I want to see all the new casinos in Vegas. I haven't been there in over 20 years, so much has changed it's hard to believe. Mainly, I just want to gape. And gloat. Because every single one of those honking huge hotels and casinos has our lighting systems in them. Whoot!

I know a guy who's a chef at Bouchon (in the Venetian). Don't know anything about the hotels, tho.

Deb, you might like the Wynn, too. I stayed there in May and found it to be very similar to the Bellagio. Their no child policy extends all the way up to 21 instead of 18, however.

If you are looking at a big strip hotel, I'd suggest the Monte Carlo. It's consistently the cheapest on the strip, usually a bit lower than TI. I paid $69 a night there at the beginning of June, and around the same in December. The pools are nice, lagoon style with lots of places to get away from the action.

You can also get a great $1.99 shrimp coctail on Freemont Street.

A world with cheap shrimp!

I'm Bellagio-centric to the point of devotion. I love the fact that it's a hotel for adults, because I don't do things like Disneyland, and I want the eight-year-olds hangin' with the Maus, not under the keno tables.

I've never been, but that's my f-i-l's favorite, by far.

I've never been, but that's my f-i-l's favorite, by far.

Man has good taste.

Sassy, I've considered the Wynn - it's new since we were there last - but it doesn't have the fountains or the completely non-themed uber-haute couture shopping strip.

And no scary giant talking Roman god statues in the basement. Caesar's Palace scares the crap out of me.

There are some cool water features there- but you can really only see them well from the rooms. Apparently Steve Wynn wanted to make a hotel that was geared more toward the actual guests than the onlookers. Plus, the Esplanade is almost exactly like Via Bellagio- there's a Manolo Blahnik store, etc. It's all really similar. In fact, I started calling it "Wynnllagio." But I'm a dork.

If we end up in Vegas, I'm planning on spening as much time as my sun-snarly, genetically inclinded towards cooler weather skin will allow poolside at the Bellagio, drinking mimosas.

pulls up lounge next to Deb and calls the pool boy over to take my order

I'll be sitting with Deb and Vortex, but I'm going to need an umbrella, and a wide-brimmed white hat. And that pool boy is going to need to keep spritzing my head with cool water. Maybe there should be two pool boys.

For each of us.

So pulling up a lounge to that party.

Wynnllagio is a term of beauty. If that's dorky, I'm proud to shake its hand.

There are a series of round pools at the Bellagio that have central fountains in the middle. The sun-sensitive - that would be me, with my washed-out fishbelly blue-white melanin-deprived typical redhead's flesh - can lounge in the water, in the shade of the central fountain. So nice.

edit: Blahnik at the Wynn? And Jimmy Choo at the Venetian. I just had one of my characters pop in for shoes for her own wedding.