Las Vegas — like no other city in the US!(

(We are republishing this post from Christmas 2012 so you can take a look at one of the most over-the-top holiday rooms we’ve ever seen — the Bellagio Conservatory in Las Vegas.  You just may get inspired to deck out your own abode accordingly!!

I’m one of those rare people who had never visited Las Vegas.  Now, thanks to working with Discovery Communications and training teachers in Clark County, Nevada,  I’ve been there three times since October!

And I like it!  There’s nothing better for me than strolling through hotel lobbies, looking at sculptures (especially love Chihuly!), artfully decorated rugs and drapes, fountains that shoot sky high to the “Star Spangled Banner,” and interiors that imitate street scenes in Venice or Paris or New York!

And then there’s one of my favorite hobbies:  people watching.  Which, in a town like Vegas, is a 24/7 pastime whether you’re on The Strip watching the fashion parade or in a casino catching glimpses of folks caught up in roulette or the new “penny” slots.

Fountains of Bellagio, Las Vegas

If you follow my blog, you may remember that in November, the Bellagio Conservatory was decked out with three-hundred-pound pumpkins, towering scarescrows, and a talking tree surrounded by lines of people listening for his next phrase.  It was, in short, “over the top”! (Click here to read “Fabulous Fall at Bellagio.”)

If I’m lucky, I’ll return again just in time to see the Chinese New Year display debuting January 9th, 2013.  (Click here for schedule.)

The talking tree in the fall display at Bellagio’s Conservatory

But during the month of December, the Bellagio Conservatory was all Christmas and winter wonderland — in the best sort of way.

If you want magic, you can’t get much better than this Bellagio dream world. It begins with a centerpiece tree reaching almost to the top of the Conservatory’s glass dome. Silver and gold bells (hung by brave people in cranes, I suppose) draw guests and photo bugs into the expanse, inviting us to leave the grown-up world at the doorstep to become a child again.  I did, for sure.

Visitors snapping pics of the Christmas bells and ceiling-height tree

Snowflakes, soldiers, and silver bells!

A wintry touch with snowflakes suspended mid-air

A soldier stands at attention near the centerpiece Christmas tree at Bellagio

In the center of room stood shoulder-high log houses resembling their miniature counterparts made of gingerbread.  And through the village ran trains on winding tracks.

Hundreds of poinsettias form the landscape for artful gingerbread houses

Varietal mums (the likes of which we don’t see in my neighborhood greenhouse) formed the base of the village with tags proudly defining the blooms and bracts.

Beautiful variegated leaves in these Picasso Premium Poinsettias

Probably more than one child has asked a parent if he can ride this rocking horse that almost reaches the height of the stars. (Another popular photo-op, judging from the families using him as a backdrop!)

Rocking gracefully — this horse stands tall among the landscape.

And penguins moved, too, flapping their wings and taking a spin around the ice as they showed off their best moves under the crystalline trees.

Home for the penguins — a miniature pond for skating!

Costumed carolers added sounds of the season and then graciously posed with young and old.

What fun! A picture with the Carolers at Bellagio!

Polar bears danced, pranced, and swam to the delight of everyone.  (An awesome sight made more spectacular when you realize they’re covered head to toe in white carnations!)

The center of attention — a polar bear of white carnations.

Later that week during the morning hours, we happened upon the “refresh” team cutting more carnations and doing balancing acts to make sure only the whitest whites would be visible to guests that day. (Reminded us of the Rose Parade preparations, if you’ve ever been to Pasadena.)

Cutting the stems of replacement carnations for the dancing bears

With thigh-high waders, this team works on keeping this bear lookin’ good!

And their efforts paid off.  Here’s that bear in great form!

The Bellagio’s floating polar bear!

Other bears required more maneuvering, but the prep was worth it!

A bit precarious, if you ask me, but necessary to maintain that awesome white polar bear appearance!

Perhaps it was by design that the section with the postcard backdrop (all flowers, too!) had the longest line.  Everyone wanted a family picture in front of Happy Holidays so that, I suspect, the photo could anchor their 2012 Christmas Card or, at the very least, be forwarded to Facebook and on to the folks back home.  We loved it, too!

A very busy, very popular Happy Holidays backdrop

Photos weren’t just taken by the guests at the Bellagio Conservancy.  Trains also got into the action. A camera mounted on the locomotive panned the crowd and then sent the images to a screen held high above the poinsettias.

An inset camera on the locomotive reverses the action by photographing the crowd!

Ohh, ahh said the crowd.  And then they pointed to themselves and smiled at the fun technology can bring!

Look!  Here we are!

Watching ourselves on the screen as the locomotive videos us!

Some people were definitely in the Christmas spirit. When we saw one person in front of a tree, bear, horse, etc., and one person readying the camera, we heard this quite often: Would you like for me to take a picture of the two of you?

