The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf that I went to most was in The Venetian. Every morning, N would go to the conference and A and I would take the 15 minute walk to The Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian. On the way in, there is a series moving sidewalks that take you over a bridge, going up and down it with a stroller was a little scary the first couple of times, until I got the hang of it. The theming starts before you even enter the building with a stunning optical illusion tiled floor that is so cool.

The Venetian has a cool setup. Downstairs is the casino, but upstairs is the Grand Canal Shoppes. This is basically a mall that had shops, and cafes, including two Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf shops. N and I looked around on the first day we were in Vegas and both loved it. The theming is Venice, a charming town in Italy. The shops are all building facades, the ceiling is painted with clouds and blue skies, there is a canal running through and a big town square where hourly performances can be viewed.

N and I agreed that one of the highlights of our trip was done on the last day, the gondola ride. It was fantastic. Usually you have to pay double to get a private ride, but there was no one else waiting when we went, so we got a private ride for the regular price. The gondolier was amazing, he had a wonderful voice, a great sense of humor and really made the ride outstanding.