TRAVEL
DIARY OF A FREQUENT CCIA TRAVELER
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un. Sand. Breezes (that are sometimes cool and refreshing). We are all lucky to live in the Sparkling City by the Bay. But sometimes we all want to try our luck in different ways. Lucky for us, and thanks to our Corpus Christi International Airport (CCIA), luck is just a few short hours away! It’s Friday morning and you’re watching the clock, because your Las Vegas getaway awaits. Your flight to Las Vegas leaves CCIA at 2:25 p.m., which means you’ll have to head to the airport from your office downtown right after lunch. Since you’re using your hometown airport, security and check-in will be a breeze. That leaves you more time for getting things settled before you head out. Your bag is already in the car. After a quick bite downtown, you’re on your way to the airport knowing dinner will be on the world-famous Las Vegas Strip. After your short flight to Houston and a quick plane change, you’re on your way to McCarran International Airport and all the fun Las Vegas can provide! Transportation from the airport is easy. There are numerous shuttles to all the major hotels. Las Vegas has one of the most user-friendly taxi systems in the country. As you stroll through the opulence of the Venetian Hotel, you glance down
By: JON REILLY
at your watch. You’ll have plenty of time to drop your things and freshen up before your 7:30 p.m. reservation at Delmonico Steakhouse, one of Las Vegas’ many highly rated restaurants. You wake up Saturday morning and remember fondly the evening before, which we won’t mention here since, as the saying goes, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” You are feeling a little hungry for a giant breakfast before you head out for the day’s activities. The Grand Luxe Café right in your hotel is a great choice. If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, just across the street at the Wynn Hotel is the best breakfast buffet on the Strip. After your belly is full, you’re ready to take on what the jewel of the desert has to offer in the daylight, and there’s no better way to do that than to take a tour with Big Bus. Big Bus operates on a hop-on, hop-off format. If you discover something that tickles your fancy, you can jump off and go check it out, then get another bus at the same spot and continue on your way. Be sure to make one of those stops the Bellagio Hotel and Casino to see the massive fountain show, held every hour, on the hour. Check out the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, which display some of the best water feature and flower formations you’ve ever seen. Just across the street is
the Paris Hotel, whose replica Eiffel Tower offers great views of the strip in either daylight or evening. If you get the chance to watch the fountain show at the Bellagio from there, you’ll be talking about it for years! Now it’s time for some shopping! Just up the strip is the Grand Canal Shops, as well as the Forum Shops at Caesar’s Palace. The Forum Shops are home to 160 specialty stores, as well as an animatronic show titled “The Fall of Atlantis” and a 50,000-gallon aquarium. The Grand Canal Shops, not to be outdone by ancient Rome, offer authentic gondola rides through the experience that end under a replica of the famous Rialto Bridge in Venice. It’s a sight to behold! Why not close out the day with another great buffet? You can’t go to Vegas without hitting lots of buffets, right? Two of the best dinner buffets are at Caesar’s Palace and the ARIA Resort, both on the west side of the strip and walkable from just about anywhere. With foods from around the world and a dessert section the size of a Target, be sure to bring your appetite! It’s Sunday morning, and almost time to head back to Corpus Christi – but first, let’s have a little more fun before we turn toward the airport. McCarran Airport is conveniently located on the south end of the strip. So for the morning’s activities, we’ll be focusing there. First,
we’re going to stop in New York – well, the New York-New York casino, anyway. With a replica of the New York skyline, it’s not hard to find. But unlike the actual Big Apple, the Las Vegas one also includes a roller coaster from which you can see all the sights like the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building. The roller coaster is somewhat susceptible to weather. So if it’s windy or raining, it may not be running, but it’s a must-see if the weather cooperates. Finally, we’ll close out with a trip to medieval times at the Excalibur, ancient Egypt at the Luxor and the opulent luxury of Mandalay Bay. All within walking distance of New YorkNew York, they offer great food, interesting sights and, of course, fabulous people watching and casinos. Be sure to watch for the “wine angels” at Aureole in Mandalay Bay, where staff gracefully glide through the air to retrieve and uncork one of the largest selections of wine in the city. Alas, it’s time to head to the airport. Unfortunately, McCarran doesn’t have the quick breeze through security that CCIA does, so allow time for the wait at security. Before you know it, you’ll be on your flight home and then back on your own couch in Corpus Christi, reminiscing about your whirlwind trip to the glitz of Vegas. Aren’t we lucky?
Jon Reilly is a member of the airport board. For more information, contact him at jon@reillygroup.com.
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Vegas, baby – starting at CCIA
