Sin City

I was very pleasantly surprised with Las Vegas. I wasn't sure if I would like it or hate it, but I wound up loving this crazy city (for three days). By the end of our time there, I was pretty ready to leave but I'm so happy that we visited.

We walked down the strip and stopped at almost every hotel along the way. I loved all of the opulent decorations like the ceilings in The Bellagio, The Venetian and Caesar's Palace. The people watching in Vegas is incredible - so many interesting people.

We indulged in some pool time (and some breakfast pina coladas!). The 110 degree weather made it necessary to stay in the water. We also saw the most amazing show - Le Reve. This Cirque du Soleil show features incredibly impressive diving and acrobatic stunts all over a large pool of water as the stage.

We of course did a little bit of gambling too. I initially thought I would stick to the penny slots, but they didn't really pay off (my first winnings, shown below, are one lousy nickel!). I moved on to roulette and became slightly addicted. Such a fun game - when you're winning. We had some very lucky games (and some not so lucky ones). 13 was a very lucky number for us. We came back to Chicago with a little extra change. Perhaps that's why I love Las Vegas!

{In the top middle picture I'm getting credit for being the first chip on 13 - yay me!}

I'm planning on buying a new camera with our winnings! I've wanted to ditch my Canon point and shoot and upgrade to an SLR for quite some time, but they do not come cheap. I'm so happy to have a little extra cash to splurge on one. Since I know nothing about cameras, I'm open to any and all recommendations. What are the best cameras out there? Canon or Nikon?