Las Vegas: Ben's 40th!

This trip was for Ben’s 40^th birthday and consisted of me, Ben and two of his friends Ben H. and Nick.  The four of us came to Vegas last year for Nick’s 40^th birthday and this year it was Ben’s turn. 

Ben chose the Cosmopolitan and I was very excited to stay there.  I was really hoping for nice weather so the four of us could enjoy the balcony with a view of the Bellagio fountains. 

Our day started with what would be the first of many American flight delays.  This trip was a nightmare as far as American was concerned, but more on that later.

So we got the party started at the TGI Fridays in the airport until finally taking off an hour later than planned.  Upon arrival, we were met by Presidential Limo and quickly got the party started. 

 

We drank our champagne on the way to the Cosmo arriving around 2:00 p.m.  We got the 31^st floor and the boys got the 58^th floor. 

 

I loved our room and the beautiful view—the best I’ve ever had in Vegas. The bed was really comfortable.  The room was perfect for our group since it was great for mixing drinks, watching football, and of course, enjoying the balcony.  

After checking in, we took time to get settled and check out each other’s rooms before going down for lunch at the secret pizza place.  Since we had arrived later than planned and had 7:00 dinner reservations, we just wanted to grab something small and that was perfect.

So then we all went over to Aria to try and set up our bottle service at Gold for Ben’s birthday.  This was supposed to be free through the Facebook game MyVegas, and all we would have to pay is the tip.

So we went to the MLife desk at Aria and scheduled it for 9:00 p.m. on Monday.  There was much back and forth between the MLife rep and someone I assumed was at Gold.  He wrote down a long confirmation number on a slip of paper and said we would be on the list.    

We went back over to Cosmo and gambled a little.  We did a lot of pooling of our money—each of us would put in $20 or so, and we’d play on that and split any winnings.  This was fun since then each of us didn’t have to put in too much at once.  We put in $80 into a Megabucks machine but didn’t win anything.

We went back up to the room and the guys had drinks on the balcony while I freshened up for dinner at STK steakhouse at the Cosmo.  We saw our first fountain show from our balcony.

We always visit a new steakhouse every trip and this was Ben's pick. since he's the birthday boy! 

 

We all got something different—Ben H. and I had the 7 oz filet, Ben had the short rib, and Nick had the ahi tuna steak.  We also got sides of mac & cheese and green beans.  Everyone liked what they had.  We had a great server too so overall it was a good experience.

We still had time before our 9:30 show so we went to Paris and got sticky toffee pudding at the bar at Gordon Ramsay steak for dessert.  I have been craving this since I had it 2 years ago and it was just as good as I remembered. 

 

After dessert we went down and put $20 each into a Wheel of Fortune machine.  This became our go-to machine of the trip.  We joked that whenever we needed money, we’d just go to Paris and win money on Wheel of Fortune.  We won $300 before cashing out. 

So off we go to Absinthe which I was so excited to see after hearing how much everyone loves it.  I had really talked it up to the boys and was sure we would love it.

None of us really cared for it.  I think I might have laughed once.  It was just vulgar and not funny.  Plus the tent was hot and the chairs are crammed in like sardines.

We were all ready to get to bed after the show so we called it a night around 12:30 a.m. 

Day 2

Ben went to the gym while I showered and the boys did their own thing for awhile.  I wanted to see the hotel and the ice rink so Ben and I did a little exploring and figured out the hotel a little better.  The ice rink was on the 4^th floor, I guess where a pool used to be.  It was totally dead with no one there so I took a picture and left.   

 

Ben’s pick for today was brunch at Mesa Grill so we headed over to Caesar’s to be there when it opened at 10:30.  This was our third time to Mesa Grill and it was good once again.  I got chilaquiles and a mimosa.

Ben got steak and eggs and a bloody Mary, Nick got a Belgian waffle AND shrimp tacos, and Ben H. got the green chili cheeseburger which I was dying to try.  I saw Bobby Flay make it on Throwdown and I’ve always wanted to try it but I wanted breakfast at 10:30, not a burger.  I had a bite of it and it was delicious—I will be having it on my next trip.  Everything was really good.

So today would be a bit of walking and seeing the new stuff on the strip before dinner and drinks at Mandarin Bar.  Before we left Caesar’s, Ben H. bet on the Eagles/Seahawks game which had big implications for us Dallas Cowboys fans.  

We headed over to the Linq to see all the new shops. 

We went over to the Cromwell to see it and find Giada where we would be eating the next night.  I liked the Cromwell as it was new and clean and nice.  We went to Paris and went to the WOF machine and won $150 on our first spin!  We played on that for awhile and then parted ways as I wanted to go see the Christmas decorations at the conservatory while the boys were ready for a nap. 

