Travel, Travel Guides

The Best Photoshoot Locations in Las Vegas

In usual RaeAnna style, I am incredibly behind on my travel writing. Normally, I put it off because I don’t want to edit pictures, but the pictures have been edited since the plane ride home. I’ve just been ridiculously terrible at getting the writing portion done. 

Las Vegas is the perfect place to go when you want to pretend you’re not where you are. So many of the casinos have destination themes, and they sure do go over the top. You can enjoy a romantic gondola ride through Venetian canals and be under the Eiffel Tower ten minutes later before seeing the Sphinx before heading to the tropics enjoying a slice of pizza by the Statue of Liberty. Truly there is so very much to do and see and let your imagination run wild. If you’re me or just like a good picture opportunity, there’s really so many places you can do just that. Honestly, you can spend your whole trip posing around the world within two miles. 

Hello, Vegas! I’m here to play!
Thanks for a good time! I’ll be back soon.

Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign This sign is iconic for a reason. I wasn’t quite sure where I thought it was, but it’s a bit of a walk from the strip. There is a convenient parking lot if you don’t want to walk there like I did. What I didn’t realize was that it was two sided! On the other side, as you’re driving away from the strip [duh], it says “Drive Carefully Come Back Soon.” I walked past the sign on my very first day. I didn’t stop to take a picture because there was a VERY long line, and warning, there is always a long line unless…. I went at 6:00 am the next day, and I was the only one there. Except for Elvis, from Pittsburgh. He serenaded me as I posed. Luckily, I was prepared and brought two outfits so I could take pictures front and back and pretend I was leaving to post when I was actually leaving.

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Standing in the middle of the room for a cool picture.

The Venetian Really anywhere you go here, there are gorgeous picture spots. Had I known, I would have gotten up earlier and snagged a picture before all the people arrived to shop and site see. Inside is equally gorgeous with their flower installations. 

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Dancing in the morning glow.

Mandalay Bay Again. This one is HUGE, so the picture moments are endless. The main entrance is really gorgeous and filled with waterfalls and tropical plants. If you can’t tell, I managed to match my outfit to the theme of the place. I got there too late in the morning for a sunrise golden hour, but I made it work, I think. This one is at the very end of the strip, and I almost never saw it thrumming with people. 

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There’s nothing much better than reading in the pool.
Of course I had to see the sphynx.

Luxor Pools I stayed here the very first night. I’d only been to Las Vegas once before in 1999… It was an ode to my childhood trip. The pools are very well known and make great photo spots. When I was there at the end of April/beginning of May, one pool was closed due to COVID, another was under renovation, and the third was open. It was good enough! I landed at 9:00 in the morning and was poolside by 10:15. The pools crowd very quickly, so I suggest getting there early if you don’t want too many bodies sharing the spotlight. Sphynx By noon, I had a bunch of content because I changed into a cute outfit to pose in front of the Sphinx. If you’re trying to find it, like I was (it’s hard to know where things are when you’re INSIDE the casinos), the Sphynx is out the doors next to the front desk, facing the waterfalls. I had to get creative with my angles because the normal photo spot for the Sphinx was closed. They turned out fun anyways!

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This was my favorite place in all of Las Vegas.

Bellagio There are so many gorgeous photo spots. I suggest all of them. I fell, absolutely fell in love with the Conservatory and Botanical Garden. The first night I was there, I walked the entire strip and into the Bellagio. I followed the flowers to the Conservatory, where I was left in awe, which meant I visited every single day to appreciate it at different times of the day. It’s a 14,000 square foot Botanical Garden with a stunning glass ceiling; every season and for Lunar New Year, the Horticulture and Engineering teams create a unique and brilliant floral and botanical installation. They reuse, recycle, replant, and repurpose as much as they can in their commitment to sustainable art. They recently changed the installation for summer, and now I want to go back to see it. This may have been my favorite thing in Vegas…. And it’s free. 

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Best food I had in all of Las Vegas.

Best Friend In Park MGM, Roy Choi’s incredible and experiential restaurant can be found. This was a must on Amanda’s list, and I never say no to food. I didn’t know what to expect, but the moment we walked up, I was in. 90s Kid Paradise. I’m not kidding. If you were raised in the 90s like I was—aging myself—, then you’ll have, at the very least, nostalgia, and, at the best, a full on nostalgiagasm. There is so much going in the front, and then we walked to the dining room… I wasn’t expecting that. The food was incredible. The best food of the trip, hands down. I will go back again.

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It was hot. This was the coolest I was the entire trip.

