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We spent Labor Day weekend at the opulent Wynn hotel in Las Vegas. I believe I’m correct that this is the most recently-added hotel on the Strip, and certainly the most overtly fancy…challenging the jewel of the Strip–the Bellagio–for in-your-face luxury. The good news is that our friend Paolo got us a promotional room rate…so we could save a bit of money to “invest” in other parts of the weekend 🙂

The rooms at the Wynn have a clean, contemporary elegance. Without a doubt, the best features of the rooms are the floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows, providing unbeatable views of the world.

The highlight of the weekend (for me) was seeing the newest Cirque du Soleil show…The Beatles LOVE at the Mirage. The show is a feast of artistic imagery and Cirque-style acrobatics…all set to a finely crafted soundtrack of Beatles songs. The Beatles blessed this show, and producer George Martin himself oversaw the mixing and mashing of song bits, comical interview quips, and orchestral transitions. The show reminded me of the Beatles’ incredible artistic range. Simply amazing.

With daytime temps approaching 105 all weekend, we certainly took advantage of the Wynn’s on-property entertainment. The Wynn’s signature “crowd luring” feature is its Lake of Dreams, which is center stage for free evening psychedelic music+light+[insert odd animatronics here] shows. We spent one warm evening outdoors at the adjacent Parasol Down lounge sipping beverages and watching dancing frogs, flirtatious flowers, and a giant projected gorilla head singing the Ferris Bueller “Oh Yeah” song.

For indoor entertainment, penny slots were the rule, because they innocently entertain as they slowly siphon off your money. Our clear favorite slot this trip was the whimsical Dam Lumberjack Beavers machine with its playful “Beaver Bonus”.

This weekend was chocked full of firsts…including my new shiny finger- and toenails. Yes…I was (pleasantly) talked into my first pedicure, including a life-altering sea salt foot and calf scrub. I got the manicure, because I was under the spell of Angie–my helpful spa chick. I was quite skeptical as I plunged feet into the scented water bath, but I will admit when I’m wrong 🙂 So here is a photo of me posing at the Vegas A&F store after my spa treatment…amazing transformation, huh?

On Saturday evening, I feasted on the best damn hamburger I have ever eaten…it was also the most expensive. At $32, “The Original NY DB Burger” from the Wynn’s Daniel Boulud Brasserie had a lot to live up to. Suffice it to say, this no ordinary burger. Its a sirloin patty stuffed with…get this…braised short ribs, shaved black truffles, and foie gras. And let’s not forget the decadent parmesan-topped bun. No condiments or other distractions were necessary…this juicy morsel was fit for the gods. (My delight inspired a return visit the next night, when all four of my table-mates ordered the burger!)

Continuing on my food adventure, I tried the Monty Python-inspired Spamwich for lunch in the Wynn’s casino deli. (The Wynn hosts the Vegas rendition of the Broadway hit “Spamalot”.) Once again, my tastebuds were surprised by the rich flavors of my meal. Another fantastic warm sandwich on a cheese-topped bun.

Speaking of healthy meals…I did spot one poorly composed sign when we were grabbing lunch one day at the Venetian. Careless linebreaks created a choppy sign that warned “Our food is”…”cooked in”…”100% cholesterol”…”and trans fat”. Only the patient reader makes it to the last line that counters with “…free oil”.

Not everything we did involved food. We did spent time both Sunday and Monday by the Wynn’s “European style” Sunset Pool…drinking refreshing daiquiris. Sunday afternoon, the pool was wall-to-wall bodies…hot LA guys and gals…and yes, a few “European style” sunbathers.

Leaving Las Vegas was a mixed experience. On one hand, it was certainly nice to get home to cool temps and fewer people. And yet, on reflection, its hard not to love a temporary overloading of the senses…the over-the-top entertainment, artificial extravagance, and of course…the parade of people from all walks of life…all converging for a 24×7 party.

Prior to our trip to Michigan, we took one last weekend drive with nephew Matt. We repeated a favorite trip from Matt’s visit last summer, and visited Pinnacles National Monument. This summer, we took Matt to the eastern entrance to Pinnacles. (The two sides are not connected by road.) The eastern side has many more caves and fun paths.

After visiting Pinnacles, we stopped in the small town of San Juan Bautista, home of one of the more famous Spanish Missions. (This one was featured in the Hitchcock movie Vertigo…although the movie’s legendary bell tower was added by Hitchcock, and not part of the real mission! The bell tower in the photo below is the real one, and not the one in the movie.) One highlight of San Juan Bautista was JJ’s Burgers, where I had to try the JJ’s famous Mexican hotdog…which is wrapped in bacon and covered with pico de gallo and jalapenos…YUM.

I am soooooo frickin’ behind on my blog posts! I know…I know. I’ve got pics and stories from Pinnacles, Muskegon, and Freedom (Indiana). But it sure does seem that the more I procrastinate diving back in, the more daunting the task.

So, let’s just begin with today. Portland.

I am pleased to report that my flight here was TOTALLY UNEVENTFUL. Can you imagine? Early to the airport. Easy check-in. On time departure and arrival.

Its quite warm in Portland this evening. Over 90F when we landed. But Jeff reports that its warm in SF this evening as well. (Although this is nothing compared with the 100+ degrees we will see in Las Vegas this weekend!)

Tonight, I’ll curl up in Westin’s famous “heavenly bed”…we’ll see!! I’m still a travel skeptic for a bit while longer 🙂

I’m pleased to report that the stress from Saturday’s travel quickly melted away…although not from summer temps.

Sunday and Monday were quite cool all day, and the overcast skies were only broken enough to dump showers throughout the day. Still, the rain brought relief to an overly dry summer (glad we could help) and gave us an excuse to stay indoors and play with the kids…boy did they eat it up.

Today (Tuesday), the sun broke through in the afternoon and the temps followed suit. We took advantage, and took a dip in the pool. Fantastic.

Well…we arrived in Muskegon just after 5am Eastern Time. The day threw about as much at us as possible…but we survived…weary with lingering anger, but now only caring about sleep.

The drive to Muskegon had its own obstacles…misleading rental car signs at O'Hare…the Illinois state champion Slowest Toll Booth Attendant along the Skyway…steady downpours thru most of Michigan…tons of road construction that made our GPS sugggest right when we needed to go left. But again…we survived.

Jeff's parents woke up to welcome us with hugs. The cats are purring. The rains have cooled the air to a perfect sleeping temp.

Yes…sleep.