She’s returned to Portland, but last week my best friend from high school, Joy, and her husband, Cimber, were here.
 
I don’t want to be one of those people who track down the nicest bathrooms, but…
 
check out the ladies room at the House of Blues.
 

 
All that COLOR and steel.
 
I was so busy drinking my Sex Before Sunrise, I neglected to snap pictures of my meal.
 
With 1 drink under my belt, we caught a cab and ventured down to the Bellagio.
 
They had a lovely springtime display in the garden area.
 

 
Look at the fragile edges of this flower. They almost don’t look real!
 

 
There was a gorgeous rose-covered snail, a tree with a face, and a giant ladybug.
 

 
Large watering cans splashed the flowers.
 

 
There was also a beautiful little butterfly habitat.
 

 
Currently on display at the Bellagio are Cirque inspired sculptures.
 

 
These are by an artist named Richard MacDonald.
 
In the evening, we caught the Ka show at the MGM.
 
As you enter the theatre lobby, Ka musicians are playing an unusual instrument… amplified string?
 

 
The show was wonderful! No photography was allowed inside once the show had started, but here are some pictures I found on the internet back in January when Joy and I saw the show for the first time.
 

 
After the show, we drove the 90 minutes back to my home.
 
That concludes day one.

Tags: Bellagio, Cirque, HOB, House of Blues, Ka, Mandalay Bay