Posts Tagged ‘Nevada’

I Love Las Vegas: TREVIWhen someone asked me if I wanted to dine al fresco at TREVI, I had to double check to make sure that the restaurant was, in fact, located in the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. Yes, TREVI is, in fact, in the Forum Shops, but YES, you can eat al fresco there. Oh, Las Vegas, how you continue to surprise me.

This Italian restaurant sits at the junction of three pedestrian walkways in front of an awesome fountain, which means that enjoying the outside views is both climate-friendly and incredibly picturesque.

I recently met up with a group of local bloggers not only to enjoy the ambiance of TREVI but also to taste a few of the meals and cocktails on the menu. I’m not much of a foodie, as you may know, but even I can tell when a restaurant has stellar menu selections. Among my favorites were:

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I Love Las Vegas: CeeLo Green is Loberace at Planet Hollywood

Performers seem to be taking up residency in Las Vegas at an increasing rate. Hard Rock Hotel has been hosting performers for extended concert series for a few years now, and Celine Dion, Bette Midler, Cher, Elton John and Shania Twain have all called the Colosseum at Caesars Palace — and Las Vegas — home for at least a short period of time. At Wynn and Encore, Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill continue to draw sold-out crowds.

So when CeeLo Green moved into town for his new show called CeeLo Green is Loberace a few weeks ago, I was instantly intrigued by yet another Las Vegas resident. This past weekend, I had the chance to see his performance for myself, and I instantly found myself pulled in multiple directions about how I felt about the show.

First, a description of the show from Planet Hollywood’s website:

CeeLo Green, the conductor/ringmaster of “LOBERACE,” will take fans on a ride through colorful decades of music, stopping at legendary moments in time from Prince and Blue Magic to The Rolling Stones, from new wave to disco and beyond.

Visually, the production will combine CeeLo Green’s flamboyant sense of style and over-the-top creativity, magnified and intensified, with his soulful voice covering some of his favorite music, as well as original songs, in a just for Las Vegas show.

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I Love Las Vegas: Million Dollar Quartet at HarrahsLas Vegas is cluttered with Elvis wannabes and walking renditions of rock stars, pop icons and other celebrities. Some make their money busking on the sidewalks, and others take to stages across the city as impersonators. I’m not wild about Elvis or Britney Spears, and if I want to see someone in concert, I want to see the real thing.

And so it was with a bit of curiosity, a little hesitation and an open mind that I accepted an invitation to see Million Dollar Quartet, the newest show to open at Harrah’s Las Vegas. The official summary of the show:

The Tony Award Winning musical, Million Dollar Quartet is set on December 4, 1956, when an extraordinary twist of fate brought Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley together at Sun Records for one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll jam sessions in history.

Million Dollar Quartet brings that legendary December night to life with the extraordinary story of broken promises, secrets, and the once in a lifetime celebration of four friends that is both poignant and funny. Relive the era with the smash-hit sensation featuring an incredible score of rock ‘n’ roll, gospel, R&B and country hits, performed live onstage by world-class actors and musicians.

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Need to escape? Looking to be whisked away? Itching for travel inspiration?

Look no further than your next destination, wherever it might be. I took this picture of our foreign exchange student a couple weekends ago in Red Rock Canyon near Las Vegas. Though I love the bright blue desert sky and his enthusiasm to jump from rock to rock rather than take a hiking path, I like the concept behind the photo even more. There’s always somewhere else to go, something else to discover and another way to be moved by the world around us.

Wanderlust Wedneday: Your Next Destination

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I Love Las Vegas: Cirque du Soleils ZarkanaWhen it comes to shows in Las Vegas, it’s pretty safe to say I’m smitten by Cirque du Soleil. Granted, not every Cirque-branded show has been a big hit in my book (I’m not a big fan of Zumanity and I have no plans to see BeLIEve), but most of the shows I’ve had the chance to see have been beyond amazing.

