I did a great disservice to my friends at the beginning of the week by not insisting on going inside the Wynn and next door to the Palazzo. I also stupidly left my camera at home on the day Laura and I went to the Wynn. and next door to the Palazzo. Well, it would have been picturesque, now you'll just have to take my word for it. Saturday evolved slowly. The parents were leaving in the morning, the sister and her friends had spa day planned (with an early call) and Laura and I were going to scope out theater tickets and fine dining opportunities, and if a casino happened to get in our way, so be it.

By the time the parents pulled out of the driveway, it was afternoon. Laura and I saw them off and then took off ourselves. Same day 1/2 price tickets are actually same day 1/2 price, but if there are any good shows on the offering, you have to get there right at the kiosk opening to snag them. That left us with a lot of shows we had never heard of, a few stand-up comedians (Roseanne Barr - I don't know why she started going under her maiden name again - has an extended run which might have been funny) and Spamalot.

Spamalot it is then. The company that does the ticket sales has been expanding locations, but the one I knew that would be easiest was...where else? The Fashion Show Mall.

I was surprised to confirm that the tickets really were 1/2 priced (they only advertise the lowest price tickets so it's not immediately clear). We did the self-service line and it was all wrapped up lickety split. After a bit of snack, we crossed into Wynn. That's what it looks like on the sign. Wynn. with a trailing period. Next door to the Wynn. a second tower was being finished called Encore. My first impression of the Wynn. two years ago was "dry" and "retread." It seemed like it was an amalgam of every casino Steve Wynn had ever put his stamp on.

On this second visit, the decor was slightly more impressive (though there's a disturbing circus undercurrent that pops up at various points within the casino.) There's a grand waterfall that supposedly is part of a light show of some kind at night. It was neat. The casino itself, even for upscale, it quite like any other. Sure, it's upscale, but there things universal to every Las Vegas casino that seemingly even Steve Wynn can't escape. After a while, all the avenues of shopping look the same. There's a Big Six in every casino, blackjack tables and roulette and rows and rows of machines. In Wynn., maybe there's more $1 and $5 slots, but the games are the same. We spotted a couple possibilities for dinner, but lunch became imperative and we set off through the Palazzo and on to the Venetian.

Grand Lux Cafe is a sister to Cheesecake Factory, and though the tile floors and rattan chairs are more expensive looking, a closer look and it the experience isn't all that different from the Cheesecake Factory. The food, of course, is bountiful and delicious. The Grand Lux is one of those restaurants that you can take someone for a casual lunch and it still seems very fancy. The woman next to us looked like a junkie coming down off her high and she ate two bites of an enormous quesadilla and practiced sitting around looking bored (without the cigarette and the vodka tonic, it wasn't that convincing.) We took a detour through the Venetian's shopping district. In addition to the indoor canal, there are street performers. Last time was a three-piece band. This time was a man in all white posing as a statue. He was remarkably good, but I wonder at the longevity of that career choice. The balls of your feet must kill at the end of the day.

On the way back through the Palazzo, we stopped to admire. The casino is built in the same general vein as the Venetian. The second floor is shops, the bottom level is casino. There's an indoor water fall much like the one at Wynn. Everything is the color of tiramisu. The casino was crowded and smoky. (It was almost prime time on a Saturday night admittedly.) Back through the Wynn, back across the skywalk, back to the car.

The show was at 10, we figured dinner at 8, it was just after 6. Believe it or not, since what I just described in the above paragraphs probably didn't strike you as 5 hours worth of activity (shopping alone was 60 minutes,) but by the time we left the parking lot of the Fashion Show, it seemed prudent to drive across the street and repark at Wynn. (Of course, until I explained that's where Spamalot was playing, you probably just read that sentence with massive disbelief. Or maybe even after I explained it.)

Spamalot was hugely fun. Vegas productions are typically trimmed to 90 minutes giving them a rushed, compact feel by skipping past anything in the storyline that might be remotely conceived as unnecessary. In that regard, Spamalot was no different, but it was a wildly fun production. The voice of The Lady of the Lake was gorgeous, way better than the person on the Broadway cast album. The production was joyful and funny like only Monty Python can be.

Well, so. Sunday was killing time until our airport run on Monday. Nobody came up with anything inspired to do, so what we did was pleasant, but uninspired. Early to bed, early to rise (5 a.m. wake up call). Airport run to drop of my sister and Cassie. Laura and went for a bagel breakfast, then returned the rental car and made our way to our respective gates.

Although security was long, we arrived way too early for our flights, but there was nothing to be done about it. Alas, the trip ended. Perhaps I would wax philosophic here. Perhaps, but then, there will always be another trip.