Vegas Memories (Part 1)

I am sitting here messaging with my friend Amanda who lives in San Diego. One of the first things she asked me was if I miss Vegas. Well, the answer is yes. I love where I am now and I love the adventure, but I also miss my friends and some of the comforts of a 24/7 town. I lived in Vegas for 5 years, which was a good amount of time. I learned a lot, saw a lot, and met a LOT of great people (including my wonderful husband). So, here are some of my favorites from Vegas. Whether you live there or are going to visit, this might give you some ideas of things to try while there.

This is a picture of the Holsum bread factory. It is no longer a bread factory, but the outside still looks very cool. There are some design stores inside, but this is in an area with many antique shops, so if you are into antuques look for this building. There are also outlet stores across the street. I just really think this is a cool looking building.

Here is a picture of Fresh and Easy, a nice little grocery store. I really liked it there and miss having one nearby. Although some of their prepared meals may be high in sodium and fat, it beats the alternative for some people. I would recommend these meals any day over fast food hamburgers and fries.
Here is the inside of the Venetian hotel. I love the over the top set ups inside of these hotels. While it is certainly not Venice, it is a magical feeling to walk down these "streets". Straight ahead in this photo is the restaurant Canelleto. I ate here with my grandparents every October when they came to visit. The branzino al sale is fantastic. If you go there and like fish, order this. It is big enough for two. If you save room for dessert there is a gelato cart (off the right, a tad hard to see). The no sugar added blueberry is the perfect way to end a meal.

And if you visit the Venetian, you must also check out the Bellagio. Here are some photos from the various conservatory displays. They change the setup 5 times a year: Chinese New Year, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter/Christmas. We made it a point to see the display every time it changed. While some aspects remained the same, the display was also different, and very beautiful. If you head to the Bellagio you must also see the fountain show out front. I used to drive by this on the way home from UNLV and loved to pick my own music off my iPod to play in the car as I watched the fountains. Also check out the chihuly glass flowers on the ceiling in the lobby. Lastly, if you like chocolate and you like crepes, you musy visit the patisserie behind the conservatory gardens. There you will find the largest chocolate fountain (unable to loacte a pic at this time) and the most amazing wedding cakes. Off the menu I recommend the chocolate brownie crepes. Anytime we had visitors in town, we ALWAYS stopped for this treat. But be prepared, it is expensive, it is at the Bellagio!

This is from a spring display

This is from a summer display

This is my favorite part of the displays. I love this tree. Usually (as shown here) was a part of the fall display. Sometimes they used the tree for other seasons.

Here is, yes you guessed it, a winter and Christmas display. I also liked when they had polar bears. One thing to mention though, do NOT, do NOT go to the Bellagio on Christmas Eve. My sister and I made that mistake once, didn't even think about, it was just that it was open and fit into out busy schedule of fitting things in over her vacation. Let's just say we saw the fountain display out front more times than is ever necessary in one lifetime.

My last set of photos for today come from our hike up Cathedral Rock. This is located in the Mt. Charleston area. In fact it is basically up Mt. Charleston. This is a nice little hike. Not hard at all, but does have some good uphill climbs. It is only 30-45 minutes from Vegas, and the drive is really nice. Believe it or not, Vegas has some good outdoor activities. When you are done hiking, the lodge has a restaurant where you can get brunch or lunch, depending on the day and time.

That is the town of Mt. Charleston down below. If you look closely in this photo you can see the special chipmunk. It lives at high altimtudes and is unique to this area only.
Here is a shot of Cathedral Rock, which you can see clearly from the end point of the hike.

So those are just some of my memories from living in Las Vegas. I am sure I will have more to come, I have tons of pictures (5 years worth!) and great memories that I would like to share.

So my question to you: Have you ever been to Vegas? What was/is your favorite part/place in Vegas?