And the answer was almost always Oh, would you?  That would be wonderful!

People loved watching others being photographed. Some offered to take pictures for them.

It worked for us.  Here’s our picture snapped by a very friendly visitor from Osaka, Japan!

Merry Christmas from Vegas!

So, from the Bellagio Conservatory to you, we wish you Happy Holidays and new travels in 2013!
Thanks to all of you for reading our blog this year.  And a special thanks to those of you who clicked Like or Follow. (Your support meant a lot.)

We hope to bring you more Places to See in the coming year!

Sincerely,

Rusha and Bert

Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

3600 Las Vegas Boulevard South

Las Vegas, NV 89109

888.987.6667

http://www.bellagio.com/attractions/botanical-garden.aspx

For more information, check this out:

Welcome to Vegas — any time day or night!

Nighttime draws people to The Strip where people watching and picture taking go hand in hand.

Looking at the just-snapped pictures of the waterfall at Wynn Las Vegas.

You might get your days and night mixed up though — if you hang out in the casinos.  Keep a watch handy.  You just might not be able to tell whether it’s morning, noon or night.  It’s Vegas, baby.

Seems like nighttime when you’re in the depths of a casino!

For more great nighttime shots, check out Weekly Photo Challenge: Nighttime.

Two ladies in Las Vegas

For more entries in the Weekly Photo Challenge: Split-Second Story, click here.

Crossing over to New York New York

And some “streets” led outside the big hotels like the Wynn so you could take pictures of the waterfall or the people who made the evening special.

Snapping pictures of the waterfall outside Wynn Las Vegas

Of course, street life in Vegas means dressing up for a night on the town!  And why not? What happens in Vegas . . . well, you know the rest.

Two dressed-up ladies agreed to pose with Treasure Island in the background.

For more examples of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Street Life, click here.

Listening to all those stories can wear a Santa out! Well, take a break, guys!

Like a table of Santas gambling in Vegas, perhaps?  So those normally on the giving end are hoping for a little take on the side?  It could happen!

WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Juxtaposition

But it also brings to mind a heart-shaped piece of art on display near Smith Center in Las Vegas. Positioned in a small park, the painted heart bearing the words Dream Big stands alongside other hearts painted by area artists to benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

The message is a simple one: We can all benefit from dreaming big dreams, especially if heartfelt resolves are involved. 

Best wishes to each of you who choose to Dream Big.  The new year — 2014 — can be a great beginning!

For more entries in the Weekly Photo Challenge: Beginning, click here.

I was driving from the Las Vegas Strip on I-15 to a school in Clark County, Nevada, one morning when the sun glinted off a building near the World Market Center.  Of course, I didn’t get a good look at it, but I thought it resembled the undulating curves of a Gehry building.

After work that day, I returned and exited onto Bonneville Avenue.  There it was.  It had to be a Gehry!  Sure enough, I walked around and discovered the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.

The unmistakeable shiny metal forms swerving, curving, caressing whatever lay inside were indicative of the architecture of Frank Gehry, designer of the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles; the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain; and the Experience Music Project in Seattle — all with that characteristic metallic motion and form.

Later, I read an article from the Los Angeles Times by Christopher Hawthorne dated May 19, 2010 (Click here) who added this information.  Gehry had become friends with Lou Ruvo, a Vegas liquor distributor, whose father had struggled with Alzheimer’s.  Ruvo wanted Gehry to design a neurological research center for the treatment of brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.  Gehry agreed but only if the center would also include research/treatment for Huntington’s disease since Gehry’s longtime friend and analyst, Milton Wexler,  had seen his own wife and three sisters-in-law suffer with Huntington’s.

And so it is that this $100 million center came to be — with its seemingly movable walls and bending metal layers that reflect the Nevada sun artfully.  Although I could not go in, I was able to snap these pictures.  And I also noticed a sculpture in the rear enclosed area that bears Gehry’s name.  Perhaps it was a gift of the architect.  Does anyone know?

I’d love to return on a sunny day so as to capture that same metal gleam that caught my eye the morning I drove to work.  But for now, I just smile knowing I’ve checked off seeing another Gehry!

A Word a Week Challenge: http://suellewellyn2011.wordpress.com/2013/06/02/a-word-a-week-challenge-metallic/

Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health

888 W. Bonneville Avenue

Las Vegas, NV 89106

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/neurological_institute/about/default.aspx

Happy Blogging Anniversary!

It’s hard to believe, but one year ago we launched Oh, the Places We See!  We had just rented an apartment downtown in our own city of Knoxville, Tennessee, and pretended to be tourists for a couple of weeks — even though we lived nearby in the suburbs.

