"Phantom of the Venetian"

If school is driving you to the end of your rope, what do you do? 
You vacation, of course.
And so we did.

It took a bit of convincing, actually,
since I have no love in my heart for Vegas.
But Ken-kun waved Phantom of the Opera tickets in my face
and I couldn't say no.

Whilst waiting for our evening performance to start,
we explored the Strip, like any proper tourist should.

I began to warm up to the city
when we passed under the Eiffel's legs
and bopped around the European-themed hotels.

Someday, I will see the real things.
But these imitations were stunning, themselves.

Gorgeous architecture in Caesar's Palace.
{We got a bit turned around -- it's so big inside!}

I love aquariums. ~(*´∇｀*~)

Stoic dragon gargoyle is stoic.

I adored the ceilings in the Venetian.
Is it time to go to Europe yet please

It's wonderful how the hotels bring live, themed performers into their midsts. 

Makes the whole experience of touring even more authentic and magical. 

Apparently, Vegas had an enormous Chinese New Years bash.
We stumbled upon the remnants.
{The Palazzo had a dragon court, waterfall included.}

This serpentine fellow smoked from his nostrils.
He was huge.

Say hi, Ken-kun!

Whenever I think of Vegas,
this is one of the scenes that pops into my head.
Apparently, it struck a chord with me when I went with Papere.
I had to take a picture, this time.

Hello, sparkly horsey!

The Bellagio boasted a beautiful tribute to the Chinese New Year:
a dragon flower garden.

These lovely animatronics bobbed their heads and tails at us,
as we passed by them.

Flower children danced in the garden of the dragons.

When it was finally time for Phantom to woo us,
we settled into our seats with cheese popcorn and chocolate.
Good gravy, there's no comparison to a live show.
It. Was. Incredible.

After Phantom, we show-hopped 

to Mirage for a volcano show, 

and to Treasure Island for a siren show. 

Whilst the lava was bursting, there was a duck fight in front of us. 

It was dark, but finally I saw why: ducklings!

This was a massive mammoth's tusk.
Do you see the detail on the clothing?
I am forever astounded at the talent God blesses people with.
It makes this world such a better place.

Cthulhu cheesecake! 

Thus named because of its wiggly whipped cream 

and its impossibility to defeat. 

Road trips are always memorable. 

Even if your destination isn't somewhere exotic or breathtaking, 

the journey and companionship makes it all more than worthwhile.