It is a newer hotel in Vegas… and since there are so many that are over the top, this hotel does a great job keeping up with the competition  – but this is not OTT in a cheesy way – more in a seductive, glamorous way. The whole ambiance is EYE CANDY to the max. The lobby, bars, game tables, restaurants, pools , everything.

Check out this bar off the lobby – it sparkles and glows.

Other bars are enchanting too…

I loved the pool table lounge areas just in the middle of open spaces.

The dining is to die for – so many choices you will find yourself wanting to try a new one each night.

From sushi, to steak, to Sicilian, most of the restaurants are all on one floor so it is a smorgasbord of gastronomy..each restaurant more stylish than the next.

We ate at STK – a contemporary steak house with  cozy, intimate seating in petite booths, and a a happening bar with a sexy vibe. The booths could be a little farther apart for more privacy with your date. The menu:  you order a steak or other dish and then order all your side dishes from a long list. Make sure you ask for the pre-dinner bread.

The shopping is unique- once again, the Cosmopolitan is trying to make a statement that “we are different, but cooler” by offering boutiques that offer eclectic items – for instance, one reportedly sells limited edition sneakers.

There are three pools… Day Club Pool is for adults only, and at night becomes an extension of the night club. We’ve come a long way since the Rat Pack.

Then there’s the Boulevard Pool.. which has a laid back vibe, with fusbol and a bar on the deck. Great place to hang out.

The only caveat: while many hotels are practically giving away rooms this summer,   the Cosmopolitan is still charging $350-$450 a night for a basic room on a weekend.  Go to their website for special packages. www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com

One last note- not my usual type of recommendation, but I saw an acro-cabaret show while in Vegas that was everything that Sin City is- provocative, fun, funny, wild, – and warning: RAUNCHY. It is called Absinthe and it is definitely not for everyone – don’t bring your mother – but if you can tolerate the totally shockingly crude humor – you are in Vegas so it is somewhat more palatable – then you will marvel at the extreme stunts that are performed almost in your lap.  It is  at Caesar’s Palace – we walked from the Cosmopolitan.   It satisfied my craving for something out of the ordinary… as if that is difficult to find in Vegas.

Here’s a little taste. Happy travels.

www.absinthevegas.com

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Jack Nicklaus Golf Academy, Las Vegas

But I discovered something well worth doing where there’s no smoke or ringing of slot machines. In fact, it is actually good for you…or at least your golf game. The Jack Nicklaus Academy of Golf in Las Vegas is a state of the art golf instruction center, where golfers of all handicaps can work on their long and short games. In the process… you actually have some fun…

Especially if you get golf pro Seth Glasco as your instructor. Once a stand up comedian, he uses his humor to gently tell you what you are doing wrong (let’s just say I was laughing a lot)…and elevates the class beyond dry technical advise.

My day started out on a wacky device called the “Free Motion Tonic.” It is vibration training that increases muscle activation – basically, it is a shortcut to stretching, warming up your muscles. I was skeptical – and although I didn’t feel that much more stretched, my mind was as alert as if I had just downed a double espresso. (Warning: if you were overserved in the casinos the night before, use caution.)

After that Seth asks what you want to work on. Since I said, “everything,” it was a long session. Out on the putting green, he showed me drills to make my putting more rhythmic and even. These are drills you can use at home by the way, because he writes it all down for your personalized lesson.

Next – into the air-conditioned teaching facility, where my swing is analyzed in a 3D imaging system. THAT is cool.

Seth shows you what you are doing wrong by replaying your swing and marking it up with computer graphics.

After he works with you to improve, you are taped again and you compare the before and after swings.

It is illuminating to actually see  – instead of only feeling – what you are doing wrong. (Notice I am hinging more in the second swing!)

Afterward if you want to practice what you learn… or just scream in frustration because you can’t execute all the great drives you were sending back at the academy… Dragonridge Golf Course is right there. Normally a private course, you have access through the golf academy.

Dragonridge Golf Course, Las Vegas

The academy is not cheap  – but there are various different packages for groups, even kids.  It is perfect for a group of moms wanting to learn to golf… or a bunch of guys in Vegas.

The ONLY drawback is that it is about a $45 cab ride from the strip. I think if the Academy offered a shuttle and marketed that, it would be a hole in one. (bad I know…)

For info go to http://www.nicklausacademylasvegas.com/

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Spirit Airlines is offering this $9 one way fare on their new Los Angeles-Las Vegas route… good if you fly on a Tues or Wed between May 10 and June 15. Sounds like an AMAZING deal  – and it is pretty darn good..I just don’t like the misleading advertising. After you add taxes and fees it is more like $39 one way.

And baggage?  Luggage that fits under the seat is free… a carry on bag that goes in the over head bin is another $20 each way..bringing the total to $98 round trip.

