Vintner Grill

Vintner Grill

We were surprised to discover Vintner Grill tucked in an office building in a strip mall in Summerlin, an elite Las Vegas suburb. Once inside, the décor was modern and inviting, full of gentle waning sunlight. Although the patio looked positively alluring with its tented theme we chose to remain indoors for dinner. The staff were welcoming and before we knew it we were sipping the most delicious peach and blueberry cocktails at Table 32, which we later discovered is the restaurant’s best table, known as the “Power Table.”

Wind Dancer

Wind Dancer

Our half day helicopter excursion was an air and land adventure over Las Vegas and Lake Mead through the Grand Canyon, to the new Grand Canyon Skywalk and the Hualapai American Indian reservation in Arizona and back to Las Vegas. Flying to the reservation was the fastest and most efficient way to get there from Las Vegas.

Cirque du Soleil The Beatles Love

Cirque du Soleil The Beatles Love

Although over the years, Cirque du Soleil shows have amazed and delighted us many times and I enjoy The Beatles music now and again, I was skeptical about Love. It turns out the 90 minute show was our favorite musical by a fair margin of three shows we saw in Las Vegas that trip. As usual, the set up was everything we might have expected including a 360 degree theatre with video projections and surround sound, including 6,500 speakers throughout the 2,013-seat theatre (three per seat).

Captain Lindsey House

Captain Lindsey House

In a town filled with exuberant Victorian homes, the Captain Lindsey House was noticeable for its stark simplicity. It was impossible not to be intrigued by this plain Federal facade of yellow-painted bricks, with its neatly lined windows under dark green canvas awnings, and its large window boxes overflowing with cabbages, kitchen herbs and drooping clusters of ripe tomatoes. Then there was the entrance door tucked away at street level in the corner of the building: lacquered fire engine red. This was a witty house that knew how to capture my attention. Beyond that red door, a short walk up a half-flight of non-descript stairs, an unexpected world unfolded. I had walked back in time into the sophisticated home of a sea captain of old, filled with remarkable antiques and oriental rugs mellowed by age.

Joël Robuchon Restaurant

Joël Robuchon Restaurant

Located in the casino of a Las Vegas mammoth, Joel Robuchon seems out of scale, seating only 42 guests in the main dining room.

Outside the doors of this famous restaurant, typical casino dissonance was pervasive, inside was an oasis of quiet.

In a city where size, opulence, impersonal attitudes and larger than life motifs reign over substance, Joel Robuchon stood out for its simple formula. During our visit, we shared the restaurant and staff with between one to three other tables, further enhancing the luxurious ambiance. .

LimeRock Inn

LimeRock Inn

In the middle of its lush English garden, this regal Queen Anne country home retained all the authentic charm of its Victorian origins. The green-shingled exterior was enhanced by buttercup yellow trim with purple accents to match the lavish flowerbeds. The deep wrap-around porch, complete with rattan furniture and porch swing, the elaborate rooflines and whimsical turret all contributed to make the LimeRock Inn a picture-perfect grand 19 th century New England “cottage.”