Hotels - Bellagio

Bellagio.

Oceans 11. There, I said it. 

I think for most people, it's hard, if not impossible to separate the two. 

Oh, and Bellagio Conservatory.

Which you may have already heard of.

We have actually been there, despite my wife pretending she's never been anywhere.

The Bellagio Fountains spray water, for the un-initiated.

1,200 of them to be exact. Up to 460 feet.

And they get their water from a private well on the property, and not from Lake Mead, or so they say!

They collected $12k in coins (in 2011), but I don't think people throw coins in there anymore.

Favorite memory - Not going to the Bellagio Rotunda 

I used to work for MGM Corporate (in Recruiting). 

Anyway, one of the business lines I was supporting (Cyber-Security) had a team meeting one day and they got to go to the rotunda at the top of the building.

Not everybody knows, there is rooftop access above the word "Bellagio", when you're looking at the building from the outside. It's not a public access kind of thing though.

#beautiful scenary.

#fancy girl.

I know exactly what she'll say: "OMG look how skinny I was!"

Speaking of fancy girl...

The world (class) famous - $75 Bellagio Martini.

Another bucket list item.

Perfect for the wife that's never been anywhere! 

I have been many places. This is one of them.

A few "Nevada State Flowers" decorate the bottom left of this picture.

Hi, welcome to Las Vegas.

Where the casino thinks you think $20 is a lot of money.

Favorite memory - Yellowtail: 

When my wife and I got married (in Vegas), we went to Yellowtail for Dinner as part of our Honeymoon.

We spent $300 on a credit card (which we have since paid off, and closed, along with about $225,000 of consumer/student loan debt, as of the date of this writing, thank you very much).

It was a truly amazing meal. Now this was several years ago, so your mileage may vary. But a few standout dishes were the beef you cook on your own hot rock at the table, some tempura battered sushi roll with tomato (one of the best bites of food I'd ever had up to that point), and the Sashimi/Nigiri served on a salt block.

I recently checked the menu and it looks like they've made some changes over the years (prices, offerings), but they don't care, if you're eating at Yellowtail, they assume you've got that Bellagio money.

If you look closely you can see "43 cents" under the words "Big Win". That's how you Vegas baby!!

It's art, don't you get it?

Something about barking at the moon...

The Art of Richard Macdonald. Highly recommended. The fine details of these Cirque Du Soliel performers is truly World-Class.

This guy got a handpay for about $2,600. I didn't, but he did! Good for him.

Favorite memory - "O" Cirque Du Soleil Show: 

The show is like all Cirque Shows, remarkable. 

12,000+ shows performed.

20,000,000+ audience members since 1998.

1,500,000 gallon pool.

14 underwater technicians.

26 underwater speakers.

They always kick off with something unique and engaging, the feats of athleticism are absolutely world-class,  and there's a very real element of danger.

If you only do one thing in Vegas, see a Cirque show, any Cirque show. 

The water element of this show is magical, and the high-dives (80'+) are probably the single craziest thing you'll ever see in Vegas. 

Favorite memory - Bellagio Patisserie: 

Home of the Chocolate Fountain (right hand side of this picture), and they used to make this divine Chocolate Brownie Raspberry Crepe - they didn't have it the last few times I've been, but man was it delicious. 

Sweet, chewy eggy crepe, fresh raspberries, dense chewy bites of brownie, fresh whipped cream, the stuff of dreams. 

Mysteries of Ra. This game is tight. Similar to Red Riding Hood or Little Red or something like that. It kind of has 2 panels and the game takes place across both panels. So it's kind of like getting two games in one!

Only place in Vegas I've ever seen it.

What's the opposite of a Dark Horse?

BTW - in the ceiling there are 2,000 hand-blown flowers, weighing 20 tons, that was built at a cost of over $10,000,000.

It takes a team of 10 ppl 3 hours a day just to dust the ceiling!

The horse I have no statistics on.

They have a buffet here, but it's not good!

If you're not spinnin', you're not almost winnin'!

Favorite memory - The Bellagio Conservatory: 

Look for all the jokes I make about it, the Conservatory is pretty amazing. They have over 12,000 (live) potted plants in their typical display.

And where you do you think they got the money to buy those plants?? 

Here's a collection of pictures I've taken throughout the years (2020 to about 2026). 

I don't have any from 2009, that's what I get for living here as a broke college kid. 

If I ever get a time machine I'll definitely go back and take a million pictures.

That, and buy a $200,000 mansion in Vegas with my lunch money.

I love big pumpkins, if you catch my drift.

She loves camping.

Pumpkin Spice is (literally) in the air.

Look closely throughout and you'll notice the "Year of the Horse" (2026) is all just slot machine items...

Ah yes, because symbols for the Year of the Horse are these coins from the slots, those bucket hat things from the slots, pandas, this emperor guy, lanterns from that hot pot soup game, and fireworks - just as the prophecy foretold.

Bacarrat Bar - pay tables so bad, you'll need a drink!

It's the thrill of the chase, isn't it?

Speaking of chasing (reaching)... here's my wife, and here's 8 more time we almost won in a single session, again.

And here's 8 more the very next time we went back to Bellagio!

This is all I brought, is this enough to win?

I'm just now noticing we seem to play a lot of slots at Bellagio, when it's a place I feel like I never play slots lol.