The Boulevard Pool at the Cosmopolitan
One thing that was a non-negotiable on this trip was spending at least half a day relaxing by the pool at the Cosmo. We wanted to soak up some sun, indulge in food and drinks, and not worry about a thing. The conveniently named Boulevard Pool is located on the 4th floor of the Boulevard Tower at the Cosmopolitan. The lady at the front desk and several guests described the Boulevard Pool as being more of the “fun” pool or “less family-friendly” pool. The pool overlooks the Strip and we were staying in the Boulevard Tower anyways, so we started our day 2 by paying a visit.
If you missed Day 1 of our Vegas Trip – check it out here!
Wanting to secure a chair in a favorable location, we arrived at the pool as soon as it opened. Walking around looking for our chairs and realizing how hot it was already, we knew shade was a must. Unfortunately, the umbrellas sprinkled through were the only source of shade and the few people that were here somehow already claimed them all. We put our things down on a couple chairs in the scorching sun and went to get our drinks at the bar. Waiting in the sun for the waitress to come around didn’t exactly sound like fun! The bar we visited was alongside the pool and had a dozen or seats along it. Lucky for us, none were taken at the moment.
Carly introduced me to something she saw in a video before coming – the Dole whip. I’m not sure the best way to describe it, but it’s basically rum that the bartender then swirls pineapple soft serve into. And it is amazing. It may not be what everyone wants to start their day with, but for me, it was an absolutely perfect way to indulge! The bartender also generously gave us a bucket of ice to help keep our beer, water, and selves cool.
Miracles Do Happen
Coming back from the bar, I’m convinced a miracle happened. Someone that previously was in a couple of chairs underneath an umbrella near us either left or moved somewhere else. All of their belongings weren’t there anymore. We couldn’t believe it. We weren’t going to die in the sun after all. The spot couldn’t have been more perfect overlooking the pool and the Vegas Strip.
When the waitress came around, we ordered the turkey chorizo sandwich for breakfast, laid back with our Dole whips, and enjoyed our time relaxing. The sandwich was amazing, and I highly recommend it if you need breakfast at the pool. The only mistake we made was splitting it!
Even with the umbrella, it didn’t take long for us to get overheated. Looking at the unfortunate souls sitting in chairs in the sun, I’m not sure how they were surviving. The shade offered some relief and was the only reason we were able to stay as long as we did, but the temperature was unbearable. We left our miracle spot for a bit to take a dip in the pool and cool off. The pool offered slight, temporary relief, especially with the water lounge chairs, but the sun was so intense that even the pool wasn’t exactly a comfortable proposition. We braved it for as long as we could, getting in a solid few hours at the pool, before heading inside for some air conditioned relief. It may not have been as long as we wanted, but it was much longer than it would’ve been if we weren’t lucky enough to score that umbrella.
Bacchanalia at the Bacchanal Buffet
After returning to our room to clean up from the pool and get ready, our next destination was the Bacchanal Buffet at Caesar’s Palace. We took our familiar route through the Bellagio on the way to Caesar’s to avoid the heat again, gambling as we went. We were playing craps in Caesar’s Palace already, so when it was time for our reservation at Bacchanal, we were close by and ready. If you’re unfamiliar with Bacchanal, it’s widely considered to be one of, if not the best, buffets in Vegas.
As we walked to our tables, we were treated to views of the lobster, crab, steak, and everything else you could ever want to indulge yourself. The waitress was kind enough to give us a brief explanation of where things were located. The buffet is split by cuisine, and ahead of time, we devised a strategy of starting with one section and experiencing everything it had to offer before moving on to the next.
