Vegas, Cirque du Soleil and Petit Soleil

Bon Jour!

John and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary just this last week in Las Vegas. I was in total awe of the “Disneyland for Adults” feel of Vegas – everything was bigger than life! The Chihuly glass ceiling in the Bellagio was breathtaking as were the gardens in the conservatory – indescribable, really! Outside the Bellagio stands the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triumph and the façade of the Paris Hotel. We had a glass of Sancerre, a bowl of delectable mussels and an entire French baguette at the Mon Ami Gabi Café (it truly reminded me of the cafes along the Rive Gauche in Paris) before exploring the other nuances, if you will, of the strip. We popped in New York New York and found a traditional Irish Pub, quaffed our desert thirst with a Guinness and bravely began the trek up to the infamous roller coaster. It was scary fun – exhilarating!!! But once was enough as our bones ached from the bumpy ride and our throats burned from screaming…

That evening we shared a quick, yet totally delicious appetizer of calamari, mushrooms and artichokes and a glass of velvety Santa Barbara county Syrah at Circo in the Bellagio. Our reservations for Cirque de Soleil’ “O” were for 7:30 p.m., so we literally ate and ran through the hundreds of poker, Black Jack and gaming tables to the theater. The next two hours we were spellbound by the performance of “O” – the artistes magically danced in and out of the waters. If you have not seen “O”, circle the next special occasion on your calendar and make your reservation!

The next day we went out cruising again, in and out of designer stores ooooohhhh-ing and aahhhing at the clothes (and the prices). We stopped to sing a couple Jimmy Buffet tunes at Margaritaville. We cruised back to Caesars Palace to see the grandiose fountains and the small, yet intensely beautiful aquarium. We were mesmerized watching the hundreds of tropical fish circle Neptune’s throne.

That evening we treated ourselves to Bobby’s Flay’s Mesa Grill! It surpassed our expectations! The ambiance of the restaurant is as lively and colorful as the outstanding repast! We have dug out our Bobby Flay cookbooks to recreate the spicy southwestern flavors we enjoyed at Mesa Grill.

After dinner, we took in the bright lights, noise and crazy people of Vegas at night. Although I thought my dress was fabulous, I felt like a country bumpkin compared to some of the outfits, or lack of them, of the characters along Las Vegas Boulevard. It is not for the faint of heart, - a show in itself!
I thought that nothing could surpass “O”, but Cirque du Soleil “LOVE” was beyond the beyond! The MUSIC, costumes, scenery, and acrobats – the entire show was the best I have seen ..EVER!

Our flight back to San Luis Obispo was early early the next morning. It was an easy day of on time flights! I love flying in and out of San Luis Obispo’s little airport. It is efficient and friendly!

Petit survived our absence with our daughter, Annie, at the helm. Guests that have stayed at the hotel four, five maybe six times were there for the weekend, the sun was bright, flowers colorful and fragrant…. A fun filled Vegas getaway, but our own little Petit Cirque du Soleil was a warm welcome home!

A sante`

ps..watch for pictures on Petit's Facebook page!
Dianne