After our peaceful 10 hours of sleep, we awoke Monday morning and headed straight back downstairs to the buffet at Harrah's for a late breakfast around noon. We then proceeded to split up into two groups. My mom and sister went shopping, while us boys (my Bro, my dad and I) decided to walk the strip.

We started out by hitting the "Carnaval Court", an outdoor flair bar at Harrah's with live music all day and most of the night. Some of the things those guys were doing were very impressive. And the music was all damn good too. I'm guessing some of the best cover bands in the world play in Vegas.

So with drinks in hand, the Nunn boys hit the strip. We walked most of the west side of the strip all the way from The Mirage (which was right across the street from our hotel) down to The Luxor. This means we hit Caesar's Palace, Bellagio, The Boardwalk, Monte Carlo, New York - New York, and Excalibur in between.

SIDE NOTE: I found out that while we were in Vegas, Harrah's Entertainment Inc. purchased Caesars Entertainment and merged to create the largest gaming corporation in the world. They now own 39 casinos just in North America, and in Vegas now control Bally's, Harrah's, The Rio, Paris, Caesar's Palace, The Flamingo, and The Hilton.

We simply walked and talked and admired the beautiful architecture, design and style of each casino (as well as admiring some of the pretty girls walking around as well). We stopped for a drink at every other casino to quench our thirst. Although 95 in Vegas feels like 75 in St. Louis, the dry air is hellish on your body's hydration level. So wisely, we drank more alcohol.

The Bellagio was by far the best all around hotel/casino we saw that day in my opinion. The style and elegance were unmatched. Every thing was perfect from the grand lobby and dancing waters down to the most meticulous details including the Bellagio cursive "B" logo being stamped in every ashtray sand where a cig butt never lingered for more than a few minutes.

We hit the roller coaster at NY-NY for a ride. Only one ride though since it was $12.50 a passenger just for one ride. Not a bad little coaster though.

Once we picked up our tickets for the Blue Man group at the Luxor, we headed back to the hotel for a shower and to change clothes to get ready for the evening.

We jumped the monorail and headed back to the Luxor to catch the 7:00 PM Blue Man Group show. Very intense production. Great live music. Would have liked to have been at least stoned for the show. But tons of fun nevertheless.

Monday was one of the few nights that we didn't have any dinner reservations. So after the show we headed to Mandalay Bay (which is connected to the Luxor via an indoor shopping mall type walkway) for some dinner. We ended up eating at The Border Grill, modern Mexican cuisine created by Chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger. Pretty tasty eats all around, but specifically some damn good salsas and margaritas.

After dinner it was time for our first nightlife experience in Vegas. We headed to Rum Jungle, which was also in Mandalay Bay, since we were told that's where the party starts on Monday nights. A pretty neat club, atmosphere wise. Sheet glass waterfalls, girls dancing in hanging cages, nice dance floor, large bar, trapeeze girl swinging above the bar, nice mix of people in the crowd, etc. The music was certainly not for me though, too much rap. We did proceed to get nice and drunk there and ended up staying about 2 hours.

Once we left Rum Jungle, we proceeded to the Four Seasons hotel which was located at the top of the Mandalay Bay. Within the Four Seasons there exists a private club called the Foundation Room, which very few tourists know about. However, my Bro and I were wise enough to ask around to all the waiters and bartenders each day to see where the hotspots were. Everyone said hands down that the Foundation Room (see the slide show here)was the place to be on Mondays. Since Monday is usually industry night in most of the Vegas clubs, the Foundation Room opens up to the public.

The club itself is less of a dance club and more of a lounge. Lot's of upscale old-world furniture, fireplaces, art on the walls. The DJ was spinning some laid back house music and everyone was very relaxed. A perfect place for afterhours on a Monday night. Probably one of the best views of the strip that can be imagined from the balcony. Pretty much everyone there were Vegas locals. Bartenders, waiters, dealers, "entertainers" of various sorts. A couple of them were shocked to learn that we were tourists citing that it's rare that someone from outside Vegas ever even learns of this well kept secret.

At any rate, we had a great time and met some cool people there. One girl I met apparently is the lead singer in a retro new wave band and mentioned that she went to high school with a member of the Killers.

By 5 AM or so, I was pretty tanked, so my sis and I left and headed back to the hotel while my brother scoured the hotel for another club to go to. Once I got back I had sobered up enough to drink a couple more beers and lose $160 on quarter slots. After losing a days pay in less than and hour or so, I got a call from my brother informing me that he was at another afterhours club inside the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay. So of course I hailed a taxi with beer in hand and headed back. Ahh the wonders of alcohol.

I honestly don't remember much after that, but I did wake up in my room on Tuesday morning. So I guess the night ended safely. Maybe...

- these thoughts flowed through Jeff's fingers @ 11:51 AM