Las Vegas’ newest Cirque du Soleil show, Zarkana, which opened a couple months ago at ARIA, encompasses everything I love most about Cirque: Awesome music, stunning costumes, artful make-up, creative staging and lighting, surprises, humor and, of course, acts that left me slack jawed, nervous and downright impressed. Cirque excels in big, beautiful and bold productions highlighting acrobatic talent, and while some of the company’s productions in Las Vegas have recently been aligned with certain themes or people (the Elvis and Beatles shows are two examples), Zarkana goes back to the roots of what I think people really love about Cirque.

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I Love Las Vegas: Rock of AgesJust when I thought I’d seen it all in Las Vegas, Rock of Ages moved into The Venetian. This crazy, over-the-top performance embodies the idea of go big or go home … so, to stand the test of survival, Rock of Ages is definitely going big.

Here’s the skinny on the story: It’s set in LA’s Sunset Strip in 1987. Drew, a boy from Detroit hoping to make it big as a musician, and Sherrie, a girl from a small town pursuing an acting dream, meet while working together in a bar that faces destruction from a development firm. Though there is a (slightly weak) plot that moves this story forward, that’s not what makes Rock of Ages so much fun.

This show is about the hard rock music we loved from the 80s, big hair, neon and torn up clothing and quirky advertising messages. It features 28 songs just about every 80s child knows (and may or may not love): Don’t Stop Believin’, We Built This City, The Final Countdown, Can’t Fight This Feeling. It’s beyond singable, and audience members are encouraged to buy into the fun by singing along and, at times, waving the flashlight-fronted lighters that everybody gets when they walk into the theatre. By the end of the show, people are on their feet, singing along with the cast and sharing a knowing smile with their neighbors. We all shared the 80s the first time we lived through it; now we’re living it all over again.

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I Love Las Vegas: Las Vegas Toy ShackIf you didn’t know it was there, chances are you’d never know to look for Las Vegas Toy Shack. My husband and I happened upon it one evening when we were poking around the quiet corners of Fremont Street, but it wasn’t until I was assigned to write a story on the shop that I truly realized what an awesome store Las Vegas Toy Shack really is.

Las Vegas is known for the Pawn Stars show, and, in fact, that famous pawn shop is located in the downtown area. This toy store is owned and run by “the toy guy” from Pawn Stars, and this store reflects his love and knowledge of vintage and collectable toys of all shapes, sizes, ages and genres. From a wall of Hot Wheels cars and a cabinet of lunchboxes to action figures and boxes of comic books, there is absolutely something in this store that will make every person say, “I remember …“

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I Love Las Vegas: Exotics RacingFive days before I drove an exotic supercar, I was nonchalant about driving a fast car. Five hours before I drove an exotic supercar, I was kicking myself for agreeing to do something so early on a Saturday morning. Five minutes before I drove an exotic supercar, I was downright nervous.

Come again? I’m going to be driving how fast? You have got to be kidding me!

Driving a really, really fast car around a racetrack must be a guy thing. There were five of us in our group — three girls and two guys — and the adrenaline factor was definitely running high in the male species. They talked about horsepower and engine size and other manly things that meant nothing to me. I hung back with the other two ladies, shocked at the price tag on the blue Audi R8 V10 that I’d been assigned to drive. This sleek little supercar was on par with what we paid for our house. No joke. And it could reach speeds upward of 186 MPH. Again, no joke. You can’t make this stuff up.

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Need to escape? Looking to be whisked away? Itching for travel inspiration?

Look no further than the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, which are decorated in holiday fashion. I haven’t been down to the Strip to see what the designers have done this year yet, but this is one of my favorite shots from a couple years ago. Nothing says Christmas like a giant, beautifully decorated tree!

Wanderlust Wednesday: Christmas Tree in the Bellagio Gardens

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I’m itching to check out how the Bellagio Las Vegas is gussied up for the holidays, but I just haven’t had a chance to get down to the Strip since the winter decorations in the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens were unveiled. Until I get a chance to see if the gigantic tree is up, or if the polar bear made another appearance, or if there are snowflakes or sleighs hanging from the huge glass ceiling, I’ll have to settle with sharing some of my favorite photos from the Bellagio’s autumn display from this year.

Images: Flashback to Fall at the Bellagio 2012

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