The experience was rich:  We joined the urban walkers each morning prior to heading to work, we ate in new (to us) restaurants at night, and we were right on the spot for all the downtown Dogwood Arts Festival events.  So, the idea for a blog was born: Let’s share our adventures near and far with others.

Now, after a year later, we’re still writing about our travels — and here are the blogging stats that make us smile:

• 61 posts (a little more than one a week)
• 12,125 views (thanks to all our readers and commenters!)
• 76 followers (We really, really appreciate you!)
• Posts with the most views: Books and Buttercream at The Great Cake Bake and Upscale, Classy, Personable: Publix Opens in West Knoxville (Hmm.  We must love to eat around here!)

To celebrate, we’ve posted a picture of one of the tallest layer cakes we’ve ever seen!  It’s from Zoozacrackers Deli — a little restaurant at Wynn Las Vegas — where you can get a good burger or sandwich and watch your favorite sports on the big screens.

A special shout-out goes to Cynthia Moxley who’s commented the most.  Her encouragement means a lot, and her blog, The Blue Streak, is still the gold standard for us!  (Click here to read her posts about what’s happening in Knoxville!)

And what does the future hold?  Well, we’re gonna keep on travelin’ and writin’ — at least for now.  We’ve booked a trip for this summer (Viking River Cruise: Imperial Jewels of China). So keep coming back to compare adventures if you’ve already been or enjoy the new sites and sounds right along with us. As always, though, we love seeing what Knoxville has to offer — it’s home!

Thanks again for reading and following!  What a great year for blogging!

Rusha and Bert

Elegant seating area in Wynn Las Vegas

Come to think of it, selecting just seven hotels from all that Vegas has to offer is a daunting task, to be sure.  But thinking of which ones we’d like to see again, these really are our top sites to see in terms of interesting architecture, artful interior decor, and unique features. But they’re also the best based  simply on how they appeal to us.

If you missed Part One of this blog (Seven swanky lobbies to see: Vegas hotels), click here. (We had to separate the posts since there are so many pictures.)  We hope you enjoyed the four hotels in Part One.  And now, to finish the seven, our top three places to go lobbying!

Our third favorite: The Venetian

3355 Las Vegas Boulevard South; 702.414.1000; http://www.venetian.com

The towering structures surrounding the Grand Canal invite you to leave The Strip and come to Italy.

 The Venetian had us — and we weren’t even inside.  With exacting details like the recreation of the Rialto Bridge and the Grand Canal, we were hooked on the Venetian experience. When we went inside, however, we were struck by the beauty of the ornately painted ceilings and marble floors of the elegant interiors. The Venetian really is a don’t-miss place in Vegas.

It’s Venice replicated: from fountains, balconies, and lightposts to the Rialto Bridge!

Ceilings in The Venetian.

To say the least, the hotel is an amalgamation of luxurious accommodations and fascinating details in the architecture and artful design.  Running through the complex is the canal surrounded by shops made famous for high-quality goods like Italian glass and haute couture, as well as inviting waterside restaurants.   Painted ceilings are delightfully deceiving — the whole place feels like a European shopping plaza or a side street in Venice.

But there’s also a lot going on. At Christmas, we applauded traveling performers.  On a more recent visit, we smiled as we watched people mistake this mime for a statue (surprise!) and then ask to take pictures to email back home.  (Were you fooled a bit, too, when you saw the picture above?)

Of course, you might not want to miss one of the most popular activities of all — a gondola ride navigated by a singing boatman.  You’re in Venice, right?  Or is this just Vegas?  Whatever or wherever — it’s fun.

The Venetian will host Carnevale 2013 from May 27 to September 8, a celebration of music, food, and culture.  Wouldn’t you just love to be there? (Click here for more info.)

Coming in second: Wynn Las Vegas

3131 Las Vegas Boulevard South; 702.770.7000; http://www.wynnlasvegas.com)

Taking its cue from the shimmering copper and gold exterior, Wynn Las Vegas offers an elegant interior of warm browns paired with reds and ivories.  Rich chocolate-colored walls greet you whether you enter from the front door or the free parking area between Wynn and Encore. You know you’re in a luxury hotel, but one that offers something for everyone.

We love the mosaic floors of stylized flowers that add color but keep the hotel fresh and new, not stuffy.

Even the areas reserved for serious poker players (right past Ferrari Store!!) carry out the richness of the brown interior and lead you into the casino area and its signature floral carpet.

Delighting most visitors are the two tree-lined walkways featuring tiny white lights and real-flower spheres that change with the seasons.

The Wynn offers unique dining, too. According to the web site,  “Wynn and Encore have more Forbes Four Star award-winning restaurants than any other  resort in North America.”

