Vegas Road Trip

We literally saw the sunrise on our drive to Vegas.
We are on the 15 Freeway in this picture.

Ya'll have heard my desperate pleas for time off and away from the daily grind of life.  But life, work, family, and all that "stuff" got in the way.
Vacations, or breaks, are not a luxury for me, they are a need.
Unfortunately, our quarterly weekend get-aways were reduced to day trips in the last year. So yes, I have been a little bit stressed and anxious to get-away.
As always, the universe responded: My hubby was gifted a three day stay and dinner in Las Vegas by his Hollywood employer (not sure if I can share who it is, but just know it's a big company that produces big films and big TV shows).
Being that Las Vegas is only a five hour drive from us, we opted to drive and use that time to catch-up on life  - alone.
Our dear girl, Princess Maya, was in good hands - excellent hands, at that - so we were at peace and had no worries in the world. (future blog post & review about our amazing dog sitter is in the works)

I can't tell you how nice it is to check-in as a VIP!!

I'll be honest, Las Vegas is not one of my favorite places - by a long shot.  But, I was willing to give it a try because, a) I really (REALLY!) needed a break and b) It was a gift and I am grateful.
But, to make it work, I figured I couldn't leave work 100% behind to fully enjoy the travesty (that I thought) Las Vegas was.  So, I enlisted the help of PR buddies to find out what were the hottest places in town, must-go-to restaurants, and entertainment options that were appropriate for folks of our age (need I remind ya'll that I am 42 and my hubby is 45?)

My hubby and me - only a few minutes after arriving in Las Vegas!
We drove for five hours at the crack of dawn to get to Vegas by lunch time.

My friends and in-the-know bloggers quickly responded and sent links to cool places to visit, hidden gems, shopping galore.   Some friends sent me tickets to shows or invited us to dine at their restaurants.
Now this is where I insert a correction about Las Vegas: I was wrong about Las Vegas.
Las Vegas is a great place to visit and gives everyone (and I mean everyone), something to do - in their way. 

Isn't this GORGEOUS?!  Since the theme of the hotel we stayed in is "Venice, Italy,"
Venetian masks are prominantly displayed throughout the resort.

From shopping, to dinning; outdoor recreation (Zip-lining anyone?!), to spa retreats, and so much more....you will never be bored when visiting Las Vegas.
To give you an idea of what an awesome time we had, there wasn't a single day that we didn't have something to do...and even though we were only in Vegas for three full days, it felt like a week long vacation because we filled each day with great exhibits, amazing shows, and yummy food.
My initial intention was to write one review and include factoids about each place we went to, but our experience was sooo positive that I decided to write category reviews: Dining in Las Vegas, Las Vegas Shows and Las Vegas Exhibits.
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I hope that my experience motivates you to get away this fall and take a trip to Las Vegas, where I promise you, there's more than gambling to do in this great city.
Happy Travels,