My Vegas getaways have truly changed over the years. I can remember finally being of the legal drinking/gambling age, going to Vegas with about 15 of my friends (5 people to a room) and really partying harder than I think I’ve ever partied before. Eating at a nice buffet and having a lazy day reading a book by the pool was NOT on our “to do” list. What was on the list was drinking 151 proof vodka, being really rowdy and finding the best clubs to party and get completely wasted at. It was pretty AMAZING, perfect for my 21 year old self.
Cut to my 35 year old self and I now take Vegas vaca’s that are completely different. My girlfriends and I have what we call our “Old Ladies Vegas Trip” complete with a spa day, lovely dinner, light gambling and lights out by like 12 A.M. and honestly that is AMAZING as well.
However this last Vegas trip was my first time ever going with my significant other and I truly didn’t know what to expect. Albeit just as fun, you don’t quite party with your boyfriend like you do with your girlfriend’s and since this was our first official Vegas trip as a couple (and the first I’d ever taken with a boyfriend) I really wasn’t sure how the trip would turn out. Well I was pleasantly surprised, as much as it was different than my rowdy Vegas trip at 21 and my low key visit at 35 it was truly a great time! I walked away feeling like the trip was a good mix of my 21 year old self and my 35 year old self. We ate, drank and enjoyed each other’s company. Plus my boyfriend is a real gentleman so he drove the whole way while I slept and even stopped at the outlet stores so that I could shop. Laying by the pool relaxing with him was even better. There were a group of single girls all in scantily clad swimsuits twerking and partying and having a graet time. It made me think of those outrageous Vegas trips with my girlfriends I wondered aloud to my boyfriend that I hoped we never looked as desperate for attention as those girls had come off- standing on chairs grinding on each other trying to look extra sexy. We probably did in some other way though and at the end of the day it’s all apart of growing up, and realizing who you are and aren’t but I digress. Back to my Vegas trip! I had some of the best food ever and hands down went to the best buffet I have ever been to. Here are some outtakes from our trip and my dinner recommendations for all of you Vegas travelers young and old single and taken. Enjoy…
The Oyster Bar at the Palace Station
Off the beaten path of the strip The Palace Station is an old school casino. I imagine those Vegas Veterans unimpressed with newer Vegas hotels go here for inexpensive meals and cheap, simple and clean accommodations. Another reason to go however is The Oyster Bar, an actual bar with about 20 seats where chefs create the freshest seafood gumbo’s, jambalaya’s and pan roasts all directly in front of you. Even more impressive were the oyster’s shucked right at the bar. I imagined they’d just been caught and carried back in a bucket that’s how FRESH they looked!
Sure we stood( well my boyfriend stood while I played the slots) for 2 hours in line, but honestly it was worth every second (at least that’s what he said). I had the seafood gumbo and my boyfriend the pan roast, to say that both dishes were full of flavor is an understatement! Everything was seasoned to perfection and although loaded with shrimp, crab and mussels nothing tasted overly fishy.
The Oyster Bar is now my Vegas staple and I don’t think I will go without stopping at this little gem of a restaurant.
The Palms Casino & Resort
The most important part when planning a Vegas trip(at least for me)is figuring out where to stay . I used to think that you had to stay directly on the strip to be close to the action, but these days hotels that are off the strip have shuttles that take you directly there. This was the case with The Palms. I’d never been to The Palms before and the only thing I knew about the place was that it was owned by one of the ladies from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (Adrienne Maloof) and that it had been featured on my favorite season of The Real World. I was a bit skeptical because from the outside it didn’t look that updated. Boy was I wrong! The hotel was beautiful and the service great! The hotel had recently gone through some upgrades so our room was beautifully decorated and we had a great view of the pool.
The Ghost Bar, a club that’s pretty popular with hotel guests seemed to be pretty jumping the whole time we were there and the Friday and Saturday pool party was not lacking in scantily clad waitresses and loud music. I do however have to point out that while I enjoyed all of this, the resort doesn’t seem to be family friendly as the hotel pool is closed to anyone under 21 both Friday and Saturday.
Another plus was that we were given a players card with $10.00 on it to play courtesy of the hotel. I ended up winning a small bit of change with that 10 bucks so needless to say I was a happy camper 🙂
The Bacchanal Buffet at Cesar’s Palace
It’s the video that started it all…
So my boyfriend is a true foodie and as such he researched all the amazing restaurant’s he wanted to visit before we got to Vegas. On the simple strength of this video we made our way to Cesar’s Palace to enjoy their Bacchanal Buffet and enjoy we did! Easily the best buffet I have ever been to- the variety of food, the presentation of said food, the ambiance itself is worth the $30.00 price tag ($40.00 for unlimited mimosa’s). I have been to my share of buffet’s and this one is special, the food is prepared in front of you so there’s no artificial heat lamps keeping your food warm. My favorite has to be their dessert bar! Gelato, Cake Pops, a varitey of cookies, Creme Brulee anything you could want! Words do not do this buffet justice so here are some pictures to further prove my point…
What do you guys like to do when you’re in Vegas? Do you have any buffets you love? What about hotels and casino’s you prefer to stay? Let me hear from you! Until next time, Keep the party goin…
WWW