So Ben and I went to Bellagio and saw the decorations at the Bellagio conservatory.

Then I had to go put $20 in my favorite Kitty Glitter machine—I got a bonus and won a whopping $7 which I was happy with. 

Back at Cosmo we decided to meet in our room and watch the Eagles/Seahawks game which was great for us—but not so great for Ben H. since he lost his bet.  We all cleaned up and then went for dinner at China Poblano.  We all got different tapas and everything we had was really good—my favorites were the tacos and the vegetable fried rice. 

 

We really enjoyed the Sunday jazz at Mandarin Bar last year and I was so sad to find out they don’t have it anymore.  But we decided to go anyway since the drinks were good.  Ben got a Manhattan which was his favorite of the trip.  We stayed for two rounds of drinks and then Ben H. decided he was ready to call it a night—he has a toddler so getting a good night of sleep is a vacation to him!

 

Ben, Nick and I went back to the room for some drinks and a fountain show on the balcony.

Ben decided he wanted to stay up until midnight and have a toast on his birthday. We ended up back at Paris and Nick decided he wanted to play blackjack at a table.  Ben and I have never played a table game so I was happy to get to watch.  I got carded in the casino for the second year in a row!

So we had fun watching Nick play for an hour or two.  We were eventually joined by another couple and a friend of theirs and we all talked and as it approached midnight, we told them to have a toast to Ben’s birthday. 

The husband of the couple (who had bought in for $500) laid down $100 in chips in front of Ben and said, whatever he won, Ben got to keep for his birthday!  The both ended up busting but it was pretty exciting there for a second!  And very cool too.  All in all it was a fun time and made for a great story.

By this time, I am asleep on my feet but somehow we ended up at the Chandelier Bar for another Manhattan.  After that it was bedtime but Ben’s birthday was off to a great start.

Day 3 

Today we were going to start with breakfast at Mozen at Mandarin Oriental, then make our way to redeem our MyVegas rewards at Minus5.

At Mozen, Ben got steak and eggs again and Ben H. and I got the traditional breakfast with eggs, sausage, and potatoes. 

It was all good but I thought the restaurant would be nicer—it was just sort of plain and reminded me of a conference room.    

After breakfast, we walked over to Monte Carlo to see what all was new on that end of the strip.  I am still crushed they took out the beautiful fountain in front of Monte Carlo and am so glad I got a picture of it before they did.

 

I turned Ben H. and Nick on to MyVegas and all 3 of us had a reward to Minus5 which is an ice bar at the Monte Carlo.  We thought this would be a fun thing to do just for the novelty.We had the entire place to ourselves since it was before noon.  It was fun and almost free and now we can say we did it.  I bought a 5x7 for $20 of one of our pictures.

 

I wanted to see Hershey World and have a chocolate martini at Chocolate Bar at NYNY. 

We found Chocolate Bar and the boys went to play video poker while I got the most beautiful, delicious $12 chocolate martini I’ve ever had.    

 

So by now, it’s time for us to get back to Cosmo so I can get gussied up for dinner at Giada's and the club.  We saw sunset from our balcony.

Our plan was to go to Hyde at Bellagio for a pre-dinner cocktail as the boys had a MyVegas reward.  This is my favorite lounge in Vegas.  We found out there that Hyde was closed through the holidays. 

So I suggest Lily instead and we go there and I get a bellini and Ben gets a Manhattan. 

 

Since Ben and I are big Food Network fans, I made reservations for Giada.

I had asked for a table by a window with a view and referenced Ben's birthday.  We were seated at a table at the back of the restaurant, although Ben was wished a happy birthday by our server.

Ben H. and Ben ordered soup, salad and the scallop risotto and Nick ordered soup, salad and the lamb chops.  I ordered the lobster ravioli. 

The table was given a bread plate thing with a small bread and bread sticks along with sauces to dip them in. 

We had ordered a antipasta platter as an appetizer but it never came nor was it ever mentioned again by our server.  We all liked our entrees fine but nothing blew us away.  So it was just a mediocre dinner experience and we wouldn’t go back. 

We take a cab to Aria and make our way up to Gold lounge.  And it’s closed.  The lounge I reserved for my husband’s 40^th birthday.  We don't know why we weren't told when we made the reservation. 

So now I feel terrible and we are all disappointed and Ben is not happy.  We decide to just go to our room for some drinks on the balcony before bed.  I am happy that Ben had such a good night the night before to make up for his actual birthday which was kind of a bust.

Day 4
 

We woke up next morning to a message from the manager at Aria that we had been given $20 freeplay due to the snafu at Gold lounge.  Ben and I walked over to Aria to use our freeplay on a Kitty Glitter machine and won $15 so I was happy with that!

