Last week, we returned from a 6-day vacation to Las Vegas. My husband and I attended the wedding of some close friends in the world's party playground.

After the happy couple married at Caesar's Palace in a beautiful, quaint ceremony, we decided to celebrate by taking a ride up The High Roller. It's a gigantic Ferris wheel that overlooks the entire city. You are encased in clear plastic bubble that allows you to get a 360-degree panorama of the city and a bird's eye view of the strip. It was very cool, to say the least.

View from the High Roller - Ashley Sollars
View from the High Roller - Ashley Sollars
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My favorite part of Vegas (well, besides the wedding and amazing dinner that followed) nestled quietly on an entertainment jetty behind The Flamingo. We noticed an entirely different vibe when we entered the walkway. It wasn't the hustle and bustle of tourists flocking from casino to casino. People were relaxed, enjoying the nightlife. They lounged lazily in sidewalk furniture, danced wildly to music only they could hear in their special headphones and leisurely enjoyed sweets, conversations, shopping and beverages. Many of those on this curious little corner of the strip were dressed in much trendier outfits than the average shorts and t-shirts we saw along the main walkway. After speaking with our concierge, who was a younger fellow, he informed us that this walkway is called The LINQ and is a popular place for locals to frequent. It all made sense!

On our way out of The High Roller, we parted from the group and ducked into a trendy indoor/outdoor bar. Straddling the large opening for patrons to cross to the inside of the bar was a piano complete with piano man. Outside gave way to plush furniture on the courtyard in the walkway, where a dark French theme graced in indoor bar area. There were interesting pieces of art on the walls and breathtaking dramatic lighting.

Our waitress, who was all smiles, all night, popped over and handed us a drink menu and cocktail napkins embossed with a swan and the name of the bar - Blvd. Cocktail Company We stared at the menu with wonder. I bartended all through college and became quite acquainted with many unusual liquors but the menu was full of beautiful sounding adult beverages that I had never heard of. I asked the beaming waitress to choose a draft beer for me - did I mention my past employment also included a beer column? She picked out Moose Drool. When she brought it to the table the almost black pint made me gasp but the taste was light and flavorful - not overwhelming as I had expected.

Because it was our last night in Vegas, we only got the chance to visit the Blvd. Cocktail Co. once and didn't have time to check out all the bars along The LINQ. If you are planning a trip, it's definitely worth an afternoon and/or evening strolling through the local hideout along the Las Vegas strip.

 

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