This is not our first time in Vegas, but it’s our first time really exploring the city on our own — no conference schedule, no rushing from one thing to another — just time to enjoy it.
We’re traveling as couples — me and Tim, and Tracie and Glenn — celebrating our November birthdays together. Tracie’s real day is tomorrow, and mine was this past Saturday, so it’s still nice to celebrate.
We’re staying at the Grandview and got a fantastic deal. Each couple has our own suite with a kitchen, living room, and all the space we could want. Hotel prices on the Strip are outrageous, so the savings here leave plenty of extra money for Ubers — and then some. The only downside is having to Uber to the Strip, but being close to South Point Casino makes up for it — they have plenty of restaurants and their own casino, so it’s easy to grab a bite or a drink without going far.
We kicked off the day testing the Uber system and heading to Mandalay Bay in search of food and coffee. The room coffee hadn’t cut it—no cream, no flavor—so a real cup was top priority. I found a breakfast spot right away, but Tim ixnayed it, wanting lunch instead. We wandered through the lobby, past a row of still-closed restaurants, before circling back to Citizens Kitchen & Bar.
By 11 o’clock, Tim got his lunch menu, and I spotted a small section that said breakfast all day. Win-win. My breakfast was delicious, and the mango liqueur drink was dangerously good—so when the waiter encouraged us to grab another “for the road,” I asked for one more, minus the liquor this time.
After brunch, we made our first stop at the House of Blues to learn the schedule for Santana and figure out when to be back for the show. We also grabbed some Santana t-shirts so we wouldn’t need to worry about it later or carry a bag around.
Next, we headed to Mandalay Bay to see “the Beach.” We tried to find it but never did, which was fine — it was warm outside, and we decided to just walk around in the daylight. There weren’t a lot of people around, but the buildings all stood out, almost as if they were saying hello to us. Vegas has a way of feeling alive even when it’s quiet.
From there, we continued on to Luxor. That massive black pyramid is impossible to miss. Built in 1993, Luxor was designed to bring ancient Egypt to Las Vegas, and the theme is everywhere — statues, columns, and the beam of light shooting into the sky. Inside, we saw the impressive model of the Titanic, which was a really cool detail. We didn’t go into the King Tut exhibit, but just seeing the pyramid, the Egyptian décor, and the Titanic model was worth the walk.
Tracie and I did some quick shopping in the mall area connecting Mandalay Bay and Luxor and found it to be a little disappointing — clearly geared more toward kids than us.
We took a break mid-day to regroup, grab some breakfast supplies, and get changed for Santana. We grabbed another Uber for the ride back to the Strip. As we were walking to dinner through the hotel I said to Tracie at least we can check off the shopping option here, as those words left my mouth, we looked up and saw a cute boutique worth stopping in. We made note on our way to dinner to return!
Dinner at the House of Blues was memorable — the food was so spicy that I begged for more water! Tim just sat there calmly, saying, “This is great,” while I was practically dying. The spice level was no joke.
After dinner, the guys stayed in the fast lane line while Tracie and I shopped a bit more.
While we shopped the guys met a fellow who had seen Santana 44 times and shared some excellent tips about the show and which side was best to stand.
And then came Carlos Santana live. Hearing him in person was incredible. He opened with “Evil Ways,” then “Black Magic Woman,” and “Oye Como Va” had everyone moving. With “Maria Maria,” I got a little emotional. Finally the encore was “The Game of Love”. When it was over we were so happy we were able to see him play live. At 78 he still has it!
After the concert, Tracie and I raced back over to the boutique where we had them hold a few things. After our purchase, we found the guys who found a hotel bar where we could grab a drink and talk about how amazing the show was. The bartender was fun and made the night even more memorable. On the Uber ride back to the Grandview, we caught a laser show over the Luxor pyramid.
Happiness is Possible 