The boys met us and we sat in the Aria Lobby Bar to discuss our plans and have a round of drinks. The guys all got hurricanes and they were good—that became our drink of choice a lot on the trip.

Ben H. wanted to see Pawn Stars and the Toy Shack so we decided to do that and spend the day downtown. Our cabbie made a joke about how lame the pawn shop was but Ben H. would not be deterred. So we make the drive out and it’s the smallest place I’ve ever seen with a line and nowhere really for the cab to even stop to let us out. So Ben H. says keep going to Four Queens as the Toy Shack is next door.

So we get dropped off and go to Toy Shack which is a store full of old vintage toys owned by the same guy who owns Gold & Silver Pawn Shop. It was cool to see all the old toys but everything was expensive. I have no idea if the prices are fair are not but it was fun to look at everything. It is crammed full of toys from floor to ceiling.

 

We spend the day walking around the casinos, drinking, sightseeing and gambling.

We played the horse racing game Sigma Derby for a long time at the D. We won $45 on Wheel of Fortune at the Golden Nugget and $40 at the Four Queens. At one point we stopped for a drink and a snack at the Cadillac Bar in the GN. The guys got something called Cadillac Punch in a huge glass-it reminded me of a hurricane.

 

Ben and Nick played Jacks or Better forever at the GN with Nick being 1 away from a Royal and Ben getting both a full house and a straight flush.

 

We ended up having dinner at the Chart House at the Golden Nugget.  After dinner, I wanted to go to Hugo’s Cellar for a drink in their bar—we did this last year on Halloween and our drinks were really good. Unfortunately, although my raspberry lemondrop was ok, the guys all got Manhattans which were not very good. But it was a nice place to relax a bit and talk about what we wanted to do next. One day I would like to actually have dinner there!

 

Ben H. said Ben could zipline or Skyjump at the Stratosphere for his birthday. We had talked about ziplining earlier so Ben said, let’s all zipline and I’ll pay for it and then the boys could pay for him to Skyjump. So we went to sign up but it was going to be a 30 minute wait. So we decided to just go straight to the Stratosphere for Ben to skyjump.

He said it was nothing—it’s a controlled fall, there’s no feeling of free falling at all he said. He likened it to going down an elevator, just really high up!

 

 Afterwards, we went to Level 107 for a drink. I got a lemondrop martini.

 

Back at Cosmo, Ben H. went to bed and Nick, Ben and I went and got secret pizza. Ben was happy and the disappointing birthday night was long forgotten. Before going to the room, we put $40 in a Michael Jackson machine and cashed out at $153. Good way to end our last night!

Although, this night did not turn out to be our last after all...

Day 5

We wake up to a call at 8:00 a.m. saying our 1:30 p.m. flight is delayed until 2:50. So we call Presidential and let them know and pack and get ready to leave. Ben and I take a selfie on the balcony and I look like I’ve been hit by a truck—I am tired and ready to get home and sleep in my own bed for more than 5 hours.

 

We discuss breakfast/lunch and settle on the Henry since it has both. I get an omelet with tomato and avocado and a side of homemade salsa and wheat toast. And OMG, it’s the best breakfast ever and I eat almost every bite.

At 1:00 Presidential comes for us in a black stretch Cadillac Escalade.

 

Goodbye Vegas—or so we think!

When we get to the gate, it is obvious we aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. The gate next to ours is delayed, then there is a mechanical issue, then we board and taxi to the runway where we have a weight issue. Finally, it is announced that we are going back to the gate and disembarking.

 

Long story short: our flight is ultimately rescheduled to 6:15 a.m. the next morning. Since we checked our luggage, we lose another hour waiting for it and are unable to get on any other flight home.

So now we are in Vegas for another night. MyVegas to the rescue!  Nick and Ben H. get on their phones and start redeeming chips for 3 rooms at the Luxor.

We finally get our bags and cab to the Luxor, getting there around 8:00 p.m.

This wasn't the Cosmo by any means but for one night and for free, it was fine.

 

We went down to find drinks and dinner and ended up eating at the food court. Ben H. and I turned in around 10:00 p.m. as our alarms were set to go off at 3:30 a.m. Ben and Nick decided to keep the party going and put $40 each into a Michael Jackson machine and ended up cashing out at $430! So that made up for a bit of our losses from the trip.

We are up at 3:30 a.m. and get to the airport for our 6:15 a.m. flight which finally takes off at 7:40.

All in all, this was a great trip spent with great friends. Even with a few disappointments, we had a blast, and the weather was great. Ben said it was our best trip ever, which is all I really care about.

Ben H.’s 40th birthday trip is already planned for Vegas for October 2015.  Viva Las Vegas!