Naturally, we started with the seafood. We loaded our plates up with snow crab legs, lobster claws, shrimp, scallops, and mussels, and a side of some garlic butter, of course. We moved on to the asian section after that, with sushi, fried rice, bang bang shrimp, and Korean short ribs. I feel like we were both doing great at this point, but it was after this section that I made a grave mistake. I moved on to the meat section, loading up with every single type of beef and chicken they had. Rookie buffet mistake! I was so full halfway through that plate that I couldn’t imagine eating any more. It was just so good that I couldn’t help but indulge myself. We finished off with a whole plate full of desserts, struggling to take one bite of each just to make sure we tried everything despite how full we were.
Forum Shops and Bellagio Fountains
We needed some exercise after Bacchanal or there was no way that I was going to make it to Fremont street tonight. We walked the length of the Forum Shops in Caesar’s Palace to work off some of our calories. Window shopping along the way, it was a great way to kill time. Wanting to change clothes before Fremont street we walked back to the Cosmo. It was finally cool enough for us to walk on the street, so we stopped to watch the Bellagio fountains.
It took a little work, but we secured a place fairly close to the middle of the Bellagio. This was our first time watching the fountains from the front at street level. I have to say, this was something I didn’t think I would be overly impressed with before I saw it in person. I was definitely wrong. The shows are all so unique and the force so powerful that it makes sense to me now why they are so mesmerizing for people and so famous around the world. Watching them from our balcony was nice, but you have to experience them on the street at least once.
Fremont Street
After the fountain show, we continued up to the room and changed clothes for our night on Fremont Street. Besides The Strip, Fremont Street is the next most famous street in Las Vegas. It’s home to many of the old, classic casinos like the Golden Nugget and Four Queens. Fremont Street has a much more laid back feel than The Strip, with most people shunning the cocktail attire and opting for jeans, shorts, etc. Fremont Street is a little ways away from the Cosmo, so we called an Uber, and made our way.
The Uber dropped us off on the opposite side from the start of the zip line. This way we could walk the length of the Fremont Street Experience, and then take the zip line back to end our night. Carly stopped to get a yard-long frozen drink for our expedition. It was 100 degrees at night still and we were looking forward to a lighthearted and fun night on Fremont, so it was totally necessary. As we gambled our way down Fremont Street, one other advantage become quite clear – the table minimums were much lower. This meant the tables were much more busy, but I took this opportunity to play more than I had been all trip.
Ziplining Fremont Street
We arrived at the Slotzilla zip line shortly before our midnight reservation. This gave us plenty of time to stand there and think about why we were doing this. I have to admit, even though I’m usually the one that’s scared of heights, I was kind of excited. Carly looked a little less than sure. There were a few flights of stairs to climb as you made your way up to the first platform. That’s where we were strapped into the harness. Here, we were paired up with another couple and loaded into the sketchiest elevator I’ve ever ridden in my life. The elevator took us to the actual top of the structure, which is were you are launched. It was honestly much, much higher than I thought it was going to be looking up from the ground.
The group from the previous reservation was just getting ready to go when we got to the top. We watched it all play out and, once again, were able to think about whether we really wanted to do this. There was no turning back at this point, though. Once they were clear, it was time for us to go. We laid down, head first, on pads that lifted us up while they strapped our harness to the zipline. Then, the pads lowered back down, leaving us hanging and waiting. Once preparations were complete, the door slowly opened, and they released us. The zip line runs the entire length of the Fremont Street Experience, and we were flying over all the partying people below. It was an incredible feeling, and I can honestly say that I wasn’t scared at any point after we started. It was so much fun and I would recommend it to anyone! Make sure you check out the video I’ll post along with Day 3!!
Wrapping up Day 2!
We took some time to check out the Circa Hotel and Casino that was close by, and I have to say that’s a must if you go to Fremont! The sports bar was incredible and everything in general felt like there was more space. We lost some money at Circa before deciding to return to the Cosmo for the night. The festivities of the day wore us out, but luckily we planned a pretty relaxed day for Day 3 – that is, until Tiesto at Resorts World at night! Stay tuned for Day 3 – our last day in Vegas for the first time.
I hope you’ve been enjoying! Be sure to check out our social media and subscribe to support what we do!