My husband, Kevin, and I decided for our Christmas present we would take a trip. He wanted to attend his first ever Wrestlemania and I wanted to go to Las Vegas. Win-win! We booked it in December. Stalked all of the airlines to find the best deal and BOOM! We were ready to go!
We flew on Southwest Airlines out of Memphis, TN. Going through TSA is usually a nightmare but other than Kevin's driver's license being TOO DIRTY to verify (thank God for baby wipes and hand sanitizer), it was a super easy process. Either we lucked out or the universe knew we were headed to Wrestlemania, and decided to cut us a break.
We checked into The Signature at MGM Grand, which felt like the calm before the glitter-storm. Our room was spacious, comfy, and most importantly, soundproof—because Vegas doesn’t sleep, but I absolutely do.
Let me just say this: Wrestlemania at Allegiant Stadium is not an event—it’s a religious experience. We went both nights. The crowd? Insane. The energy? Nuclear. I screamed so much I’m convinced I can no longer speak above a whisper. My husband cried at least once. (He claims it was allergies. Lies.) Truly an electric atmosphere. Bucket list item checked!
At some point, we decided it would be “fun” to walk the entire Las Vegas Strip. All. Of. It. (Insert eye-roll here). By the end of it, I felt like we’d hiked the Appalachian Trail but with more neon and fewer squirrels. We saw everything—the canals at Venetian, the indoor thunderstorm at Planet Hollywood, a woman walking a raccoon on a leash (I assume she lives there now), and at least 5,037 people in full WWE cosplay with at least 5,035 of them yelling "Yeet!" to Kevin because he was wearing a Jey Uso shirt. It was phenomenal.
The monorail? Criminally underrated. It gave us fast, air-conditioned relief from the sidewalk death march and let us pretend we were in a futuristic sci-fi movie, just without plot or direction. Fair warning though, it is fast and it flies around those curves like it is on the NASCAR circuit. Make sure you sit down.
Let me tell you about the Sphere. It is very real and it sees you. I cannot express how weirdly obsessed I am with this thing. It’s a giant LED eyeball watching your every move and yet… I loved it? One night it was a jack-o'-lantern. Another, it was an emoji. I wanted to hug it and also run from it. Truly the most Vegas thing in Vegas.
We accidentally turned our trip into the Unofficial Gordon Ramsay Restaurant World Tour. We walked by one of his places, said “ooh,” walked 100 feet, saw another one, repeated. I think we found all of them. We didn't get to eat at Hell’s Kitchen, I did not get to yell “IT’S RAW,” but I really wanted to. It is my dream. Very depressing. Maybe next time.
For our last night, we checked into Paris Hotel. We rode up to the top of the Eiffel Tower. For someone that is claustrophobic, the glass box you ride up in is no solace. This was the scariest one minute of my life (yes, I am being over dramatic and exaggerating). However, it was worth every second. We got to the top a few minutes before the Bellagio fountains did their dramatic water ballet. It was sunset. I was holding Kevin’s hand. Someone nearby proposed. Cheesy and magical. 10/10 would recommend.
We gambled at MGM Grand, Horseshoe, and Paris. I made $4 on a penny slot and screamed like I won the Powerball. My husband bet on something I couldn’t pronounce and lost $20 in ten seconds. It's the Vegas way.
Vegas gave us neon, noise, wrestling, gourmet food, sensory overload, and just enough sleep deprivation to keep things spicy. Wrestlemania was the core memory, but everything else—from giant spheres to yeeting Wrestmaniacs—made this trip unforgettable.
Would I go back? In a heartbeat.
Would I walk the Strip again? Absolutely not. My feet still haven’t forgiven me.
Ok... I lied. I totally would.
