So I went to Las Vegas again. For the third time in 2 years. “Kate, you must really love Las Vegas!” Truly, I do not, but one of my dear friends was celebrating her 40th birthday and I’m always in for an adventure. So, I packed my bags and headed to the desert.
On this trip, we stayed at the Venetian Resort, which is probably one of Vegas’s most iconic hotels. We did not take a gondola ride on either the indoor or outdoor canal, but, rest assured, we enjoyed ourselves and the Venetian ambiance. The Venetian/Palazzo complex is also located super centrally on the Strip and houses a number of great restaurants, spas, and activities. You really don’t have to leave the premises if you don’t want to, and that is particularly appealing to me as someone who gets overstimulated within 5 seconds in Las Vegas. A word of caution though: the mini bar is motion activated, so if you happen to pick up, say, a his and hers “pleasure kit” to examine the contents, you may well end up getting charged $100.
Instead of giving you an in depth, hour by hour dissection of our trip, I decided to give you a highlight reel of the sights, sounds, and flavors we enjoyed. Turns out, not everything that happens in Vegas has to stay there. With that, please enjoy my latest adventure in Sin City!
Neon Museum and Boneyard
One of the places I have always wanted to see is the Neon Boneyard, which is an open air museum of sorts featuring original and restored neon signs from Las Vegas past. We scheduled a nighttime guided tour for maximum neon enjoyment, and I would highly recommend the experience. Our tour guide, Chelsea, was knowledgeable and funny. She led us through the exhibit, pointing out various iconic signs, and sharing their history and relationship with Las Vegas. I am a big fan of shiny and brightly colored objects, so this was basically a delightful fever dream for me. Highly recommend.
Esther’s Kitchen
Esther’s is an Italian restaurant in the Arts District slightly off the beaten path (and by beaten path, I mean the tourist vortex that is the Strip), and it is 1000% worth visiting. Make sure you make reservations as the dining room is pretty small and it continues to be very popular with locals and foodies alike. Get some of their house-made sourdough and accompaniments.
Juliet Cocktail Room
Our chosen pre-dinner gathering location within the Venetian was at the Juliet Cocktail Bar, which is located right off the casino floor. The people watching is unparalleled and the cocktails were tasty. It was also an easy place to find room for a group and there was usually live music. My personal favorite was the piano player who was performing covers of recent pop hits. Please enjoy the above photo of my hand holding an aesthetic beverage — it seemed like the epitome of art to me at the time, and I wanted to showcase the fringe lampshade hanging behind said beverage. This is the content the people want, I am sure of it.
Carbone
Okay, first of all, I’m 89% certain we witnessed an actual exchange of cash in a duffel bag whilst dining at Carbone, which is totally in keeping with the old New York Italian gangster vibes. We opted to order a bunch of options and share them family style, which is a perfect way to try a little bit of everything. They’re known for their veal parmesan and it did not disappoint. The food was also excellent. But… duffel bag full of cash was the highlight.
Canyon Ranch Spa at the Palazzo
So the experience at Canyon Ranch was fine?? I put it that way because I enjoyed myself, but I also don’t know that the treatment and amenities were worth what we paid for them. That said, Canyon Ranch is in the midst of a big renovation and may soon be a completely different experience, so do with this information what you will.
For my treatment, I booked a foot scrub and leg massage because walking around Vegas is no joke. Included with any treatment is all day access to the spa, which has saunas, immersive showers, a salt room, an igloo room, etc. After my treatment and some time in the experiential rooms, I ended up going back out to the Palazzo Pool to lounge until the rest of my friends were finished. There is no dedicated spa pool, but once you check in, you can come and go all day (and leave your things in a locker). Kick your feet up and order a tropical beverage.
Kamu Karaoke
Your girl LOVES karaoke. Fortunately, the birthday girl did too, so we spent one evening in one of the karaoke rooms at Kamu Karaoke. A private karaoke room is a great option to encourage participation from people who wouldn’t stand up in front of a crowd, and there’s really nothing that showcases girlhood better than a whole room scream-singing All Too Well (10 Minute Version). Did I nearly take out the cocktail waitress as she tried to enter during my rousing rendition of “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now”? Maybe. In my defense, I was in the zone and also we tipped her well.
Wakuda
We had dinner at Wakuda one of the evenings. The food was good, but the sumo wrestler sculptures were better. But I digress. Our server recommended some of her favorites and some items that were not specifically denoted on the menu, which ended up being fan favorites. If you’re a fan of sushi and Japanese cuisine, you’ll like it here. But, to be honest, I enjoyed our Carbone dinner more.
Unfortunately, I had to leave a day early, so I didn’t get to enjoy the Magic Mike show or the nightclub that everyone went to afterwards. But I left Las Vegas with a full heart and a bit of a tan. I don’t have any plans to return anytime soon, but if you go, tell me what you do and what you enjoyed! I’m always looking for new adventures, and Vegas always provides.
A Slice of Kate 
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