Las Vegas: Bellagio Hotel and Exclusive Shadow Creek Golf Course

Recently, we had the pleasure of playing the exclusive

                 “Shadow Creek Golf Course “ 

in the ‘city that never sleeps’, Las Vegas, and staying at the famous Bellagio Hotel. 

Southwest Airlines offers a great selection of 1.5 hour direct flights from the Oakland airport.

The famous Bellagio Hotel is a 5 minute drive from the airport. Bellagio means ‘elegant relaxation’ and is named after a town in Lake Como, Italy. It is known for its 8-acre lake with multi-colored waterfalls that dance to perfectly choreographed music.

This massive hotel is a Las Vegas favorite living up to its billing of ‘elegant relaxation’ with  stately appointed rooms, multiple restaurants, pools, spa, entertainment and a first-class service staff.

The ‘dancing waterfalls’ are very soothing to your soul and attract many people to enjoy the 24 hour show on the Las Vegas strip.

After checking in, we enjoyed a great dinner at Gordon Ramsey’s English Pub at nearby Caesars Palace. This was our second Ramsey experience as we also ate at his Black Cat restaurant in London. We were not disappointed and enjoyed great service and food in a casual atmosphere at his pub.

On another night, we enjoyed great service and a fabulous Italian dinner with a very good international and domestic wine list at famous Rao’s also located at Caesars Palace. The meatballs and lemon chicken are not to be missed. The cannoli for dessert was one of the best we have experienced!

We had the pleasure of playing the Tom Fazio designed 7500 yard masterpiece Shadow Creek Golf Course. Originally built by casino owner Steve Wynn, it has hosted many famous celebrities, Presidents and golfers on its hallowed grounds.  

Recently, Phil Mickelson beat Tiger Woods in a 4-hole sudden death $10 million match.  In 2020, long hitting Jason Kokrak won his first PGA tour event in a star studded field CJ cup that was moved to Las Vegas due to Covid travel issues.

Your exclusive golf experience begins when a Limo picks you up at your hotel and takes you to the course. The 7500 yard golf wonderland has multiple tees to challenge any golfing skill level.

Long time General Manager, Monte Montgomery, assigned us to a famous caddy named Bogey, who navigated us around this meticulously manicured slice of golf heaven.

Every hole can be considered a signature hole. Bogey’s stories of many famous people playing here were also interesting and entertaining.

When we asked him who was his favorite person to caddy for, he said very politely, “aside from Linda and Mike today, I really enjoyed Mark Wahlberg, Justin Timberlake and President Obama. “

You can play this formerly very private course if you stay at one of the MGM resorts. MGM purchased this heavenly property a few years ago. It is truly a ‘must do’ bucket list experience for the avid golfer. 

For more information go to:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_Creek_Golf_Course

Faust Wines: A Napa Treasure

Recently, we had the pleasure of visiting Faust Wines. These high-quality wines showcase what makes the Coombsville Region so special.

Faust is part of a winery/brand portfolio owned by Huneeus Vinters including Napa based Quintessa.

The Faust House is one of Napa’s newest tasting rooms that opened in 2020.There is a refurbished 1870s Victorian Mansion and outdoor shaded patio areas overlooking terraced vineyards where we enjoyed these great wines.

The mansion’s lavish interiors are meant to recall its namesake Dr. Faustus, the literary character who made a pact with the devil.

Nate, assistant guest services manager showed us the lower- level speakeasy. Supposedly, it is haunted by 3 ghosts-August, Joanna and Mary.  As the story goes, August liked whiskey and as a result they keep a bottle of Jameson always open for him.

Our knowledgeable and energetic host today was Ty. He did a great job telling us about the wine and the snack pairing that went with the wine.

We enjoyed a sensational sun splashed day on the patio overlooking Napa. We began with a refreshing Sauvignon Blanc, followed by the 2016 ‘The Hour’ a unique blend of Merlot and Petite Sirah.  We concluded with an elegant 2016 and 2018 ‘The Pact’ 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. We especially liked the 2016 Hourd and 2016 100 percent Cabernet. One bottle of each went home to Danville with us.

This winery is a ‘must do’ to add to your Napa wine tasting bucket list.

For more information and to make an appointment, go to: https://faustwines.com/