Husband and I just returned from a quick trip to Vegas. We got a very good deal thru Travelocity for the Encore and were very pleased with the resort. The room was large, with a huge bathroom and great view. If you are doing Vegas right you're spending as little time in your room as possible, so in some ways it was wasted on us. On the other hand, we noticed a definite difference in the service level between employees at the Wynn and Encore vs. Bellagio and Venetian. At the Venetian, I saw a bartender texting while behind the bar; at the Bellagio, one dealer kept checking her watch, yawning, and rather than actually say "Betting is closed" would just wave her hands in a shoo-ing motion. I stopped playing at her table because I was so put off by her eyerolls and general 'you're bothering me' attitude. At the Encore, the service in all areas was impeccable.

Shows:

*Penn & Teller. We really enjoyed this magic show/comedy act/performance art piece. Even after they tell you how a trick is done, they are so fast and talented that when they repeat the trick, it STILL looks like magic.

*Cirque du Soleil's O. This was our big splurge and it was worth it. We're big Cirque fans and were just swept away by the show.

*Price is Right Live. We had to do at least once cheesy show and this was a lot of fun. We got tix thru the 1/2 price ticket discounter at the Fashion Show Mall.

Notable Food:

*Seafood buffet at the Rio. We had gotten a discount thru the 1/2 price ticket discounter at the Mall. Husband was ecstatic about the seafood; I, a non-pescatarian, found tasty things to eat. Our waitress was excellent.

* Breakfast Buffet at Wynn. This was incredible. I was seriously full for the next 2 days! I'd love to know how they make their scrambled eggs; so creamy and delicious.

*Bouchard at Venetian. Lovely bistro. We had pastries, juice and coffee.

*Wazuzu at Encore. Really tasty Thai chicken curry, although I have to call shenanigans on making me order rice separately.

*Rosemary's (off the strip). If you have a car or have someone who can drive you to it- superb.

Unusual things to see/do:

*Pinball Museum. This is located across from the Liberace Museum on Tropicana and is basically a big warehouse full of pinball machines and old arcade games. You can tell this is a labor of love for whoever runs it. We had fun playing the games.

*Harlequin romance cover art display at Paris. A fascinating look at how the cover art has changed over the last 40 years. I believe it runs until January.

Thoughts on the slot machines:

The last time we'd been to Vegas, the casinos were just moving over to the ticket machines and it was a total PITA to cash out your tickets. The omnipresent bill breaker/ticket return/ATM around the casinos made this process much easier.

We also really liked the slot machines that had some kind of "bonus" round that did something. My favorite was Deal or No Deal; in the bonus round, I got to choose a briefcase and either accept or reject the banker's offer. More fun than just pressing the spin button over and over.

Overall, we had a great time. Thanks for reading!

Glad you had a good time. Have stayed at Venetian and Bellagio, and had good experiences at both. Have to agree that "O" is a once in a lifetime experience. Ka, not so much.
How much did you win??

Thanks for the great trip report. I agree with you on "O" and Rosemarys! Loved them both. I typically love Bellagio, haven't stayed at Encore, maybe next time.

I think we ended up $100 for the better. =)

+ is better than -!

I had a great time in Las Vegas and lost $5. There is so much more to do than gamble!

There's a new billboard up along I-15 near the strip advertising the Penn and Teller Show.

Its slogan: "Less audience members hurt than last year!"

How come there is never a trip report from anybody who stayed at Vegas Club and ate at McDonalds!!

Your report makes me long to return to Vegas! Next time I'm there I will definitely check out the Pinball Museum.

Kate
www.moonfun.net

I'd like to hear more about the 1/2 price ticket discount place in the mall! Is it a store? Do they have tix for all types of things? Do they have a website?

Glad you had a goodd time! Can't wait til my getaway in a couple of weeks.

Sunshine:

www.tix4tonight.com

Thank you so much!!!

"the casinos were just moving over to the ticket machines and it was a total PITA "

I hate these papers! Yes, I did love walking around with a bucket of coins. You could lose the paper, and then go prove it's yours. Sometimes old folks in AC would leave behind coins in the machines