Yes, there were people handing out cards for strip clubs and prostitutes (to which my response to them typically was, "Um, I'm married. I like to introduce you to my wife. She's right here.") But it really is a fun atmosphere. Where else can you see Elvis singing while driving on a tourbus going by?











8. The Drive
Granted, Kira's folks (for some crazy reason) let us borrow their Lexus (thanks so much!). So, that didn't hurt. But it really was a pretty drive. Especially Hoover Dam. Had never been there. Very picturesque. Thanks so much to everyone that helped make this a great anniversary trip.