what happened in vegas part 2

Day 2 Saturday Got bling?
I woke up at the crack of 6:00 (still on Chicago time, I thought it was 8:00 am!) and naturally, went back to sleep for a while. Breakfast down at the hotel's restaurant where I ate my food on top of a Patti placemat (there she is, right next to Wingiebert Slapdeback. Zenglebert Bembledack. Jerry Dorsey. Slapbumwalla. Oh, but he's dead now.) Both of her shows took place at the Orleans and so her benignly smiling visage was everywhere.

I had big plans, my friends, to journey to... the Liberace Museum. I didn't know a lot about him except for his fondness for rhinestones, but it seemed so quintessentially Vegas that I just had to go. The little museum did not disappoint. I took the guided tour (after some urging from a friendly dosent in the gift shop) and it was excellent. The museum was spread out through two buildings - one containing some of his cars and his pianos, and the other containing many of his costumes, the World's Largest Rhinestone, and some of his jewelry. I was dazzled. My favorites were his legendary rhinestone piano and his famous red white and blue hot pants outfit (with matching boots!)

Now really, does it get any more Vegas than that?

From there, it was back to the Strip. I made for the Bellagio to see the fountains, and the art gallery, and how the Other Half Lives, really. It was stunning - the gorgeous Chihuly glass ceiling in the lobby, the colorful flowers in the conservatory, the gelato bar, the fountains. It seems funny, to gush over fountains, but it was really a spectacular sight. I caught the "water ballet" twice - once standing at the Bellagio, and then again, later in the afternoon, I was across at Paris, and heard Andrea Bocelli wailing away as the fountains exploded heavenward. Stunning.

Then I just walked. I went all the way down to New York New York and had lunch in a Broadway themed burger place where our favorite Diva was well represented.

I crossed the Strip (after getting lost in NY's casino) and happily poked around wherever the mood struck. Since it was so hot, I started popping into shops and places just to get out of the heat, step into a mister, or buy some water.

I ran out of steam once I hit Paris, which is too bad, since I've never been to France, and this was sort of like being there but without the French people (bonus!) I stopped in to use the restroom and brush up on my French phrases (particularly useful - "That dress is hot. It would look even hotter on my floor.")

Late in the afternoon, I started getting tired and headed back to where the Orleans shuttle would collect me. Had some ice cream to revive (the joys of staying in a hotel with a food court! Classy!) and started getting ready for the first of The Diva's two shows...