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Vegas Day 2

I woke up at 6:30am to the sound of the hubby leaving the room on search for his first cup of Vegas coffee...which would cost a whopping $8 a cup! The hubby was also nice enough to bring me a Diet Pepsi, since I don't drink coffee, which would also cost $8. That's such an outrageous amount. I am going to need to find a store to buy in bulk for sure.


Now I had the momentum to sit by the window to watch the sunrise. I was really glad they assigned us a room not only facing the strip but being able to watch the sunrise always adds to the excitement of knowing it's going to be a beautiful, exciting day with new experiences. Think of it as our daily motivation with sight sensory overload.




Since the kids were still sleeping, the hubby and I decided to head down stairs to find breakfast. We came across a diner called America.






The place was pretty interesting and had a wall above the diner with each US state and items sticking out from them representing what they are known for. We didn't get to eat in this area, but I did take a picture of it.




I ordered the "ABC Omelet" and my mind drifted off to what I know as "ABC" which are what they call the Caribbean islands: Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao...the ABC islands. It was a sign that I should have taken my vacation to some place warm...just saying.


The ABC Omelet consisted of fresh avocado, bacon and Wisconsin cheddar and priced at $15.95. It came with breakfast potatoes and toast. We had already decided prior to vacation that we were going to go all out and CHEAT this time around and eat whatever we wanted instead of sticking to our Keto diet. We would just deal with the consequences when we come home. I was living life to the fullest this time around. The hubby ordered the New York Scramble...and more coffee of course!


The hubby was extremely happy to see they brought him out an entire pot of coffee. He immediately said this was probably going to be our go-to place for breakfast every day (although I would need to veto this decision). 🤣 The shocking thing was, it was only $7 for the entire pot...unlike a cup for $8 around the corner.



Our food came out and it was delicious! There was a lot too. Way more than what we are used to eating. But I wasn't complaining and ate every last bit of it!




Our bill came to $47.09 for the two of us.


By the time we finished, the kids were up and they decided on teeth rotting Cinnabon for their first Vegas meal of the trip.


Ok, it was time to head out to explore. We started with the Hershey's store, which happened to be in our building. I knew I had to get pictures the same as we did last time and we tried to recreate this again.


2021



2024




2021




2024 (I guess he switched flavors this time around)






Moving on outside and down the street:






We were happy to see there was a Shake Shack to be able to get burgers while we were here.




I knew there were a couple of museums that looked like they had fun things to do so had decided that we would go there first. It was located at the Aria. Sakari was excited about it but didn't know what to expect.


Along the way Sakari spotted these oddly shaped buildings at the Aria and every time we passed them during our stay we would make a comment about them. They appeared to be leaning and her OCD would kick in and say "that's just not right!".




It was a nice day today and would end up being a balmy 68° today.


We arrived at the Museum of Illusions, which was not quite open yet. So we decided to have a look around the mall (The Shops at Crystals).







The Museum of Illusions had now opened and we headed back. It would cost $45 per person to enter.




As soon as you enter had to be the neatest display they had there. Hanging from a building....yep, we had some fun with that one and there was a worker there to take your pictures.


Sakari immediately says "We have to do Spider Man!"




Then to incorporate us into the picture, we had the kids appear to be rescued by us. We had so much fun.





The human kaleidoscope... because you just can't get enough of Sakari right?




Various illusions around the building:





This was kind of neat....you stand up and it appeared as if you were defying gravity and doing a Michael Jackson move.





Everyone can tell how the next illusion works. You stand with one part of your body on one side and the other part behind a mirror. No matter how many times we tried to explain this to Karl, he didn't get it and messed up each picture. "Do I peek around the corner?" "How is she lifting her legs?". Oh Karl....


Even Sakari appeared to have grown a "tail" during this process. 😂




If you act up, I will serve you up on a platter for Christmas dinner!



This room was a favorite...only because Sakari could actually be bigger than Karl's 6'2" body for once. It's ok Karl, don't cry.





Whoa...there's way too many of us to pay for this vacation now. Someone has to go!





Pictures you couldn't see until you got right up on them and at the right angle. You never knew what to expect until it hit you. Of course Sakari liked the wolf one.







For those of you that get dizzy easily....you want to avoid this bridge. It was fine while you continuously walk but the minute you stop, you start to lean sideways. Oh my gosh.




I believe Karl won this hand. Or was it Karl that won? We weren't sure which Karl it was.





Another opportunity for Sakari to be the bigger person.





Anything where you can hang upside down in a picture is a lot of fun.







Just hanging around....






We spent a few hours in here and there was a lot more to see. We had a lot of fun figuring things out and exploring the various rooms to get our senses on overdrive. Now it was time to move on.


