My mother, youngest sister, mother-in-law, daughter, a close family friend, and myself all have birthdays within one month of each other. So when kicking around the idea of how to celebrate, I thought that a ladies weekend trip to Las Vegas sounded like the perfect choice! Plus, Natalie was thrilled to celebrate her 14th birthday in Vegas as she had never been before.
Nine of us committed to a weekend of girls-only Las Vegas fun and it was a blast!
We picked Natalie up from school early on Friday to fly into Vegas and flew out Sunday mid-day. Now because we had a 14 year old in our group, we didn’t do the typical drinking/clubbing/gambling thing — which was perfect for pretty much most of us because that’s really not our scene.
Friday Night: Bobby Flay & Blue Man Group
When we arrived on Friday, we checked into our rooms at The Luxor — the giant pyramid and Egyptian themed casino — changed clothes and headed to Ceasar’s to try Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill. Natalie and I are big Food Network watchers and we were both excited to try one of Bobby Flay’s restaurants.
While the company was fantastic and the food was amazing, the rest of the experience left us a little disappointed. We had reservations but still had to wait, then when we were brought to our table, we were stuck into a small room with another party of very loud, drunk women and needless to say, the ambiance wasn’t great.
Then, when it was time to order, I asked to substitute carrots (on the menu) for the potatoes that had dairy in them (I have a dairy allergy), but the server refused. No substitutions. They even checked with the chef and the chef said no. Then I asked to pay extra or purchase the carrots separately and just not get the potatoes. Nope. Again I was denied. If I didn’t want the potatoes, I could just not eat them. First, that’s wasteful. Second, that’s crap because I have an allergy. There was some friendly drama, a manager was brought over, and I was finally allowed to order the carrots and not have food I’m allergic to on my plate.
Good thing the food was good!
After dinner, we booked it back to The Luxor for Blue Man Group, where we went VIP. Upon arrival, we received drinks, a gift, and a VIP lanyard and were ushered into our seats right up front. We had heard great things about Blue Man Group and the show totally delivered. It was entertaining, funny, and interactive. If you’re visiting Las Vegas with family, this show is a must!
When the show ended, a staff member came over and lead us back stage with a few other people to meet one of the Blue Men! We were able to ask him questions and take photos and learn more about the show. Super fun!
After the show we relaxed in the hotel for a while chatting and catching up, then headed to bed because Saturday was going to be a very long day…
Saturday: Exploring The Strip
Saturday morning we met in the lobby at 10:00 am and hit the strip for a day of shopping and eating. After quick breakfast, we hit store after store, and because this was not only Natalie’s first time Vegas, but the first time in Vegas for several ladies in our party, we hit all the cheesy, kitch stores like M&M World and Hershey’s Chocolate World, and Natalie rode the roller coaster at New York New York with my mom.
After that we split up for the afternoon. Some of us went back to the Luxor to relax at the pool, some wandered more shops, my sister took a nap! This was her first weekend away without her children (who are 1 and 3), so she relished the luxury of an uninterrupted nap!
My mother-in-law June, Natalie, and I wandered almost the entire Las Vegas Strip! Natalie wanted to everything.
- We had an awesome lunch at PBR American Bar & Grill, which had fast and fantastic service.
- We explored Paris Las Vegas, shopped, and rode to the top of the Eifel Tower for incredible views of Las Vegas.
- We watched the flamingos wander the grounds of The Flamingo.
- We people watched like nobody’s business at several Casinos and I think Natalie’s eyes may have bulged right out of her head a few times!
Soon it was time to get ready for our evening plans…
Saturday Night: Mystère And Zip Lining
We actually ended up cancelling our Saturday night dinner plans at an upscale restaurant for a casual, relaxed dinner at a burger place in The Venetian. It was tasty and and faster experience, which meant we had extra time before our evening show to explore the gorgeous Casino, walk along the canals, and poke around the shops. We even got to see part of a live theater performance!
The it was off to Treasure Island to see Mystère by Cirque du Soleil.
Honored eight times as “Best Production Show” by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Mystère has an international cast of over 65 performers featuring dancers, singers, musicians and champion-caliber acrobats. Mystère takes you inside the imagination with a blend of playful whimsy, intense drama, colorful sets, powerful athleticism, imaginative costumes, high-energy acrobatics, and inspiring imagery.
Mystère was absolutely captivating. I highly recommend seeing it next time you’re in Vegas.
After the show we split up once again. Some went back to the hotel, while the rest of us hopped in an Uber and headed over to Old Vegas for the SlotZilla Zip Line on Fremont Street.
Our experience zip lining down Fremont Street under a canopy of lights and over the crowds below in the middle of the night was awesome! If you’ve never done it before, add it to your “next time I’m in Vegas” list. Our experience on Fremont Street however was a little different. Fremont Street is a little shadier, dirtier, and grittier. In general people are wearing much less clothing and some are basically naked. While it was good to do once, and worth it for the zip lining, I don’t think it’s somewhere you want to bring a 14 year old!
Sunday: Sleep In Day
Natalie and I didn’t get to bed until 3:30 am, so we were happy to have planned Sunday to be a sleep in day and a lazy morning. We eventually pulled ourselves out of bed, packed up, and met up with everyone else in the lobby for our ride back to the airport.
The weekend was a blast, Blue Man Group and Mystère were both awesome, and we’ve all made memories we’ll have for a lifetime.
