Postcard from Las Vegas, Nevada

Five years ago, when my friend Kimberley suggested our friend Marayka and I ditch the kids with our husbands and head to Vegas for Mother’s Day weekend, I wasn’t sure if it was my kind of town. So no one was more surprised than me to discover that it’s the one place where we can truly relax and pamper ourselves. We’ve gone back every year since!

After we solve each other’s work/home/life problems over cocktails on the deck, we change for brunch and an afternoon of shopping. One full day per trip is reserved for the spa. While the saying may be “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” the truth is we’re back in our hotel room with lights out before 11 p.m. Gambling? No thanks. (I’d rather buy shoes!) Debauchery? Nope. For moms like us, Vegas is just a welcome escape from the chaos of our everyday lives.

A version of this article appeared in our May 2013 issue with the headline, "Las Vegas, Nevada" p.26.

Strolling the luxe Forum Shops at Caesar’s Palace, the Las Vegas Premium Outlets and the Fashion Show Mall with my girlfriends is the only time I make an exception to my “I shop alone” rule.

Our annual meeting place is always Joe’s Stone Crab in the Forum Shops at Caesar’s Palace. And The Pink Taco in the Hard Rock Hotel has the best tacos (and prices!).

This time it was the Monte Carlo, a standard but affordable hotel with one of the most important elements: a great pool that gets sun all day long.

We went back to the Brand Steakhouse in the Monte Carlo twice just for this delicious seafood dish.

Off-road adventure
We loved our Pink Jeep Tours. With our own personal driver/ guide, it was a great way to see the natural beauty of the desert. We chose the four-hour Eldorado Canyon tour, and felt like we were among ghosts as we climbed into the famous Techatticup Gold Mine. Next time, we’ll try the Hoover Dam or Grand Canyon excursions.

Pampering
Our favourite spa treatments include a hot stone massage at Aria hotel, and the crystal steam room at the Canyon Ranch SpaClub at The Venetian & The Palazzo.

Editor-in-chief Karine Ewart and her girlfriends head to Sin City on the ultimate moms-only getaway.