Hilton Garden Grand Vacation Just a normal Hilton. It’s connected to the Flamingo, so my friends wanted to stay there for pool access (discussed below). The cute part about this hotel is the oversized chair. Everyone needs one of those pictures on vacation.

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I really loved this bathtub.
Rooftop pools are for me.

Waldorf Astoria Rooms Themselves I stayed here the last couple of nights. There is no casino here, which means it’s quieter and caters to a less rambunctious crowd. It’s also nice as fuck, which is why the rooms themselves are the perfect place for a photoshoot. I don’t take baths, but I took a bath every day I was there. Also… not a bad view to get some work done. Pool The rooftop pool is really, really nice. It has a fabulous bar with wonderful waitstaff. You’ll need a reservation for the cabanas, but honestly you don’t need it. Amanda and I lounged in our Texas icon, Buc-ee’s, swimsuits before immediately changing into something cute. I spent several hours by that pool. Paul, the bartender, is fantastic and also an Iowa native; we hit it off when he wasn’t busy. The [nonalcoholic] drinks are delicious. I felt like I had loads of money sitting by that pool… A beautiful fantasy.

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These were my favorite pictures from the entire trip.
Who wouldn’t want to eat a baguette in front of the Eiffel Tower?

Paris Eiffel Tower The Eiffel Tower is one of the most photographed structures in the world, one of the most tagged locations on Instagram. Okay… the real one, but that means the Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas is a must see and must photograph spot too. There’s loads of ways to get your picture, but I suggest heading across the street to the Bellagio Fountain and posing with your back to the Eiffel Tower. That way you get a cute foreground and the entire tower in the frame. And if you scroll through Instagram, very few people are doing that. Arc de Triomphe This spot isn’t quite as noticeable when you’re walking around the strip because it’s nestled back into the hotel. The Arc de Triomphe is on the side of Paris, where people are picked up and dropped off. I woke up early and headed over there to take a whole bunch of fun Parisian inspired photos with the Arch in the background. 

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Meow Wolf was incredible.

Meow Wolf This was such a fascinating experience. If you want to spend an entire day taking unique, strange, and potentially disturbing pictures in the midst of a hoard of people, this is the place for you. I truly loved it, and there is so much to take in. I didn’t spend a lot of time behind my camera. Instead I immersed myself in the immersion. I did pause to take this picture because the room truly was beautiful. 

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I preferred looking over it after it closed.

Flamingo’s Pool For the young, party people—not me—this is the go to spot. It’s very pink. Very crowded. Very expensive. I stayed in the Hilton Garden Grand Vacation attached to the Flamingo for one night, so I got in for free. But you will have to wait in line and pay to get in. If you want a chair or a table or a couch, pay some more. It’s not my scene. I walked in and walked right back out. I took this picture on a walkway overlooking the pool after it had closed. Honestly, I think it’s better than being surrounded by a whole lot of sweaty, wet drunk people while trying to get a picture for the gram. Take a flight of stairs. Worth it.

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I would not go back, but you should decide that for yourself.

Fremont Street If I never go back to Fremont Street, I will be okay. It did not speak to me. It was fine once. There’s a lot of alcohol, gambling, and drunk people. LIGHT. So much light. There’s not really any amazing photo opportunities except for literally standing in the middle of the street, surrounded by people. Which can be a cool picture, but that’s about it. I do like the picture, though; it’s not my usual aesthetic.

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This was just a cute nook.

An Alley of Shops Between Linq and Flamingo I tried so hard to find out if this area had a name, and I have no idea what it’s called if it’s called anything at all. Onward, it’s a nice, clean lane with shops and restaurants.. It’s a great little spot for just a casual picture in the sun. Nothing crazy, but nice. 

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I was feeling myself.

Caesars Palace Can we briefly mention the lack of an apostrophe… I don’t like it. Grammar aside, it’s a beautiful casino. Huge. Being completely transparent, there are tons of photo worthy spots, but a lot of times the interesting thing about it is the art and sculpture recreations. So go explore and find the naked man statue that speaks to your soul, I mean, Instagram feed. 

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So there’s a run down of my favorite photo worthy locations. The thing is, this is not at all a comprehensive or even intensive or even well-researched look at Vegas’ Insta notable spots. This is what I found works and is pretty while still trying to have fun and not be intimidated by the swarms of people. 

If you’re on your way to Vegas, remember to stop by the Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Garden. You will not regret it, and send me a picture of what’s installed right now. Also eat all the food, every single bite. 

bisous und обьятий,

Posing in front of the Arc de Triomphe at Paris Casino in Las Vegas.
11..., Experiences, Lifestyle, Travel

11… Ways I Passed the Time in Las Vegas

A boat filled with flowers floating in the Bellagio's Conservatory.
A boat filled with flowers floating in the Bellagio’s Conservatory.

