Rules of Hitting the Vegas Strip

We are all familiar with the saying, "What Happens in Vegas..."

As an avid believer in the rules of Las Vegas, I cannot, in good conscience, reveal all the details of my Memorial Day weekend spent in Sin City. However, what kind of travel blogger would I be if I didn't talk at least a little bit about my trip?

Having last visited America's playground when I was a tween traveling with my family, the city was completely unfamiliar, with the exception of what I had seen or heard on television, or from friends who had gone there. I expected large crowds, bright lights, a whirlwind of activity, nonstop gambling and partying, and drinks galore. And that's exactly what I got.

Our group of 14 girls (that's what you call a great bachelorette party) got a two-bedroom suite at Planet Hollywood. (We actually stayed in the condo portion of the hotel, called Elara, which is run by Hilton.) The room included a living space, complete with a wrap-around leather couch, a furnished kitchen, and floor-to-ceiling windows with curtains that could be lowered to instantly turn it into a personal theater. There was a master bedroom with a jacuzzi tub, seperate shower, washer/dryer and an LCD TV. The other room was a bit smaller, but still had a nice bathroom, kitchenette and an extra couch. Plenty of room for everyone to have some form of a bed--though somehow my friend and I landed on the floor the first night. It was definitely convenient to have a fridge, helped cut down on food and drink expenses at bars. If you are planning to have a bachelorette party in Vegas, I would highly recommend snagging a room with a kitchen, probably the best idea ever!

Attached to our hotel was the Miracle Mile, filled with 170+ apparel stores, eateries and souvenir shops--heaven for women of any age. Our agenda did not include much shopping, but there were certainly a lot of options had we wanted to take some time for retail therapy. Our time was mostly relegated to the pool, an outdoor tropical oasis surrounded by palm trees and private cabanas. It was a more laid back, relaxing environment in the early morning hours--before the late-night partyers awoke and ventured to the pool to nurse their hangovers by the refreshing water. The afternoon is a nonstop festival of music, drinking, dancing and sunbathing, with a select few actually swimming. (Probably not the smartest thing to do while intoxicated.)

One of my favorite things while I was there was just walking down the strip and through the different casinos, checking out the different gaming areas, all the various decorations and themes of each hotel, and staring at all the characters hanging out on the streets or sitting at the slot machines. Prime people watching. It's also one of the best ways to meet people. We ran into a couple the first night while walking through the Planet Hollywood casino, and they were able to get us into The Bank at the Bellagio--no wait, no cover. The next day, we met some really nice guys while playing roulette at Hard Rock Cafe. I love meeting new people, and Vegas is an awesome place to do that.

I would have liked to partake in some of the other attractions, like the roller coaster at New York New York or some of the Stratosphere rides. If I ever go back, I definitely want to try the Sky Jump, a 108-story "skydive" down the side of the Stratosphere, cruising along a zip line without a parachute.

Seeing a show would also have been nice, but again, not really on the agenda for us bachelorettes. Although, a good one for a group of girls would have been Thunder from Down Under. (I would not have been opposed to seeing that.) I recall when I first visited Vegas, my family got to see a Cirque de Soleil show, probably one of the very first ones to come out at the time. Now, there are so many all over the country, you can pretty much see one whenever and wherever you want. Still, the Vegas performance was one of the most amazing I have ever seen, so that's certainly a possibility for next time.

I realize that a post about Las Vegas should have more juicy, tantalizing stories, but isn't it my moral obligation as a bachelorette to keep my mouth firmly sealed about the happenings that took place with our group? I think so. But here's a little teaser...stretch SUV limo, 23 bachelors, bottle service at a prime dance club...let your imagination wander.