Vegas: Day 4

Wednesday morning I broke from routine and started the day at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, as there was one in the Miracle Miles Shops. I worked at the Los Feliz store in LA for about 8 months back in 1999/2000 and ever since I've had a soft spot for their vanilla powder. Whether it be in a Cafe Vanilla (drip coffee, steamed milk, stirred-in vanilla), a Vanilla Latte or the favorite Vanilla Iced Blended, the stuff is golden. Addictive. Yum. I ordered an Iced Blended and picked up a couple muffins for our breakfast. Lighter fare is better for us in the morning, we've learned.

We spent the late morning strolling up and down the Strip, checking out the new Palazzo Casino Hotel, an expansion of the Venetian. Nicely done, very upscale.



Nursing minor sunburns and weathering the heat, we stopped at La Salsa Cantina in the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace for some refreshments. There are two locations of this chain Mexican restaurant in the shops, and the other we had been to a few years back. Our server was extremely animated, and would constantly shout "Showtime" and clap his hands when drinks were ready. This location was more subdued, but our bartender was very friendly and made a mean mojito.

She also recommended we check out the Atrium at the Bellagio to see the train exhibit. It was very cute - and popular!




After ambling our way back to the hotel and spending a short amount of time by the pool (mostly in the shade this time), we headed back to Cheeseburger Las Vegas for a late lunch/early dinner. It was just so good! This time I had the Island Cheeseburger, with pineapple and teri sauce. And it wouldn't be the same without some liquid aloha.



Then it was back to the MGM Grand, as we had tickets to see Cirque du Soleil's Ka. It's something we've been wanting to do for a few years now, but have always balked at the ticket price. This time, we planned ahead and sucked up the cost. It was worth it. The show was spectacular, and our seats were amazing. Having been in involved in many theater projects, I thought I had seen the limits of what could be accomplished on stage. This opened my eyes to a whole other world of expression and entertainment. The show is a technical feat, featuring a stage inverting to a 90 degree angle at one point in the show. As cliche as it sounds, it is truly a visual feast and as I understand it, Ka is one of the first to attempt a linear plot. I think they succeeded. As an acrophobic, I did feel my heart racing at several points during the show. The performers were often hanging loosely from cables, being shoved off moving stage pieces or flying across the audience.

Highlight #2 of the trip, and our second and last big splurge.

After the show we ordered some room service and pizza and relaxed in the room.