While everyone else is drowning in gravy and pretending to enjoy dry turkey, we've found our perfect holiday escape: Las Vegas.
This was our second year swapping family drama and “meh” meals for casinos, museums and unfathomably good food. A direct flight, and we're living our best life.
I refuse to become one of those people who take photos of their food, but the entry is fair game.
We kicked things off on Wednesday night at Yellowtail in the Bellagio, and DAMN - the short rib sushi was mind-blowing! I was so enchanted that I even pulled off devouring it with chopsticks. I even conquered my inner hillbilly and managed the chopsticks like a proper gentleman.
Don’t mind the window glare, this was our hotel view!
The Bellagio became our home base, with a breakfast so good, we had it every day. Thanksgiving Day itself? We wandered over to MGM Grand and grabbed pizza at Pieology. Pizza deserves its own holiday more than turkey ever did.
Friday was all about the Mob Museum, - this place is not a typical museum. The museum is housed in the old Las Vegas courthouse and jail, which adds this incredible vibe. We checked out artifacts like actual weapons, mugshots, and some seriously wild prohibition-era exhibits. I could have easily spent another whole day there.
The Smithsonian-affiliated Atomic Testing Museum was another level of awesome and took us deep into Nevada's lesser-known history. The museum sits right near the old Nevada Test Site where the United States conducted hundreds of nuclear tests. We saw nuclear devices, walked through exhibits about the science and politics of the atomic age, and experienced a simulated nuclear test experience that was both terrifying and fascinating. There were personal stories from test site workers, incredible scientific displays, and a real sense of the massive technological and cultural impact of nuclear research.
We capped off the trip with the absolutely insane "O" show by Cirque du Soleil - pure water-based magic - and then demolished dinner at Bacchanal in Caesar's Palace.
Each year, we're more convinced: this is our Thanksgiving. No cooking, no cleanup, no family lunacy. Just us, incredible food, and the freedom to do exactly what we want.
Vegas might seem like a weird Thanksgiving destination, but for us? It's perfect. Who needs tradition when you've got short rib sushi, mob history, and nuclear science!