Glittering Nights: Exploring the Pulse of Las Vegas

Where should I start?! This journey was a first for the both of us and remains our most cherished trip. Even though it was Babe’s pick, I also became enamored with Vegas and often long to go back. I’m not a big gambler, yet there’s an abundance of sights and activities in Vegas beyond gambling. Truly, there’s something for everyone.

Excalibur at Night

We lodged at the amazing Excalibur. It is located across the street from New York, New York with MGM situated not far behind. It was the perfect walking distance to get the exploring started! The pool was my favorite part of this hotel, along with the corner tub in our room. Definitely worth the modest room upgrade to get a corner soaking tub!

To name a few of the many offerings at Excalibur – of course the casino! A spa, restaurants, a buffet, a plethora of gift shops, an arcade and dinner with knights jousting. There are 4 pools. We did not visit all of the pools, but we sure enjoyed the one went to.

It’s worth noting the pools close at 7pm and the hotel does not offer room service. That is most likely to get you out and about in the casinos.

I enjoy being active and absorbing as much as possible on our trips. We crossed this bridge multiple times, both during the day and at night. The presence of performers and tourists made each journey unique. The city’s illumination at night is captivating; it offers a distinct ambiance compared to the daytime.

We enjoyed pizza at New York, New York’s New York Pizzeria and walking around the casino. Babe enjoyed Roulette while I tried my luck at a few slot machines.

MGM is just a six-minute walk from New York, New York, and it’s a beautiful casino. The fountain outside is truly stunning.

MGM Fountain

New York, New York at Night

Being that we visited in July, Las Vegas was experiencing a heat advisory, with temperatures reaching 112 degrees upon our arrival. Although it remained hot at night, the absence of the intense daytime sun was a relief. It’s worth mentioning that if you intend to walk a lot, it’s crucial to wear comfortable shoes. I learned the hard way by wearing unsupportive sandals, and by day’s end, my feet were incredibly sore!

The Tour Eiffel at Paris, Paris on July 4th

The Eiffel Tower at Paris, Paris on the 4th of July. The crowds can’t be seen in this photo, but it was insanely packed. This was just after the fireworks show that was set up behind Caesar’s Palace. It’s a 4th of July I won’t soon forget.

Fireworks at Caesar’s Palace

This was an amazing firework display. I hope to come back again at this time to witness another. It was difficult to see through the swarms of people, but the fountain at Bellagio was going on at the same time as the firework show.

The Arc de Triomphe is a Stunner alongside the Tour Eiffel

My dream European destination is Paris, France. I was thrilled to visit this Paris themed casino. We actually went to the summit of their Tour Eiffel. If you want to go to the top like we did, you can make reservations online at Vegas.com or through the Paris, Paris hotel itself. We used Vegas.com to book. Purchasing our tickets was easy and admission codes were saved to my iPhone wallet.

The View from the Top

The view from the Eiffel Tower at Paris, Paris. I had no idea at the time I took this photo, but I captured the new Sphere. You can see the big, black orb in the distance.

Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum

Visiting a Madame Tussaud’s wax museum has long been high on my bucket list. I was thrilled to see Vegas had one. We also booked this excursion on Vegas.com.

Hot Tip – You can visit the museum by itself or bundle your purchase with your admission ticket plus a gondola ride or a Marvel 4D movie experience. We chose the gondola ride. Although it was hot as heck, it was a romantic excursion we won’t soon forget.

I don’t want to spoil it for you as to whose figures are there…. but it was well worth the visit! Go check it out!

Our First Gondola Ride

Our gondolier asked if it was ok to serenade us once we hit this tunnel. Of course, we said yes! This was the most romantic experience of the whole trip. We would definitely do this again.

Michael Jackson ONE by Cirque du Soleil at Mandalay Bay

We are HUGE Michael Jackson fans, so when we saw there was an MJ Cirque du Soleil show, we had to make it a part of our trip itinerary. We, again, used Vegas.com to purchase our tickets. They were easily stored in my phone’s wallet and scanned once we got to the show. The show also offered drinks in the theme of the songs. I got a Moonwalk drink. I can’t remember Babe’s drink name, but we got a kick out it. The show is a must see. I’d see it again for sure.

Pictured is one of Michaeal’s costumes. There was a mini gallery with some of his iconic costumes that you could walk around and view before or after the show.

Lastly, as I could go on forever about the things to see and do in Vegas, we highly recommend you take the trip. It’s definitely worth going even if only once. We hope to visit again next year. The next time, we have talked about staying in ‘Old Vegas’ where Fremont Street is. I have heard wonderful things about it as well.

I hope you enjoyed this read and as always, thank you!