Also in this same building was the Arte Museum. I had seen pictures online about it and it reminded me of the Van Gogh museum we've been to in the past. While the Van Gough was very pretty and interesting to "watch" it wasn't really anything that I would find myself visiting again. It's kinda a "been there, done that" type of thing and it is expensive. However, even though the Arte Museum appeared to be somewhat the same, there was something that caught my eye that I just knew I had to take Sakari there to experience. I just knew she was going to LOVE it.


The Museum would cost $50 per person to enter. There are multiple rooms with multiple experiences that will put your senses to work. Not only was this place visual and hearing, but it also included smell in some rooms.





The Waterfall Infinate:




FLOWER ROSE The queen of flower symbolizing love and beauty. This was a room full of flowers everywhere and smell was so amazing! You felt as if you were in a flower garden.




FLOWER ROSES-VINCENT VAN GOGH: The rose of Van Gogh-transforming through the flow of time:





This area had a piano in it so Sakari had to have her picture at the piano.



There was a glass wall room inside that had butterflies flying around on the walls and floor. It was so much prettier than what turns out in the picture.





FLOWER CAMELLIA UNDERWATER: The enigmatic and enduring vitality of water:






WHALE: Dancing whale resembling the sea







GIANT CAMELLIA: The giant camellia's bloomed by my hands. You would touch the flowers on the walls and they would bloom.




JUNGLE GLOW: The night deepens when the darkness comes, and the sparkling living beings illuminate the jungle. The jungle animals whose colors and patterns change according to the environment and light.







STAR RAINDROPS: Feast of starlight made with paper art. This had to be the most beautiful area ever. The lights changed colors on the lanterns and the mirrors made them appear to go on forever.






Here's a short video of the raindrop room. It is just so pretty!





Now to the area I just knew Sakari was going to like and the main reason I wanted to come here.



LIVE SKETCHBOOK NIGHT SAFARI: Creating a world with my own drawing. Bring your drawings to life. The colorful animals you create will come alive and fill the grand nature inside the widescreen.


Now being the artist Sakari is, I knew she would be able to do this magnificent drawing and be able to put it on the big screen and it come to life. Little did I know...it would be pre-drawn pieces of paper that the kids could COLOR in their own way. Awww man! I guess I didn't realize this and expected more.


So, at first Sakari said no that she didn't want to do it. She thought it was a little childish and let's be honest there were tons of kids there at the table coloring their pre-drawn pictures with scribbles. I told Sakari...."Well, I'M doing this!" and I grabbed a piece of paper with a zebra on it and started scribbling away with multiple colors that didn't make any sense, nor did I care if I went out of the lines. I just wanted to see my drawing on the big screen. LOL


Once I finished, I put my masterpiece into the computer:





Sakari grabbed a fox and went to work on it. She was smart...she added her name on it to know it was her drawing. I had wished that I had done the same but I made sure to color my zebra stripes in multi-colors so that I would know it belonged to me.


Then once loaded into the computer, your animal would "drop" in or "poof" onto the screen and start prancing around. I would frantically chase them around trying to get good pictures and video of them and we ended up having a lot of fun after all.








It was a very large room with plenty of room for your animals to roam around.




Here's a video to show what the animals look like on screen and how they walk around. It is so cute. My zebra is prancing around and strutting her colorful self while Sakari's fox slowly strolls by without a care in the world.




STARRY BEACH: A space entirely filled with the ocean





THE GARDEN:


THE HERITAGE GARDEN #1: A special exhibit from the legacy of Korean heritage.




THE HERITAGE GARDEN #2: A unique reinterpretation of the history and collections on a large-scale media artwork.





Sakari loves dancing and always has. So, any chance she gets....






THE HERITAGE GARDEN #3: Light of Las Vegas seen in a luminous world of light.




There is an option that you can add on for a tea at the end for $5. We decided not to do the tea portion and headed out.





Back out and down the street we went. Sakari had talked about wanting to go to Bellagio to see the Christmas decorations since we had booked this vacation so that's where we were headed. Along the way I would take pictures of various things I found interesting both inside and outside of the hotels.





We had made it to Bellagio and was greeted by the beautiful glass blown Chihuly glass art on the ceiling in the lobby. It is so pretty.




We headed into the beautiful Christmas display that Sakari could not wait to see. However, once in the area she said "this is not the place I was talking about. I want to see the place with all the flowers". Oh, well oops. We'd have to find that while we were here too. Until then...





We went into a store that we had visited last time and I remember Sakari absolutely loved the peacock displays there. It has everything your heart could desire in peacocks...for a VERY hefty price...I'm talking thousands.





We were getting a little tired from all of the walking and decided we would stop at this hotel and cross the street and head back to NY NY on the other side. That way we will have covered both sides.


We went into the Miracle Mile shop with the hopes of finding something to eat for lunch.


Of course when you get to the beautiful area that looks as if you are outside again, Karl loved it and was blown away that this is what the malls look like here in Vegas. Like why can't all malls have this sort of ambiance?






