Great gardens: ...In Vegas??

Okay so I debated on whether to include this or not.  Because honestly, it's Vegas, this strange sprout of glittery, gaudy, expensive things in the middle of the desert (I am referring to the Strip, of course, and totally ignoring the fact that it is also a city that normal people live in beyond the Strip).... is there anything natural about Vegas at all?  Plus, everyone who's been in LA for some amount of time has been to Vegas at least once, twice, maybe too many times for those bachelorettes, celebratory trips, and weekends away.

But every time I go, I seek out this little beautiful oasis of freshness that is the "Conservatory and Botanical Gardens" of the Bellagio because I love flowers and they do flowers pretty well.  Is it natural?  No.  But beautiful and worth seeing?  Definitely.

As you walk through the lobby, you'll see the Chihuly glass above along with some elaborate floral centerpieces.

And then you'll make your way into the atrium straight ahead -- follow your nose!  In contrast to most of cigarette-smelly hotel/casino interiors, this room is very fragrant and fresh!

On this visit, there were "fields" of tulips, foxglove, and chrysanthemums, among other flowers...

Also on view was a greenhouse with butterflies.

Lovely!  Unfortunately because of all of the crowds, this was the widest angle shot I could get:

But if you look online, you'll also see that the gardens are very lovely during the day and the exhibit changes throughout the year.

Christmas!  (photo credit below)

Chinese New Year!  (photo credit below)

(Above photo credits: Creativitywindow and vitalvegas)

Love it or hate it -- if you are like most, you probably love-hate Vegas anyway -- the flowers are quite pretty.  And if you find yourself in Vegas this summer looking to escape the heat, noise, or bad odors, make a little side trip to this unnatural botanical oasis.

Here is the official website.  They are open 24/7 almost all days of the year, but if you look on their website, there are a few days between exhibits without an exhibit formally on display, presumably because they have to set up all those tightly packed flowers.

Since we're talking about guilty pleasures, this aside is another one of mine (boy bands -- I was a tween/teen in the 90s and will probably never grow out of them)...  Rixton "Me and My Broken Heart" 

Very catchy.  Aren't they always? :)  Have a good week!