I'm so confused about what day it is!! But after counting back .... Wednesday 1st Feb.

Up bright and early this morning even though we didn't sleep too well. Rodd is coming down with an awful cough.. we've bought stuff from the chemist he's busy dosing himself up with but... let's hope we knock it on the head!! The room at Bills is huge, clean and comfortable but the down side of having such a wonderful Strip view is that you also get the noise... there's people yahooing all night and lots of sirens.

Today we've hired a car and are driving out to our friend Jeannes' place out in Summerlin, picking her up to drive up to Mt Charleston and then onto Red Rock. The road system here is so good, lots of freeways that are really well marked so not too hard to follow direction to her house... 15 mins later we'd met her Dad who flew in from Michigan for the winter, it's pretty cold out there now!!



It takes around an hour to drive out to Mt Charleston, through the desert making a slow climb up into Spring Ridge Mountains ( don't quote me there!). It's quite amazing, one minute you're in the desert and the next there's snow on the ground. Not much snow, usually there's heaps up there this time of year but it's been pretty warm this year. Probably best for us cos if there's too much you need a 4wd and/or snow chains.



We had a lovely lunch at the Mt Charleston Lodge... Jalapenos Poppers, OMG yum!!! Stuffed with cream cheese, breadcrumbed and fried, I love those things!! There were 2 indian ladies selling "authentic" Indian handmade jewellery, it was really beautiful stuff so I bought a pair of earrings and a gorgeous pendant. That's the only thing we've bought here though!



After lunch we drove out to Red Rock Canyon, it's really beautiful out there and so close to Vegas, the perfect day trip. I'm not going to say much more now cos it's 6.30 and we want to go and have our last night in Vegas.... although I don't think Rodd will be staying out long.



As Rodd was feeling unwell he decided not to go out in the cold night air in the hopes he could make this awful cough go away before moving on to New York. Cass and I had a few more last things we wanted to mark of the “list” so we headed out to spend one last night in Vegas together.



First thing we did was cross over Las Vegas Blvd to the Bellagio to see the display in the Conservatory. Every season they have a new one, some of you may remember from our trip 2 years ago the amazing Christmas display with huge polar bears made out of flowers? The theme this time is Chinese New Year and it certainly did not disappoint. Also in the lobby of the Bellagio there is the most gorgeous blown glass ceiling.



Next stop was to be the Chandelier Bar at the Cosmopolitan.. This and the next door city centre were both being built when we were last in Vegas so I definitely wanted to at least pop in and have a look…. But… first we had to get there… you have no idea how vast these places are, they are all just enormous!!! It took us probably 10 mins walking just to get through the Bellagio and find the free tram to take us to City Centre…. Have I told you how directionally challenged I am???



The Chandelier Bar is another thing I would have had absolutely no idea about if I hadn’t been lurking and stalking about in TripAdvisor. It is gorgeous and huge!! The photos I took don’t really do it justice, I must admit by this time I was a bit “over” taking photos and walking a thousand miles to get anywhere so we didn’t go downstairs to get a shot from below, you’ll all just have to use your imaginations and trust me when I say it’s amazing!



Last thing.. Apart from some dinner… was a stop in Paris to go up the Eiffel Tower to see the view and Bellagio Fountains from 50 stories up ( well since we missed the view from the Mix bar ). Once again I used a coupon out of the ACG book that I’d ordered months before and we saved another $16... Gotta love those coupons, everyone seems to use them constantly in Vegas. The view up there was spectacular and I’m sorry Rodd missed in, in all his trips he’s never done this.



Cass and I were feeling quite hungry now as we hadn’t eaten anything since the meal at Mt Charleston lodge.. Hours before. We decided since it was so close we’d go back to The Sugar Factory where we had eaten our breakfast the very first morning. OMG what a wonderful meal, we had a choice of sitting outside but Cass had been feeling the cold so much all trip we opted for indoors and yay.. She seated us right at the window..this place is directly opposite Bellagio so while sitting there for 2 hours eating dinner we saw the show every 15 mins!! The food was amazing, my steak was melt in your mouth tender, in fact I only had a butter knife and it sliced right through the meat! We really wanted to try a dessert.. They had chocolate fondue plates and all sorts of yummy things but we were so full we had to sit sipping on our wine, chatting, watching that amazing display outside for about half hour before we could fit one in!! We chose a raspberry and red velvet cake sundae.. To share.. Yum yum yum.



Oh and we didn’t forget Rodd… I ordered him the same dinner I had.. To Go!! That was funny, I forgot the Americans can’t understand us and I asked if they did “takeaway”…no idea poor guy, he was like “tanquery”?? and he had such a confused look on his face… Cass said “to go” ahhhhh another light bulb moment created in Vegas. Honestly you have no idea how hard it is to make yourself understood.

And so ends our first adventure… it was a wonderful time, so many things on my “list” that didn’t get ticked off…. Oh well will have to come back!