I woke up this morning at 5am confused and groggy – then I realized it was 5am and I was still in Toronto in my king size bed and went back to sleep. At a respectable hour I got up and readied for the day of travel ahead. From cold Toronto to warm Las Vegas. From little cove of energy work life development and expansion to gigantic consumer multiplex to meet childhood friends and celebrate togetherness.
At my reasonable hour I got myself together, had a little hotel room made coffee, closed my suitcase and hopped a shuttle to the airport to find – DELAYS! Thank you Minneapolis/St. Paul for your weather. So I had the worst breakfast I can remember in any airport anywhere.
This was advertised as a breakfast burrito. It was something else held together with yellow orange ooze. Ironically I found the Starbucks and gourmet breakfast lunch place after, and after they said to not leave the gate area.
Meanwhile we wait. Eventually I made it through Minneapolis
and on to the sunny world of planned desert over development known as Las Vegas.
The airport greeted me with many shiny things to ogle at like slot machines that spin.
Advertisements that talk and saw shocking things.
After practically getting lost in the ginormous baggage claim and finding the Arizona portion of my group (Duluth got stuck in Minneapolis due to weather) it was time to check in to ye ole timeshare Bluegreen Club 36. A property unto itself this "resort" is the hub of Bluegreen's timeshare sales operations.
Then it was time for our dinner reservations at the Aria's American Fish.
We asked nicely for the "early" set menu – and so it was provided with minor hesitation.
Delightful tongue dancing cornbread.
Compliments of the chef a fish tostada very difficult to fit in your mouth.
Shrimp and grits of glory.
This was a foie gras and scallop appetizer we ordered to go crazy – the most tender bit of mollusk joy and goose liver ever to appear on a plate.
Then the steak and salmon and chicken
and mascarpone cheesecake with port.
Short answer is it was really good. Best tender cooked salmon outside of the Pacific Northwest – and from my dining counterparts the steak and chicken were amazing too.
Then we found Buddha in the lobby.
And caught a cab home to our timeshare condo.