Another picture by Blondie since Sakari did it last time. Poor Karl felt so small all of a sudden.




As we searched around, I remembered a place we went to last time with great hamburgers. Yep, that would be where we go again and there were no complaints.


KETCHUP! (Although I hate ketchup and tomatoes, I love this Ketchup hamburger place).





I got the Big Bleu burger for $17, the hubby got the mushroom Swiss burger for $17 and Sakari got the bone in wings for $16. I believe Karl got a regular cheeseburger. Drinks were $4 each...unless your name is Sakari and you always have to have a "special" drink and she decided on Pineapple for $5. So yep, you are spending around $100 for a family of 4 at a place like this.


We continued walking in the mall and almost everywhere we went, you'd find Las Vegas icon signs in front of the stores. So, if you can't make it to the actual "Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada" sign while here, there's plenty of opportunities with a miniature version.





On our way out, Karl would discover a Chick-fil-A sign and insisted on a picture of him with it. You see, Karl can eat at this place on a DAILY basis. Yes, you heard that right...DAILY. He absolutely loves this place and should own stock in it because he contributes most of his check earnings to this place. I kid you not.





Again, passing the weird out of place buildings that appear leaning and both Sakari and I would have to make more comments as I took pictures.





A little visit to the Coke store. My preference is Pepsi so no purchases for me. Where is the Pepsi store in this town?????





Then to the M & M's store and you can find any "type" of M&M here in every color possible. It's a pretty neat store.





I have to admit I was never so glad to see our hotel off in the distance and knew that I was about to rest my feet and aching back. Whew, there's a lot of walking involved in this place. If you've never been, you can't even begin to imagine it. I was so glad there was a crosswalk bridge right into our hotel. This made it really nice.






Once back in the room and resting, I started making plans on what we would do tonight. I know I wanted to see a show and one that we had not seen the last time we were here. I looked at all the multiple advertisements of all the things to do here and decided I wanted to see the Jabbawockeez. Sakari and Karl had never heard of them before but I remember them when they competed on America's Got Talent in 2006. I remember them in the plain white face masks and gloves to hide their identity. Their choreography and synchronized dance moves give them character and they have accomplished more than any dance crew before. Sakari and Karl were about to experience something new.


I booked our tickets for the 9:30pm show tonight and it would be $284.32. The great thing about it is that they were at the MGM Grand, which was right across the street from our hotel and our crosswalk bridge over the street would lead us right to it. After a long day of walking, we wouldn't have to endure too much more.


The kids were wore out and fell asleep and the hubby and I decided to sneak out and go downstairs to try our luck at the casino. I managed to find one of my favorite games Planet Moolah". I have to say it was not as forgiving as the one back home...which will keep me playing for a long time and give me multiple free spins.





We would also discover the price to play any of the slots were a lot more expensive than back home too. We would have to play wisely while here. We donated our money and headed back up to the room within the hour...sad and depressed.


We rested and watched tv until around 7:30pm. Yes, the show wasn't until 9:30pm but they let you in to sit down at 8:45pm and although it was right across the street....let's face it, this is Vegas and you could potentially walk a mile within the hotel itself just to find where the show was. I was giving ourselves plenty of time!


We headed out and across the street. Everything was so pretty and lit up.




After much walking within the MGM Grand hotel, we had finally arrived to the theater and took our seats.






We kept seeing people with buckets of popcorn. Well what's a show without popcorn right? I sent the hubby off to get us some. It was the smallest of the small that you can imagine buying at a movie theater...all for the low price of $10 a bucket. 🙄





Then the show began. They were high energy, great music and did skits relating to the music. They were amazing!!!







They had a lot of audience participation as well. There were singing parts and it was hilarious. They picked a female from the audience to come up on stage too for a song.





Oh the hair put a nice flare to the show...lol





There were routines they did with lights and one in particular was just amazing! He pretended to be playing with the lights and grabbing them and it left you scratching your head wondering how they did that part of the show.


They had an entertaining, non-stop, great choreography show that kept us clapping and moving and grooving. It was definitely a hit with the kids and they became a big fan now. I believe the show lasted for around 90 minutes.




Here's a video with clips from several of the routines in the show. I really had to cut it down (even though it's around 16 minutes still) because there were just so many good segments. (I might be having issues with the video on here because of the "songs" being a copyright issue. But, I believe you can click on it and it will take you to Youtube to still see it...except in certain countries?)






After the show, we headed back to the room for the night.




At this point, I checked my apple watch to see how far we had traveled today and this would be the results.






Yea, you can say I was a little tired. This is the most I have walked in one day.... in over a year ago. WHEW! Thank goodness I don't have as many problems with my leg as I did before but it was definitely swollen and very painful after a day like today. I will definitely be taking ibuprofen tomorrow...if I can even walk that is.


Goodnight....ZzzzZzz





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