California Roadtrip – Las Vegas – Getting There…..

Just like Reno, Vegas rose out of the desert floor, it was four in the afternoon, the sun was blinding, the traffic crazy and then we entered the mighty hotel canyon of The Strip.

We were staying at the MGM Grand and had booked the room online a couple of days prior, we liked the central location on The Strip and the room rates were pretty good at $120 per night for 4.5 star.

I dont think I have walked this far in airports, and they have travelators!  This corridor is like the twilight zone…look carefully at the end…its not the end, its an optical illusion, the corridor changes colour as far as the eye could see to give the impression you were coming toward the end…this corridor repeated this length three times over.  From the moment we walked in the door at reception, took the lift and walked to our room it took exactly 9 mins to get to the door of our room, and that was at a good clip timed by The Operator….no wonder he said ‘youre joking’ when I asked him to go out to Starbucks and get me a coffee…did Rosie mention how crazy this place was?

We arrived in our room, it was a relief, like a sanctuary after the introductory bedlam of Vegas and the long drive to get there.  The window behind the bed was the only view on the world, we could look out on the strip and see all the ants scuttling below, silently.  I loved the TV built into the bathroom mirror, it was flat like a piece of tape stuck to the mirror with a TV on the surface, crazy ….totally cool when you are doing your hair and putting your face on being able to watch telly…. Air con on, shoes off and sitting in our underware relaxing, Rosie and the Operator planned the evening assault on Vegas, there was plenty to see and do and we only had two days.

Dinner we decided would be a treat, Rosie and the Operator opted for Joel Roubuchons L’Atelier.  He is a French Chef who has been awarded the title of Chef of the Century, he has over a dozen restaurants around the world bearing his name and sharing in his food philosophy, combined, all of his restaurants hold 27 Michelin Stars, the most accredited to one man in the world.  http://www.mgmgrand.com/restaurants/atelier-joel-robuchon-french-restaurant.aspx .

We were seated at the bar where you could observe the kitchen and see the chefs prepare the meal you were getting, it was very exciting, this would have been the most modern and the fanciest place we had ever been too.  Rosie was presented with the wine list and broke into a cold sweat…the Operator stifled a cough and adjusted his collar….our eyes met over the bible thick French Wine list and Rosie muttered…shall we do a runner…..Nah… said the Operator, lets stay.  We were asked which country we preferred our mineral water from…Rosie answered….Tap….the waiter then realised we were peasants, which was reinforced when asked if we would like wine…Rosie said she wasnt really familiar with French wine…could you select something for me please like a Sav….hhhmmmmm lets just say Rosie has never bought a bottle of wine for as much as she paid for a glass….sip Operator, sip!  We ordered the nine course Degustation Menu…Rosie was swooning on her stool, it was the most divinely luxurious tastebud awakening meal we have ever had.  Simple fresh exquisitely matched ingredients that look as fantastic as they tasted.  For two hours we were in heaven watching and participating in the theatre of the kitchen.  Half way through our dinner a couple were seated next to us at the bar, the palaver everyone was making over them was incredible…it made you look and stare yourself…you just knew they were someone…Rosie just couldn’t get over the way the lady was downing $87 glasses of Champagne…Rosie lost count at the 4th glass, while she sipped on her…Sav.  The Operator whispered, they must be someone…Rosie couldnt pinpoint it, not anyone she had seen recently on E.  It wasnt until 2.34 in the morning, Rosie sits up in bed and realises who it was….James Cameron, Titanic, director and his wifey….Nah said The Operator….google it says Rosie….bang on the money!

For the evening entertainment we booked Peepshow starring the Playboy Mansion Princess Holly Madison
http://www.lasvegaspeepshow.com/  off we went to Planet Hollywood.  We were right up the front, and Rosie could not detect a single cellulite ripple, I was abit naively surprised when Holly whips off her bra and struts her stuff….normally the stars never get their gear out…..She was a page 3 centerfold, The Operator says, of course shes gonna get her gear out. Holly was beautiful so tiny and…amply formed, the plastic fantastics never moved or jiggled through out the whole show….kind of like Holly herself, for having done this show 6 nights a week for a year, her performance was plastic, stilted and amateurish, considering she really doesn’t have to do much… the other girls were really good dancers and held the show together.  I have never been to a burlesque strip show before, it was classy and the choreography was good but it wasn’t that great, a good night out all the same.

We walked home down the strip and called into a couple of bars, the night sky is black above your head but with all of the neon and lights its like daytime.  Hundreds of people are swarming around you, holding giant novelty glasses full of Margarita’s or else holding their giant platform shoes with smeared lipstick on their faces as they wander barefoot with glazed eyes to the next bar….what happens in Vegas….