The last five days, I spent exploring Las Vegas. I’d been once before… in December 1999. A little more than 21 years ago, so I had never really done Vegas because I was nine eight years old. Some would argue I still haven’t done Vegas because I don’t drink or gamble and the shows are still closed for the most part. That being said, there are loads of things to do, and I managed to fill my five full days with fun nonetheless. I got in very early this morning and am very ready for a nap. 

This is not a travel guide by any means. It’s just a quick overview of some of the fun I’ve had over the last five days. If you’ve been following my stories on Instagram, you know there were lots of outfit changes, food, and activities. Lots of pictures to come, but I need to go through them all and edit… Did I mention I didn’t get home til early this morning, so it’s not happening today.

Posing in front of the Arc de Triomphe at Paris Casino in Las Vegas.
Posing like the French girl I want to be in front of the l’Arc de Triomphe in Las Vegas. | Red Polka Dot Dress | Yellow Sandals | Yellow Wool Beret |
  1. Change Hotels There are so many fun hotels and casinos. If you stay for more than a few days, I suggest switching hotels like I did. I was able to experience Las Vegas from different vantage points, locations, rooms, and amenities. I stayed at the Luxor, Hilton Grand Vacation at the Flamingo, and Waldorf Astoria. I’ll chat more about each of them later!
  2. Content Creation One of my favorite things about being a writer and blogger is the content creation. I love having an excuse to take beautiful pictures. I’ve always loved being behind and in front of the camera. It’s taken me a lot longer to get comfortable being in front of the camera in public spaces, but I’m getting there. It’s always worth it when I see the finished product. I think everyone deserves amazing pictures of themselves, and we need to normalize that. But I did a lot of solo content creation all over The Strip. 
  3. Eat Oh my goodness. I ate so much all over the place. I will definitely have a dedicated food post. Some exceeded expectations. Some did not. I didn’t have any bad food, though. I did return to Eataly… a lot. 
  4. Work The blessing and curse of being a freelance writer is: I still work on vacation. In the before times, I traveled so much that not working every time I was on a trip would have been unfeasible and completely unrealistic. This was my first trip since COVID, but I still ended up working every day. I like it because it keeps me grounded and makes me appreciate the fun even more! Plus I’m more motivated to get it done ASAP, rather than procrastinate. 
  5. The Conservatory at the Bellagio I happened upon the Conservatory in the Bellagio on the very first day I was there. It was absolutely stunning and beautiful and everything my flower dreams are made of, so I went back… pretty much every day. 
  6. Walking I walk a lot when I travel. I walked between 8.75 and 14.6 miles every single day. I love going, going, going to explore everything. I’m not good at down time when I’m traveling. I have a few blisters from a poor shoe decision on the last day—the photos made it totally worth it, however. 
  7. Pool + Reading I landed at 8:45 Wednesday morning, and I was already checked into my room at the Luxor. I headed straight to my room, put on my swimsuit, grabbed a book, and sat my butt by the pool. It was 9:45, and I was two chapters into a new book and soaking up the sun. #goals I did sit poolside with a book every single day I was there. (The Waldorf Astoria’s pool is by far my favorite.)
  8. People Watched Oh, Las Vegas. It might be one of the more interesting places to people watch, especially late at night. 
  9. Shopping, Shopping, Shopping I actually did not do a lot of shopping. I’m too poor for the stuff I really want to buy. I did buy a few souvenirs for friends. I don’t like to buy things plastered with the location on them for myself—the exception being mugs—so I buy things that I like and will remind me of the trip. This trip happened to be hats. I found my new favorite hat store and went a little crazy, but a responsible amount of nutty.
  10. Friend It Up I love traveling and being on my own because I meet the most incredible people. Sometimes there are some looney acquaintances made, but most of the time, I have really amazing conversations with total strangers. 
  11. See Friends Some of my closest friends just moved to Las Vegas. Maria of Millennial Fashionista grew up in Las Vegas. She, her husband, and baby just moved back. Due to COVID, I hadn’t been able to see or visit them in almost two years, which meant: I hadn’t met darling Clara!!! I was finally able to remedy that situation by spending Wednesday afternoon and evening with them. It’s never enough time when it comes to good friends, but anything is better than nothing, particularly when it’s meeting the most perfect baby in the whole world. 
The most perfect baby in the whole world!

I had a great time in Vegas. I was definitely ready to head home and cuddle my babies by Sunday evening. I will for sure miss the Waldorf and all its amenities. I guess I can live without a pool boy… If I must. 

bisous und обьятий,
RaeAnna

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