this isn't the real caesar's palace is it?

Have any of you seen the movie The Hangover?

Well, it's freaking hilarious and I decided to watch it on my iPhone on the way to Vegas to get "in the mood" for my trip.

I arrived in Vegas at about 10:30 a.m. on Saturday and my friend A picked me up from the airport. A and I have been friends since high school and we went to the same college. She's pretty much the craziest girl I know, so I wasn't sure what to expect.

We dropped off my stuff at her house and hit the shops right away. I needed a pair of shoes to match both of my "party" dresses and to do some Christmas shopping for Joey. We had lunch outside at this restaurant attached to the mall, overlooking the strip: tapas, sangria, and lots of people watching. After lunch, we spent several hours in the stores before heading back to her place. I must say, I was quite proud of my shoe purchase:

It was starting to get cool out by this time (the sun sets early in Vegas), so I changed into a sweater and we headed back out to the new City Center. Oh. my. gosh. was it beautiful. It was so opulent and extravagant, I felt like I should be walking around in a much nicer outfit. Here's the main hotel, Aria, at City Center:

The lobby and walkways were full of fresh flowers and beautiful artwork. It was amazing. Right next to Aria is the Mandarin Oriental. This place was insane. They even have people who stand there and push the buttons on the elevators for you. We ventured up to the 23rd floor and had a drink at their lounge. I had an amazing Bellini which was $22. But you were paying for the view, not the alcohol:

After leaving the Mandarin, we headed back toward A's house to get a bite to eat. We ended up at this place called Hash House a go go and split a dish of their famous Chicken & Waffles. YUM! By the time we got back home and changed, it was nearly 10:30 Vegas time (1:30 on the east coast) and I was already feeling jet lagged. But I braved the cold weather and downed a few caffeinated beverages so I wouldn't fall asleep.

We ended up back at Aria at the Gold Lounge. Here are a couple of photos from that night:

(And my dress is satin, not plastic--it looks horrible in these pictures! I actually liked the dress from the second night better. Anyway . . .)

Despite the debauchery that I'm sure happens all the time in Vegas, Friday evening was pretty tame. I think I only had two or three Vodka tonics (which was enough to make me more than a little tipsy since I rarely drink), and we pretty much spent the evening staring at the escorts the next table over.

Saturday we got a late start. We didn't eat lunch until around 4 p.m., but from then on it was a whirlwind. We started at the Wynn and its sister hotel, the Encore, both of which were probably the most gorgeous hotels I saw all weekend:

Then, we headed to the Palazzo and the Venetian:

We took a break to visit one of the older casinos because I was DYING to play a game of bingo. Let me just say this: Bingo in Vegas is hardcore. It was cheap to play ($7 per round; 12 games per round and 9 cards per game), but you had to think and act fast and those old people are good! I think I want to move to Vegas when I retire, just to be a champion bingo player. I didn't win any money, but I did win my $7 back playing the slots. :)

Back the strip to walk around Caesar's and see the fountain show at the Bellagio, where we met some guys who were out there for a bachelor party:

By this time, I was exhausted and it was about 10:30. We hit up a local sushi place really quick before heading home to change and going back out to the Venetian to "party" at their nightclub, Tao.

While walking up to the doors of the club, one of the bouncers approached us and asked if we wanted to sit in the VIP. Of course we said yes! So we weaved our way onto the floor (I had to stare down the entire time so the crazy flashing lights didn't blind me or make me have a seizure) and ended up sitting at the same table as some soccer player and Nestle chocolate heir. No lie. He was staying in the penthouse suite at Caesar's and had three other guys with him, a bodyguard, and a handler. It was surreal. So while he hit on my friend, A, I enjoyed the free Grey Goose and Cristal:

Just when I thought the night was ending (it was past two at this point, and I could barely keep my eyes open), A thought it would be fun to join the VIP group in their limo back to Caesar's and continue partying with them at Pure. So we did.

Don't get me wrong, the guys were really nice. But let's face it: You don't invite a bunch of women to all of these places without expecting something in the end. Luckily, the wedding rings scared them off and I was able to drink and people watch in my own little world. Finally, around 3:45, I had to put my foot down and demand to go home. When I got back and got under the covers, it was so late I actually talked to Joey who was just waking up on the east coast.

Sunday dragged. I tried to sleep in as much as possible because I was feeling pretty yucky from the jet lag and lack of rest. We went to brunch with A's boyfriend's parents before she dropped me off at the airport. Overall, it was a good trip. I'm definitely not cut out for the Vegas/party lifestyle, but it was fun to experience for one time. Joey and I plan on going together, and I think that will be a good trip since Joey goes more at my speed.

The flight home? Well, that was another story. And I'll save that for another blog post.