This would be our first full day in Las Vegas. We slept until a reasonable time (that’s subjective) and headed out to get breakfast. Normally, a full fledged restaurant-type breakfast isn’t on our agenda. I’m fine with coffee until, well, lunch time. However, we were strongly advised by some friends who recently visited that we just had to check out this joint. I’m not about to argue. We took a leisurely stroll down the strip, soaking in the sights along the way.
A look back at the Golden Tower.
Lots of fancy schmancy shoppes.
I <3 palm trees.
The Palazzo Hotel, sister to the Venetian.
Landscaping on fleek.
The big sister.
A replica of St. Marks Square. I know this because of Epcot, not cause Ive been to Italy.
That bra looks super supportive.
We arrived at our destination…
Uh…. no. Not today, Guy.
We passed Guy Fiore’s bôite (I recently saw him referred to as a human vape. On the money) in favor of the highly recommended Hash House A-Go-Go.
There was a bit of a wait.
The lobby was festooned with autographed pictures of celebrities who probably didn’t have to wait an hour to eat here.
We made it!!!
The decor was tractor-chic.
We started with a nitro, cold-brew iced coffee laced with Jameson Whiskey and topped with fresh whipped cream. Yes, we had whiskey before noon.
The Frigid Irishman.
So, on this vacation we were sincerely trying to make better food choices, not because of concern about love handles, but more about keeping Mr. Jones’ blood pressure at bay. It stinks getting old, kids. We were not going to completely deprive ourselves (see above whipped cream laden whiskey drink) but we did try and add healthy fare along side our meals. We started with a spinach salad.
MMMMMM….fiber!
Guys, this salad was served with a biscuit that had it’s own zip code!!! Plus it had a huge sprig of unnecessary rosemary stuck in it. Pet peeve: Superfluous garnish. What a waste!
Size reference: Newborn cranium. We sadly put it aside.
Our main victuals were out of this world! An amped up version of chicken and waffles that were TO DIE FOR!!!
This is meant for one human. No way.
This was an amazing meal and the first we had that felt like we didn’t get totally robbed. We’ll be spending more time in this area of the strip later on. It’s a hidden gem. For now, we’ll be heading back to the Venetian where we’ll continue to gift our cash to the black jack tables.
I lost my shirt on the slots!
Over the top gildedness was everywhere.
I have no interest in gambling so I set about taking photos. This hotel is really gorgeous. I thought that the gondolas were only in the front, but I later found out that they run all through the resort.
Gond-Oh-las.
Foot bridge over the strip.
Beautiful lighting over the verandah.
It was a perfect weather day.
We finished up at the Venetian and continued a slow stroll. It was so gorgeous out I decided a drink on a patio was in order. We headed over to the Mirage to explore.
Home of The Beatles Cirque Show.
This enormous water feature faces the street, but there’s much, much more.
Once you move past the berm there are many grand water falls and lush plantings leading to the entrance.
Once inside, we looked around for an outdoor patio opportunity, but soon decided that this conservatory would do just fine. Plus it was happy hour!
This view will do.
Half price drinks! Take a note, Massachusetts.
When we were wandering around earlier, we kept seeing signs for some sort of Dolphin experience. We like dolphins! We meandered down a path and found this…
Sure, I’m game.
We paid an entrance fee. I don’t remember how much but not too bad. Once inside we saw the expected dolphin habitats.
Sandals resort for dolphins.
It’s all inclusive!
Did I mention that I love palm trees?
I’m all about gardens. Let’s explore!
Grrrrr!
Namaste.
So, here’s the thing. Though there were some images of giant cats on the signs, all the verbiage was about dolphins. We had NO IDEA what we would encounter.
Good Morning!
Friends, this was simply astounding. These gorgeous white lions where as close to us as it seems. There was no zoom on my lens. For that matter, there was no moat between us and these majestic (man killing) lions. The only thing between us was a flimsy, home depot, chain link fence.
I’m ready for my close-up!
We could have combed his mane.
We had a lot of emotions about this. On the one hand, the majesty of seeing these amazing creatures made some of us (Jeff) cry. On the other hand, the seemingly insubstantial caging was worrisome. But more so, the confines of the environment showed. These magnificent beasts just paced incessantly. It was a bit upsetting.
See the video below:
There were other large cats in the garden.
A female white lion.
This guy will never change.
Is this THE tiger? Too soon?
This was a sumptuous garden.
When we exited the crazy cat area and moved back toward exit we stopped to witness some actual dolphin training.
Dolphin catching a yellow thing.
Dolphin bouncing a red ball.
Dolphin just showing off.
Dolphin advising us to visit the gift shop. Dang, they are smart.
Oh, and there’s a nude pool area. We didn’t go there…cause it was closed for the day.
We had some exciting plans that didn’t include nudity anyway.
Up Next: We become official High Rollers!