We love coming down the escalator into Parasol just for the sheer joy of all that color.  Then we head out to Lake Side to watch the free hourly show on the water and sit in one of the comfy banquettes.  But, upon your request, you can dine even more privately in a tented alcove at Bartolotta’s. Ahhh, for those quiet moments in Vegas.

Entering Parasol on the way to Lake Side.

Dining beside the lake at Bartolotta’s.

To our delight, however, Wynn Las Vegas is a mixture of luxury AND affordability.  During March Madness, bets came in hot and heavy at Wynn’s Race and Sports Book (You can always stand in the back free!), and we dined affordably at Zoozacrackers Deli while watching the fashion show go by!

Lining up to cash out are these now-calm participants at the Wynn Las Vegas Race and Sports Book.

Best of all, we enjoyed Le Rêve — The Dream, a Cirque du Soleil spectacular performed in, on, and over water.  (Click here for ticket information.)

Although pictures aren’t allowed during the performance, we could snap this one at the end: enormous lighted flowers hovering over the circle of water.

Our favorite hotel lobby in Vegas: The Bellagio

3600 Las Vegas Boulevard South; 888.987.6667; http://www.bellagio.com

Walking through the lobby of The Bellagio is one treat we give ourselves each time we’re in Vegas.  It’s just that nice  — and always changing.  You can stand outside the hotel and enjoy the fountains during the day and every fifteen minutes during the evening hours.  As a side benefit, you can also hear several languages as people from all over the world share their love of the dancing waters and familiar music.

But the lobby, too, is overwhelmingly beautiful.  Our favorite part is the ceiling sculpture of over 2,000 hand-blown flowers by glass artist Dale Chihuly.  We just stand in awe — and then we have to take pictures!

There’s even Chihuly at Bellagio, a place where one-of-a-kind art is for sale to grace your home or office.  (But if you’re like us, you can take really, really close looks for free!)

I’ve written before about The Bellagio as I’ve been to Vegas for work since October 2013. (See below for links to those posts.)  And I have to admit, next to the Chihuly sculptures, it’s the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens that beckon me to return each time.  These exciting, masterful exhibits change with the seasons, and each one has brought forth new designs and creative ways to incorporate fresh flowers into the sets.   Technology, too, plays a large role in involving guests:  From winding miniature trains at Christmas to the “Pupa Emergence Display” this spring, the Conservatory always offers something of interest for young and old.

The current installation, a tribute to Andy Warhol, is delightful: Dutch shoes, a house-size windmill, white-flower swans, hundreds of forced bulbs, and a miniature greenhouse where butterflies come to life — literally. (The 2013 Spring Celebration ends May 11th.)

Life-size greenhouse in center of Bellagio’s Conservatory

So, if you think Las Vegas is all casinos and cheesy wedding sites, think again.

Vegas hotels live large — beautiful surroundings, graceful interiors, and something for everyone to enjoy.   Come see for yourself.

Click here to read Bellagio Conservatory and Gardens celebrate Chinese New Year in style!

Click here to read Picture Perfect: Christmas 2012 at Bellagio

Click here to read Fabulous Fall at Bellagio: It’s Vegas, Baby!

P. S. Would love to hear about your favorite hotels in Vegas.  Leave us a comment!

]]> https://ohtheplaceswesee.com/2013/04/06/seven-swanky-lobbies-to-see-vegas-hotels-part-two/feed/ 12 2005 https://ohtheplaceswesee.com/2013/04/02/something-new-at-least-to-me-at-las/ https://ohtheplaceswesee.com/2013/04/02/something-new-at-least-to-me-at-las/#comments Wed, 03 Apr 2013 02:03:53 +0000 http://ohtheplaceswesee.com/?p=1974 On my fifth trip this year to Vegas’s McCarran, I saw something I hadn’t seen before.  Not at McCarran.  Or any other airport, for that matter.  But it’s probably been there all along.  I may have been too busy watching luggage spin around on those carousels to even notice.

No, it wasn’t the artwork I’m so fond of seeing in airports.

No, it wasn’t the slot machines.  Not even Wheel of Fortune that gets you to come over with that methodical TV kinda voice:  “Wheel. Of. Fortune.”

The slots at Vegas. Even at the airport.

And no, it wasn’t all those ads for the headliner shows or even the banner for the Chippendales. (After watching Amazing Race, I always look for Jaymes and James.)

It was something quite simple . . . practical. . . workable — a sign that a chauffeur or greeter held up to indicate who he was looking for.

I’ve seen dozens of these signs, but they were always printed on card stock or affixed to a clipboard.  Not the one held by this man (and lots of other guys at McCarran).

In fact, almost all the meeter/greeter folks were holding iPads boldly showing the name of the intended connection on a bright background.  New to me.

New to you?

Just a little something unexpected you get to see when you travel!