Last year we found ourselves in San Diego in December for a photography class. We loved the lights and decorations that were magical this time a year. They put us in the spirit and mood for the upcoming holiday celebrations. So this year we thought we’d give ourselves that treat again, and what better place than Las Vegas, NV. So many people noticeably grimace when we tell them we are going to Vegas. They just don’t see the allure that we do. Their common reaction is… we don’t gamble. Well, we don’t either. That’s not what we go for. The rooms are invariably cheap ($25 at Excalibur + $25 room fee), and the dinners range the gammit of what you want.. and want to pay.   We do enjoy the fancy restaurant experiences. Where else can you get all the French masters in one place… Daniel Boulud, Michel Richard, Alain Ducasse, Pierre Gagnaire, and Joel Robuchon, not to mention the American celebrity chefs like Mario Batali, Tom Colocchio, Bobby Flay, and Guy Fieri… still only naming a few? Undoubtedly Vegas restaurants are ghastly expensive… but these kind of masters aren’t cheap, anywhere. And they all have something we can learn from and get to take home, whether it’s the freshness or preparation, the courses or the presentations. It’s an experience we enjoy more than the cost of a show. We love to walk around and enjoy the over the top rotating decorations and the photography fodor it offers.

We were anxious to see what Vegas had to offer for Christmas. They always have the changing decorations at Bellagio and Aria… but surely for the holiday they would be over the top Vegas style. Not! We were seriously disappointed. The decorations were as expected at Bellagio, fantastic and wonderful, but also predictable. Aria, instead of some eclectic oddity, had a simple Christmas tree. There were very little, if any, exterior decorations throughout Vegas. I guess the lights that Vegas holds are glittery enough. Hmmmph.

We did enjoy wandering the strip as usual.  We had some nice dinners (see my restaurant reviews on my krittersmenu.com blog).  But next time we’ll try someplace else for Xmas decorations and lights.