Fourth of July in Vegas

The Wynn Hotel opened in early 2005. It’s a 50-story hotel on the Las Vegas Strip that belongs to Steve Wynn. Steve Wynn was the creator of The Bellagio, The Mirage, and Treasure Island but he sold all of his properties to the MGM. He then set out to create his own masterpiece trying to out surpass all of his other creations, while trying to do so he spent 2.7 billion on the amazing Wynn hotel; it has a beautiful golf course on the back portion of the property, along with a Ferrari shop inside the hotel to make you think that you are filthy rich while visiting this desert oasis.

This hotel has lots of different amenities, but in my opinion it wasn’t able to surpass the ambience of the Bellagio. The Wynn has several effects that are almost duplicated from the Bellagio but there are definitely some differences; the color motif within the hotel is very different and very bright compared to that of the Bellagio, the Wynn has fake flowers whereas the Bellagio only has fresh flowers. The similarities are that they Wynn has a pond in front of their hotel whereas the Bellagio has a lake with fountains in front of theirs. The Wynn has mosaic tiles on the floor with bright flowers that match the decor of the hanging-flower display whereas the Bellagio also has intricate mosaic tiles. There is also a nightly show that is played on the waterfall outside but in no regards can it compare to the fountains at the Bellagio.

Although I don’t view this hotel with the same fondness that Steve Wynn does I think it’s a pretty amazing place. I love visiting this Hotel for their pleasant shops, magnificent restaurants and for its entertaining atmosphere. I think this is a great hotel with lots of beautiful décor and plenty of class. This is definitely a great hotel to see while you’re in Vegas.

The Paris Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip is truly captivating. It has everything from a half scale Eiffel Tower, a two-thirds size Arc de Triumph and a replica of the Fountain of Mers. The front of the hotel looks like the Paris Opera House and the Louvre. This is one of the most ornate hotels in Las Vegas.

Upon entering this hotel, I was amazed to see all of the detailing on the inside of the hotel as well. The entrance flooring is marble with large granite medallions. The hotel lobby sparkles brilliantly from all of the hanging crystals on their gorgeous chandeliers and from the intricate mosaic tile flooring. There is a pathway that appears to look like an old cobblestone road but it is used to lead tourists to most of the boutiques and restaurants within the hotel.

While visiting the Paris Hotel you can: take an elevator ride to the top of the tower if you pay the admission fee to "The Eiffel Tower Experience", eat in magnificent French restaurants, peruse the Parisian shops or indulge yourself with one of the many delectable pastries made within the hotel.

The Paris Hotel is such an elegant place to visit. I love visiting it for the enjoyment of its laid back atmosphere and its architecture. It may not be the real thing but it has some fantastic comparisons.

As far as buffets go, the Wynn Buffet is superb. The food has incredible flavoring and everything always tastes remarkable for being Buffet food. The food displays are always amazing. The ambiance of the restaurant is very elegant but yet it still has a casual feeling to it. Their floors were very intricate with shiny mosaic tiles in various places and they had beautiful décor throughout the entire restaurant. The dessert selection was unbelievable; they even had someone at the serving station distributing the desserts that were behind the case.

This Buffet serves a little bit of everything; from the usual Vegas buffet crab legs and prime rib to Asian foods and Indian foods. They had three different types of soups available, a salad bar, and there were several different fresh fruits to choose from. Their breakfast selection was very nice too. They offered an omelet bar, different kinds of sausages, biscuits and gravy, cereal, and lots of other wonderful foods. The service at this Buffet has always been great when we’ve dined there. I went back several times throughout my trip just because it was too good to believe. I was thoroughly impressed at the Wynn Buffet.

If you love seafood then you have to try the food at the Village Seafood Buffet inside The Rio Hotel. It’s a little pricey for being a buffet but it’s all-you-can-eat lobster, crab legs, shrimp, prime rib and all of the other side dishes that they offer. No other buffet on the Las Vegas strip currently offers lobster. When you do decide to try this buffet make sure you get there early if you want right in. I’ve been there a few times where I’ve arrived around 5pm and the wait has been over two hours long. Luckily the Rio has live shows in the Casino to keep the crowds in line entertained.

The restaurant itself isn’t anything fancy, the decor inside resembles a seafood market. The flooring is a brick pattern and the walls are rustic boards heavily decorated with fishing memorabilia. Trust me once you find the lobster you won’t be looking anywhere but your plate. Be sure to save room for dessert because they normally have a large selection of wonderful treats to choose from.

If you stay on the strip, don't attempt to walk to the Rio, it's much further than it looks. There is a free shuttle from Harrah’s, Caesars and the Paris Hotels to the Rio that many people don't know about. This shuttle runs late into the night and leaves every 15 minutes. So unless you're planning an all-nighter, this shuttle is a great way to get to and from the Rio.

Inside of the Bellagio Hotel there are many neat things to fascinate tourist’s interests. My favorite place within the Bellagio is their conservatory. The conservatory consists of a 14,000 square foot room full of living plants, trees and flowers done up to make wonderful displays representing the different seasons and Chinese New Year. Only three trees are permanent fixtures in the conservatory which means everything is replaced when the next exhibit rotates. The floors are made out of small intricate mosaic marble tiles that make up various images throughout the pathways. The outside light filters in from above the conservatory through beautiful etched glass ornamented by decorative green wrought iron. The ambiance within the conservatory usually makes me feel as if I were visiting a Royal Palace and their immaculate grounds.


This year when I visited the conservatory it was much different than it has been in the years past, instead of the focal point being flowers and fountains it was hand made miniature wood buildings with a few trees and plants. There were many different miniature wood structures to see which included replicas of: the Washington D.C. Capital Building, Bellagio Hotel, Smithsonian Castle, Lincoln Memorial, Three Little Pigs Village and of course many others. Train tracks outlined many of these buildings which provided visitors with the feeling that they were overlooking villages and other scenic American destinations.



The conservatory itself requires a staff of 129 to keep it maintained and constantly redesigned. The flowers within the displays have to be watered and changed out continuously in order to keep the displays looking bright and fresh. The Bellagio also has a 27,000 square foot greenhouse on their property which is used as a staging area for their upcoming masterpieces.

In conclusion, the conservatory is a peaceful place to visit and a wonderful place to take remarkable pictures of the amazing work that is on display in Vegas without admission fees.