I don’t like when airlines waste people’s time getting them to go to their website to learn the fare isn’t really what they are promising. Yet, if you can pack lightly, $78 might be less than what you spend at craps.

www.spiritair.com

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Why would I share this? Catharsis. Analyzing my melancholy over holiday music is making me more melancholy. I can’t seem to figure it out, because the holidays have always been a source of joy, but I am sure others experience this.  One explanation is that at this time more than any, we think of people who are not with us, either by death, distance, or duty.

So do we ever get over it? When will I ever be able to keep “White Christmas” on the car radio?

It is almost impossible to conceive things will change – especially if you have reached a point in your life where you find you certain traditions have taken place for years…only building on the nostalgia, reminding you of  decades past, and where the time has gone. One tradition that recently sparked this feeling is an annual holiday dinner I have with three close girl friends that we have done for 10 years. It is always a fun time; Proof: A few tables away from us was an “Only-In-LA” comedic ensemble of Larry David, Billy Crystal, and Martin Short all dining TOGETHER. Truth is, there was more laughter at our table.

There are also places that can make us nostalgic – unrelated to holidays. Here are some travel destinations that may make you long for something past:

National Pinball Museum, Washington, D.C.

1) The National Pinball Museum in Washington, D.C. – Relive your youth and forget your troubles for one afternoon while you revisit a childhood game. The museum just opened and is more than 14,000 square feet of pinball machines dating all the way back to the 19th century. There are more than 850 games here. http://www.nationalpinballmuseum.org/

Other must sees for pinball aficionados: Pacific Pinball Museum in Alameda, CA… and the Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas – more like an arcade, but you probably won’t lose as much money as you would at the casinos since we are dealing with quarters here

Hearst Castle, San Simeon, CA

2) Hearst Castle – Relive the indulgent 20s and 30s when newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst entertained all the movers and shakers up at his San Simeon mansion. Taking some of the tours here will make you appreciate the castle’s history, and bring you back, even if you aren’t old enough to remember the times. Also- if you make it to Santa Monica ever, tour the guest house of Hearst mistress Marion Davies. This was the spot of their vacation home, but all that remains is the guest house, which is open to the public. It is not as ornate or glitzy as the castle, but once again, the history and stories of Davies and Hearst are fascinating. Marion Davies is an interesting woman in her own right.

http://www.santamonicalandmarks.com/landmk12.html

http://www.hearstcastle.org/

Freedom From Want, Norman Rockwell

3) Norman Rockwell Museum, Berkshires, MA – His work is iconic…for years on the Saturday Evening Post… reflecting family life and holiday celebrations that can make anyone nostalgic for old-fashioned values. Right now at the museum through Jan. 16, 2011, a special exhibition titled “Home for the Holidays” might put you over the holiday-nostalgia edge.:) www.nrm.org/

4) San Diego Model Railroad Museum in Balboa Park offers a great glimpse at different model trains – and even offers a summer camp for kids. Also the Twin City Modern Rail Museum in Minnesota is another option if you are in the Mid-West..and there are others across the country.

For many, this has always been the childhood toy that brings back memories. I still have one grown up friend who spent a fortune on a model train to go around his Christmas tree…

http://www.sdmodelrailroadm.com/#, http://tcmrm.org/

Of course, you can always climb aboard a train yourself and travel North by Northwest style… There are many amazing train travel tours – the Orient Express is one well-known company, and I’ve always wanted to travel across Canada by train – www.canadiantrainvacations.com, www.orient-express.com

Enjoy.

Even though I can’t listen to the music, I can still appreciate the lyrics… so to borrow a line from Bing  – ” And though it’s been said, many times many ways… Merry Christmas to you.”

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This weekend, my husband is going on a boys trip to Sin City and asked if I knew of any hotel deals in Vegas.

Almost every traveler in the know has read about how Vegas is the great value right now thanks to the new 6,000 rooms added in City Centre, and the decrease in travel (even for conventions.) But I had to check if any of these deals are available for a last minute bookings.

At Aria in the brand new City Centre, I found an average room rate of $205 checking in Friday 3/5 and checking out Monday 3/8.

BUT – added to that is a $75 resort credit that can be applied to food, gambling, room cost, or entertainment. That makes the room cost more like $180 a night.

On weekdays, it is a better deal: rooms for $149 with the same $75 resort fee – this deal lasts until May.

I thought I could find better and I did.

Yes, it would be fun to stay at the new place in Vegas, but if you’d rather spend your money on the craps table, here are some options – and remember these are all last minute for this weekend. Planning ahead does save you more:

Circus Circus: Average for the three nights 3/5-3/8 = $56!!

Planet Hollywood: Average $111 a night.

MGM Grand: Average $70 a night.

Mandalay Bay: Average $100 a night.

These prices are for your most basic room for two people.

TIP: When booking last minute call the hotel directly. If they still have rooms left they sometimes  lower the prices. I tried calling a couple hotels mentioned above to see if I could get a better rate, and didn’t have any luck – but trying closer to the date of travel could bring greater success.

And how’s this for a final twist: According to reports,  Aria is the largest LEED certified building in the world…and one of the first LEED certified hotels in Vegas. Nice to see a little conservation in a town of indulgence where green usually refers to the color of money…

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