Rescuing the tail end of the trip, the hallways of the Wynn and Encore provided a perfect resting stop for the hours before my plane departed. In the midst of the garish, over-bloated heat and hype of Vegas, there were glimpses of paradise here. The crowds parted in these long lobby-like spaces, and with no conventions in sight, the emptiness and quiet were a brief bit of relief.
After making it through the weekend, (and winning one more round of Roulette) I decided to treat myself to a celebratory cocktail at Parasol Down.
Drawn in by the colorful umbrage of a multitude of hanging parasols, I descended to the bar area, where the afternoon sun was beating down outside the windows, backed by a waterfall. It’s one of the wonders of Las Vegas that in the middle of the desert there is all this water – in the fountains, the waterfalls, the pools… and yet none of it is natural.
A pretty server with piercing blue eyes and dark hair brings me a cocktail menu and I decide on her recommendation – the Pear-A-Sol. Made up of Absolut Pears vodka, Belle Paire Pear liqueur, pear puree, and sweet & sour mix, it is a dream – like drinking the sweetest pear in liquid form.
It is the perfect ending to a perhaps-less-than-perfect weekend in Las Vegas. And then it is time to leave.
