My Epic 40th Birthday Vegas Trip – Part 1

A behind the scenes look into the planning of my 40th birthday celebration in Las Vegas at the Venetian. Plus check out my exclusive video of the making of CrazyShakes at Black Tap Las Vegas!

Turning 40 is pretty epic yโ€™all. 

Jocelyn Delk Adams sitting on stairs at The Venetian Las Vegas in silk yellow and pink floral dress

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Last year, I really started thinking more and more about what I wanted 40 to mean for me and how I wanted to celebrate. Turning 39 in the midst of a pandemic really did wake me up to what was most important. I immediately started thinking about how my wish for celebrating my 40th birthday would ultimately be having an absolute blast in the company of my family.

I talk a lot about family on my website because they truly inspired so much of who I am and ultimately why I do what I do.

As time got closer, and I realized that all of my family was vaccinated, I knew that getting everyone together was no longer a pipe dream but an actual potential reality. So I started thinking about locations that were close to home since everyone wasnโ€™t comfortable with international travel yet. I thought Las Vegas would be perfect.

Jocelyn Delk Adams sitting on stairs in front of The Venetian in blue, black and orange dress

Iโ€™ve been to Las Vegas countless times (like 7 or 8 times), and I always have such a blast. The strip is filled with the most incredible energy, the restaurants have some of the best food Iโ€™ve ever tasted, and the fun just never stops. Taking and treating 9 family members to Vegas would take a lot of thought and planning but I knew it would be so worth it.  

So I began my planning with the hotel.  I needed the perfect place for our guests to stay that would be welcoming, luxurious, stunning, filled with countless amenities and perfectly located on the strip.  My immediate thought was The Venetian.  I ADORE The Venetian.  It was the very first hotel I stayed in when I first visited Vegas at 21 years old.  It felt like a dream, and I knew my guests would adore it as well.  Planning my Birthday celebration there was not only easy but absolutely flawless.  The team is so dedicated to ensuring events and celebrations are sensational, and I could not believe my eyes most of the time.

A balloon structure of 40 with coral, pink and orange balloons in a hotel room

A floral arrangement on desk in hotel room

When we arrived on June 2nd, I received an incredible surprise in my suite!  It was decorated with gorgeous balloons and flowers in all of my favorite colors! Warm and bright pinks, corals, and oranges filled my room with such vibrancy and fun!  I was taken aback.  It was the best way to begin our trip.  Once all of our guests arrived in Vegas and settled in, it was time to truly explore the property.

Jocelyn Delk Adams standing next to gondola rides at The Venetian Las Vegas in blue and orange dress

My mother, auntie, Harmony and I had an amazing time experiencing the Venetianโ€™s signature gondola ride, one of the incredible features there. My mother has visited Venice, and it was so fun watching her relive her experience right in Vegas. 

Jocelyn Delk Adams on gondola ride at The Venetian Las Vegas

Harmony really loved it too!  Our gondolier sang โ€œLet It Goโ€ from Disneyโ€™s โ€œFrozenโ€ which is truly the key to her heart.  It was just so thoughtful.

A woman at Black Tap restaurant making two milkshakes to serve

Next, we went for burgers and shakes at Black Tap.  Black Tap is one of the only restaurants Iโ€™ve ever stood in line for.  I went to the original one when it opened in New York and stood in the cold during February to try one of their epic shakes. Not much has changed because the lines were long in Las Vegas with such anticipation to get in and try them.  That just shows you how incredibly popular this place is coast to coast!

Jocelyn Delk Adams holding a cake shake at Black Tap Las Vegas at The Venetian

Our order consisted of the juicy and flavorful burgers and wings which are some of the best ever, and then we concluded lunch with some of their epic CrazyShakes: The Black and White (which is completely vegan), The Cotton Candy (just as amazing and fun as it sounds), The CakeShake (this just screams birthday treat, am I right?) and the Choco Taco which my aunt ordered and seriously lost her mind over. 

Check out my Video below highlighting how the milkshakes are made!

Jocelyn Delk Adams holding a cotton candy crazyshake at The Venetian Black Tap restaurant

They are creamy, packed with so many wow flavors and just insane!  If you have one Vegas experience, it definitely needs to be one of those shakes.

Jocelyn Delk Adams hanging by cabana at The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas

Next, we couldnโ€™t go to The Venetian and not enjoy the sensational pool.  Seriously, they should write songs about their pool area.  At this point, it was the Sunday before my birthday and we rented a cabana for the morning and early afternoon.  I cannot tell you how unreal this was.  When we arrived, the cabana was decorated with the most gorgeous Happy Birthday balloons and decorations.  I could have lived in that cabana.  The service was absolutely sensational.  

Happy Birthday balloons hanging in a pool cabana by The Venetian Las Vegas

We ordered breakfast in the cabana which included everything from fresh fruit and granola acai bowls to scrambled eggs and toast.  Later in the afternoon, the Venetian set up a super fun cocktail bar where my auntie made mixed drinks and had a blast by the pool. 

A deliciously tall vanilla cake with macaroons and flowers on it as decorations

Finally the most incredible, moist and decadent cake arrived in the cabana that knocked my socks off!  It was delicious!!!!!  I couldnโ€™t imagine things being better than this but boy was I just gearing up for the ultimate day which was my birthday.  Stay tuned for part 2 of my Birthday trip review.

Filed Under:  Features, Life Stuff and Reviews

Comments

  1. I’m taking my sister in law and her identical twin to vegas for their 40th. Where is that cake from? It looks amazing!

  2. You’re so beautiful and your success and joie de vivre are inspiring and hopefully contagious! Happy birthday and thank you for the amazing travelogue!

  3. Wow! Happy Birthday to you. You look great and I know you had a great time. This place looks amazing,thanks for sharing. I will have to put this on my list (for this year).

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