Day Five: Hell Of A Dinner
We woke up on day five feeling the long days and big meals. To combat this, we stayed in later than usual and ordered room service for a light snack. Neither of us wanted to eat too much because we had reservations for an escape room at 11:15AM and didn’t want anything slowing us down and stopping us from solving the room. Before the escape room, we passed the time at the Flamingo, to spend more time looking at the birds and fish there. As we held hands, it hit me, I think the YouTubers that inspired this trip have a custom brick out here near the chapel. We scoured every engraved brick and were about to give up when Gabby found it. We had to snap a picture and thank Safiya and Tyler for making their content because we wouldn’t be here, having the best time ever, without their content. With warm hearts, we moved on to Red Door Escape Rooms.
Gabby and I have a perfect record when it comes to escape rooms. We’ve done close to fifteen escape rooms and have never not escaped a room. We’ve cut it close and only had a minute or so to spare, but we’ve always made it out. We also do our best to not get frustrated at one another and work together the entire time. Because escape rooms mean so much to us and because Vegas is Vegas, we assumed they would have well designed rooms. On the strip alone there were several places we could have chosen and honestly picked Red Door at random, but were very happy with the rooms they offered. Ultimately we chose an enchanted forest/fantasy theme room with an easy difficulty. Let me tell you, this room wasn’t easy and it wasn’t well designed. Maybe it once looked good, but after countless families coming through, clearly the room had been roughed up, because multiple things in the room either didn’t work liked they were designed to, or aesthetic parts were broken off, making them obscured from what they were, meaning we didn’t know if and when to use certain items. For example, there was staff in the room that we didn’t know when to use because the images of ferries on them were broken off and the four lanterns with ferries in them have become cloudy, making it impossible to tell what you’re looking at. But what really annoyed us were the fact that we only have a very small amount of hints available and they weren’t good. Not when we just needed someone to tell us that there should be ferries on that staff, or that we missed a clue with the number six. To make it all worse, halfway through our allotted time, someone in the building pulled the fire alarm and we were forced to vacate the building. Leaving the shady, forest-themed room to the stark heat of the Vegas sun definitely broke the immersion and evaporated what little joy we had left. We ultimately won the room, but at what cost? We had zero energy and enthusiasm left and the picture of us smiling is completely fake. We wish we stopped halfway through and just went back to the casino for lunch.
Luckily, lunch was a pick me up. We were finally able to order from the Chef Truck inside Park MGM. Again, I’m a huge fan of the movie Chef and always wanted to try the food in the movie, especially the grilled cheese and the beignets. I was delighted to see I could have both. Gabby ordered a Cubano from the movie and as a bonus, we ordered a mango slushie. I’m sad to say that we were so excited by the food, and it was so delicious that we ate most of it before remembering to take pictures. For a quick lunch, this was perfect and I highly recommend people try it if they find themselves at Park MGM. To pass the time we cuddled on the couch and of course spent some time looking out the window before our first of two shows.
We were in Vegas, so you know we had to see a magician. I’ve been a huge fan of magic for as long as I can remember. I remember when I learned magic wasn’t real and it made me love it even more, because that meant it was all done with incredible skill and talent. Me being a fan of comedy, I just had to see Penn and Teller finally. Well, for some reason, the entire week we were in Vegas, they were off. I’m glad they had a break (assuming that’s why they weren’t doing shows), but it does suck that we couldn’t see them. So, when it came time to pick a magician, I wasn’t sure who to pick from the list I found, but went with one of the highest rated, and someone that I thought Gabby would like, and that’s Jen Kramer. For the entire time we were in Vegas, we saw signs and billboards for Shin Lim, an incredible magician, and someone Gabby and I both love. So, by the time the day came around, we wondered if I messed up and picked the wrong magician. Well, I’m sure Shin Lim would’ve been amazing, but Jen Kramer was incredible. She was so kind and generous and fantastic with kids. Gabby and I found her show to be quite comforting and really enjoyed ourselves. Although, we noticed the crowd was kind of small and a little reserved in the beginning, so we made it a point to clap and hoot louder than others. By the halfway mark, Jen won everyone over and the room was a stream of gasps and laughs. We highly recommend you check her out, especially if you have young ones with you that might be into magic.
For dinner we had reservations at Gordon Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen. To make the honeymoon meal even more memorable I paid extra for a window seat and I’m so glad I did. The restaurant is huge with a ton of guests inside a big center space. Just looking out at it when we arrived stressed me out. I don’t think I could have enjoyed my meal as much if I was that close to a lot of loud strangers. Luckily, our window seat was peaceful and away from the noise. To make the seat even better, we had the perfect view of the neon Flamingo sign and it was a warm beacon to our future evening’s entertainment. For the past two days, we’ve found ourselves at or near the Flamingo a lot and it’s been great every time. I can totally see us coming back to Vegas and spending more time there, maybe at the Cuban themed bar and restaurant. But, back to the present meal, we were greeted with two glasses of champagne with a strawberry pierced by a pitchfork in each of them. We didn’t tell our gracious server that I was sober and instead thanked her, and after she left, Gabby grabbed both glasses. Unlike other times when we were given free booze, Gabby kept it because champagne is one of the few alcoholic drinks she enjoys.
As we sipped our drinks, me with a spicy ginger mocktail, and Gabby with her champagne, we held hands and watched the Vegas lights blink on as the sun set. It was perfect. For an appetizer we landed on the seared scallops that we saw Safiya and Tyler have. They were nice. Gabby and I confirmed once again that we’re not a big fan of cooked scallops. They’re good, but not amazing. And on this trip, it was all about the amazing. For our mains, Gabby got Gordon Ramsey’s signature dish, Beef Wellington, and I got the Short Ribs. My Short Ribs meat cube was stellar, but Gabby’s Beef Wellington was incredible. Easily one of the best dishes of the trip and winner of tonight’s meal. I’m grateful she let me have a bite. For dessert we shared Gordon Ramsey’s signature dessert, Sticky Toffy Pudding. This was the best dessert of the entire honeymoon. Each bite felt like Christmas. The cake was perfectly spiced with flavors that warmed the body and the ice cream on top tasted like gingerbread. Both by themselves were stand out, but together, they were perfection. I have a feeling we’ll come back to Hell’s Kitchen at some point and for sure get that Sticky Toffy Pudding.
With full bellies we went looking for souvenirs for people and once satisfied, walked the LINQ promenade once more to pass the time, hand in hand. When it was time for our night’s entertainment, we were both a little nervous because we didn’t know what to expect, but were excited for some adult entertainment. I mean, we’re in Vegas, we had to. But neither of us wanted to be at a strip club or anything like that, and hoped a burlesque show would offer gorgeous set pieces and skillful dancing. And we were right. We won’t go into too much detail, just that we had a blast, in part because of the rowdy, yet polite and funny bachelor party behind us, and because the comedian/Emcee was hilarious and loved our side of the room. If you’re in the mood for this kind of show, I say go, you’ll have a great time. Next time though, we want to see a male burlesque show, I’m looking at you Magic Mike and Thunder Down Under. For now, it’s late, and Gabby and I need rest for our last full day. Again, I’m hit with how grateful I am for my wife, the life we have, and the loved one’s that made it all possible.
