While I didn’t like my stay in the Bellagio (former entry), I think it’s one of the most beautiful hotels on the Strip.

It’s probably also one of the most well-known because of the glorious fountain show that starts at 3 p.m. (running on the half hour) and continues late into the night (running every 15 minutes). Set to music, the water dances and shoots into the sky to the rhythm.

But that’s not all that the Bellagio has to offer. Go inside into the lobby. Look up. There’s a Dale Chihuly glass creation of flowers above your head. That alone should be enough, but keep walking into the Bellagio garden.

The Bellagio garden changes with the season. I’ve been there when they had a fall harvest theme, a Chinese New Year theme, a U.S. Monuments theme, and now a springtime bug/flower theme. It’s like a mini Rose Parade, as everything is made out of flowers. On this particular visit, there was even a butterfly garden with live specimens.

It’s really one of the best locations, and none of these eye feasts will put any dent in your budget at all.

On a previous trip to Las Vegas we discovered the beauty of the Bellagio Fountains as viewed at night from the sidewalk. When I think of Las Vegas, that is the first image that comes to mind. This trip we wanted to spend part of a day with my nephew. I decided it would be fun to explore the rest of the Bellagio. Located in the heart of The Strip this elegant hotel/casino was inspired by Northern Italian buildings near Lake Como. Our first "oh, my" moment came when we entered the lobby and saw the Dale Chihuly art glass ceiling. The scale of the objects is massive. The art glass is formed into shapes similar to Morning Glories with a wide range of bold colors.

At the far end of the lobby The Bellagio Conservatory serves as a hub between shops, café, and hotel. The day we were there the conservatory staff (who number 100 horticulturists) was changing exhibits. Fortunately for us we got to see them work. Large planter tubs were being delivered (marble floors were protected with special mats). Crewmembers operating "cherry pickers" were removing the old display. Artist’s renderings of the new exhibit were displayed on easels. It is going to be a fun display with model trains and lots of handcrafted bridges and overpasses. One section of the old exhibit remained intact. It was a screen of banyan or fig trees gracefully decorated with tropical flowers .

We only visited a few shops. The first memorable one was the Chihuly shop. If you can’t afford one of the blown glass sculptures, you can buy a box of note cards. The second shop of note was the Jean-Phillippe Patisserie. Along one wall is a three-stream fountain or more accurately a "chocolate-fall". There is a stream each of white, milk, and dark chocolates falling 27 feet from one glass pool to another. This is for display, not eating. The chocolate is recirculated using 6 pumps. The trick is to keep the climate controlled inside the fountain enclosure (95ºF) and the chocolate must maintain a flowing temperature of 120ºF.

All our Bellagio sightseeing had been free. That doesn’t hold for the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art. The gallery is open 9:00am to 10:00pm, daily. Admission is $15, with a small discount for students, Nevada residents, and seniors. We were given an auto guide to use but I had to request a brochure. Exhibits are changed every 6 months with collections being brought in from across international collections. We were fortunate to view the Ansel Adams: America exhibit. Several small galleries displayed different aspects of his work. A long narrow gallery covered his life and career. You exit by way of a small museum shop.

Before claiming the car we watched one show of the outdoor fountains from a walkway. Dramatic lighting accompanies the water show at night. The lack of that made the afternoon show a little less exciting.

For our final night in Vegas, my best friend and I desperately wanted to see "O". This show is a Cirque Du Soleil production at the Bellagio Casino. Due to the reports that tickets were difficult to get, we ordered ours ahead of time from the website www.bellagiolasvegas.com. The tickets had three price ranges: $99, $125, and $150. We selected tickets in the $125 section. As a side note, tickets for "O" go on sale only so far in advance and you may have to keep checking to secure tickets for the dates of your trip. Also, "O" is only performed Wednesdays through Sundays, with Mondays and Tuesdays being dark.

When we entered the Bellagio we were overwhelmed with the elegance and beauty of the setting. This is the perfect setting for this show. "O" is so named because of eau, the French word meaning water. This show features breathtaking acrobatics over water. The pool is constantly changing shapes throughout the performance. I had never before seen a Cirque show, but this one was unbelievable.

This show ranged from clowns (not the annoying type) to pirates, from water to an act with fire. There were so many things to look at, you never wanted to blink in case you might miss something. The costumes, music, and physical feats were unreal. I was truly captivated by the performances and by the beauty of the entire experience.

I am really happy that we had the $125 seats—they were perfect. They allowed a great view of the entire show. They were located just below the balcony section of seating toward stage right. The entire stage was visible from our seats and we were able to see some of the audience encounters as well.

Needless to say, I would definitely recommend this show. The water aspect of it made it distinctively original. I loved every minute of it. If you are looking for a splashy, acrobatic show, check out "O".

The ticket purchased offered a "limited view;" however, it was great! The seat gave me a view with a vantage point that most people near the stage did not have. The show was absolutely amazing! It is the most beautiful Cirque show I have seen. The use of water during the performances captivates you for the 2 hours you are there. The music and water trance you; you are literally taken away! A MUST-SEE LAS VEGAS EXPERIENCE!

The water and light show that is presented at the Bellagio Hotel fountains are amazing. The show is free and it plays every 15-30 minutes in the eveing until midnight. There are amazing lights and the founatins dance with the lights and backround music. Every time that the show plays, there is different music in the backround. Everyone stops to watch the free show. It is a must see in Vegas and it is one of the best free attractions that I have seen. It also attracts people to enter the hotel and casino. The entrance of the hotel is spectacular. The decor is elegant yet fun. There is an asian theme to the decoration and they have beautiful fountains inside. My favorite part is the jeweled pony located in front of the check-in area. If you visit Las Vegas, you have to tour both inside and outside of the Bellagio Hotel.