I cannot believe it has already been a month since my family and I took a long weekend trip to Vegas. Time is really flying by this summer. For our 3-day trip we were able to pack so much in and honestly if you just want to hang out on the strip you do not need much more time than that. Keep following along on how I spent a jam-packed weekend in Vegas.
Friday
8:00am Flight to Vegas
We took an early flight out which gave us a good chunk of time on Friday. Perks of traveling East Coast to West Coast.
12:00pm Arrive in Vegas
After an hour delay at our layover in Phoenix, we finally made it to Vegas.
1:00pm Check-In at the Delano
Check in was done over the phone on our quick Uber ride from the airport to the hotel. See my full review of the Delano Resort.
2:00pm Explore Mandalay Bay Property and Walk to Target
Once we checked in we were eager to explore our hotel. The Delano is located on the Mandalay Bay Property, so we explore the casino, restaurants and pool before walking out on the strip on our way to Target for some drinks and snack for the room. Target is located across from Park MGM so we were able to walk through Luxor, Excalibur, and New York New York on our walk. It was a good way to cross a few properties off our list.
7:00pm Dinner at House of Blues
After our walk we came back to clean up and get ready for a casual dinner on property at the House of Blues. By this time we were exhausted from a early and long day of travel and the time difference was really starting to hit us.
10:00pm Early Bed for a Full Saturday
It was time to get some sleep before our jam packed Saturday.
Saturday
9:00am Walk the Strip
After having breakfast in the room from some easy snacks we bought from Target we were ready to explore the strip. We took the tram from Mandalay Bay to Excalibur before walking through New York New York and Park MGM. From there we grabbed another free tram to take us to the luxury shops connected to Aria. Although we didn’t’ buy anything it was fun to window shop. From there we walked through the Cosmopolitan were I contemplated getting a Cosmo at 10am because how fun would it be to get a Cosmo at the Cosmopolitan?!
From there we explore the Bellagio and their beautiful conservatory before making our way to the Shops at Caesars in search for lunch.
12:00pm Lunch at The Cheesecake Factory
While ideally, we would not have eaten at a national chain while in Vegas, desperate times call for desperate measures. We were starving by the time we made it to Caesars and while we didn’t want to spend a ton on lunch since we had nice dinner reservations later on we settled for some appetizers and of course cheesecake.
1:00pm Shop at the Forum
This is one of my favorite places to shop on the strip. It is connected to Caesars Palace and is a good mix of everyday stores and high-end luxury. I made a stop at lululemon and finally got to try Aritiza were I definitely had some fun spending money.
2:00pm Continue down the Strip
After Caesars we made our way to the Venetian, another beautiful hotel with plenty of shopping. We did not explore here much, knowing we would be returning Sunday night for dinner. After the Venetian we quickly stopped at the Wynn where we explored their beautiful lobby. By this time, it was after 3 and we needed to get back and ready for dinner. This is one of my biggest regrets of the trip, not getting to spend more time at the Wynn. The hotel was incredible.
4:00pm Uber back to the Delano
Since we had a 6:30pm dinner reservation we decided to take an Uber back to the hotel so we had enough time to rest our feet and get ready before dinner. After a quick power nap we were all ready for a night out.
6:30pm Dinner at Carmine’s
Located at Caesars Palace, Carmine’s is a family style Italian restaurant. While I wouldn’t say it was the best Italian, I have had it was reasonably priced and an easy meal for the whole family.
7:30pm Explore Caesar’s Fountains and a Drink at Paris
We had some time to kill before our show reservation, so we made our way to Paris for a drink and to check out the hotel. We did not make it this far earlier in the day so thought it was a perfect opportunity. I opted for a chocolate martini in their beautiful downstairs bar.
9:00pm Love by Cirque du Soleil at The Mirage
I finally got to cross off seeing a Las Vegas Show off the bucket list. We opted for Love which is a theatrical production inspired by the Beatles. It was so fun hearing favorites form this iconic band with the famous acrobatics of Cirque du Soleil. My only recommendation here would be don’t worry about your seat. There is no bad view and no need to spend a lot on upgrading your seats.
11:00pm Uber back to the Delano
After a full day it was safe to say we were exhausted.
Sunday
8:00am Pool Time
While we were still not use to the time change, we were waking up early and figured the best way to kill time was to relax at the pool. More specifically the hot tub. The pool was basically empty and provided us our own hot tub to recoup our feet for another long day of walking.
11:00am Lunch at In-n-Out Burger
One of my brothers only requests of the trip was to try In-n-Out. While there is one located on the strip we opted to try one just as close by. Not sure it made much of a difference because the place was packed!
12:00pm Shopping at the Outlets
The last time I went to Vegas we were in town a lot longer and my mom and I discovered a great outlet mall not to far off the stip. When we booked the trip, we could not wait to go back. We did some damage at the outlet mall. Thank goodness I left room in my suitcase.
3:00pm Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas
One perk of staying at the end of the stip on the Mandalay Bay property is it is the only property where it is a reasonable walk to the famous Las Vegas Sign. While the boys rather nap, my mom and I continued getting our steps in and took the mile walk there and back to take a few photos.
7:00pm Dinner at Smith & Wollensky
Our big fancy dinner of the trip was a combination dad as a late birthday and Father’s Day gift. This is a New York based Steakhouse my dad has raved about for years. It is located at the Venetian, and we were able to get a table right on “window” to see the gondolas passing by.
9:00pm Gelato and Gambling
We made our way back to Mandalay Bay for some dessert at a delicious gelato stand and some gambling. While only my mom won Sunday, there was always Monday before heading out.
Monday
8:00am Breakfast at Sunrise Café
Another early morning before our flight back home. We made reservations at the Sunrise Café located in Mandalay Bay. It was the only time we ate a sit down breakfast on our trip and it was really good. I highly recommend if you are staying on property.
9:00am One Last Gamble
We could not leave without gambling a bit more. And good thing we did cause both my brother and I left ahead on the trip. A great way to leave town.
11:30am Back to the Airport
After a jam-packed Father’s Day weekend we finally were heading home. At least we thought…. While our first flight to Austin was on time, we unfortunately were delayed over 6hours in Austin. While I would have much rather spent the layover exploring more of Vegas, I am just thankful we made it home. Even if it was at 3:00am the following