We headed back to The Strip and parked at New York New York. We didn’t get down to this part of the Strip yesterday. We were pretty tired and the monorail is not running at the moment (COVID). As we walked in, the roller coaster was running and we could hear screams (hopefully of delight).
Our destination wasn’t really the casino, but the Hershey store. The store was so much fun. Almost anything you could think of was for sale with the candy logos: toy cars, baking accessories, extra large candy, clothes, scented candles, etc. It made me wish I had a bigger place, because I would have bought the kids some gear, a few chocolate candy scented candles for me, and the Twizzlers scarf for Ben. I did a walk through video as well that’s up on YouTube. The chocolate Statue of Liberty and Twizzlers Statue of Liberty were pretty neat to see.
We headed down to the Excalibur. The shows, several food/drinks stores, and the arcade are closed right now (COVID). It was pretty empty of things to do other than gamble.
Next, we walked through the Luxor and looked at the different statues. Just like the rest of Vegas, the shows are closed at least until November. We were hoping to see the Blue Man group because I think the boys would have gotten a kick out of it.
Our final stop for this part of the Strip was Mandalay Bay. They had some really neat fountains.
COVID NOTES:
Excalibur: Shows, many food/drink places, and the arcade are closed. Hand sanitizer stations around the casino.
Luxor: Hand sanitizer stations, shows closed.
New York New York: Hand sanitizer stations. New York’s arcade and some rides were open.
Mandalay Bay: Buffet closed, but many other food places open. Hand sanitizer stations available.
Pools: At one time you could rent cabanas and beach chairs to the various hotel pools. However, now you have to be a guest of the hotel to enjoy the pools.
After brunch at the Wicked Spoon, we decided to walk the Strip. We had parked the car at the Cosmopolitan before breakfast. Many of the casinos on the Strip were offering free self-parking. The Cosmopolitan’s garage was under the hotel/casino and was really neat. Each parking spot had a sensor which would glow green if empty and red if occupied. The end of the rows also told how many available spots there were.
We wandered through the Cosmopolitan to exit onto Las Vegas Blvd. The casino had a hands free motion activated door opener, which was neat.
When we made it out onto the Strip, it was a little after 10:00 am and already very sunny and warm.
Our first stop was the Bellagio. They still had the beautiful flowers on the ceiling that I remembered from years ago. The boys said they were neat, but I think that was more to appease me than anything else.
They did like the Conservatory. It was set up for Fall and contained a woodland scene. It was amazing. It had to have taken so much time to set up. There were fountains, flower covered mushrooms and trees, a talking tree, a tree house, flickering dragonflies, and a large tree you walked through. I have a quick video on YouTube that shows the display.
Next we headed to Caesars Palace. We walked through the Forum Shops. The Atlantis show was cancelled, but we still got to see the different statues and the sky ceiling. The fish tank was fun to watch as well. There was even a COVID-19 Essentials store which sold a large variety of face masks. We took the spiral escalator down (because when are we going to see one of those again?) and headed back out to the Strip.
Our next stop was the Mirage. We saw the waterfall in the front (we had just missed seeing it turn into a volcano last night) and the atrium.
We headed over to Treasure Island. The front of this had changed since I was last there. I got to see the Pirate vs British ship and the guy vs girl battle shows in the past. Those are over now, although I wish they still had the Pirate vs British show since the kids would have gotten a kick out of it. The one ship now has what looked like horns on the bow and a large Viking shield by the wheel (even though the boat itself has not changed design and is definitely not a Viking ship). I found this video on YouTube of the original pirate show.
We stopped at the Wynn next. The inside was beautifully decorated. There was a moving carousel made of flowers. The horses even had eyelashes! The nearby walkway had large flower balls hanging from the trees. Further down the path was a hot air balloon also made from flowers (this one didn’t move).
Off to the Venetian! The gondolas were running, so we watched them for a few minutes outside. We wandered around for a little bit inside and found Carlo’s. I used to watch Buddy’s show all the time! We got a cannoli and a lobster tail to try later.
We walked past the LINQ. We’re hoping to do the High Roller Wheel later in our stay.
We stopped in Paris for pastries and bought an eclair and an apple pie tart.
Everyone was pretty tired by this point and we still had to walk back to the truck. On the way back, I was slightly envious of all the people with scooters zooming along the sidewalks.
We ended the night with the boys taking a dip in the campground’s pool.
COVID-19 Notes On Las Vegas Casinos:
Because we had the kids with us (and the fact that I am not a big gambler at all), we mostly just walked through the casinos to see what we could see. We stayed on the main walkways for the most part, so these notes are definitely not everything, just what I observed as we walked through.
Bellagio: Throughout the Bellagio, especially at the entrances, they had stations of hand sanitizer and masks available for use. Near the casino floor, they also had a hand washing station. There were floor markers for social distancing at check-in and the Conservatory.
Caesar’s Palace: At the entrances, they had stations of hand sanitizer and a sign with Mr. Las Vegas wearing a mask. Masks were not available at the station we saw, but it did say they were available at the front desk, security, and Rewards Center. When we exited the casino, we did see a mask and hand sanitizer station, so I guess they had masks at select spots. Seating/benches were marked as closed by a sticker, but not roped off, so many people ignored the signs.
Mirage: We didn’t explore the whole gaming floor since we had the kids with us. The blackjack tables did have plastic dividers between players.
Treasure Island: This was the worst casino we have seen so far on the trip. The main entrance off the strip did not have hand sanitizer or masks. The doors are not touch-less to enter. I was glad I had my own sanitizer with me.
