I’m not one of those people who thinks Vegas is for children. First of all, no one under 18 is allowed in the casinos (and, um, that’s sort of the raison d’être of Sin City, isn’t it?). Oh, and the nightclub promotion cards of provocative dancers? They’re strewn across every sidewalk you’ll encounter. Not what I want my sons to pick up. Las Vegas is, however, the ultimate (and/or expensive!) girls’ (or guys’ or couple) getaway where highbrow and lowbrow go together like gin and tonic. Recently I celebrated the big 4-0 with three of my dearest (and up for most anything) friends.
We started off the trip at the Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas, thinking we wanted some spa and quiet (mission accomplished). However, after the hotel’s complimentary “shuttle” (a tricked-out black Escalade worthy of celebrity status) whisked us away to the infamous “Strip,” we realized that the true elixir to our days as busy moms involved a “little less conversation and whole lotta action.” So, we moved to The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, which was suitably chic, hip and adventuresome. Here we entered a sort of twilight zone, where time was completely forgotten (probably THE best RX for a frazzled mom – clocking out) but money, alas, was not. We indulged in gambling (the Wheel of Fortune game an overwhelming fave), shopping (Cindy is now the proud owner of a BCBG runway dress that her friends strongly encouraged … sorry Kent), oxygen bar (not sure if it works, but it was belly-laugh fun), eating (chance meeting with Chef Mario Batali led to an invite to a private party at his new restaurant Enoteca San Marco), hanging at the pool (not enough adult beverages to dare enter the “topless beach” zone), and, the ultimate Vegas experience: a rollicking concert with Elvis Impersonator Trent Carlini. The first day I missed my kids. By the second day, I felt like a kid again myself.
