The Venetian

Our first day in Vegas (actually first two days) were all about casino hopping. Almost as soon as we woke up we headed out onto The Strip to begin our adventures. Of course, the most eye-catching thing in that town, in my opinion, is The Venetian. It lies directly across the street from The Mirage. It's amazing to see the tower, the canals, and gondolas sitting there in the middle of the desert.

The most remarkable thing you notice upon entering the casino is the overwhelming smell of orchids. Then as you look up you see huge ceiling murals, looking down you see marble tiled floors. Yes, its gaudy. But, it's not gaudy in the same way as the flashy, neon-striped, glittering style of the others. The Venetian is classy and gaudy at the same time (if that's possible).

We were looking for a show to see. So, we headed to the information desk and booked two great seats to the "Blue Man Group". Then we headed off toward the "Canal Shops". The man-made canal begins outside the casino and runs through the canal shops. The canal is big enough to accommodate the gondolas to be guided throughout the canal shops.

We sat at a little coffee shop and had pastries for breakfast. In the distance we heard singing. The gondoliers were coming on shift. They were marching through the canal shops in step singing on their way to there waiting gondolas outside. Then, throughout the day they continued to sing to their passengers as they paddled their gondolas through the canal. It was a great atmosphere.