Wynn: Hand sanitizer stations available. The roulette wheels had coverings on the outer side near the walkways. Blackjack tables had plastic shields between players.
Venetian: When we entered from the Strip side, there was a hand sanitizer station. They also had a thermal temperature scanner that took temperature readings as guests walked in. There was even a staff member standing at the top of the escalator telling people to fix their masks if they had it on wrong (not covering their nose, etc.). Poker tables had plastic dividers between players.
Paris: Social Distancing floor stickers by restaurants. Mask stations.
If you have met my children, you know they are bottomless pits. Will is also enamored with buffets. We wanted to give him the Las Vegas buffet experience (while social distancing), but only three were open before our trip (Wynn, Cosmopolitan, and Southpoint). By the time we checked in, the Wynn had closed their buffet again stating customers didn’t like the new way of ordering from a menu instead of walking a buffet line.
We ended up making reservations for Sunday breakfast/brunch at the Wicked Spoon in the Cosmopolitan. Reservations are recommended, as they have reduced seating to allow for social distancing. Drinks (non-alcoholic) are included in the cost of the buffet ($39/adults, $20 children ages 4-10). Your time slot is for 2 hours. Ben and I were both done at the 1 hour mark, but the boys kept on eating. Nick tapped out at 1.5 hours, but Will went to the very end.
The Wicked Spoon was located on the second floor and is nicely decorated. I’m always a sucker for glass decorations on ceilings. The brunch buffet has a wide variety from traditional scrambled eggs to fried rice. See a video of all the delicious action on our YouTube Channel here.
You can walk the line and see the food options, although you have to stand behind the roped off area. There are several staff members at the different stations who will hand you the dish you want. This actually made the experience better, it made it seem more personal and attentive.
Everything was cutely plated: fried chicken in little fryer baskets, eggs in Mason jars, rice in small take-out containers. The food was delicious and fresh. Ben’s favorite was the Vanilla Yogurt and Fresh Berry Parfait, Will’s favorite was either the home-style potatoes or the Watermelon Sorbet, Nick’s favorite was the Mousse Dome (because it had a piece of gold leaf on top and he can now say he ate gold), and my favorite was either the layered Bailey’s dessert bar or the caprese salad.
The buffet line even had a few TVs that show random food facts and information, which was fun to read. We learned a few new things. For example: Peperonata is Italian and is a mix of garlic, tomatoes, onions and peppers cooked in olive oil. It can be served hot or cold.
It was a very nice experience with great food, social distance, and awesome restaurant staff. They did a very nice job. Our table server, Herman, was attentive and extremely nice.
Ben’s Review:
Cosmopolitan- Wicked Spoon Review, Sunday Brunch 9/20/2020 Pandemic Changes $170 + tip ($30). Better than a normal buffet – White glove service, very attentive server, handed food, Still let’s you see the food, 2 hour limit gives you an order end (not that you really need 2 hours), elegant space.
Dark horse buffet winners:
Vanilla berry parfait. Fresh berries, right sugar level, just outstanding. I don’t normally even eat yogurt, so this blew me away.
Eggs Benedict: Again I would never order this at a restaurant, but since we were at a buffet, I went for it. I only planned on eating a bite to see how it tasted. I gobbled up the whole thing. They poached the egg perfectly so it had a warm gooey yolk. What a treat!
Don’t miss:
Gelatto: I went with an out of the box item for me (Pistachio) because the server recommended it. So amazing.
Scrambled eggs: These come in little jars that keep the eggs moist and at the peak of freshness. Above and beyond being cute, they tasted perfect.
Items to skip:
Crab: this is a hard one to do right on a buffet, so I normally skip it. But it was Vegas, so….same disappointment. It’s sloppy and tough to eat. This version was overly salty.
Tips:
1. Go early: Less COVID chance, more space, no lines.
2. Talk to the servers handing you the food. They seemed to love it. They don’t want to be “servants.” Humility goes a long way. Ask them what they recommend. Tell them they are doing a great job.
It was time to leave Utah and move on to Nevada. Our next stop was Las Vegas. Ben and I have both been here before, but it’s been about 14 years for me.
We got checked into our campground and set up. So far, this is not my favorite campground, but I will get more into that when we do our review.
After getting set up, we drove to Costco. (Are you noticing a theme yet? 😉 ) This Costco sold propane per gallon from a large tank and had a large wine and liquor selection. Ben bought me a wine advent calendar! The food court was similar to others we have seen (mostly pizza, hot dogs, ice cream), but it had a window where you could watch them make the pizza. They had a cool machine that puts on the sauce, which was fun to watch.
After putting the groceries away, we headed down to Las Vegas. Our first stop was the Fremont Street Experience. Masks are required in Nevada and it wasn’t anywhere near as crowded as I remember it being. There were several street performers/buskers, some of which were not wearing a ton of clothing. The ceiling still changes and is very bright. It was fun, but seemed to be half ads instead of the crazy light show I remember it being. It was still the first time the boys had seen it, so they thought it was neat. They had a Covid safety message that would routinely show as well. (YouTube link here.)
We then drove down the Strip. It was starting to really light up at this point, which is always amazing to see. Ben managed to have perfect timing in the traffic and we were stopped at a red light right in front of the Bellagio when the fountain show went off! It was spectacular as always. Driving past New York New York, the Statue of Liberty was dressed in a Raiders jersey and a mask.
Getting back on the highway to drive home, we saw a glitter covered minivan. The back said “life without sparkles…is not life at all”.
