Vegas

September 5, 2023

Vegas

Labor Day weekend and I found myself spending the weekend in Las Vegas with my almost lifelong friend Pat Davis. Kathy was initially scheduled to go, but opted out since the main reason for the trip was to go see Counting Crows, yet again and she has been to see them many multiple times over the years, took a pass. It opened the door for a guy’s weekend and I invited Pat, who had never been to Vegas or to see Counting Crows for that matter.

I booked at my favorite hotel in Las Vegas, Mandalay Bay. We have stayed at most of the big casinos on the strip over the years, and while it is not the most exclusive, I just love it. The spa and pool area and location at the far end of the strip, closest to the airport are the main reasons. Staying mid-strip at the Bellagio for example is too crowded and hectic.

I arrived a few hours earlier than Pat and with some time to kill, I decided to check out the Shark Reef attraction that is located in Mandalay Bay.  I had been to see it back when it first opened in the year 2000, but thought it was worth checking out again. It is pretty impressive considering it is located within a casino resort. 

Its main tank is 1,300,000 US gallons, one of the largest in North America. The facility is 105,000 sq ft, and displays numerous species of sharks, rays, fish, reptiles, and marine invertebrates. It also features a shark tunnel. The reef was developed in consultation with the Vancouver Aquarium. Features include a shark tunnel, and a viewing area designed as the interior of a sunken ship. The shipwreck tank, touted as the third largest in North America, is home to several endangered and threatened marine species including green sea turtles, Galapagos sharks, blacktip reef sharks, sand tiger sharks, and green sawfish.

One of the coolest things is a small display featuring two breeding pair of Devil’s Hole Pupfish. Found in the wild only at the Devil’s Hole, a geothermal pool located in Death Valley, the Shark Reef is the only public aquarium in the world where you can see this very rare, highly endangered fish. 

When Pat arrived, we headed over to the Luxor to check out the permanent Titanic exhibition located in the atrium of the pyramid shaped hotel. The exhibit features a large collection of artifacts recovered from the wreck site of the famous shipwreck. The 25,000-square-foot exhibit is the home of the "Big Piece" of the hull retrieved in 1998 and features conserved items including luggage, the Titanic's whistles, floor tiles and an unopened bottle of champagne. The exhibit includes a full-scale replica of the ship's Grand Staircase and part of the Promenade Deck, and even a mock-up of the iceberg.

I know there is controversy about whether items from the ship should be retrieved and displayed and while I tend to think not, my curiosity got the better of me and the exhibit was fascinating, and the artifacts are pretty incredible to see. It was well worth a visit for those interested in the history of the ship. The most interesting items are those that they can connect to specific passengers, which just brings home the human element of the tragedy. 

Next, we ubered down the strip to the Bellagio to check out the Conservatory and Botanical Garden, which is one of the highlights of any trip to Vegas. The Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Garden is a seasonal wonder full of trees, flowers, and animatronics that transform five times each year (once for each season plus a display for the Lunar New Year). The stunning botanical gardens consist of four garden beds, north, south, east, and west. It is also home to a range of animatronic hummingbirds, animals, dragons, and butterflies. There are also cascading fountains and huge lanterns that hang from the 50-foot-high ceiling made of glass.

We capped off our day at the Mirage where we caught the absolutely spectacular Cirque Du Soleil show, “The Beatles Love”. I had seen the show multiple times and it my not only my favorite of the dozen or so Cirque shows that I have seen (Only “O” comes close), it is one of my favorite shows of any kind that I have ever seen.

Pat had never been to any Cirque du Soleil shows and I wanted him to get the full experience, so I had googled multiple times to attempt to find out where the best seats were and then ordered those seats. They were high up in the center of the top row where you could get a good overview of everything that was happening and there is always so much to look at. The show, which has made some subtle changes over the years since first opening, retains the magic and power of the acrobatics, dancing and most of all the music. It is a special experience and the perfect way to end our first day in Vegas.